甲烷原位燃爆压裂助燃剂喷射投放储层孔道混合特性

Mixing characteristics in perforation due to the delivery of combustion-supporting agent by jet for in-situ combustion of methane

  • 摘要: 甲烷原位燃爆压裂作为非常规天然气开发领域的颠覆性储层改造方法,通过储层解吸的甲烷与地面投放的助燃剂在井底混合燃爆,产生高温高压冲击作用,形成复杂压裂缝网。该技术的核心机理在于通过甲烷与助燃剂在特定浓度范围内的混合燃爆反应,在密闭空间中形成足够的燃爆压力致裂储层。其中,井筒−储层复杂流场环境下的助燃剂精准投放与混合调控,成为制约技术工程化应用的关键瓶颈。针对传统固定式投放方式存在的混合效率低、井筒安全风险高等难题,提出了采用移动射流进行助燃剂投放的思路。通过计算流体力学(CFD)方法,建立了井筒−储层孔道甲烷与助燃剂的三维混合流场模型,研究了移动射流作用下储层孔道混合流场演化规律,对比了轴向前置、斜向前置、径向侧置和斜向后置4种喷嘴方位对甲烷−助燃剂混合特性的影响机制。结果表明:当射流沿井筒移动时,射流边界层与孔道入口产生强烈剪切作用;孔道内形成了以孔口和孔内旋流场为主要形式的非稳态扰动流场。助燃剂与甲烷在孔口进行质量交换后,在孔内切向速度作用下进一步扩散混合。通过调整喷嘴方位与投放参数,可将孔内甲烷体积分数控制在燃爆极限范围内,同时使井筒内甲烷体积分数降低至最低燃爆极限以下,确保甲烷燃爆仅在储层孔道内进行。不同喷嘴方位对混合效率的影响存在显著差异,径向侧置喷嘴通过正交射流产生强旋流场(切向速度1.05 m/s),促使助燃剂沿孔道轴向均匀扩散,混合非均匀度明显小于其他方位喷嘴;而轴向前置喷嘴虽然在提高孔道内混合均匀性上弱于径向侧置喷嘴,但其井筒稀释效果最佳(甲烷体积分数 < 4%)。综合考虑甲烷体积分数与流场非均匀性,孔内助燃剂喷射投放混合效果由高到低依次为径向侧置射流、斜向前置射流、斜向后置射流和轴向前置射流。其中,轴向前置射流在井筒甲烷稀释方面表现最优,而径向侧置射流则在孔道内混合均匀性上具有优势。为进一步提升助燃剂的投放效果,提出了采用径向侧置喷嘴与轴向前置喷嘴组合的方式进行助燃剂喷射投放,在确保井筒安全的前提下,进一步提高了孔道内助燃剂投放效果和混合均匀性。研究结果可为甲烷原位燃爆压裂中助燃剂的投放提供理论指导。

     

    Abstract: As a disruptive reservoir stimulation technology in unconventional natural gas development, in-situ methane combustion fracturing generates complex fracture networks through high-temperature and high-pressure shockwaves produced by the combustion of reservoir-desorbed methane mixed with surface-injected combustion-supporting agent at the wellbore bottom. The core mechanism lies in creating methane and combustion-supporting agent mixtures within specific concentration ranges to induce sufficient combustion pressure for reservoir fracturing in confined spaces. However, precise combustion-supporting agent injection and mixing control under the complex flow field conditions of the wellbore-reservoir system remain critical bottlenecks hindering its engineering application. To address the limitations of traditional fixed injection methods, such as low mixing efficiency and elevated wellbore safety risks, this study proposes a mobile jet-based combustion-supporting agent injection approach. A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was established to simulate the methane-combustion-supporting agent mixing flow field in the wellbore and formation perforations. The evolution of the mixing flow field under mobile jet action was investigated, with comparative analyses of four nozzle orientations: axial forward, oblique forward, radial sideward, and oblique backward. The results indicate that when the jet moves along the wellbore, intense shear interactions between the jet boundary layer and perforation inlet generate turbulent flow fields dominated by vortex structures near the perforation entrance and within the perforation channel. After mass exchange at the perforation entrance, the combustion-supporting agent and methane undergo further diffusion and mixing driven by tangential velocity within the perforation. By optimizing nozzle orientation and injection parameters, the methane volume fraction inside the perforation can be controlled within the combustion limit, while diluting the methane concentration in the wellbore below the lower explosive limit, ensuring localized combustion exclusively within the perforation. Significant differences in mixing efficiency were observed among nozzle orientations: radial sideward nozzles generate strong swirling flow fields (tangential velocity: 1.05 m/s) through orthogonal jet impingement, promoting circumferential uniform diffusion of the combustion-supporting agent along the perforation channel, with mixing inhomogeneity notably lower than other orientations. Although axial forward nozzles exhibit weaker perforation mixing uniformity compared to radial sideward nozzles, they achieve optimal wellbore dilution (methane volume fraction < 4%). Comprehensive evaluation of methane concentration and flow field heterogeneity ranks the mixing performance of perforation combustion-supporting agent injection in descending order: radial sideward jets, oblique forward jets, oblique backward jets, and axial forward jets. Axial forward jets excel in wellbore methane dilution, whereas radial sideward jets demonstrate superior perforation-channel mixing uniformity. To further enhance injection efficacy, a hybrid configuration combining radial sideward and axial forward nozzles is proposed. This strategy improves both combustion-supporting agent injection and mixing homogeneity within the perforation while maintaining wellbore safety. The findings provide theoretical guidance for optimizing combustion-supporting agent injection in in-situ methane combustion fracturing operations.

     

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