Development of a Multi-Scale and Multi-Phase Flow Model for Impacts of Leak Fluids on North Sea

Lead Research Organisation: Heriot-Watt University
Department Name: Sch of Engineering and Physical Science

Abstract

"This is a PhD research project in focusing on development of a multi-phase and multi-scale turbulent transportation model for prediction of the fate of pollute fluids leakage in the North Sea. The model covers the scales from meters up to the regional and coastal oceans (103 km). The specifically analyzing is focused on CO2 leakage from the Goldeneye site where has the potential to be used as a carbon storage site and where the STEMM-CCS experiment will be carried out in 2019.
The model is developed in Lagrangian-Eulerian scheme, with multi-scale ocean turbulent flow as Eulerian and the leaked fluids (CO2 bubbles/drops in mm-cm) resolved as Lagrangian parcels, tracking the interactions with ocean in momentum, mass, and energy to predict the impacts. These developments will be made using FVCOM: a single-phase, multi-scale oceanic model.
Impacts are measured in terms of the leak-fluids plume dynamics, such as leaked fluids dispersion and particles distributions, along with physicochemical changes in the seawater, such as density, DIC (or pCO2/pH).
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Publications

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Studentship Projects

Project Reference Relationship Related To Start End Student Name
EP/N509474/1 01/10/2016 30/09/2021
1963558 Studentship EP/N509474/1 01/10/2017 30/09/2021 Stephen Burnside
EP/R513040/1 01/10/2018 30/09/2023
1963558 Studentship EP/R513040/1 01/10/2017 30/09/2021 Stephen Burnside
 
Description Over the past few years, there has been a move towards integrating complete laboratory chemical analysis procedures on to the surface of a microfluidic chip, known as Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC). Unfortunately, when scaling the processes down to the micro scale, there are some technical problems such as the pumping of fluids becomes increasingly more difficult as viscous and capillary forces become more dominant. Additionally, mixing of chemical or biological materials at small scale can be inefficient and tedious due to the large time and length scales required.

Recently, Surface Acoustic Waves (SAW) have been shown to demonstrate features that could have positive implications for the development of microfluidic devices. Pumping, mixing, jetting and nebulisation of microdroplets can all be induced through manipulation of the applied power of the SAW. As the acoustic wave propagates in the path of a liquid droplet, the energy is coupled into the liquid medium causing the aforementioned phenomena to occur. This coupling mechanism between the SAW and the fluid is not yet fully understood, hence further investigation is required.

Through our research, we are trying to answer this fundamental question by means of computational modelling. As this work is ongoing, the mechanism has not yet been fully understood however, it is the intension of the research that it will shed some light on the underlying physics which cause such phenomena to be exhibited.

The computational model developed (a single-component, multi-phase model based on the recent lattice Boltzmann method) has demonstrated excellent agreement with the analytical solutions during preliminary testing. Further development of the model in the direction of the above application (Surface Acoustic Wave interactions on a droplet) is under development. Features such as streaming velocity, droplet deformation and applied force will all be analysed.
Exploitation Route The outcomes from this funding could be taken forward into the development of LOC devices for use in healthcare and medical research applications. The model could be used to predict how different materials and liquids respond, allowing for the development of more efficient and practical devices.
Sectors Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology