Bed Geometry Research Articles

Mathematical methods for modeling the microcirculation

The microcirculation plays a major role in maintaining homeostasis in the body. Alterations or dysfunctions of the microcirculation can lead to several types of serious diseases. It is not surprising, then, that the microcirculation has been an object of intense theoretical and experimental study over the past few decades. Mathematical approaches offer a valuable method for quantifying the relationships between various mechanical, hemodynamic, and regulatory factors of the microcirculation and the pathophysiology of numerous diseases. This work provides an overview of several mathematical models that describe and investigate the many different aspects of the microcirculation, including geometry of the vascular bed, blood flow in the vascular networks, solute transport and delivery to the surrounding tissue, and vessel wall mechanics under passive and active stimuli. Representing relevant phenomena across multiple spatial scales remains a major challenge in modeling the microcirculation. Nevertheless, the depth and breadth of mathematical modeling with applications in the microcirculation is demonstrated in this work. A special emphasis is placed on models of the retinal circulation, including models that predict the influence of ocular hemodynamic alterations with the progression of ocular diseases such as glaucoma.

A new design method for fluidized bed conversion of largely heterogeneous binary fuels

Binary fuels of a fluidized bed combustor or gasifier are solids composed of two groups of particles. Their optimal handling in the same bed becomes rather difficult if their hydrodynamic properties differ by two orders of magnitude or more. Both of these fuel classes are directly fed into the reactor in most cases but the rather homogeneous fuel originally fed switches into a binary character inside the reactor in some others. A typical example of the latter case is the thermal utilization of rubber wastes. A novel design is proposed in the present paper by setting up a non-mixing, non-elutriated binary bed. Design criteria and procedure are formulated as well. One of the known calculation methods is proposed to be applied for assuring a segregated bed by means of choosing the bed components, geometry, and gas velocity conveniently. Cold model experiments are proposed to be applied for assuring no elutriation of the fine fuel particles and no sinking of the coarse fuel particles in the same time. A simple experiment is proposed for determining the common minimum fluidization velocity of the binary bed because known calculation methods can not be applied here.

Hydraulic visibility: Using satellite altimetry to parameterize a hydraulic model of an ungauged reach of a braided river

What hydraulic information can be gained from remotely sensed observations of a river’s surface? In this study,we analyze the relationship between river bed undulations and water surfaces for an ungauged reach of the Xingu River, a first-order tributary of the Amazon river. This braided reach is crosscut more than 10 times by a ENVISAT (ENVironmental SATellite) track that extends over 100 km. Rating curves based on a modeled discharge series and altimetric measurements are used, including the zero-flow depth Z0 parameter, which describes river’s bathymetry. River widths are determined from JERS (Japanese Earth Ressources Satellite) images. Hydrodynamic laws predict that irregularities in the geometry of a river bed produce spatial and temporal variations in the water level, as well as in its slope. Observation of these changes is a goal of the Surface Water and Ocean Topography satellite mission, which has a final objective of determining river discharge. First, the concept of hydraulic visibility is introduced, and the seasonality of water surface slope is highlighted along with different flow regimes and reach behaviors. Then, we propose a new single-thread effective hydraulic approach for modeling braided rivers flows, based on the observation scales of current satellite altimetry. The effective hydraulic model is able to reproduce water surface elevations derived by satellite altimetry, and it shows that hydrodynamical signatures are more visible in areas where the river bed morphology varies significantly and for reaches with strong downstream control. The results of this study suggest that longitudinal variations of the slope might be an interesting criteria for the analysis of river segmentation into elementary reaches for the Surface Water Ocean Topography mission that will provide continuous measurements of the water surface elevations, the slopes, and the reach widths.

Numerical simulation of a gas flow in a real geometry of random packed bed of Raschig rings

In the article, a model is proposed for a single-phase flow in a random packed bed of arbitrary particles – Raschig rings in particular. The Navier-Stokes flow equations are solved using a projection method on a structured grid and the complex geometry of the bed is captured with the immersed boundary method and direct forcing approach. The model allows for analysis of flows in complex geometries with classical and widely available finite volume or finite difference solvers for Cartesian grids. The generation of unstructured computational grids fitted to the bed particles is not necessary. The realistic bed geometry has been obtained in the simulation of the filling process in which the particles are sequentially introduced into a cylindrical container and move until mechanical equilibrium is attained. The pressure drop in the bed as the function of gas velocity has been found to be in good agreement with empirical formulas for beds of Raschig rings and sample results on detailed flow characteristics are presented.

Investigation of the structure of debris beds formed from fuel rods fragmentation

This paper is a study of debris beds that can form in the core of a nuclear power plant under severe accident conditions. Such beds are formed of fragments of pellets and cladding remnants, as observed in the TMI-2 core. Many important issues are related with the morphology of those debris beds: are they coolable in case of water injection and how does molten corium progress through them if they are not coolable? The answers to those questions depend on the structure of the debris bed: porosity, number and arrangement of particles. In order to obtain relevant information, a numerical simulation of the formation of the debris bed is proposed. It relies on a granular approach of the type called “Contact Dynamics” to simulate the collapse of debris and their accumulation. Two different schemes of fuel pellet fragmentation are considered and simulations for different degrees of fragmentation of the pellets are performed. The results show that the number of axial cracks on fuel pellets strongly influences the final porosity of the debris bed. Porosities vary between 31% (less coolable cases) and 45% (similar to TMI-2 observations), with a most probable configuration around 41%. The specific surface of the bed is also evaluated. In the last part, a simple model is used to estimate the impact of the variation in geometry of the numeric debris beds on their flow properties. We show that the permeability and passability can vary respectively with a range of 30% and 15% depending on the number of fragment per pellet. The other benefits of the approach are finally discussed. Among them, the possibility to print 3D samples from the calculated images of debris beds appears as a promising perspective to perform experiments with realistic debris beds.

Geobody architecture of continental carbonates: “Gazda” travertine quarry (Süttő, Gerecse Hills, Hungary)

Abstract The Gazda quarry is one of the largest outcrops of the present-day Suttő travertine complex that is situated close to the town of Suttő (Hungary), in the Pannonian Basin. Sedimentological and petrographical analyses show that the Gazda travertine body is built out of phytohermal, wavy laminated, massive and flat laminated travertine lithofacies representing reed mound, slope, lacustrine and palustrine depositional environments, respectively. Based on petrographic analyses, the following three main textural features were recognized that allow to describe the most common microscopic features: (1) micrite textures; (2) micritic coatings and crusts; and (3) different types of clasts. Each major lithofacies is characterized by a particular association of these textural types. The geometry of the travertine beds follows the antecedent land-surface, a NE-SW striking pre-Pleistocene valley. It is proposed that in this valley travertine precipitation took place along a gently sloping terrain. The Gazda travertine system was fed by at least two groundwater-springs. One of them was located NE of the quarry from which waters were flowing along the axis of the valley. The other source was located to the East of the Gazda quarry and waters joined the main water-course along the valley. Closest to the confluence, a phytohermal mound developed with lateral slope and eventual pond depositional systems. Onlapping and interfingering with the flat laminated lithofacies indicate alternating activity of the two springs. Fractures observed in the quarry are mainly related to postdepositional gravitational sliding, however, neotectonic forces resulting in NW-SE tension also played a role in the formation of the fractures. Stable oxygen and carbon isotope analyses show that water temperature was approximately 25 °C. Petrographic studies indicate that only syn-diagenetic processes affected the precipitates. Therefore the original stable oxygen isotope signatures, characteristic of the depositional environment, were preserved. Detailed sedimentological and geochemical study of the Gazda travertine complex allowed small-scale facies characterization providing information about the ancient depositional environment and the heterogeneous nature of these carbonates.

