Dynamics of compression-driven gas-liquid displacement in a capillary tube

Abstract: We study two-phase displacement via the steady compression of an air reservoir connected to an oil-filled capillary tube. Our experiments and modelling reveal complex displacement dynamics depending on compression rate and reservoir volume that, for large reservoirs, depend on a single dimensionless compressibility number. We identify two distinct displacement regimes, separated by a critical value of the compressibility number. While the subcritical regime exhibits quasi-steady displacement after an initial transient, the supercritical regime exhibits burst-like expulsion.