RCCS

MILEPOST – Microscale Processes Governing Global Sustainability

Summary:

The ERC MILEPOST project will transform our ability to analyse and predict the behaviour of a wide range of pore-scale processes governing the macroscopic behaviour of complex subsurface systems and open up new horizons for science in other areas, e.g porosity controlled in polymers and bioprinting.

Reference Number: 695070

Funder: European Research Council (ERC)

Grant: €3m

Duration: September 2016– December 2022

Project Team: Prof. Mercedes Maroto-Valer (project leader), Dr Amir Jahanbakhsh, Dr Omid Shahrokhi, Dr Krystian Wlodarczyk, Puyan Bakhshi, Shima Ghanaatian, Rumbidzai Nhunduru

 

Description

We combine expertise and integrate ground-breaking work in:

(i) additive manufacturing to produce three-dimensional replicas of porous structures;

(ii) tools to embed sensors to determine the in-vivo propagation of fronts (pressure, concentrations, pH) within complex structures; and

(iii) novel high-fidelity in-silico pore-scale models coupling relative permeability functions and critical saturations with compositional changes and validated using virtual reality tools.

The ERC MILEPOST project will transform our ability to analyse and predict the behavior of a wide range of pore-scale processes governing the macroscopic behaviour of complex subsurface systems and open up new horizons for science in other areas, e.g. porosity controlled in polymers and bioprinting.

If you are interested to know more about MILEPOST, watch our showcase video here!

 

Project Publications:

  1. R. A. E. Nhunduru, A. Jahanbakhsh, O. Shahrokhi, K.L. Wlodarczyk, S. Garcia & M.M. Maroto-Valer, “The impact of wettability on dynamic fluid connectivity and flow transport kinetics in porous media”. Water Resources Research, 58. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021WR030729. 
  2. A. Kalantariasl, F. Tale, R. Parsaei, A. Keshavarz, A. Jahanbakhsh, M.M. Maroto-Valer, A. Mosallanezhad, “Optimum salinity/composition for low salinity water injection in carbonate rocks: A geochemical modelling approach”, Journal of Molecular Liquids, Volume 362, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2022.119754. 
  3. K.L. Wlodarczyk, W.N. MacPherson, D.P.  Hand, M.M. Maroto-Valer, “Manufacturing of Microfluidic Devices with Interchangeable Commercial Fiber Optic Sensors” Sensors 2021, 21, 7493. https://doi.org/10.3390/s21227493. 
  4. A. Jahanbakhsh, O. Shahrokhi, M.M. Maroto-Valer, “Understanding the role of wettability distribution on pore-filling and displacement patterns in a homogeneous structure via quasi 3D pore-scale modelling”, Scientific Reports 2021, 11, 17847 (2021); https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-97169-8.
  5. A. Jahanbakhsh, K.L. Wlodarczyk, D.P. Hand, R.R.J. Maier, M.M. Maroto-Valer, “Review of Microfluidic Devices and Imaging Techniques for Fluid Flow Study in Porous Geomaterials,” Sensors 2020, 20(14), 4030; https://doi.org/10.3390/s20144030
  6. K.L. Wlodarczyk, J. Schille, L. Naumann, A. A. Lopes, I. Bitharas, P. Bidare, S.D. Dondieu, P. Blair, U. Loeschner, A.J. Moore, M.M. Maroto-Valer, D.P. Hand, “Investigation of an interlaced laser beam scanning method for ultrashort pulse laser micromachining applications,” Journal of Materials Processing Technology 285, 116807 (2020); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2020.116807
  7. K.L. Wlodarczyk, D.P. Hand, M.M. Maroto-Valer, “Maskless, rapid manufacturing of glass microfluidic devices using a picosecond pulsed laser,” Scientific Reports 9, 20215 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-56711-5
  8. K.L. Wlodarczyk, A. A. Lopes, P. Blair, M.M. Maroto-Valer, D.P. Hand, “Interlaced laser beam scanning: A method enabling an increase in the throughput of ultrafast laser machining of borosilicate glass,” Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing 3 (1), pp. 14 (2019); https://doi.org/10.3390/jmmp3010014
  9. K.L. Wlodarczyk, R.M. Carter, A. Jahanbakhsh, A.A. Lopes, M.D. Mackenzie, R.R.J. Maier, D.P. Hand, M.M. Maroto-Valer, “Rapid laser manufacturing of microfluidic devices from glass substrates,” Micromachines 9 (8), pp. 409 (2018); https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9080409

