This scholarship is for the following field of research: MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES - PHYSICAL MODELLING
Quantification of transport in porous media is a long-standing problem complicated by the inherent complexity of the pore-space geometry. As such, up-scaling methods are often used to describe macroscopic transport which often utilizes averaging over many pore volumes. However, such averaging can neglect important pore-scale phenomena which can influence macroscopic transport.
Pore-scale fluid mechanics are described by Stokes flow. In this project we will begin by considering Stokes flow in an ideal, saturated, 3-dimensional, porous material consisting of agglomerated spherical particles. A number of numerical methodologies, including unstructured grid control volume, smooth particle hydrodynamics, lattice-Boltzmann and Stokesian dynamics, will be tested in order to accurately resolve the 3-dimensional, pore-scale, flow field. The results of the numerical models will be validated against experimental observations of pore-scale flow in real porous solids consisting of sintered solid spheres carried out by colleagues at the University of Western Australia. With the attainment of an accurate numerical model the effect of changing the pore-scale geometry of our ideal porous material, on the resulting flow field will then be catalogued.
The second half of this project will see an extension to the numerical flow field models developed above in one or more of the following ways:
• The inclusion of solute dispersion;
• The resolution of the pore-scale flow field in more complex porous media based on the imaging of real porous materials;
• The inclusion of 2-phase (gas and liquid) flow;
• The application of ensemble averaging techniques across the porous network to determine (macroscopic) intrinsic permeability.
This project will significantly contribute to our understanding of
porous media flow. It has the potential of informing accurate transport
models at the macroscopic scale and of delivering an accurate micro-scale
model for future multi-scale models of flow in saturated and unsaturated
complex porous materials.
The Queensland University of Technology ('QUT'), as a member of the Australian Technology Network of Universities (‘ATN’) and collaborator on the Industry Doctoral Training Centre (Mathematics & Statistics) (‘IDTC’) initiative, is currently offering this scholarship to Australian or New Zealand citizens or permanent residents of Australia who are interested in undertaking doctoral degrees in industrial mathematics, applied mathematics or applied statistics and working in collaboration with an industry partner on a project of immediate relevance to Australian industry.
Study Subject: MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES - PHYSICAL MODELLING
Web address: http://www.qut.edu.au/industry-and-partnerships/idtc
Provided by: QUT
To be undertaken at: QUT, in collaboration with CSIRO – Division of Mathematics, Informatics and Statistics
Level: Postgraduate
Supervisors: Prof. Ian Turner (QUT), Assoc. Prof. Troy Farrell (QUT), Dr Daniel Lester (CSIRO)
One scholarship is available for a high achieving student interested in
taking up higher degree by research studies, working on a project of
relevance to CSIRO, leading to
the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
The value of this scholarship is AUD 30,000 (per annum) for up to 4 years,
subject to satisfactory performance evaluated annually. This award
constitutes a living allowance for the discretion of the student. Students
of the IDTC program will be required to undertake scheduled travel within
Australia to engage in coursework and other professional development
activities in partial fulfilment of the conditions of the IDTC program. The
associated travel costs will be met by the industry partner and/or QUT.
This scholarship is for study in Australia, for students with an Honours
degree in Mathematics or Statistics or equivalent experience in a related
discipline. Only citizens of Australia or New Zealand, or Australian permanent
residents are eligible to apply.
To apply for this scholarship you must apply directly to Queensland University of Technology. For more information please contact the Primary Contact below.
Terms and conditions are subject to change. Always confirm details with the scholarship provider before applying.
Closing date: 4 December 2012Primary Contact
Associate Professor Troy Farrell
Faculty of Science and Technology - Mathematical Sciences, Applied and Computational Mathematics
Queensland University of Technology
Phone: +61 7 3138 2364
Email: t.farrell@qut.edu.au
BACK TO SCHOLARSHIPS MAIN PAGE
