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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Simultaneous real-time measurement of composition, flow, attenuation, density, and pipe-wallthickness in multiphase fluids

Apparatus (10) and methods for making simultaneous measurements of composition (water-cut), fluid flow, and sound attenuation in a multiphase fluid flowing (15) through a pipe (12) in real-time, using the same apparatus (10) are described. Additionally, the apparatus (10) provides real-time pipe wall thickness monitoring for observing pipe corrosion or internal deposition. Knowledge of wall thickness is necessary to correct for water-cut (oil-water composition) automatically by adjusting the liquid path length internal to the pipe (spool). The use of short duration frequency chirp excitation signals (24) enables the apparatus to provide information that can be used to extract multiple levels of information from the same measurement in multiphase fluids including the presence of a significant quantity of gas (˜60% gas volume fraction) in different flow regimes. Besides measuring steady flow, this device is useful for measurements during fast changing flows, such as for a rod-pumped well. Measurements up to about 1000 times a second can reliably be made.

Sinha, Dipen N.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Simultaneous Real-Time Measurement of Composition, Flow, Attenuation, Density, and Pipe-Wall Thickness in Multiphase Fluids

Researchers at Los Alamos National Lab have developed an apparatus and method for making simultaneous measurements of composition, fluid flow, and sound attenuation in a multiphase fluid flowing through a pipe in real-time, using a single device. Additionally, the apparatus provides real-time pipe-wall thickness monitoring for observing pipe corrosion. The use of short-duration frequency chirp excitation enables the apparatus to provided multiple levels of information in a single measurement.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2019

TOUGH-UDEC: A simulator for coupled multiphase fluid flows, heat transfers and discontinuous deformations in fractured porous media

A numerical simulator entitled TOUGH-UDEC is presented for the assessment of coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical processes in fractured porous media. Two existing well-established codes, TOUGH2 and UDEC, are coupled to model multiphase fluid flows, heat transfers, and discontinuous deformations in fractured porous media by means of discrete fracture representation. TOUGH2 is widely used for the modeling of heat transfers and multiphase multicomponent fluid flows, and UDEC is a well-known distinct element code for rock mechanics. The two codes are solved sequentially, with coupling parameters passed to each equation at specific intervals. After solving thermal-hydraulic equations within the TOUGH2 code, pressure and temperature information is imported into the UDEC model. Upon solving the mechanical equation within the UDEC code the calculated fracture apertures are converted to the equivalent permeability and porosity values for a TOUGH2 flow analysis. The solution is calculated by iteratively following an explicit sequence for numerical efficiency. Verifications are presented to demonstrate the capabilities of the coupled TOUGH-UDEC simulator. Three application examples of (1) shear dilation due to increased pore pressure, (2) thermal stress and (3) CO 2 injection, show that the new simulator can be an effective tool for geoengineering applications involving shear activation of fractures and faults.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Assessment of diffuse-interface methods for compressible multiphase fluid flows and elastic-plastic deformation in solids

This work describes three diffuse-interface methods for the simulation of immiscible, compressible multiphase fluid flows and elastic-plastic deformation in solids. The first method is the localized-artificial-diffusivity approach of Cook, Subramaniam et al., and Adler and Lele, in which artificial diffusion terms are added to the individual phase mass fraction transport equations and are coupled with the other conservation equations. The second method is the gradient-form approach that is based on the quasi-conservative method of Shukla et al., in which the diffusion and sharpening terms (together called regularization terms) are added to the individual phase volume fraction transport equations and are coupled with the other conservation equations. The third approach is the divergence-form approach that is based on the fully conservative method of Jain et al., in which the regularization terms are added to the individual phase volume fraction transport equations and are coupled with the other conservation equations. In the present study, all three diffuse-interface methods are used in conjunction with a four-equation, multicomponent mixture model, in which pressure and temperature equilibria are assumed among the various phases. The primary objective of this work is to compare these three methods in terms of their ability to: maintain constant interface thickness throughout the simulation; conserve mass, momentum, and energy; and maintain accurate interface shape for long-time integration. The second objective of this work is to consistently extend these methods to model interfaces between solid materials with strength. To assess and compare the methods, they are used to simulate a wide variety of problems, including (1) advection of an air bubble in water, (2) shock interaction with a helium bubble in air, (3) shock interaction and the collapse of an air bubble in water, and (4) Richtmyer–Meshkov instability of a copper–aluminum interface. The current work focuses on comparing these methods in the limit of relatively coarse grid resolution, which illustrates the true performance of these methods. In conclusion, this is because it is rarely practical to use hundreds of grid points to resolve a single bubble or drop in large-scale simulations of engineering interest.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Modeling gas migration through clay-based buffer material using coupled multiphase fluid flow and geomechanics with stress-dependent gas permeability

