SimTech-Project: Multi-Scale Multi-Physics Numerical Models for Flow and Transport in Porous Media

Flow and transport phenomena in porous media are the governing processes in manynatural, industrial, and biological systems. Considering the flow and transport processes on theone hand, they occur on different spatial and temporal scales and may also differ locally. Highly complexprocesses may take place in one part of the system necessitating an examination of theprocesses on a fine spatial and temporal scale, while in other parts of the system, physically simpler processesmay take place allowing an examination on coarser scales. Considering the porous medium on the other hand, its heterogeneous structure shows a high dependence on the spatial scale. The porous medium is generally heterogeneous on every spatial scale, but different kinds of heterogeneities predominate on different scales.In this project, we aim to develop and to analyze new numerical models which not only take into account the multi-scale multi-physics characteristic of flow and transport processes in porous media, but even take advantage of it by employing locally the method offering the best combination of accuracy and performance. In addition to the often quite difficult choice of the best local method, a major challenge for this project is the implementation of a general and efficient concept for the coupling of the submodels. Once this concept is realized, it is tested on several significant applications like CO₂ storage, optimization of fuel cells, or convectionenhanced delivery of therapeutic agents into brain tumors.

Helmig, Rainer
Flemisch, Bernd

Wolff, Markus

LH2

05/2008 - 05/2013

Cluster of Excellence "SimTech"