Séminaire Sharon Ellman

Abstract

Multiphase flow through the porous subsurface is crucial to several geo-engineering challenges, such as underground gas storage and groundwater remediation. The actual flow and displacement of fluids occurs at the scale of pores, i.e. the voids between rock grains. This means that gaining insight into multiphase flow at the pore scale is vital to understanding it at the application scale. Recent work has seen significant progress in using advanced imaging and image-based modelling to unravel the intricacies of multiphase flow within complex pore spaces. However, an important question remains unanswered: do models of pore-scale flow sufficiently capture the influence of visco-inertial dynamics resulting from interface movements on the resulting constitutive properties? Furthermore, at which time and length scales do these dynamics play? In this presentation, a combination of pore network modelling, laboratory-based micro-CT and synchrotron experiments are put forward to investigate these questions. These improvements in our fundamental understanding of multiphase flow across scales will enable efficient management and prediction of large-scale subsurface processes, aiding in reducing carbon emissions, storing renewable energy and remediating groundwater pollution.