Dynamics of sedimentary Capibaribe River bed after deepening dredging

ABSTRACT The growth of urban centers in the country are increasingly dependent on the adoption of new mobility options, and before this need was developed and initiated a project to build a river corridor passenger in a part of the Capibaribe River in the city of Recife-PE. For the implementation of a navigation channel deepening are needed dredging to define a geometry of the bed of the river compatible with the needs of ships that will traverse the channel. The monitoring of dredging is done with the constant bathymetric surveys where the information volumes of dredged sediments are removed, aiming to also check the temporal behavior of deposition and erosion processes. In this context, the work aimed to evaluate the geometry of the Capibaribe river bed after the deepening dredging, using data from bathymetric surveys at different times for making longitudinal and transverse profiles, and create digital models of depth to extract information about the deposition/aggradation or erosion/removing sediments and their respective volumes. Early Profile Capibaribe river showed mild slope and heterogeneity in the bottom of the form, especially after kilometer five, with trends of deposition/aggradation downstream of the confluence region with tax arising from the weir Apipucos and upstream of the winding sections in local enlargement of the cross section, and the amount of the fork located at kilometer nine. The scenarios after the dredging to deepen indicate places with predominance of erosion and other sedimentation processes. They compared the longitudinal and transverse profiles of two areas located in western shipping channel, one with 350 meters and over 1000 meters, where it was found that the area 1 to erosion/sediment removal exceeded sedimentation/aggradation, indicating the occurrence of dredging the interval between the two surveys linked to the natural processes. In the study area 2 the sedimentation/aggradation exceeded the removal/erosion, with a volume equivalent to 1 cm thickness. The aggradation occur homogeneously in the navigation channel, while erosion was located on the banks, more intensely on the right bank of the river.

Thin-bedded reservoir analogs in an ancient delta using terrestrial laser scanner and high-resolution ground-based hyperspectral cameras

Ground-based terrestrial laser scanning and hyperspectral sensors were used to image fine-scale heterogeneity in outcrops of prodeltaic heterolithic facies of Parasequence 6 of the Cretaceous Ferron Notom delta in Southern Utah. Previous work shows that Parasequence 6 is an upward coarsening fluvial-dominated, wave-influenced deltaic deposit containing heterolithic thin-bedded facies representing distal delta front and proximal prodelta environments. Primarily, the thin beds have been interpreted as turbidites, storm beds (tempestites), and hyperpycnites. These deposits represent analogs for thin-bedded unconventional pay zones that lie at the margins of conventional deltaic sandstone reservoirs.The terrestrial laser scanner was used to create a centimeter- to decimeter-scale, digital representation of the outcrops in three dimensions. Hyperspectral sensors record electromagnetic radiation reflected off the outcrops in 840 contiguous bands, which were then used to generate a spectral signature for each pixel sampled. The spectral signatures are a function of mineralogy, chemistry, surface alteration, grain-size, and cements, and were used to distinguish thin mudstones from sandstones within an interbedded succession at the base of a deltaic parasequence. Comparison between the spectral signatures recorded from the outcrop and those of reference materials, and with previous facies architecture studies, enables lithofacies to be identified and subsequently accurately mapped. Hyperspectral data are then draped over the terrestrial laser scanner model to generate a spatially-accurate detailed three-dimensional (3D) geologic map of the heterogeneity.Approximately 100m of outcrop was imaged laterally with the hyperspectral camera and terrestrial laser scanner on the previously mapped distal delta front and prodeltaic facies of Parasequence 6. Bed thickness data, based on measurements made along depositional dip versus strike, show that bed geometries are anisotropic. Reconstruction of the plan-view geometry shows that the thin-beds are lobate to elongate in plan-view profile and extend over distances of about 1km, indicative of the dispersive waning sediment transport processes found in storm-influenced fluvial-dominated deltas. The lobate geometry suggests that beds are laterally discontinuous, with a width to thickness ratio on the order of <10,000 (i.e. a 10cm bed extends for <1km). The combined terrestrial laser scanner and hyperspectral data provide continuous 3D maps of grain-size and lithology. The maps which emphasize the continuity and dimensions of thin beds are among important factors which impact reservoir behavior.

Paleofluvial landscape inheritance for Jakobshavn Isbræ catchment, Greenland

AbstractSubglacial topography exerts strong controls on glacier dynamics, influencing the orientation and velocity of ice flow, as well as modulating the distribution of basal waters and sediment. Bed geometry can also provide a long‐term record of geomorphic processes, allowing insight into landscape evolution, the origin of which may predate ice sheet inception. Here we present evidence from ice‐penetrating radar data for a large dendritic drainage network, radiating inland from Jakobshavn Isbræ, Greenland's largest outlet glacier. The size of the drainage basin is ∼450,000 km2 and accounts for about 20% of the total land area of Greenland. Topographic and basin morphometric analyses of an isostatically uplifted (ice‐free) bedrock topography suggests that this catchment predates ice sheet initiation and has likely been instrumental in controlling the location and form of the Jakobshavn ice stream, and ice flow from the deep interior to the margin, now and over several glacial cycles.

