Postdoctoral Fellows
Marcel Moura, Department of Physics, University of Oslo,
I work mostly on capillary flows in synthetic porous networks in 2D. We are interested in transient and steady state properties of slow two-phase flows in which a porous network saturated with a liquid is slowly invaded by another liquid or gaseous phase. We analyze the invasion dynamics using both images of the flow and pressure measurements. Image analysis routines are applied to obtain spatial and temporal information about the dynamics, from the pore-scale to the lab scale. Additional info can be found here.
Supervisors: Knut Jørgen Måløy/Eirik Grude Flekkøy/Renaud Toussaint
Fredrik Kvalheim Eriksen, Department of Physics, University of Oslo
My research is focused on deforming porous media and pattern formation during fluid flow. These processes primarily involve mechanical deformation and fracturing driven by high pore fluid overpressure, but I have also worked on slow transformation caused by reactive flow in fracture channels. The work is based on tabletop experiments, where we put porous media (real or synthetic) in flow cells and impose various flow conditions. To uncover characteristic dynamics of the systems, we usually analyze high speed camera footage, pressure recordings, and/or acoustic measurements. The current focus is to study the deformation and fracturing of elastic, disorderly bonded porous media due to one phase flow at constant overpressure. I often collaborate with researchers at the University of Strasbourg on deformable porous media and fracturing, and I also take part in other projects on fluid and granular flows with e.g. researchers in Poland and India. Supervisors: Knut Jørgen Måløy/Eirik Grude Flekkøy
Haili Long-Sanouiller, Department of Geoscience and Petroleum, NTNU
My research is about to characterize wettability of multiphase flow in porous media by using X-ray mCT technique. Historically, it has always been a challenge to make a proper characterization of wettability in traditional lab experiments. With the development of mCT, it is possible to study local in-situ wettability and contact angle of fluid-fluid interface curvatures based on processed mCT images. The results can be used as input to build models for wettability alteration based on local properties such as pore-size (radius), pore-volume, pore-wall curvature, mineralogy, clay content, etc. by analyzing a smaller set of samples to predict local wettability conditions for samples under similar conditions.
Supervisor: Ole Torsæter / Carl Fredrik Berg
Mathias Winkler, Department of Physics, NTNU
I am working on macro-scale modeling of immiscible two-phase flow in porous media. In this project we further develop and apply a new theoretical framework to describe such porous media flows. A second current research interest is the study of osmotic transport through nanopores, based on atomistic modeling.
Supervisor: Alex Hansen
Ashkan Jahanbani Ghahfarokhi, Department of Geoscience and Petroleum, NTNU
Currently, I am doing research on numerical simulation of water diversion by polymer gels for enhancing oil recovery. Important parameters in the simulation study and challenges involved were discussed. Guidelines for selecting the best reservoir candidate and conditions of gel application were suggested. I will also be involved in wettability alteration studies with the goal of determination and understanding the role of wettability in flow through porous media.
Supervisor: Ole Torsæter
Rasoul Khaledialidusti, Department of Geoscience and Petroleum, NTNU
An increase in CO2 viscosity which results in lower CO2 mobility could reduce problems with poor macroscopic sweep efficiency. The vision is to develop a new method for thickening of CO2 using nanoparticle and forming a CO2 based nanofluid which can improve volumetric sweep efficiency compared to conventional CO2-EOR method. The interaction of CO2 molecules with different nanoparticles will be solved by the quantum mechanics equations of the electronic structure that so called ab initio calculations. Further atomistic simulations of liquid CO2 interaction with nanoparticles will be made using Molecular Dynamics (MD) and Dissipative Particle Dynamics (DPD) methods. The results attained will be applied for reservoir-scale modeling to better understanding of the performance of the CO2 based nanofluid at larger-scale of a reservoir. Supervisors: Afrooz Barnoush/ Carl Fredrik Berg
Hamid Hosseinzade Khanamiri, Department of Geoscience and Petroleum, NTNU
My research has been about experimental study of two-phase flow in porous media on pore and Darcy scales. I use ordinary and synchrotron-based X-ray computed microtomography to study changes in fluid distribution in porous media. Processing the tomography images makes it possible to compute the volume, connectivity and other topological properties of the fluid phases in porous systems as large a few mili-meter. The purpose of these experiments is to improve our understanding of the microscopic topological changes of fluids. Next stage is to search for clues of how to upscale scale those changes to a larger scale (cm and above). I also simulate the mentioned experiments by Lattice-Boltzmann and pore network modelling methods in order to both interpret the experimental results and study the upscaling. Supervisor: Ole Torsæter
Martin Hendrick, Department of Physics, NTNU
Monem Ayaz, Department of Physics, University of Oslo
PhD Candidates
Marco Sauermoser, Department of Chemistry, NTNU
The flow field plate in a proton exchange membrane is a crucial part for its performance and has a big potential for optimization. During the course of this PhD project with the title “Energy efficient PEM fuel cells”, the aim is to achieve an increase in efficiency of said fuel cell by using the principle of uniform entropy production used in non-equilibrium thermodynamics. This can be achieved by using bio-inspired flow fields, which are based on e.g. lungs or leaves. Models will be created to find out the most efficient flow field plates and then tested against reference designs like serpentine pattern in a fuel cell test station.
