Expériences de flooding pour l’étude de la dispersion d’un biocide pour l’élimination de biofilms en milieu poreux

This project is conducted thanks to a collaboration between two laboratories from University of Lorraine (LCPME) and IFPEN. It aims at better quantifying biocide efficiency for geothermal application. Indeed, biofilm formation in natural rocks due to bacterial growth can lead to injectivity loss, which has a crucial impact on the economics of geothermal process (maintenance, energetic efficiency). In order to counteract deleterious effects associated with biofilms, biocides are used. Nevertheless, until now, their efficiency is only quantified in “bulk” tests without considering any dynamics effect such as biocide dispersion, or adsorption. Moreover, these tests don’t take into account the dynamic of biofilm formation or destruction and how this phenomenon is coupled with fluids dynamic in porous media. In this framework, kinetics of biofilm formation and destruction will be monitored within three distinct experimental set-up using microfluidic and real porous media. This multi-scale approach will give some insights into the understanding of biofilm in porous media and allow the prediction of clogging with the implementation of a physical model. 

Keywords : Microbiologie, Procédés, Physique de la matière molle