The effect of self-leveling on debris bed coolability under severe accident conditions

Nordic-type boiling water reactors employ melt fragmentation, quenching, and long term cooling of the debris bed in a deep pool of water under the reactor vessel as a severe accident (SA) mitigation strategy. The height and shape of the bed are among the most important factors that determine if decay heat can be removed from the porous debris bed by natural circulation of water. The debris bed geometry depends on its formation process (melt release, fragmentation, sedimentation and settlement on the containment basemat), but it also changes with time afterwards, due to particle redistribution promoted by coolant flow (self-leveling). The ultimate goal of this work is to develop an approach to the assessment of the probability that debris in such a variable-shape bed can reach re-melting (which means failure of SA mitigation strategy), i.e. the time necessary for the slumping debris bed to reach a coolable configuration is larger than the time necessary for the debris to reach the re-melting temperature. For this purpose, previously developed models for particulate debris spreading by self-leveling and debris bed dryout are combined to assess the time necessary to reach a coolable state and evaluate its uncertainty. Sensitivity analysis was performed to screen out less important input parameters, after which Monte Carlo simulation was carried out in order to collect statistical characteristics of the coolability time. The obtained results suggest that, given the parameters ranges typical of Nordic BWRs, only a small fraction of debris beds configurations exhibits the occurrence of dryout. Of the initially non-coolable configurations, a significant portion becomes coolable due to debris bed self-leveling.

EVALUATION OF A NOVEL UAV-BORNE TOPO-BATHYMETRIC LASER PROFILER

We present a novel topo-bathymetric laser profiler. The sensor system (RIEGL BathyCopter) comprises a laser range finder, an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver, a control unit, and digital cameras mounted on an octocopter UAV (RiCOPTER). The range finder operates on the time-of-flight measurement principle and utilizes very short laser pulses (&amp;lt;1 ns) in the green domain of the spectrum (λ=532 nm) for measuring distances to both the water surface and the river bottom. For assessing the precision and accuracy of the system an experiment was carried out in October 2015 at a pre-alpine river (Pielach in Lower Austria). A 200 m longitudinal section and 12 river cross sections were measured with the BathyCopter sensor system at a flight altitude of 15-20 m above ground level and a measurement rate of 4 kHz. The 3D laser profiler points were compared with independent, quasi-simultaneous data acquisitions using (i) the RIEGL VUX1-UAV lightweight topographic laser scanning system (bare earth, water surface) and (ii) terrestrial survey (river bed). Over bare earth the laser profiler heights have a std. dev. of 3 cm, the water surface height appears to be underestimated by 5 cm, and river bottom heights differ from the reference measurements by 10 cm with a std. dev. of 13 cm. When restricting the comparison to laser profiler bottom points and reference measurements with a lateral offset below 1 m, the values improve to 4 cm bias with a std. dev. of 6 cm. We report additionally on challenges in comparing UAV-borne to terrestrial profiles. Based on the accuracy and the small footprint (3.5 cm at the water surface) we concluded that the acquired 3D points can potentially serve as input data (river bed geometry, grain roughness) and validation data (water surface, water depth) for hydrodynamic-numerical models.

EVALUATION OF A NOVEL UAV-BORNE TOPO-BATHYMETRIC LASER PROFILER

Abstract. We present a novel topo-bathymetric laser profiler. The sensor system (RIEGL BathyCopter) comprises a laser range finder, an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver, a control unit, and digital cameras mounted on an octocopter UAV (RiCOPTER). The range finder operates on the time-of-flight measurement principle and utilizes very short laser pulses (&lt;1 ns) in the green domain of the spectrum (λ=532 nm) for measuring distances to both the water surface and the river bottom. For assessing the precision and accuracy of the system an experiment was carried out in October 2015 at a pre-alpine river (Pielach in Lower Austria). A 200 m longitudinal section and 12 river cross sections were measured with the BathyCopter sensor system at a flight altitude of 15-20 m above ground level and a measurement rate of 4 kHz. The 3D laser profiler points were compared with independent, quasi-simultaneous data acquisitions using (i) the RIEGL VUX1-UAV lightweight topographic laser scanning system (bare earth, water surface) and (ii) terrestrial survey (river bed). Over bare earth the laser profiler heights have a std. dev. of 3 cm, the water surface height appears to be underestimated by 5 cm, and river bottom heights differ from the reference measurements by 10 cm with a std. dev. of 13 cm. When restricting the comparison to laser profiler bottom points and reference measurements with a lateral offset below 1 m, the values improve to 4 cm bias with a std. dev. of 6 cm. We report additionally on challenges in comparing UAV-borne to terrestrial profiles. Based on the accuracy and the small footprint (3.5 cm at the water surface) we concluded that the acquired 3D points can potentially serve as input data (river bed geometry, grain roughness) and validation data (water surface, water depth) for hydrodynamic-numerical models.

A century of geometry and velocity evolution at Eqip Sermia, West Greenland

ABSTRACTRapid dynamic changes of ocean-terminating outlet glaciers of the Greenland ice sheet are related to atmospheric and oceanic warming but the detailed link to external forcing is not well understood. Observations show high variability in dynamic changes and are mainly limited to the past three decades with dense satellite observations. Here we compile a long-term record of dynamic changes of Eqip Sermia Glacier, West Greenland. Starting in 1912, we combine historical measurements of terminus positions, ice-surface elevation and flow velocity together with more recent in-situ and remote-sensing observations. In the 20th century, the glacier underwent small variations in terminus position and flow speed. Between 2000 and 2003, the terminus retreated substantially, but stabilized thereafter. In 2009, the northern terminus lobe started to retreat very rapidly; the southern lobe collapsed in 2013. The present terminus position, which has retreated by 4 km since 1920, is unprecedented in the historical record. Flow velocities were relatively stable until 2010. The recent acceleration reached threefold velocities in 2014 and rapidly affected the whole terminus region up to 15 km inland. Comparison with forcings from the atmosphere and the ocean over the past century shows that no dominant cause can be identified, and that local effects of bed geometry modulate the glacier response.

Investigating Induction Log response in the presence of natural fractures

Resistivity logging is one of the main types of logging techniques which is used to determine saturation of hydrocarbon. Wrong interpretation of these logs leads to costly risks in determination of pay zones and calculation of hydrocarbon in place. Lithology, fluid types, texture, rock-fluid interaction, shale, anisotropy, bed geometry, borehole shape, mud invasion, and natural fractures (if existed) disturb the reading of resistivity logs.In this regard, the main objectives of this paper is to better understand the effects of fractures on Induction Logs and considering the results in a real dataset. From a highly fractured reservoir. We used a commercial software to model the response of a generic Induction Log in the presence of natural fractures. The effects of different characteristics of fractures including length, aperture, inclination, and distance from borehole wall on the Induction Log were investigated.The present study showed that all characteristics of fractures influence the Induction Log measurements in different degrees. Among them, fracture's conductivity is the most controversial one. For less conductive fractures than matrix, the fracture conductivity has minor impact on the bulk conductivity; however, when fracture to matrix conductivity ratio reaches 10–1000, the bulk conductivity increases to above the actual conductivity of the matrix. In very high conductive fractures, when fracture to matrix conductivity ratio is 10+3 to 10+6, fractures have adverse impact on the bulk conductivity, and the recorded conductivity rapidly decreases below the actual conductivity of matrix. The effect of fracture length and aperture on the Induction Logs is somehow similar. The model showed that fracture inclination has minor impact on the Induction Log's response.

