GRK 2160 Dropit: Upscaling of coupled free-flow and porous-media-flow processes

In many fields of industrial application coupled systems of a porous medium and an adjacent free-flow region are modelled. In some of these appliations, the development of droplets at the interface between the two different flow compartments plays a crucial role and should be taken into account in the model.

Different approaches to model the processes at the interface are examined within this project.The aim is to develop a detailed description of droplet formation and movement. First, the transition zone between free flow and porous medium is examined in detail using a coupled model that accounts for in-depth micro-scale processes on the interface between the two flow regimes. In a second step, an upscaling process is determined to transfer the governing pore-scale effects to an averaged macro-scale flow model in order to make real world applications on large scales technically feasible.

The project is part of the international research training group "Droplet Interaction Technologies" (DropIT). Research is done in cooperation with scientists at the University of Bergamo (Italy). The IRTG DropIT conducts research in the areas of drop-gas-interaction, drop-wall-interaction and drop-liquid-interaction, aiming at improving e.g. industrial processes with the gained knowledge.

Jun.-Prof. Dr. Carina Bringedal
Prof. Dr.-Ing Rainer Helmig
Prof. Dr.-Ing Maurizio Santini (University of Bergamo)

Dr.-Ing Sina Ackermann 
Maziar Veyskarami (M.Sc.)  
Anna Mareike Kostelecky (M.Sc.)

LH2

University of Bergamo

01/2016 - 09/2025

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)