Laboratory Experiment of Tracer Test in the Two-dimensional Heterogeneous Porous Medium

Abstract

We conducted tracer experiments using a two-dimensional porous medium that model a fault of a heterogeneous system in permeability. The medium has the following dimensions: 600 mm long, 1500 mm wide and 20 mm thick, and was filled with glass beads of 1 and 2 mm diameter. In order to visually observe the tracer movement in the model, we injected a dye as a tracer material. We used an optical tracer concentration sensor for concentration measurement on the basis of absorption spectrophotometry method. The sensor consisted of light emitting diode and phototransistor for light source emission and detection of transmitted light, respectively, and was located at the outlet of simulated production well. Effects of the heterogeneity in permeability of the porous medium were investigated.