Effective Permeability — Lesson 6

This lesson covers the concept of flow through porous media, focusing on the effective permeability in a stratified porous medium with non-uniform permeability. It delves into the application of mass continuity in Darcy's Law and the calculation of pressure equations and velocity profiles. The lesson also discusses the theory behind combining permeabilities in series or parallel, and how to calculate the effective permeability in such cases. It further explores the concept of continuous permeability variation in radial flow and the use of stream function and potential function in porous media. For instance, if you have a core where up to a certain length the permeability was k1 and beyond that length, the permeability is k2, the lesson explains how to calculate the effective permeability.

Video Highlights

01:03 - Combining permeabilities in series or parallel
02:03 - Calculation of effective permeability
14:37 - Concept of continuous permeability variation in radial flow
25:00 - Use of stream function and potential function in porous media

Key Takeaways

- The effective permeability in a stratified porous medium with non-uniform permeability can be calculated using the principles of mass continuity in Darcy's Law.
- When combining permeabilities in series or parallel, it's important to consider the lengths over which each permeability is valid.
- In cases of continuous permeability variation in radial flow, the permeability is a function of the radius and the pressure profile can be calculated using the given equation.
- Understanding the concepts of stream function, potential function, streamlines, and potential lines is crucial when dealing with flow through porous media.