PhD Studentship - Capillary Pressure, Relative Permeability and Wettability at Critically-low Saturated Porous Media (CRISP)

Title: Capillary pressure, relative permeability and wettability at critically-low saturated porous media (CRISP)
Application deadline: as long as possible until Dec 24
Research theme: Porous Media Engineering, Subsurface Engineering, Experimental
Department: Chemical Engineering

How to apply: https://uom.link/pgr-apply-fap

This 4 year PhD project is funded by Shell; tuition fees will be paid and a tax free stipend based at the UKRI rate will be paid (£18,622 for 2023/24). The start date is January 2025. This is project is for home students only.

Darcy-scale theories of two-phase flow in porous media rely on two major constitutive equations; capillary-pressure- saturation and relative permeability-saturation equations. Both of these empirical equations are proposed for a range of mobile saturation and measured in the lab under equilibrium condition. Thus, at the residual saturation or below that (such as cases of evaporation, CO2 storage in surface, hydrogen storage at the subsurface) as well as highly dynamic condition these equations become physically not well defined.

The key question is how the two-phase flow behave at low, residual or even sub-residual saturations. The notable example is the dry-out zone during the CO2 or Hydrogen injection where the water phase evaporates and leads to very low residual saturation.

This project involves both developing computational models as well as experimental work to understanding the physics of the problem. The PhD work requires applicants with strong computational background, excellent scientific writing and teamworking.

Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 1st honours degree or a master’s (or international equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering related discipline.
Knowledges of computational physics, porous media physics, programming in C++/Fortran are essential for this position.

Please contact the main supervisor, Prof Vahid Niasar, before you apply: vahid.niasar@manchester.ac.uk

Advert information