,,

------

. .+-

,,~
- -*b%\
--:
,,

--

,,,

,.

A Study of Forward Combustion in a Radial System

Bounded by Permeable Media

G, W. THQMAS
JUNIOR MEMBERAIME

SINCLAIRRESEARCH,INC.
TULSA,OKLA,

,,

ABSTRACT

A /mathematical model of forward coinbus!ion in an

oii reservoir is treated in this paper. The model describes
a radial sys{fm hking a ve%ai section of essent[aliy
infinite t~ickness, all of which is permeable to gas flow.
Combustion, however, is presumed initiated over a limited
thickness, of the total vertical sectioq. In tile interval supporting cotnbustion, the mecitanistns o~ radial conduction,
convection and heat generation are taken itzto account .Above and below the burning interval, heat transport in
the radial direction is by conduction and convection. Vertical heat losses from the ignited interval are accounted
for by ,conduction alone.
A general solution is presented /or the temperature
@tribution caused by t-adia~moventent of the combustion
front. The results sho,w .titat no feedback of heat occurs
into the ignited intefval when convection and conduction
are acting in the ~ounding media. Peak temperatures are
also 5 to 10 per cent itigher than in the case whefe heat
transport in the ~nding
tnedia is by conduction alone.
We arbittqrily dffine vertical coverage to be that fract/et>,of the ,tota( ignited jntervai which is at 600F above
ambient, or greater, at, any given titne. The radial distance at wh,icb the vet-tkal coverage becomes ze<o is the
propagation range of the combustion front. It was fouitd
that an increase iit vertical. coverage results when 1the
oxygen rottcentration, fuel concentration or gas-injection
rate is increased. Moreqver, the combustion front can
be propagated 10 to 15 per cent further than in the case
wkere only conduction is acting above and below the
ignited intervql.
INTRODUCTION
In the theoretical treatment of, forward combustion in
a radial system, one of the problems encountered is the
determination @f the transient temperature distributions
caused by an, expanding cylindrical heat source. Bailey
and Larkin and Ramey2 simultaneously presented aria- .
Iytical solutions to the problem asstni~ing heat. transport
by conduction alone. In a subsequent publication; Bailey
and Larkin! included, the effects of both conduction and.
convection while treating linear and radial models. In
this,latter. work, however, vertical h~t losses were largely
neglected.? - --
--
Srdig and Couch dealt with a radial, model in which
both conduction tmd convection ..v&re acting. Onlyi a
.
,,
Original manuscript received in Society of Petndeurn Engineers o%e
July 12, 196S. Revised fianuscrlpt receltied Sept. ID, 1553. Ptmer me.
sented st SPE Annual Fall Mectthw, Oet: 6-9, 1917$h New Orleans.
Wsferences given at end of vaperr
j#cToBER.
..

f..

. ..

.196s.
. . ....

-., --:

:
.

~~
.

---.

:-. . ..

--.

.. .. .

---

:.7:. -:

.,
.,. ----. .

-.

limiting case involving vertical heat ,losses was considered,

however. Namely, temperatures od the boundary of the
bed of interest wsre set equal to zpro. Solutiom thus ob. tained were representative of a system having a ma@mum
vertical. heat flux. Chu$ recently treated a more general
case in which a permeable bed was considered bounded
by impermeable media. ,,Conduction and convection. took .
place within the bed, and only conduction outside of the ,
bed, The effects of vertical heat losses were included in
his study. Solutions were obtained by numerical techniques.

This paper is an extension of the theoretical work of

other authors pertaining *.o forward combustion in a
radial system. In particular, a :mathematical model of
. the process is treated io which heat generation occurs
over a small vertical inter$al of a larger permeable section.
[n the interval supporting heat generation, and above and
below this interval, the, mechanisms of radial conductiofi
and convection are also presumed acting. Heat losses
from the ignited jnterval are accounted for by vertical
conduction. An analytical soLution for the temperature
distribution caused by radial movement of the burning
front is presented, The effects of certain process variables
are indicated and comparisons with Chus results are made.
THEORY

. .

