Simulation and optimization of fluid flow trajectories via free software

• Grant number: 19/15088-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2019
• End date: August 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Mechanical Engineering - Transport Phenomena
• Principal Investigator: Renato Picelli Sanches
• Grantee: Denise Lidiane da Silva
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/05797-8 - Addressing design challenges of offshore structures via Multiphysics topology optimization, AP.JP

Abstract

A key objective in any oil reservoir development plan is to achieve maximum reservoir exploitation which is usually quantified using an economic objective such as net present value. A key element of such plan is an optimized well planning scheme (number, placement and trajectories of the wells). This research project will start tackling this problem by simulating the fluid flow trajectories of these wells via the finite element method (FEM). Computational simulation of viscous fluid flow is an extremely important topic within the modern engineering. The implementation of algorithms to solve the fluid governing equations, such as the incompressible Navier-Stokes, is very challenging and computationally expensive. These efforts are minimized when using specialized open source software. This undergraduate research project will develop a computational script based on the free FEM library called FEniCS. The developed scripts will be used to simulate real and optimized cases of petroleum wells trajectories.