Experiments using transparent porous media, where the indices of refraction of the solid grains and the wetting fluid are matched, can be used to quantify fluid saturations from digital images. In this study, significantly more efficient calibration and validation methods for unsaturated transparent porous media were developed, which used just three images and one saturation measurement. Imbibition and drainage column experiments were used to define the pixel intensity and saturation at residual wetting fluid saturation, as well as at residual nonwetting fluid saturation in two gradations of transparent porous media used for validation. The other images were pixel intensity at 100 and 0% wetting fluid saturation. Results from the drainage and imbibition experiments on the two transparent porous media gradations showed a log-linear saturation–pixel intensity relationship, which agreed with the validation points from this study as well as those using a previous calibration method. We expect that this new calibration procedure will allow efficient development of saturation–pixel intensity relationships for the investigation of multiphase flow using transparent porous media under a variety of conditions.
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Research Article|
February 01, 2017
Quantification of Fluid Saturations in Transparent Porous Media
Lee-Ann K. Sills;
Lee-Ann K. Sills
a
Dep. of Civil Engineering, Queen’s Univ., Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
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Kevin G. Mumford;
a
Dep. of Civil Engineering, Queen’s Univ., Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canadac
GeoEngineering Centre at Queen’s–Royal Military College, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada*
Corresponding author ([email protected]).
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Greg A. Siemens
Greg A. Siemens
b
Dep. of Civil Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON, K7K 7B4, Canadac
GeoEngineering Centre at Queen’s–Royal Military College, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canadaa
Dep. of Civil Engineering, Queen’s Univ., Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canadab
Dep. of Civil Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON, K7K 7B4, Canadac
GeoEngineering Centre at Queen’s–Royal Military College, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
Search for other works by this author on:
Lee-Ann K. Sills
a
Dep. of Civil Engineering, Queen’s Univ., Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canadaa
Dep. of Civil Engineering, Queen’s Univ., Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canadac
GeoEngineering Centre at Queen’s–Royal Military College, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
Greg A. Siemens
b
Dep. of Civil Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON, K7K 7B4, Canadac
GeoEngineering Centre at Queen’s–Royal Military College, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canadaa
Dep. of Civil Engineering, Queen’s Univ., Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canadab
Dep. of Civil Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON, K7K 7B4, Canadac
GeoEngineering Centre at Queen’s–Royal Military College, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada*
Corresponding author ([email protected]).
Publisher: Soil Science Society of America
Received:
20 Jun 2016
Accepted:
20 Oct 2016
First Online:
03 Jan 2018
Copyright © by the Soil Science Society of America, Inc.
Vadose Zone Journal (2017) 16 (2): 1–9.
Article history
Received:
20 Jun 2016
Accepted:
20 Oct 2016
First Online:
03 Jan 2018
Citation
Lee-Ann K. Sills, Kevin G. Mumford, Greg A. Siemens; Quantification of Fluid Saturations in Transparent Porous Media. Vadose Zone Journal 2017;; 16 (2): 1–9. doi: https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2016.06.0052
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Index Terms/Descriptors
- calibration
- clastic sediments
- drainage
- experimental studies
- fluid phase
- framework silicates
- grain size
- image analysis
- imbibition
- measurement
- multiphase flow
- one-dimensional models
- porous materials
- quantitative analysis
- quartz
- refraction
- sand
- saturation
- sediments
- silica minerals
- silicates
- size
- slurries
- techniques
- unsaturated zone
- transparency
- mineral oils
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