To render the Mechanism of forward combustion tract-.

able to mathematical treatment, we idealize the problem
to the extent of assuming continuous reservoir media
possessing hom~gefieous and iso}ropic properties. The
following additi~nal assumptions are implicit in this &rialy,
sis.
1. The thermal parameters, i.e., heat capacities, thermal
conductivities a~d thermal diffusivities are invariant with
temperature and pressure. Moreover, the bounding media
possess thq same thermal properties as the bed of interest.
2, The temperatures of the porous media and its wm&ined fluids at any point agd. at any time are equal.
~., The reaction rate between the oxidant gas and the
fuel is infinite. ~The assumption implies that the incoming
oxygen concentration instantaneously goes to, zero wi~in
an infinitesimal distance, I.e., the width of the com,~ustion
zone is negligibk.
4. -T~e rate of gas injection is constant and correspotids ..to the average pate throughout the lifetime of the project.
5. The fuel concentration is constant throughout the
voh,tme of rock swept out by the burning zone.
6. There is cbmplete burnoff of fuel. This asstiption
demands that the rate of propagation of the burning front. : :
equals the rate of fuel burnoff. In a radial system, with a
. .

. .. .. . . . . .

... . ..-.
. ..

...-...-

/)

..?

,,

,, f
,,

,
r

.:

liquid-rock matrix, respectively.

simplified by noting that (1 - #

constant fuel concentration, and under a constant gas

injection rate, complete burnoff also implies that the
radial rate of ,propagation of the combustion front must
necessarily decrease with iricreasing radius since the formation volume burned out per-unit-time remains constant, Thus, the propagation rate of the combustion front
dill vqy iriverseiy ~ifi its radial location!
7, There is a vertical section of essentially infinite tbickhess, all of wldch is permeable to gas flow. Ignition is
,ipitiated over a limited thickness 1? of the total vertkal,
section.
8, Liqtiki phase flow through the combustion zone is
negligible, and all heat transfer, by convection is in the
gas phase.
9. The thermodynamic and hydrodynamic effects of
vaporization and condensation are ne@igible.,

HR[(l-$hr)pmcm]T

Eq. 2 can be further

thus
pm C. >> I@&;

. . .

. .

(3)

The radial heat flux q, .is given by Fouriers law augmented by a term to account for gas phase convection;
thus, if radiation is negligible,
91= -K:

+poc,, u,T

..

(4)

The volumetric gas flux u, in a radial system is represented by ,Un= V/2zrr where V is the volumetric injbction
rate per foot of bed thickness. Employing this equality
and making the necessary substitutions in Eq. 1, we
obtain
,,

1 aT
(1-2v)---+

g+

8*T
::=::=

S(r, z, t)
--y

The gas-mr& flux remains const@,

10.

. . .
. . .
where w,= .&(1 - +,);. C,,,, the
v = pv C, V/&K, a dimensiordess
of J?q, 5 is desired subject to the

11, Heat transfer by radiation is negligible.

Attention is now direeted to the equation expressing
the conservation of energy within the system. For radial
flow of gas the unsteady-state -form of ~this equation ~in
the absence of angular temperature gradients is given in
cylindrical coordinates by
,

1. T (r, Z, O) = O,
2. T is bounded,
3. Tiscohtinuous
.
DEFINITION

for a system inwrporating

a heat source producing
S(r, Z, t) units of heat per-unit-volume per-unit-time. H is
the enthalpy per-unit-volume and is given by

. . . . . . . (5)
thermal diffusivity; add
constant, The solution
conditions:

. (6)

OF THE HEAT SOURCE

Adopting the detiltion of Bailey: the heat source as a

function of the space coordinates and time assumes the
form
,
S(r,.z, t)= Q (z,lZ/2)Hm vfi(/ r,)
. . . :, (7)
:,

. .
. . (2)
p :Ctbdhcd+ (1 - 4J,)P!CIIJT
where the subscripts g and m refe: to the gas and the
,
.
.
.. --~
--
1.
---

-1

[:AS

with Cmwcttan in 8wIW09 Mdte

E.

.~

t.

