STOMP

Aqueous Relative Permeability Options (HYDT-KE)

Effective Saturations

Mobile saturations are normalized by the hydrate saturation and scaled by the residual aqueous liquid saturation to determine effective saturations for use with common relative permeability models. 

The effective aqueous liquid saturation is:
The effective aqueous nonaqueous liquid saturation is:
The effective gas saturation is:
The wetting phases are combined for a total effective liquid saturation:

Relative Permeability Models

Constant: the relative permeability is constant regardless of saturation. 

Burdine: 

The Burdine (1953) relative permeability model

The Burdine (1953) relative permeability function is described as

 

 

Aqueous phase relative permeability can be computed as a function of aqueous saturation from knowledge of the soil-moisture retention function and the pore distribution model of Burdine [1953]. If the van Genuchten and Brooks and Corey soil-moisture retention functions are used, closed-form expressions for fluid phase relative permeability can be derived. Using the van Genuchten soil-moisture retention function, the aqueous phase relative permeability appears as shown:

 

Using the Brooks and Corey soil-moisture retention function, the aqueous phase relative permeability appears as shown:

 

Reference:

Burdine, N.T., 1953. Relative permeability calculation from size distribution data. Trans. AIME 198, 71-78.  

Mualem:

The Mualem (1976) relative permeability model

The Mualem(1976) relative permeability function is described as

 

where L = 0.5.

Aqueous phase relative permeability can be computed as a function of aqueous saturation from knowledge of the soil-moisture retention function and the pore distribution model of Mualem [1976]. If the van Genuchten and Brooks and Corey soil-moisture retention functions are used, closed-form expressions for fluid phase relative permeability can be derived. Using the van Genuchten soil-moisture retention function, the aqueous  relative permeability appears as shown:

 

Using the Brooks and Corey soil-moisture retention function, the aqueous phase relative permeability appears as shown:

 

Reference:

Mualem, Y., 1976. A new model for predicting the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated porous media. Water Resources Research 12, 513-522.

 

Free Corey:

The modified version of the Corey (1977) model

The free Corey is a modified version of the empirical model of Corey [1977].

 

Reference:

Corey, A.T., 1977. Mechanics of heterogeneous fluids in porous media. Water Resources Publications, Fort Collins, Colorado. 

Modified Mualem: the pore scale parameter (aka tortuosity-connectivity coefficient) can be any value

 

 

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