Two Phase Flows in Porous Media Under Microgravity Conditions

The paper presents the results of investigating the instability of the displacement of viscous fluid by a less viscous one in two-dimensional and three-dimensional porous specimens. The effects of the three-dimensional phenomena on development of instability are revealed, in particular, the faster growth of 3D disturbances as compared with 2D ones, while 2D displacement integral parameters (such as the outflow of the displacing fluid) have much higher deviations than those parameters obtained in 3D modelling. This can be explained by much higher number of fingers in 3D cases of displacement reaching the outflow surface, and by the subsequent compensation of disturbances in the overall outflow.