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An Adaptive Hybrid Vertical Equilibrium/Full‐Dimensional Model for Compositional Multiphase Flow
Author(s) -
Becker Beatrix,
Guo Bo,
Buntic Ivan,
Flemisch Bernd,
Helmig Rainer
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/2021wr030990
Subject(s) - permeability (electromagnetism) , porous medium , multiphase flow , porosity , flow (mathematics) , mechanics , reservoir simulation , relative permeability , computer science , mathematical optimization , geology , mathematics , petroleum engineering , geotechnical engineering , physics , chemistry , biochemistry , membrane
Efficient compositional models are required to simulate underground gas storage in porous formations where, for example, gas quality (such as purity) and loss of gas due to dissolution are of interest. We first extend the concept of vertical equilibrium (VE) to compositional flow, and derive a compositional VE model by vertical integration. Second, we present a hybrid model that couples the efficient compositional VE model to a compositional full‐dimensional model. Subdomains, where the compositional VE model is valid, are identified during simulation based on a VE criterion that compares the vertical profiles of relative permeability at equilibrium to the ones simulated by the full‐dimensional model. We demonstrate the applicability of the hybrid model by simulating hydrogen storage in a radially symmetric, heterogeneous porous aquifer. The hybrid model shows excellent adaptivity over space and time for different permeability values in the heterogeneous region, and compares well to the full‐dimensional model while being computationally efficient, resulting in a runtime of roughly one‐third of the full‐dimensional model. Based on the results, we assume that for larger simulation scales, the efficiency of this new model will increase even more.