Conferences:

  1. K.L. Wlodarczyk, J. Schille, L. Naumann, A.A. Lopes, I. Bitharas, P. Bidare, S.D. Dondieu, P. Blair, U. Loeschner, A.J. Moore, M.M. Maroto-Valer, D.P. Hand, “Ultrashort pulsed laser micromachining of glass using an interlaced laser beam scanning method,” Oral presentation at the Laser Precision Microfabrication (LPM) conference, June 2020.
  2. A. Jahanbakhsh, O. Shahrokhi, M. M. Maroto-Valer, “Quasi-3D pore-scale simulation of wettability heterogeneity in porous media”, Oral presentation at the InterPore conference, Aug-Sep 2020.
  3. O. Shahrokhi, A. Jahanbakhsh, M. M. Maroto-Valer, “Relaxing the Capillary Equilibrium Constraint for Automated Contact Angle Measurement of X-ray Micro-Tomography Images in Porous Media”, Oral presentation at the InterPore conference, Aug-Sep 2020.
  4. R.A.E. Nhunduru, A. Jahanbakhsh, O. Shahrokhi, K.L. Wlodarczyk, D.P. Hand, W.N. MacPherson, S. Garcia, and M.M. Maroto-Valer, “A pore-scale investigation of fluid displacement and residual trapping under intermediate-wet conditions,” Oral presentation at the EGU General Assembly, May 2020.
  5. R. A. E Nhunduru, A. Jahanbakhsh, Krystian. L. Wlodarczyk, O. Shahrokhi, S. Garcia , M. M. Maroto-Valer. “Direct Numerical Simulations of Wettability Impact on Two-Phase Flow in Porous Media” – Oral Presentation at the 15TH OpenFoam Workshop. (Virtual Conference), June 2020
  6. R.A.E. Nhunduru, A. Jahanbakhsh, K.L. Wlodarczyk, O. Shahrokhi, S. Garcia, M.M. Maroto-Valer, “Microfluidic observations and pore-scale simulations of fluid displacement and capillary trapping under intermediate-wet and water-wet conditions,” Oral presentation at the InterPore conference, Aug-Sep 2020.
  7. R. A. E. Nhunduru, K.L. Wlodarczyk, A. Jahanbakhsh, O Shahrokhi, S Garcia, M Maroto-Valer. “Pore-Scale Simulations of Residual Trapping in Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Porous Media“ – 82ND European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE) Conference and Exhibition, December 2020.
  8. S. Ghanaatian, O. Shahrokhi, S. Garcia, M.M Maroto-Valer, “Experimental Investigation on the Effects of Ionic Strength of Formation Water on Rock-Fluid Interactions during CO2 Geological Storage”, Oral presentation at the InterPore conference, Aug-Sep 2020.
  9. S. Ghanaatian, S. Garcia, M.M Maroto-Valer, ” Effect of Water Chemistry on CO2 Mineralisation Phenomenon at Saline Aquifers; Experimental and Modelling Studies”,  Poster presentation at the 15th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies GHGT-15.
  10. S. Ghanaatian, E. Joonaki, S. Garcia, M. Mercedes, ” From CO2 Transportation in Pipelines to Storage in Geological Formations: The Whole Picture of a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Process with Chemical Thermodynamics ”,  Oral presentation at 82nd SPE/EAGE Europec Conference, December 2020.
  11. P. Bakhshi, M. M. Maroto-Valer, M. Amani, “A bundle of capillary tubes (BOCT) model for carbonated water flooding (CWF); a promising technique for simultaneous CO2 storage and enhanced oil recovery purposes”, InterPore. Online, 31 Aug – 4 Sep 2020.
