Gas Colmatation Effect during Electric Action on Saturated Porous Media

Abstract

Under certain conditions, the temperature of the saturating fluid can reach the critical value, i.e., the boiling point, and the liquid can transform to the gas phase. In this case the capillaries shut off with bubbles of gas are no longer permeable to the liquid phase. The gas colmatation effect develops and causes the decrease in the permeability of media to the flowing liquid. Thus the total effect of electric action is determined by two fundamental competing factors: the increase of permeability due to the change of the pore space structure (cross-section increase in the conducting capillaries) and the decrease of permeability when some of the conducting capillaries are cut off from the flow of the liquid phase (being filled with the gas phase). Domination of either of the outlined trends over the other is determined by the parameters of the medium and of the treatment, or, when these parameters are fixed, by the duration of electric treatment.