Abstract of the paper ``Use of digital image analysis to estimate fluid permeability
of porous materials I. Application of two-point correlation functions''
with Stephen C. Blair
Scanning electron microscope images of
cross sections of several porous specimens have been digitized and
analyzed using image processing techniques. The porosity and
specific surface area may be
estimated directly from measured two-point
spatial correlation functions. The measured values of porosity and
image specific surface were combined with known values of electrical
formation factors to estimate fluid permeability using one version of
the Kozeny-Carman empirical relation.
For glass bead samples with measured permeability
values in the range of a few darcies,
our estimates agree well (plus or minus 10-20 %) with the measurements.
For samples of Ironton-Galesville sandstone with a permeability of
similar magnitude, our results agree
with the laboratory measurements well within an order of magnitude.
For Berea sandstone with much lower permeability (tens of millidarcies),
our predictions from the images are again quite good.
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