Wave propagation in porous media containing a dilute gas–liquid mixture: theory and experiments

The influence of a small amount of gas within the saturating liquid of a porous medium on acoustic wave propagation is investigated. It is assumed that the gas volumes are spherical, homogeneously distributed, and that they are within a very narrow range of bubble sizes. It is shown that the compressibility of the saturating fluid is determined by viscous, thermal, and a newly introduced Biot-type damping of the oscillating gas bubbles, with mean gas bubble size and concentration as important parameters. Using a super-saturation technique, a homogeneous gas–liquid mixture within a porous test column is obtained. Gas bubble size and concentration are measured by means of compressibility experiments. Wave reflection and propagation experiments carried out in a vertical shock tube show pore pressure oscillations, which can be explained by incorporating a dynamic gas bubble behaviour in the linear Biot theory for plane wave propagation.