Direct Numerical Simulation and Modeling of Transient Mixed Convection in Porous Media

• Applicant: Privatdozent Dr.-Ing. Yan Jin, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Fluid Mechanics
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 552151258

Convection in porous media is an often observed phenomenon in everyday life and also an important process in industry as well. It receives increasing interests in recent years due to its significant applications in some emerging industries, e.g., long term storage of CO2 in deep saline aquifers and thermal energy storage. However, a transient mixed convection in porous media is very complicated while it may be affected by both pore-scale turbulence (due to forced convection) and macroscopic instabilities (due to natural convection). Significant simplifications and strong assumptions have been made in the macroscopic models, causing considerable model errors. In the purposed project, the mixed convection in porous media will be investigated with pore-scale resolved direct numerical simulation methods. Through our research work, we will try to find out how a single-length-scale forced convection transitions to a two-length-scale natural convection. A more accurate macroscopic model will be developed for calculating mixed convection in porous media. The developed model will be validated with our DNS results. A machine-learning method for multi-scale modeling of convection in porous media will be proposed.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants