Two-Dimensional Analysis of a Radial Heat Wave
Authors: Chu Chieh 
Published: December 2007

An investigation has been made of the radial heat-wave process using a mathematical model in two-dimensional cylindrical coordinates. This model considers combustion, convection and conduction inside the reservoir, but only conduction in the bounding formations. From a study of the general features of the process, an important phenomenon has been revealed, namely, the feedback of heat into the reservoir on the trailing edge of the heat wave. The effects of various process variables on the performance characteristics of the process have also been investigated. It was found that up to the time when the combustion front reaches a given point, the per cent-heat loss, provided it is not higher than 40 per cent, is approximately directly proportional to the square root of thermal conductivity and fuel content, but inversely proportional to the square root of gas-injection rate and oxygen concentration. The effect of reservoir thickness is more pronounced, since halving the thickness doubles the per cent heat loss. The most decisive factor in determining the center-plane peak temperature is the fuel content of the reservoir. Within the temperature range investigated, doubling the fuel content doubles the peak temperature in the early stage, but the rate of decline of the peak temperature is high. Reservoir thickness is also a very influential factor. The peak temperature is lowered when the thickness is reduced; however, the effect of thickness becomes less pronounced when the thickness is high. Reduction of oxygen concentration increases the peak temperature in the early stage but lowers it afterwards because of the higher rate of decline of the peak temperature. Increase in gas injection rate or decrease in thermal conductivity gives a higher peak temperature which stays high for a longer period. The propagation range of the heat wave is chiefly governed by the fuel content of the reservoir. An increase of 0.2 lb/cu ft in the fuel content increases the propagation range by 100 per cent. The propagation range is more than doubled by doubling the gas injection rate, or reservoir thickness, or by reducing the thermal conductivity by 50 per cent. Comparatively, oxygen concentration has less effect on the propagation range.

Introduction

Several investigators have conducted theoretical studies of a radial heat wave. Vogel and Krueger studied a system with a moving cylindrical heat source of constant temperature, considering conduction in the radial direction only. Ramey included conduction in the vertical direction in his studies. Bailey and Larkin attacked a more general problem where initial well heating, vertical heat losses and arbitrary frontal velocities were included. In all these studies, however, conduction was considered to be the only means of heat transfer. Bailey and Larkin in a later paper included the effects of convection in a study involving both linear and radial geometries. Vertical heat losses were neglected in the radial case. Katz studied a similar problem in a one- dimensional radial model, using a heat-loss coefficient to account for vertical heat losses. Selig and Couch employed a cylindrical model and investigated two limiting cases. In one case they considered no heat loss from the reservoir whereas in the other they assumed a constant temperature at the interface between the reservoir and its bounding formations. Thomas studied a more general case but assumed a permeable bounding formation so that the convection effect is not confined to the reservoir. In the present work a more realistic and more generalized model is used. It involves a two-dimensional cylindrical system with combustion, convection and conduction inside the reservoir, but only conduction in the bounding formations. The purpose is to establish the temperature distribution both inside and outside the reservoir, to study the general features of the radial heat wave process, and to investigate the effects of various process variables on the performance characteristics of the process.