Confined fluid phase behaviour in nanoporous media

There is evidence that fluid properties in nanopores differ from that in the bulk [1]. Molecular size and mean free path are comparable to pore size. Therefore fluid properties are not only a function of fluid-fluid interactions, as it is in the bulk, but fluid-pore-wall interactions as well. The impact of confined fluid properties in different disciplines, e.g. fluid mechanics in porous media, CO2 storage, catalysis, nanomaterials, drug delivery, energy storage, nanosensors, separation technology and pollution control is of paramount importance.

This research proposal aims to understand the impact of confined space fluid phase behaviour, and carry out multiphase flow simulations with an in-house code developed by Prof. Dubravka Pokrajac and her team. The PhD candidate will investigate the fundamentals of the intermolecular interactions between confined fluid and solid surface and how capillary and adsorptive forces alter phase boundaries. The objective will be a quantitative understanding of the relative effects of compositions and molecular size, pore scales, shape and interconnectivity, wall characteristics and wettability, and fluid-fluid and fluid-wall interactions. The candidate will illustrate the influence of confined fluid phase properties in the migration of CO2 in deep storage using a multiphase fluid flow simulator.

The successful candidate should have, or expect to have, an Honours Degree at 2.1 or above (or equivalent) in Engineering, Physics, Chemistry.