400.-....*,

,.
.
,..
200
200
240
120
160
RAO14L O!STANCE FROM WELL BO.RE,ft.

rooeo

FIG. 3Confp!mrso?i

OF

,.,
320

V.a

CENTSR-PLANEPEAK TEiMPESATURES,

-.
: Fm

lTYPICAL RADIAL TEMPERATURE PROFILES AT VAREOUS

POSITIONS OF THE COMBUSTIONFRONT.
,.. -._. __+_

-..

-.

.. . -.

..

I-lloo -
r
z

.7

---

1..
...

i.
:
I
~oL.
(

d
I

/.2+,
/
.~

W%iy
o

i/

9no %c

-\

N.

iOo~sNl
~ 5oo~

v = 941 SCF/ft.-hr.

--=a

.,..

.. . ...

:LIML(c7?m
I~1!:...
-:, + O;O
0;5
:-

DIMENSIONLESS ;~R/T/AL OISTANCE

20.

40-

60

so

100

RAOIAL OISTANCE FROM WELL BORE,

.
. .
.. . ... . .
11.16-

,.-.-.:.,........:.

S?o

f!.

.,.
FIG, 2TYPICAL ISO~H-ERMSADOVE AMBIENT.
..

..

. ..

. .

. . . ..

. ..-.

140

..

FIG. 4--E~PECTXVE OF COMBUSTION FRONT tiCATION oti .P&rc

TEMPERATUREAT VARIOUS LEVELSIN TZUI13ED.
.

.,.

..-.

-. .:.-

..

. .. .,,. .,.. ... .:. . -. ..

.
----

,.. ../

.>..-,..-.

-.. ...:

..

. . . . . . ..

jourt~hr.
6F. PETROiiiM
+ECHtiO-~06y-
.--+;:
. .. _
. ...
., ..-,
-.-+. . - .-. .. .. ;. =--+ -+ ----- .--- ..-.,?.-

. .. ... . .. . .

-,-

. ..

,..

.. . . . . .. ...-

.- ..- t- --

-<---

where

1, 12]<

Q(z,ls/2)=

Qlzl>~/2
, , . ! . .
. (8)
{
and h is the thickness of the ignited interval. The Dtrac
delta function 8(r - rf) embodies the assumption of a
combustion zone of negligible thickness Iocat?d at r~.If,,,,
is the ,heating value per unit volume of the rock-fluid
matrix. It will be noted from Eq. 8 that the vertical
coordinate z is measured from the center of the bed in
which heat generation takes place.
In accordance with assumption 6, we consider the
propagation rate to vary directly with the reciprocal O(
the combustion front location, i.e..
drf
k
(9)
=z=-zorr~=kt

where A is a proportionality constant.
SOLUTION

OF THE PROBLEM

lt k possible to solve the system represented by I@. 5

to 9 for the temperature field caused by a source distribution by means of a p;oduct of the source density and a
Greens function integrated over all space, The soisrce
density in this instance is represented by Eq. 7. Given the
proper Greens function G we can write immediately

m
0

0.0

.. ~ .

(1 lJ

where RJ = rl + r. , 2rr.cos(6 - @.). Making the

appropriate wsbstitutions in Eq. 10 and performing the
first three integrations yields
.
/

designa&s the modified Bessel func-

wherei2&iJ)

12)

tion of th&first kind hf ordtm v, and erj represents the error

function. For a system in which the heat transport mech- .
.
.

.,.

. .. .. ..

1
-.

,
-.

The integral in Eq. 12 was evaluateu numerically on a

high-speed digital cotiputer for v = 3/2 and v = 5/2 eor:
responding to gas-injection rates of 941 scf/ft-hr and
1,571 scf/ft-hr respectively. For this purpose the constants
listed in Table I were employed.
The constant A is given by 4KvC.W/F.C, where Co is the
oxygen concentration (lb/ lb) and F. is the fuel concentration (lb/cu ft). H* is calculated from AHF,,/,IL

TYPICAL

S(r.,z,,,t~)Gdt. r.dr.dO,,dz., .< (lo)

.sig(@ f).)

t
e-.,, (t - t.) (At,Jxl&:ft~J
,,
.,.
. . . . . . . . . (13)
which cis the solution for the case of a null vertical ternperature gradient. This model was also considered hy
,Bailey and Larkin.
,,
pRo@)uf&
r,

