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Micro-Scale Experiments
Visualized Multiphase Flow Platform in Porous Media
Location: Room 419, Environmental Science Building (Liushui Building)
Manager: Yandong Zhang
Physical models of microchannels and porous media are fabricated by 3D printing and microfluidic chips, around which an in-house visualized platform for multiphase flow in porous media has been built. The apparatus consists of five subsystems: injection, control, imaging, back pressure, and data acquisition. The injection system comprises three ISCO pumps (one single-cylinder 65D and two double-cylinder 100DX) for high-pressure injection, or three peristaltic pumps (LSP01-1BH) for low-pressure injection, together with piston intermediate containers (16 MPa, 200 mL). The control system combines manual and automatic (pneumatic) valves. The imaging system includes a PCO.dimax CS1 high-speed camera (3086 fps @ 1296 x 1024), an LED area light source, a continuous-wave semiconductor laser (532 nm, 25 W; optics include a 20 cm diameter area lens at 1 m and a 1 mm sheet lens), model holders (a 360° adjustable stage for 2D models and a 0.1 mm precision translation stage for 3D models), and a high-precision vibration-isolation platform (natural frequency 2 Hz). The back-pressure system (1.6 MPa, 0.1% FS) achieves regulation with 1 kPa resolution. The data-acquisition system collects signals from Keller pressure transducers (3 MPa, 0.05% FS), a Keller differential-pressure transducer (10 kPa, 0.1% FS), camera images, an electronic balance (0.01 g), and gas flow meters (0.5–50 mL/min).
Specifications:
(1) ISCO 100DX continual pump: 0.00001–50 mL/min, 0–10,000 psi;
(2) ISCO 65DX continual pump: 0.000001–25 mL/min, 0–20,000 psi;
(3) Pressure transmitter: range 3,000 kPa, accuracy 0.05% FS;
(4) Differential pressure transmitter: range 10 kPa, accuracy 0.05% FS.
High-Pressure High-Temperature Microscopic Physical Simulation System
Model: USH-1000
Manufacturer: Jiangsu Lianyou Scientific Instruments Co., Ltd.
Location: Room B106, Engineering Building 1
Manager: Yandong Zhang
Microfluidic models are placed inside a high-pressure high-temperature visualizable autoclave to physically simulate fluid phase behavior in micro/nano porous media under elevated temperature and pressure.
(1) Temperature: ambient to 150 °C, control accuracy ±0.5 °C;
(2) Pressure: 0–32 MPa, accuracy 0.1% FS;
(3) Minimum resolvable pore-throat diameter: 5 μm;
(4) Model size: 40 x 40, center hole spacing 32 mm ±0.5 mm;
(5) Automatic tracking adjustment of confining pressure;
(6) Outlet back pressure controlled by a constant-pressure pump.
Micro/Nano Pore-Scale Visualizable Models
The group designs and fabricates micro/nano-scale micromodels for the pore structures of shale and tight sandstone. The fabrication yields fully transparent, high-pressure resistant, glass-based models with nano-scale pore depth and the dual-porosity characteristics of shale. The method omits channel etching and builds the wafer directly by lift-off, and it further enables cross-scale pore structures: unlike silicon-glass models, there is no ion exchange between the upper and lower glass layers, so bonding does not collapse even when the channel width greatly exceeds the depth. This provides a rapid and convenient experimental platform with realistic conditions for studying flow mechanisms in dual-porosity media at the micro/nano scale under high pressure and high temperature.
Location: Room B106, Engineering Building 1
Manager: Yandong Zhang
HAAKE MARS 40 Rheometer
Location: Room 419, Environmental Science Building (Liushui Building)
Manager: Runxuan Sun
Inverted Fluorescence Microscope
Model: Eclipse Ti2-U
Manufacturer: NIKON
Location: Room 419, Environmental Science Building (Liushui Building)
Manager: Yandong Zhang
Equipped with 4x, 10x, 20x, and 40x objectives and DAPI, FITC, and EPI-FL fluorescence excitation modules, with a built-in 5.9-megapixel camera for real-time observation of oil-water flow inside micromodel pores, together with NIS-Elements and Measurement Acquisition software for image acquisition and data processing.