Project description
FLOWSCOPY: Advancing the study of fluid dynamics in porous media with 3D X-ray micro-velocimetry
Fluid dynamics in porous materials pose significant challenges due to complex microscopic interactions, which traditional models struggle to capture. Hindered by the optical opacity of materials, understanding these dynamics, crucial in processes like groundwater flow and fuel cell operation, has been limited. EU-funded FLOWSCOPY introduces an innovative 3D X-ray micro-velocimetry technique, advancing understanding of fluid dynamics in porous settings. This method tracks tracer particles for detailed microscale fluid movement observation within opaque materials, marking a leap in imaging speed and detail, from nanometric to centimetric scales. Its primary applications include examining fluid interactions in geological formations and studying viscoelastic fluids for environmental cleanup. FLOWSCOPY promises wide-ranging potential in fields from geology and environmental science to medical imaging and construction.
Objective
Models of fluid flows in porous materials commonly fall short because they fail to capture the effects of the puzzling underlying microscopic dynamics. These flows are very common: examples range from groundwater flow and H2 storage in underground rocks to water discharge in fuel cells. The fluctuating, microscopic dynamics are poorly understood because they have so far been inaccessible in the 3D labyrinths formed by pore geometries, hampered by the optical opacity of the materials. In FLOWSCOPY, I will cause a paradigm shift by resolving this inaccessibility, enabling the measurement of unsteady 3D flows inside opaque porous materials. First, I will enable the inspection of flow fields in all their µm-scale complexity by creating a method that tracks tracer particles flowing through the pores with 3D X-ray imaging. To achieve the required millisecond imaging times - up to 3 orders of magnitude faster than my state-of-the-art preliminary results – the new approach will retrieve tracer locations in each of the many radiographs that conventionally make up a single tomographic time frame. Then, I will untangle the upscaling problem, building the first method that can measure flow maps averaged on a sliding scale from nano- to centimetres. Finally, I will apply the methods’ transformative capabilities to two pertinent problems in arguably some of the most complex porous media: geological materials. First, I will investigate how two fluids, such as water and H2, displace each other in porous rocks, lifting the veil on capillary fluctuations that deviate from current models. Second, I will unriddle flows of viscoelastic fluids, such as those to clean up polluted sediments, which exhibit a poorly understood transition from steady to chaotic dynamics. Beyond this, the new techniques will be applicable to a wide range of natural and engineered microstructures, from arteries to building materials.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences mathematics pure mathematics geometry
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2023-STG
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
9000 GENT
Belgium
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.