A model for gas migration through clay-based buffer material is developed for modeling gas generation and migration associated with deep geologic nuclear waste disposal. The model is based on a multiphase fluid flow and geomechanics simulator that is adapted to consider enhanced gas flow when gas pressure is high enough to approach the confining stress magnitude. A key feature in the model is a direct coupling between gas permeability and stress, through a non-linear stress-dependent permeability function. The model was first tested and calibrated by modelling two different laboratory gas migration tests on Wyoming (MX-80) bentonite samples. The calibrated model was then applied to model gas migration through a bentonite buffer of a large-scale gas injection test (Lasgit) conducted at the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory in Sweden. Observed preferential gas migration along interfaces (between compacted blocks and along the canister surface) required explicit representation of such interfaces in the model. The model with the stress-dependent gas permeability accurately captured observed experimental responses in terms of gas breakthrough time, peak gas pressure, and cumulative gas flow rates. The calibrated model was finally applied to simulate migration of hydrogen gas generated within a breached nuclear waste canister over 10,000 years, involving migration of much larger gas volumes. For the considered gas generation rate and host rock properties, the generated gas could migrate through the bentonite buffer and released into the surrounding host rock at a maximum gas pressure somewhat higher than the initial total stress, though a significant amount of hydrogen remained within the buffer. This modelling sets the stage for further detailed analysis of the impact of hydrogen gas generation on the long-term performance of nuclear waste repositories.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

X-ray Computed Tomography on UNESE Core: FY2020 Data Report to Support Fracture and Multiphase Fluid Flow Studies

Natural and induced fractures are potential preferential pathways for migration of radioactive gases to earths surface from underground nuclear explosions (UNEs). This report documents X-ray computed tomography (XRCT) imaging on 26 samples of rock core that was collected to support the Underground Nuclear Explosion Signatures Experiment (UNESE) program. The XRCT datasets are intended to help fill a data gap on the three-dimensional (3D) characteristics of natural and/or induced fractures at the centimeter and smaller scale, which may strongly influence multiphase fluid flow and transport properties of preferential flow paths and interaction with the matrix of the surrounding host rock. Pre- and post-UNE rock samples were carefully chosen to enable comparison of fractures as a function of lithologic and petrophysical properties, as well as distance to the past UNEs. This report serves as documentation for the data, including an introduction with the research motivation, a methods and materials section, descriptions of the XRCT datasets without post-processing, and recommendations for 3D quantification via image analysis and digital rock physics.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2018

Integrating geophysical monitoring data into multiphase fluid flow reservoir simulation

Simulation of multiphase flow systems are of critical importance in managing hydrological systems. Flow simulations are affected by a number of factors including structure and flow properties including porosity and permeability as well as the anisotropy and heterogeneity of these properties. In many cases traditional hydrological and reservoir data are highly affected by these parameters, but are not directly sensitive to them. As such modellers often adjust these parameters in an ad hoc manner until solutions numerically converge. Simulation models are generally based on structural data from reflection seismics whose physical flow properties are then populated using geostatistical extrapolation techniques utilizing a sparse number of borehole logs and core analysis. In multiphase systems including enhanced oil recovery and carbon capture and sequestration uncertainties regarding phase-dependent physical properties confounds this challenge further. Geophysical methods provide a means by which to gain an improved understanding of phase distributions in the subsurface. In this paper we will look at applications from active carbon capture and sequestration and enhanced oil recovery applications, as well as synthetic examples. Geophysical data including electromagnetic and gravity are inverted using structural constraints from the reservoir model. Inversions are then mapped into flow properties using calibrated relations such as Archie’s Equation. The coupled models can then be used to both verify and improve on the reservoir flow model which improves it’s predictive power and utility as a management tool.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2020

Semi-implicit method to solve compressible multiphase fluid flows without acoustic time step restrictions

