relative permeability: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical/Scientific
Quick answer
What does “relative permeability” mean?
The ratio of the effective permeability of a fluid in porous material to the absolute permeability of that material.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The ratio of the effective permeability of a fluid in porous material to the absolute permeability of that material.
A dimensionless measure of how easily a specific fluid (e.g., oil, water, gas) flows through a porous medium (like rock or soil) when other fluids are present, compared to the flow of a single fluid under saturated conditions.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No lexical differences. Potential minor spelling differences in accompanying text (e.g., 'behaviour' vs. 'behavior').
Connotations
Purely technical with identical meaning and application in both variants.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency and confined to identical technical fields in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “relative permeability” in a Sentence
The relative permeability [of something] [to something]Relative permeability [is/varies/depends on]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “relative permeability” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The engineers will measure the relative permeability in the laboratory.
American English
- The team needs to model how the fluids will relative-permeability the formation over time. (Note: highly technical and rare verbification)
adjective
British English
- The relative-permeability characteristics of the sample were non-linear.
American English
- A relative-permeability modifier was injected into the well.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in reports and planning within the oil & gas or environmental remediation industries.
Academic
Core concept in petroleum engineering, groundwater hydrology, and soil science research papers and textbooks.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Fundamental parameter in reservoir simulation, core analysis, and multiphase flow modelling.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “relative permeability”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “relative permeability”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “relative permeability”
- Using 'relative permeability' to describe the permeability of one material compared to a different material (that is 'comparative permeability').
- Omitting the required second fluid or phase (e.g., saying 'the rock's relative permeability' instead of 'the relative permeability of oil in the rock').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a property of the rock-fluid system. It depends on the rock's pore structure, the saturations of the fluids present, and the interactions between the fluids and the rock.
Absolute permeability (K) is a measure of a rock's capacity to transmit a single fluid when it is 100% saturated with that fluid. Relative permeability (kr) is the ratio of the effective permeability of a fluid at a given saturation to that rock's absolute permeability.
Typically, no. Since it is a ratio of effective permeability to absolute permeability, and effective permeability for a fluid in a multi-phase system is usually less than the absolute permeability, kr values range from 0 to 1.
It is fundamental in petroleum engineering for predicting oil and gas recovery, in environmental engineering for modelling contaminant transport in groundwater, and in soil science for understanding irrigation and drainage.
The ratio of the effective permeability of a fluid in porous material to the absolute permeability of that material.
Relative permeability is usually technical/scientific in register.
Relative permeability: in British English it is pronounced /ˈrɛl.ə.tɪv ˌpɜː.mi.əˈbɪl.ə.ti/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈrɛl.ə.t̬ɪv ˌpɝː.mi.əˈbɪl.ə.t̬i/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a sponge (rock) soaked with both oil and water. 'Relative permeability' is how easily the oil can move RELATIVE to how easily the water can move, and both are RELATIVE to how easily a single fluid could move if it had the sponge all to itself.
Conceptual Metaphor
TRAFFIC FLOW ON A SHARED ROAD: Absolute permeability is the road's maximum capacity with one type of vehicle. Relative permeability is the current flow rate for trucks or cars when both are sharing the road, relative to that maximum.
Practice
Quiz
What does 'relative permeability' specifically compare?