ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes the thermal effect on spontaneous imbibition of a wetting liquid in porous media by theoretical, numerical, and experimental methods. The static and dynamic problems connected with spontaneous capillary imbibition and wicking, wetting, and spreading of wetting liquid have been the subject of intense analytical and experimental studies for more than a century due to their applications in multiple disciplines, including engineering, environmental and applied sciences. The earliest theoretical model for capillary imbibition was proposed by Lucas and Washburn based on the Hagen–Poiseuille equation and the assumption of the capillary bundle model, named as the Lucas–Washburn equation. In the oil recovery of naturally fractured reservoirs, the spontaneous imbibition of water from fracture to porous matrix is an important recovery mechanism. The spontaneous imbibition of water is strongly influenced by the viscosity of oil in the pores. The viscosities of liquids at reservoir temperature are necessary to consider when evaluation of fluids flow in an oil reservoir.