A new 3D multiphase numerical capability is presented here for simulating multiphase flow regimes at all Mach numbers (M). The new method is a semi-implicit extension of the finite volume discrete equation method (DEM) of Chinnaya et al. (2004), which originally used explicit time-stepping. The capability is also developed to work with another extension of the DEM to moving grids for arbitrary Lagrangian-Eularian (ALE) methods detailed in Dunn (2011). Rather than solving all phase equations simultaneously, the DEM reduces the equations to a system of single-phase Riemann solves, where each phase has its own velocity and thermodynamic state. Exchanges between the phases are modeled through source terms accounting for the phase interactions. Furthermore, since the original multiphase scheme uses an explicit time-advancement scheme, it has time step restrictions dictated by the speed of sound, which limits the model's ability to simulate weakly compressible flows which typically need to be integrated for longer time periods. Here, we extend the current multiphase formulation by implementing a pressure-correcting step to enable implicit calculations and remove acoustic time step limitations. The new semi-implicit algorithm allows use of relatively large time steps compared to an explicit method. Validation and benefits of the new implicit time-step method are illustrated using several examples including weakly compressible flows and strong shock waves. The scheme presented here is general and may be used for a variety of applications which require capabilities for handling multiphase flow at a wide range of Mach numbers. However, the goal of this research is to simulate all stages of high energy explosions, including the shock formation (high Mach numbers) and evolution of the buoyant cloud (low Mach numbers).

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

Theoretical Review of the MFIX Fluid and Two-Fluid Models

MFIX (Multiphase Flow with Interphase eXchanges) is a general purpose code that can be used for describing the hydrodynamics, chemical reactions, and heat transfer of dense or dilute multiphase fluid flows. MFIX calculations give detailed information on pressure, temperature, composition, and velocity distributions in the defined system. This report provides an overview of MFIX’s expressions for single phase flow and continuous dispersed multiphase flow (i.e., the two-fluid model). In addition to the two fluid model (MFIX-TFM), MFIX contains a discrete element model (MFIX-DEM) and a multi-phase particle in cell model (MFIX-PIC) that are not reviewed within this document.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Uncertainty Quantification for Multiphase Computational Fluid Dynamics Closure Relations with a Physics-Informed Bayesian Approach

Multiphase Computational Fluid Dynamics (MCFD) based on the two-fluid model is considered a promising tool to model complex two-phase flow systems. MCFD simulation can predict local flow features without resolving interfacial information. As a result, the MCFD solver relies on closure relations to describe the interaction between the two phases. Those empirical or semi-mechanistic closure relations constitute a major source of uncertainty for MCFD predictions. In this paper, we leverage a physics-informed uncertainty quantification (UQ) approach to inversely quantify the closure relations’ model form uncertainty in a physically consistent manner. This proposed approach considers the model form uncertainty terms as stochastic fields that are additive to the closure relation outputs. Combining dimensionality reduction and Gaussian processes, the posterior distribution of the stochastic fields can be effectively quantified within the Bayesian framework with the support of experimental measurements. As this UQ approach is fully integrated into the MCFD solving process, the physical constraints of the system can be naturally preserved in the UQ results. Here, in a case study of adiabatic bubbly flow, we demonstrate that this UQ approach can quantify the model form uncertainty of the MCFD interfacial force closure relations, thus effectively improving the simulation results with relatively sparse data support.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Fluid characterization using acoustics

A measurement system and a method for determining steam quality (i.e. vapor mass fraction) measurements of multiphase fluid flowing through pipes are described. An acoustic sensor device consists of an acoustic transmitter and an acoustic receiver that are designed to be attached to a pipe. The acoustic transmitter and the acoustic receiver are exposed to an interior space of the pipe through openings in a wall of the pipe. Acoustic waves generated by the transmitter and captured by the receiver traverse the multiphase fluid flowing into the pipe. Swept-frequency acoustic interferometry (SFAI) technique is used to measure ultrasonic acoustic properties of a fluid. Machine-learning techniques based on principal component analysis, support vector machine regression and support vector machine classification are used for determining steam quality.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

A Geometric Volume of Fluid-Based Multiphase Flow Solver Extension to the Reacting Flow Solver, PeleLM

A new algorithm is presented to simulate multiphase flows with surface tension in a pathway for spray combustion simulation. The algorithm combines capabilities from two open-source packages, including the interface reconstruction library (IRL), a library of computational geometry routines to enable the volume of fluid (VOF) method, and PeleLM, a solver for the reacting Navier-Stokes equations. Additionally, surface tension is implemented using the continuum surface force (CSF) model with an improved height function technique in the volume fraction field. Spurious errors in volume fraction arising from our combined strategy are corrected through a topology-based method that improves both numerical stability and accuracy. Multiple validation simulations are conducted, including (i) translations and rotations of Zalesak's disk, (ii) a stationary circular droplet with surface tension, (iii) an oscillating elliptical droplet, and (iv) three-dimensional deformation of a spherical droplet. Results indicate that the combined scheme retains the favorable properties of each of the component algorithms.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2019