.,,

&~uLTS

-w

The Greens function for this system is given by

HA
T(r,t) = -47

?mnm

T(r,z,t)

anism is by conduction alone, i.e., v =-O, Eq. 12 reduces

to an expression previously considered by Bailey and
Larkin and Ramey, Moreover, as h+ m, Eq, 12 becomes

TEMPERATURE

l) ISTRIBuTIONS

Fig. 1 indicates positions of the combustion front at

various times after ignition. Temperature proffles are constructed along different planes of the burning interval cor!resporlding to values of 2z/hj It will be noted that tern-
peratyres at the center of the bed (2z/h = O) decrease
more. rapidly with time, as the burning front .adva.nce~s,
than those at the boundary (2z/}z= 1).
Fig. 2 presen@ typical isotherms when the heat source
is .Jocated at a distance of 100 ft from the wellbore. It
is of interest to compare this figure with a cor.responding
one from Chus, work in which the isotherms in the area
a~ound the point r = 10 ft and z = 20 ft, showed a bending back toward the ignited intervaL He concluded that
this was a manifestation of heat feedback from the
bounding formations into the bed: of interest at the trailing edge of the heat wave. From the isotherms in the
present work, it is obvious that the feedback phenomenon
ii not present. Nameiy, where the bounding formations
of the ignited interval are permeable to gas flow; there is
essentially no regenerative effect. Heat that ordinarily
would feed back into the formation to augment temper-.
atures on the trailing edge of the wave is instead carried
ahead in the bounding media by gas-phase convection to .,
regiony in the proximity of the peak temperature, Consequently, the vertical temperature gradient in these regions is less than in Chus model. As a result, the peak
temperatures, in this instance, exceed those in Chus model
by approximately 5, to 10 per cent. This is demonstrated
in Fig. 3 where ceuter-plane peak temperatures from
both modefi are compared fcir ,two typical cases of oxygen :
concentration.
Fig,4 is a plot of the peak temperature ab~ve ambient
as a function of 22/h for various posithms of the conlbustion front, For the range of data covered, the more
rapid decline in center-plasje temperatures, ,,with time is
..
.=.
.,
.:
... . . . .
-, -. - . -- -- .. . . . . ----,
TASLE l-THiRMAL
Constant

,0-

.,

.,

~O__$o_._&... . ..+.<O.

. . . L-,
am

[.

RAWL ,0,914NCE

. . .. . . ..

THE WELL

..

...&_.__

K
(t --

~.__

350

@ORE
OS

TRC COWU$llO#

FR,WT,

,-

.. .

.
. .. .-

. . ..!

.<, l.-_-. . L

,,.

. . ... .

:.

. .

~.?:..

. .

._...

.. ..

. . . . . .

. .. .
.
.

-.

. .
..
..l

<.

,.

0..

l%.

... ,.-

(.!
JH:
-.
. ,.-

.:

..
-.
..: ::-. . . .. . . .. . . .
~-

. ..?.

:..

.-,.

- ------

,.-.
.~.
!....,..:...=-

.,
..
:

. .
::.

value

Bfu/hMt:F
27.5 Btu/ft+ F
0.0765 lb/fF
0.24 Stu/lb. f
0.0364 f@/hr
0.331 lb-fuel/lb.O!
57S0 Stw/lb.Oi

qgJpmc,,,

5EFFEC~ OF OXYGENCONCENTRATICiN
citi Pm-i CENT
,
V~RTICAL COVERACR ..
,.,
ft@{}SSl?R;
i963
-~
..-.:
, --~:.
:
~

,.

. ..=_

~DM

700

CONSTANTS.
..3

..~.,.
.

.. . .

,,...L

. .._
..:.
_.,-.>

;.

