Hybrid pore-scale modelling of two-phase flow in porous media

Understanding two-phase flow dynamics in porous media is essential for many applications including petroleum engineering, hydrogeology, contaminant transport in groundwater, and chemical engineering industry. Due to the complex physics of multiphase flow in porous media many fundamental relations in this discipline are based on empirical and experimental data. However, in recent two decades with significant progress in computational technologies, novel computational models for simulating multi-phase flow in porous media such as Lattice Boltzmann, Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics, Level Set and Volume of Fluids have been utilized in petroleum engineering application.

The objective of this project is to develop a novel hybrid modelling framework to address some long-standing questions about the non-equilibrium effects on multiphase flow distribution in heterogeneous rocks such as carbonates. A novel smooth particle hydrodynamic model for simulation of two-phase flow in porous media coupled with a continuum-scale model will be developed for this objective. This will allow understanding the physics of the multiphase processes at much larger physical scales where the computational limit does not allow being addressed using only pore-scale models. The hybrid model will solve continuum-scale mass, momentum balances at coarse grids and at each grid the pore-scale model will be used. Results will be compared with micro-model experiments as well as core-flooding experiments.

High 2.1 and above with a degree in civil, mechanical, or chemical engineering