Spatial characterization of heterogeneous nanopore surfaces from XCT scans of Niobrara shale

The multiphase fluid flow through natural and geo-architected nanopore structures is fundamentally controlled by the geometry of such nanopore structures, pore wettability and interfacial tension. Furthermore, multiphase fluid flow through the nanopore structures is compromised when the pore surfaces are heterogeneous, having surface regions of different composition, polarity, and wetting characteristics. In this regard, compositional analysis of the pore channel surface has been a big challenge in the past, since 3D analysis is required. Currently, due to advances in nano X-ray CT, with a voxel resolution of 20 nm, it is possible to identify nanopore network structures and quantify their surface composition in 3D. In this paper, the development of procedures for detailed analysis to quantify the composition of the pore channel surface regions, including the corresponding area, is described using nanoCT images. Image analysis procedures, including preprocessing of the 3D tomographic images, correction for the partial volume effect (PVE), and the use of a new algorithm for determination of pore channel surface composition and area are reported on. Videos of the nanopore structure have been provided as supplementary information to further describe the heterogeneity of the nanopore surfaces.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Methods for measuring properties of multiphase oil-water-gas mixtures

Methods for real-time, continuous measurements of the composition and other properties of individual phases of petroleum, water and gas mixtures during the oil production process, without requiring test separators, test lines, with associated valving and instrumentation, are described. Embodiments of the present invention direct ultrasonic sound transmission through a flowing multiphase fluid in three frequency ranges: low frequencies, gas bubble resonance frequencies, and high frequencies, wherein certain sound propagation measurements, including sound speed, sound attenuation and sound scattering, are made in one or more of the three separate frequency regions, from which the multiphase composition and other properties are extracted without having to separate the multiphase fluid or the gas from the flowing stream.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2025

A Multiscale Approach to Simulate Non‐Isothermal Multiphase Flow in Deformable Porous Materials

Coupled thermal, hydraulic, and mechanical processes in porous materials play important roles in several energy and environmental technologies. The Darcy-Brinkman-Biot (DBB) framework has proven effective in modeling multiphase fluid flow in deformable porous solids across both pore and Darcy scales, including in systems where fractures coexist with a porous matrix. In this study, we extend the DBB framework, originally designed for isothermal conditions, to address non-isothermal problems by incorporating an energy conservation equation. The resulting solver, hybridBiotThermalInterFoam, enables simulations of coupled multiphase fluid flow, heat transfer, and solid deformation in hybrid-scale systems containing both solid-free regions and ductile porous domains. The new solver is validated through comparisons with analytical solutions and, also, against established heat transfer solvers chtMultiRegionFoam and compressibleInterFoam. Further, a series of 2D and 3D case studies, including two-phase heat transfer in solid-free, static, or deformable porous media, highlights the solver's capacity to simulate complex flow dynamics and heat transport in systems involving high mobility ratios, viscous fingering, and fracture propagation. Our results establish the feasibility of incorporating thermal effects in simulations of a wide variety of energy geotechnics and environmental applications, including enhanced hydrocarbon recovery, soil remediation, and enhanced geothermal energy systems.

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Multiphase computational fluid dynamics modeling of reacting flows in absorption columns for carbon capture

First-principles derived computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations have been proposed as a fundamental tool for investigating solvent-based CO 2 absorption in packed columns due to their ability to accurately represent the underlying nonlinear, multiscale dynamics. Numerous studies have previously utilized such CFD simulations to investigate hydrodynamics of columns with structured and random packings by assessing the key hydrodynamic metrics such as the interfacial and wetted areas. While mapping such metrics for different conditions is essential to the optimization of absorption columns, it is not sufficient, as the CO 2 capture rate depends also on the coupled, nonlinear dynamics from the underlying chemical reaction kinetics, thermodynamics, and heat-transfer rates. In this work, we present detailed CFD simulation results augmented by incorporating the effects of interfacial physical mass transfer of CO 2 , heat release from chemical reaction kinetics, and thermophysical property variations from resulting temperature gradients. We demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach in numerically assessing the performance of packed columns by evaluating key hydrodynamic quantities, CO 2 absorption rates, and temperature rise in a reference column with packings that are structurally similar to the Sulzer Mellapak™ 250.Y packing, for different solvent inflow velocities and temperatures. Predictions from simulation results are found to be consistent with the trends in experimental observations from the literature, suggesting that the predictive capabilities of the simulation framework can be leveraged to guide the future development of absorber-column designs and optimized process flowsheets.

Absorption columns↗