KDI: Multiscale Physics-Based Simulation of Fluid Flow for Energy and Environmental Applications

地表和地表以下的流体流动是水和土壤污染问题的起因和解决办法，而石油和天然气的生产依赖于地下流动。在这些问题中，实际感兴趣的长度尺度从几十米到公里不等。然而，在这些尺度上的行为严重依赖于发生在更小长度尺度上的物理学。这些问题在时间尺度上也存在很大差距。此外，不同的物理过程在域的不同部分同时发生。在这个项目中，研究人员及其大学、政府和工业合作者从理论和实验中发展了对小规模现象亟需的科学理解，并开发了新的计算工具和战略，用于在实际规模上纳入这种理解，用于处理跨子领域的多种类型的物理，用于远程协作，以及用于可视化和操纵结果。该项目侧重于更好地了解小尺度现象(例如，多相界面面积、滞后、弥散和多孔介质中的离散裂缝)，通过多块或多物理方法进行域间耦合(例如，地表水和地下水环境的耦合)，开发准确和高效的算法和原型模拟器，以及在现场与合作者互动查看结果的方法。开发的算法和模拟器包括用于耦合区域的新型迫击型空间，以及用于模拟非线性对流、扩散和反应过程的复杂的、自适应的、有限元、有限体积和时间步长方法。算法在并行计算平台上实现。交互式转向和可视化与模拟器紧密相连。与该项目相关的重要工作是用于关键评价模拟器的实验室实验和现场数据，关于石油工程生产模型和环境地下和地表流动应用的原型模拟器的演示，以及通过讲习班、视频和基于网络的技术的教育和专业推广和培训。该项目涉及地表水、地下水和石油油藏中流体的运动和相互作用的计算机模拟和预测。重点是基本的多尺度和多物理应用(即，在不同的长度和时间尺度上一起发生的物理过程，以及在空间领域的不同部分发生的不同的物理过程)。这项工作背后的动机是需要更好地了解和量化小规模过程对较大的实地规模过程的影响，并了解在近距离发生的不同物理过程如何相互影响。研究人员通过开发适当的数学模型、数值算法、计算科学和可视化工具以及实验室实验来研究这些问题。这项工作是与其他大学研究人员以及政府和工业合作伙伴合作进行的。对未来的科学家和工程师进行教育宣传和培训是这一努力的重要组成部分。令人感兴趣的应用包括石油和天然气生产、地下水污染和修复、地表水循环和污染以及地表水和地下水环境之间的相互作用。这些应用对环境和经济都有重大影响。

Wheeler9873326Fluid flows at and below the earth's surface are the cause and cure for problems of water and soil pollution, while petroleum and natural gas production depends on flows in the subsurface. In these problems, the length scales of practical interest range from tens of meters to kilometers. However, the behavior at these scales depends critically on physics occurring at much smaller length scales. A wide disparity in time scales also exists in these problems. Moreover, different physical processes occur simultaneously in different parts of the domain. In this project, the investigators and their university, government and industrial collaborators develop much-needed scientific understanding of small-scale phenomena from theory and experiment, and also develop new computational tools and strategies for incorporating this understanding at the practical scale, for handling multiple types of physics across subdomains, for remote collaboration, and for visualizing and manipulating the results. The project focuses on better understanding of small-scale phenomena (e.g., multiphase interfacial area, hysteresis, dispersion, and discrete fractures in porous media), interdomain coupling by means of multiblock or multiphysics methodologies (e.g., coupling of surface water and groundwater environments), the development of accurate and efficient algorithms and prototype simulators, and methods for viewing results interactively and with collaborators off site. The algorithms and simulators developed include novel mortar type spaces for coupling domains, and sophisticated, adaptive, finite element, finite volume and time-stepping methods for modeling nonlinear advective, diffusive and reactive processes. The algorithms are implemented on parallel computing platforms. Interactive steering and visualization are coupled closely to the simulators. Important work related to this project are laboratory experiments and field data for critical evaluation of the simulators, demonstration of prototypical simulators on petroleum engineering production models and environmental subsurface and surface flow applications, and educational and professional outreach and training through workshops, video and web-based technologies.This project concerns computer simulation and prediction of the movement and interaction of fluids in surface waters and subsurface groundwater and petroleum reservoirs. The focus is on fundamental multiscale and multiphysics applications (i.e., physical processes occurring together at different length and time scales and different physical processes occurring in different parts of the spatial domain). The motivation behind this work is the need to better understand and quantify the effect of small-scale processes on larger, field-scale processes, and to understand how different physical processes occurring in close proximity affect each other. The investigators study these problems through the development of appropriate mathematical models, numerical algorithms, computational science and visualization tools, and laboratory experiments. This work is carried out in collaboration with other university researchers and government and industrial partners. Educational outreach and training of future scientists and engineers is an important part of this effort. The applications of interest include petroleum and natural gas production, groundwater contamination and remediation, surface water circulation and pollution, and the interaction between surface and groundwater environments. These applications have significant environmental and economic impact.