1
I

.-. ,

.--. T1 i~~-,
.:!
.. . ::.
. .,:
..,...:::.

i
sense, it is u measure of the conibustion front conformance.
Fig. 5 demonstrates the effect of oxygen concentration
on per cent vertical coverage. For an increase in oxygen
concentration it is seen that vertical coverage is enhanced.
Figs, 6and7show
asimilar @ectfora nincreaseinfue1
concentration and gas-injection rate respectively, Fig. 6 is
of particular interest. It is noted that for the lower fu~l
concentrations the per cent vertical coverage becomis
quite low over a limited radial distance. Bailey and Larkin: have shown that there is a minimum fuel concentration required to sustain a,given temperature over a wide
range of gas injection rates. Tfiis is reflected in Fig. 8
,. m

again vividly illustrated as in Fig. 1. Eventually, the

temperature throughout the entire vertical cross section
becfmes essentially equalized and drops uniformly; This
figdre, as well as Fig. 1, demonstrates that the radial distance over which the combustion front can travel will be
limited by the heat losses, since, presumably, below some
temperature extinction results.
VERTICAL COVERAGE
We arbitrarily define the vertical coverage to be that
fraction of the total ignited interval which exceeds or is
equal to 6~OF above ambient at any given time. In a
.. -

.-..-

--

--!

50(

v.941 SCF/hr.-ft,
, FQ=i,51tf./ft?

h = 36$ ft.
4ot
with Cofi;ection in
@oundlnghfedta
-.

O.

io

40

120

\.

200

1s0

Sso

240

: A.

1:

360

320.

RAOIAL 0[91ANCE FROM WELL BORE OF THE COMBUSTION FRONT, f t.

FIG.

f+~FFsCT

OF

Fmx. CONCENTaATIOS

VERTICAL

:/

~,/

OX PF.R ~EXT

COVERAGE.

\
Without Convection in
Bounding Medio (After Chu)

40

Ioc

.!ilai

Oiotw.

lin2J

.,,
:.

iia.,u.a6a0ccaHl

l%, 9- Ewcr

..,
.;

1 -

0.34
0.4s4
0.232
OXYGEN CONCENTRATION, lb./ lb.

0.116

OF OXWS

CONCENTRATION

ON TIIK

LIMIT.

K.XTINCTIOX

IOo

#-

,~--------. .

500

-.1

Vs 941 SCF/hr.-ft.
CD=0.232 lb./lb. .
~ c 36,0 ft.

~.,

400

w/th Convection in 8ouh@ing

c.

~><z/

1=
% 300
i

[
,E20J

.= .

. ~.-..

...!

___

..

a
w
Q.

o
Fm

3--DWF.NDENCG

OF PEK

CENZ

rEoR~ON Frzr.

VERTICAL

..

-._>.

-J.

..

. . . . .3=.

L----. .....: ,, .,=..

1.2

--,.-

,JOUltNAi

.- ..-.
.. .

.. .. .

. .. .. ..

:,
., ...

..

..

._

..

-...

. .

.,,

..

,.,

...

..

,.,

. .

.,

..:

...

..-

--

--

..

..

.,,

~N

. .

THE

6F. p*:~ROLEi+~ -TicW?L~~~

.-

. .. ..-

,..

f
J.

-..

-A
1,8
1.4
FUEL. CONCENTR~TION , lb./ft?

Frc. IO---EFFECTOF FUEL CONCENTRATION

ExTrxcmn
LIMIT.

Wm.r,:

,.,,

..

1.0

CONCEXTRATIOX,

1.

. ., .,x

LJ.d-l

,0

-.
..

. ..!

..l~

,;

I
AT

[00 ~

2.0,

COVERAGE

.,

g
1x
u

0.8
0.4
FUEL CONCENTRJ%ON, lb./$

,,
:

COJrvectionL Bounding
Mediq (After Chu}

Wfhouf

.. ,.

I I

n
.

.
1...

. _

. ..

,.

..._..!

,-.
.. ~~-.
-. .: ..=:.
..:.
.- .
J._

.. . . . . . . ,.

..*

--

. . .

. .. .

. .

. . .

. ..

