Hysteresis in relative permeabilities suffices for propagation of saturation overshoot: A quantitative comparison with experiment.

Abstract

Traditional Darcy theory for two-phase flow in porous media is shown to predict the propagation of nonmonotone saturation profiles, also known as saturation overshoot. The phenomenon depends sensitively on the constitutive parameters, on initial conditions, and on boundary conditions. Hysteresis in relative permeabilities is needed to observe the effect. Two hysteresis models are discussed and compared. The shape of overshoot solutions can change as a function of time or remain fixed and time independent. Traveling-wave-like overshoot profiles of fixed width exist in experimentally accessible regions of parameter space. They are compared quantitatively against experiment.