PROPAGATION OF CONDENSATION FRONT IN STEAM INJECTION INTO DRY POROUS-MEDIA

The front speed and the liquid saturation distribution in the condensate flow region have been examined for one-dimensional injection of dry steam into a lower temperature, dry porous medium with a constant inlet pressure. Existing models for the volumetric viscous and inertial forces are used along with an upstream region with an immobile liquid, which is followed by a two-phase region, a condensation zone, a liquid region, and a downstream noncondensable gas flow region. The down- and upflow (along and against gravity) are examined assuming a quasi-steady behavior. For downflow, the liquid region grows with the condensation front location. The asymptotic front speed is obtained in closed form for both the near-field regime, where the steam flow rate is high (i.e. deviation from a Darcy behavior is significant), and the far-field regime. For upflow, the liquid region gradually disappears, the liquid saturation distribution in the upstream immobile region undergoes two transitions, and correlation expressions are found for the location of these transitions. An experiment is performed, and the experimental results confirm the predictions for both down- and upflows.