Patent ID: 6516080
Filing Date: 2003-02-04
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
A numerical method of estimating a desired physical property of a three-dimensional porous medium, said desired physical property being selected from the group consisting of fluid flow properties, electrical properties, elastic properties, permeability, electrical conductivity, and elastic wave velocity, said numerical method comprising:digitizing a color micrograph of a sample of said three-dimensional porous medium; converting said digitized microphotograph into a two-dimensional n-ary index image; deriving a statistical variogram function &ggr;(h) from said two-dimensional n-ary index image where Î³&it;â€ƒ&it;(h)=12&it;N&it;â€ƒ&it;(h)&it;â€ƒ&it;&Sum;i=1N&it;â€ƒ&it;(h)&it;â€ƒ&it;â€ƒ&it;[z&it;â€ƒ&it;(ri)-z&it;â€ƒ&it;(ri+h)]2,â€ƒand where N(h) is number of pairs of data locations a vector h apart; generating a three-dimensional digital representation of said medium using said n-ary index image together with said statistical variogram function; and performing a numerical simulation on said three-dimensional representation, thereby estimating said desired physical property of said three-dimensional porous medium.