Supervisors: Signe Kjelstrup/Bruno G. Pollet/Dag Dysthe
Olav Galteland, Department of Chemistry, NTNU
Fluid flow in porous media due to a pressure gradient is described by a Darcy-like law, which has shown to fail for small pore sizes and/or low pressure gradients. There is no description of the flow for other driving forces than the pressure gradient. Examples where fluid flow is important are found in many technological applications, such as membranes, fuel cells, sea water desalination, and oil and natural gas recovery. In this project non-equilibrium thermodynamics (NET) will be applied to give a coherent thermodynamic description of the flow, which will include other driving forces, such as a viscous, capillary, gravitational, osmotic, chemical, and thermal forces. Non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations will be used to examine the NET theory. Supervisors: Signe Kjelstrup/Bjørn Hafskjold/Dick Bedeaux
Seunghan Song, Department of Physics, NTNU
I have been studying silicon alloy micro-core fibers in glass cladding. Using an in-situ optical imaging technique we have observed the flow of liquid alloy droplets through the silicon matrix. My project goal is to understand the phenomena of liquid-solid flows under temperature gradient in semiconductor alloy core fibers through experiments. Our research topic is not only interesting for a deeper understanding of solid-liquid flows but can also be a guide to developing precise micro-structures in semiconductor core fibers for optical and optoelectronic applications.
Supervisors: Ursula Gibson/Alex Hansen
Reidun Cecilie Grønfur Aadland, Department of Geoscience and Petroleum, NTNU
GreenEOR (Green high performance systems for Enhanced Oil Recovery): This project will develop a novel series of high-performance and environmentally friendly systems for chemical EOR applications based on nanocellulose, alone or in combination with surfactants, demonstrated in laboratory scale. Nanocellulose is a group of nanoscaled particles produced from wood, and is thus an abundant and green resource. The main goal is to demonstrate EOR and understand mechanisms of nanocellulose used in EOR-fluids. This project is a collaboration with RISE PFI in Norway, which will provide the different nanocellulose samples to be used in the study. Supervisors: Ole Torsæter/Kristin Syverud
Morten Vassvik, Department of Physics, NTNU
My work focuses on modeling of two-phase flow in porous materials using network models. A porous material is incredibly complex structurally, but overall it can be characterized by a collection of “pores” connected via “throats”. A pore-network model uses this connectivity information to approximate the topology and local structure of the much more complex structure while still maintaining the essential part of it. What a network model loses is precision it gains in efficiency, making it possible to study much larger system in a shorter amount of time. My current work concerns itself with exploring the limits of the simplest kind of pore-network model – a single-pressure dynamic network model. Supervisors: Alex Hansen/Signe Kjelstrup
Le Xu, Department of Physics, University of Oslo
Experiments of flow in porous matrix is the focus of my research. Taking advantage of the plaster sample slightly dissolved by fresh water, we inject water into the plaster sample in the Hele-Shaw cell and study the reactive-infiltration instability, dissolution phase diagram and dispersion with dissolution patterns. Some theoretical calculations and simulation modelling are also applied and to be compared with experimental results.
Supervisors: Knut Jørgen Måløy/Eirik Grude Flekkøy/Renaud Toussaint
Alberto Luis Bila, Department of Geoscience and Petroleum, NTNU
My research is focused on investigating the enhanced oil recovery mechanisms using silica nanoparticles (nano-EOR). The project consists of screening different type of silica-based nanofluids using glass micromodels. Further, the best nanofluids are selected for further experimental core flooding tests using Berea sandstones rock. The main interest is to investigate the role nanoparticles in modifying the multiphase flow properties of a porous rock (wettability alteration, interfacial tension, relative permeability, etc.) and the contribution for the additional oil recovery after conventional water flooding. Supervisors: Ole Torsæter/Jan Åge Stensen
Bahador Najafiazar, Department of Geoscience and Petroleum, NTNU
HyGreGel (Hybrid Green Gel): This project will develop competence and technology within in-depth gel placement for water diversion. New hybrid nanogel systems will be developed based on “green” technology. The gel systems will be based on novel multifunctional hybrid polymers prepared at SINTEF Materials and Chemistry (FunzioNano™) and polyelectrolyte complexes developed at Kansas University. Testing infrastructures at NTNU IPT, NTNU NanoLab and SINTEF Petroleum Research will be used in the experimental work. Supervisors: Ole Torsæter/Torleif Holt/Jan Åge Stensen
Kristian Stølevik Olsen, Department of Physics, University of Oslo
Patterns that emerge on macroscopic scales due to stochastic laws on smaller scales are ubiquitous in Nature. The formation and properties of these spatial structures are of great interdisciplinary interest as they appear throughout the sciences, from biology to pure mathematics. Using tools like the renormalization group and random field models I study various aspects of these spatial structures. In particular, I study geometry-induced anomalous diffusion, where the spatial geometry in which the particles diffuse require microscopic laws that do not belong to the familiar Gaussian universality class.
Magnus Aashammer Gjennestad, Department of Physics, NTNU
Jonas Tøgersen Kjellstadli, Department of Physics, NTNU
Eivind Bering, Department of Physics, NTNU
Aylin Maria Dursun, Department of Physics, University of Oslo
