Next-Generation Simulation of Porous Materials

The numerical simulation of flow, transport, and deformation in porous materials describes the material dynamics of many applications in energy and resources including carbon capture and storage, hydrogen electrolysis and fuel cells, groundwater transport and block caving in underground mines, etc. The methods used to model these phenomena are disparate and fit-for purpose, commonly using combinations of the Finite Element Method, Discrete Element Method, Lattice Boltzmann Method. There are emerging high performance techniques that may potentially outperform or synergise well with these existing frameworks and widely accepted workflows, one of which is the Material Point Method. In this project the student will explore the capabilities of a GPU-accelerated implementation of MPM in the context of particle and fluid transport in deformable porous media. Outcomes depending on performance include first author publication and collaborations, offer to continue research as thesis and potentially an industry-sponsored PhD.