Page 128 - Fundamentals of Computational Geoscience Numerical Methods and Algorithms

116 5 Simulating Chemical Dissolution Front Instabilities in Fluid-Saturated Porous Rocks

τ
(Numerical, = . 0 03 (Numerical,) τ = . 0 04)

τ
τ
(Numerical, = . 0 05 ) (Numerical, = . 0 06)

τ
τ
(Numerical, = . 0 07 ) (Numerical, = . 0 08)
Fig. 5.5 Porosity distributions due to morphological evolution of the chemical dissolution front in
the fluid-saturated porous medium

dissolution front increases significantly, indicating that the chemical dissolution
front is morphologically unstable during its propagation within the computational
model. Although both the porosity and the dimensionless concentration have a simi-
lar propagation front, the distribution of their maximum values along the dissolution
front is clearly different. The peak value of the porosity is in good correspondence
with the trough value of the dimensionless concentration due to the chemical dis-
solution in the system. This demonstrates that the proposed numerical procedure
is capable of simulating the morphological instability of the chemical dissolution
front in a fluid-saturated porous medium in the case of the coupled system being
supercritical.