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A compressible two‐fluid multiphase model for CO 2 leakage through a wellbore
Author(s) -
Musivand Arzanfudi Mehdi,
AlKhoury Rafid
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
international journal for numerical methods in fluids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.938
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1097-0363
pISSN - 0271-2091
DOI - 10.1002/fld.3990
Subject(s) - discretization , compressibility , mechanics , buoyancy , finite element method , multiphase flow , mathematics , thermodynamics , physics , mathematical analysis
Summary This paper introduces an effectively mesh‐independent and computationally efficient model for CO 2 leakage through wellbores. A one‐dimensional compressible two‐fluid domain, representing a homogeneous air gas and a multiphase CO 2 with a jump at the interface between them, is modeled. The physical domain is modeled using the drift‐flux model, and the governing equations are solved using a mixed finite‐element discretization scheme. The standard Galerkin FEM, the partition of unity method, and the level‐set method are integrated to solve the problem. All important physical phenomena and processes occurring along the wellbore path, including fluid dynamics, buoyancy, phase change, compressibility, thermal interaction, wall friction, and slip between phases, together with the jump in density and enthalpy between air and CO 2 , are considered. Two numerical examples illustrating the computational capability and efficiency of the model are presented. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.