..

where the minimum fuel concentration required to sustain a temperature of 600F above ambient rtt the wellbore
for an injection rate of 941 scf/ft-hr is 0.?S lb/cu ft.
J
:

i3XTINCTIONLIMITS
If we assign 600F above ambient as the temperature at
which extinction occurs, then the radial distance at which
the center-plane peak temperature dro s to this value becomes a measure of the radial extinct Ion limit. It should
he emphasized that this definition of the extinction limit
and extinction temperature is pureiy arbitrary. Figs. 9 and
10 show the eflects of (oxygen concentration and fuel conr purposes of
conce.ntration on the extinction limit.
comparison, simiiar resuits from Chuig # odel are shown
in which there was no convection in the bounding media.
In generai, the combustion front can be propagated about
10 to 15 per cent further when the bounding media support a convective heat flux.

CONCLUSIONS

I,(Z).= Modified Bessei ?function of first kind,

dimensionless
K = Thermai conductivity, Btu/hr-ft-F
S(r,z,t) = Source density functiott, Btu/hr-fP
T = Temperature rise, F
v = Gas injection rate, sef/hr-ft
~
qr = Heat flux, Btu/hr-sq ft
r = Radiai space coordinate, ft
r, = RadiaI location of the combustion front, ft
r,, = Integration variable, ft .,
),
,,
t = Time, hours ,
t = Integration variabie, hours
M,,= Gas flux, scf/hr-sq ft
v = Combustion zone veiocity, ft;hr
a
z =, Vertical space coordhate, ,ft
z,, = IntegrationL variabie, ft
a = Thermai diffusivityy = K/(1 I#J P.,C,.,
/
sq ft/hr
A = Proportionality constant = 4kvC,,JF,,C,,,

,
1. No feedback of heat occurs intofthe ignited interval
when the bouitding media have the same convective flux
as theignitcd interval.
2. When heat transfer occurs by conduction and convection abo~and
below the burning intervai, peak temperatures are 5 to IO per cent higher t~an in the case
where heat transfer in the bounding media is by condtiJ- .
tion aione,
3. Increasing the oxygen concentration, fuel concentrw
tion ok gas injection rate resttits in an increase in the per,
cent vertical coverage and a greater extinction limit.
4. When heat transfer occurs by conduction and convection hbove and below the burning intervai, the combustion front can be propagated 10 to 15 per cent further than in the case where heat transfer in the bounding
media is by conduction alone,
NOMENCLATURE
~, = Specific heat of.gas, Btu/lb-F
C,,, = Specific heat of the rock-fluid matrix, Btu/lb-F
C. ==Oxygen concentration, ib/lb
FO= Fuel concentration, lb fueI/cu ft
G = Greens function, OF/Btu
-.
h = Thickness of ignited intervai, ft
H = Enthalpy, Bt,u/cu ft.
H. = Heat generated per-unit-voiume of rock,
Btu/cu ft
AH = Heahng vaiue of oxygenl Btu/1~ 0,

Dimensionless irijection rate, P,,C,V/4nK

Density of ~as, lb/cu ft
p,. = Density of rock-iiquid matrix, ib)cu h
8, = Gas phase porosity, dimensionless
m = Fuel-oxygen ratio, ib fuei consumed/lb
=

1. Bailey7 H. R, Bud Larkin, Ii K.: Heut Conduction in UndI;rground Combustion,

?rans. AIME

(1959)

216, IX.
Ihuin t Rtdi~l
hfovement of a Cylindrical S&aw-Appiirtttions
to ti e TiNwmal Recovery Process, TrwIs. AIME (1959) 216.? 115.
,3. Bailey, H. R. and Larkin, B. K:; Condacti&COlivectimi
ill
Underground Combustion., Trans. ALMK ( 19f
.1. Selig, F. and Couci], E. J.: Unterirdisti]e Vefiwennu& nls
~)iforderwngrimethof, dsterr. Inger. jeur-.lrchiv, (1%1 ) Ild. xi.
Heft 1-4.
,4mIiysis
of u ksdiul
Hmt
JVaw.,
.5. Clm, C.: r\so.1)in16rlsior]ul

~. Ramey, Ii. J.: Trangient Heat Conduction

6.

i
8,

,.

. .. . . . .-..
,.

.,.

., .
..

,.

----

~-,

.--

.-

,,.
[
. . ~.:,,.,
,

->
. .

0,

REFERENCES

,,

v=

p.

..
,.

.,

1
.,.
1