  12. K.L. Wlodarczyk, R.M. Carter, O. Shahrokhi, R.A.E. Nhunduru, A. Jahanbakhsh, D.P. Hand, and M.M. Maroto-Valer, “Ultrafast laser manufacturing of glass microfluidic devices,” Oral presentation at the Lasers in Manufacturing (LiM) conference, Munich, Germany, June 2019.
  13. R.A.E. Nhunduru, O. Shahrokhi, A. Jahanbakhsh, K.L. Wlodarczyk, D.P. Hand, W.N. MacPherson, and M.M. Maroto-Valer, “Fluid distribution in immiscible two-phase fluid displacement for CO2 storage,” Oral presentation at the 10th Trondheim CCS conference, Trondheim, Norway, June 2019.
  14. A. Jahanbakhsh, O. Shahrokhi, R.A.E. Nhunduru, K.L. Wlodarczyk, D.P. Hand, and M.M. Maroto-Valer, “Application of numerical modelling and flow experiments to optimize the design of microfluidic devices representing porous media,” Poster at InterPore conference, Valencia, Spain, May 2019.
  15. R.A.E. Nhunduru, A. Jahanbakhsh, O. Shahrokhi, K.L. Wlodarczyk, D.P. Hand, W.N. MacPherson, and M.M. Maroto-Valer, “The effect of injection rate on fluid invasion patterns: Immiscible two-phase fluid displacement in 2D laser-manufactured micromodels,” Poster at the InterPore conference, Valencia, Spain, May 2019.
  16. Omid Shahrokhi, Shima Ghanaatian, Amir Jahanbakhsh, M. Mercedes Maroto-Valer, “Effect of Geochemical Integrity of Binding Cement on Sandstone Permeability at Carbon Storage Conditions“, Oral presentation at the 10th Trondheim CCS conference, Trondheim, Norway, June 2019.
  17. S. Ghanaatian, O. Shahrokhi, S. Garcia, M.M Maroto-Valer, “Understanding Reactive Flow in Porous Media for CO2 Storage Applications”, Oral presentation at the 10th Trondheim CCS conference, Trondheim, Norway, June 2019.
  18. K.L. Wlodarczyk, A. Jahanbakhsh, R.M. Carter, R.R.J. Maier, D.P. Hand, and M.M. Maroto-Valer, “Laser fabrication of glass-based microfluidic devices for porous media applications,” Oral presenation at the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO), San Jose, US, May 2018
  19. A. Jahanbakhsh, K.L. Wlodarczyk, M. Maroto-Valer, R.R.J. Maier, D.P. Hand, and W.N. MacPherson, “Coupling numerical modelling with flow experiments to optimize fabrication of microfluidic devices for transport in porous media applications”, Oral presentation at the UK Interpore conference, Aberdeen, UK, September 2018.
  20. K.L. Wlodarczyk, R.M. Carter, A. Jahanbakhsh, R.R.J. Maier, D.P. Hand, and M.M. Maroto-Valer, “Laser-manufactured microfluidic devices for the study of mechanisms governing transport in porous media”, Oral presentation at the 19th International Symposium on Laser Precision Microfabrication (LPM), Edinburgh, UK, June 2018.
  21. K.L. Wlodarczyk, A. Jahanbakhsh, R.M. Carter, D.P. Hand, R.R.J. Maier, and M. Maroto-Valer, “Laser-based manufacturing of microfluidic devices for reactive transport applications,” Oral presentation at the 5th IMPEE conference, Edinburgh, UK, September 2017.
  22. K.L. Wlodarczyk, R.M. Carter, A. Jahanbakhsh, D.P. Hand, R.R.J. Maier, and M. Maroto-Valer, “Fabrication of three-dimensional micro-structures in glass by picosecond laser micro-machining and welding,” Oral presentation at the 18th International Symposium on Laser Precision Microfabrication, Toyama, Japan, June 2017;