Study of the effect of reactor scale on fluidization hydrodynamics using fine-grid CFD simulations based on the two-fluid model

Reliable scale-up of fluidized beds is essential to ensure that analysis and performance optimization at lab-scale can be applied to commercial scales. However, scaling fluidized beds for dynamic similarity continues to be challenging because flow hydrodynamics at lab-scale are largely influenced by bed geometry making extrapolation of conclusions to large-scales infeasible. Therefore, this study is focused on analyzing the effect of bed geometry on the fluidization hydrodynamics using large-scale CFD simulations. The two fluid model (TFM) is employed to describe the solids motion efficiently and simulations are conducted for fluidization of 1150μm LLDPE and 500μm glass beads in beds of different sizes (diameter D=15–70cm and initial bed height H0=10–75cm). The hydrodynamics are subsequently investigated qualitatively using time-resolved visualizations, bubble centroid and solids velocity maps as well as quantitatively using detailed bubble statistics and solids circulation metrics. It is shown that as the bed diameter is increased, average bubble sizes decrease although similar-sized bubbles rise faster because of lower wall resistance, both factors contributing to faster solids circulation. On the other hand, fluidization hydrodynamics in 50cm diameter bed are relatively insensitive to the choice of H0 and similarities in solids circulation patterns are observed in shallow beds as well as in the lower regions of deep beds. Finally, it is shown that the size and spatial-distribution of bubbles is crucial for maintaining dynamic similarity of bubbling beds. Specifically, the bed dimensions (D, H0) must ensure that (a) bubbles are typically much smaller than the bed diameter and (b) solids circulation patterns are similar across scales of interest. Overall, insights from this study can be used for describing the gas distribution and solids motion more accurately for better design of commercial beds.

Effectiveness of the debris bed self-leveling under severe accident conditions

Melt fragmentation, quenching and long term coolability in a deep pool of water under the reactor vessel are employed as a severe accident mitigation strategy in several designs of light water reactors. The success of such strategy is contingent upon the natural circulation effectiveness in removing the decay heat generated in the porous debris bed. The maximum height of the bed is one of the important factors which affect the debris coolability. The two-phase flow within the bed generates mechanical energy which can change the geometry of the debris bed by the “self-leveling” phenomenon. In this work we developed an approach to modeling of the self-leveling phenomenon. Sensitivity analysis was carried out to rank the importance of the model uncertainties and uncertain input parameters i.e. the conditions of the accident scenario and the debris bed properties. The results provided some useful insights for further improvement of the model and reduction of the output uncertainties through separate-effect experimental studies. Finally, we assessed the self-leveling effectiveness, quantified its uncertainties in prototypic severe accident conditions and demonstrated that the effect of self-leveling phenomenon is robust with respect to the considered input uncertainties.

The thick-bedded tail of turbidite thickness distribution as a proxy for flow confinement: Examples from tertiary basins of central and northern Apennines (Italy)

This study reviews the thickness statistics of non-channelized turbidites from four tertiary basins of Central-Northern Apennines (Italy), where bed geometry and sedimentary character have been previously assessed. Though very different in terms of size and, arguably, character of feeder system, these basins share a common stratigraphic evolution consisting in transition from an early ponded to a late unconfined setting of deposition. Based on comparison of thickness subsets from diverse locations and stratigraphic heights within the studied turbidite fills, this paper seeks to answer the following questions: i) how data collection procedures and field operational constraints (e.g. measure location, outcrop quality, use of thicknesses data from single vs. multiple correlative sections, stratigraphic thickness of the study interval) can affect statistics of sample data? ii) how depositional controls of confined vs. unconfined turbidite basins can result in different thickness-frequency distributions?; and iii) is there in thickness statistics a ‘flow confinement’ signature which can be used to distinguish between confined and unconfined turbidites? Results suggest that: i) best practices of data collection are crucial to a meaningful interpretation of sample data statistics, especially in presence of stratigraphic and spatial trends of turbidite bed thickness; ii) a systematic bias against cm-thick Tcd Bouma sequence turbidites exists in sample data, which can result in the low-end tail of empirical thickness-frequency distributions to depart significantly from the actual distribution of turbidite thickness; and iii) thickness statistics of beds starting with a basal Ta/Tb Bouma division bear a coherent relationship to the transition from ponded to unconfined depositional settings, consisting in reduction of variance and mean and, consequently, parameters, or even type, of best fit model distribution. This research highlights the role of flow stripping, sediment by-pass and bed geometry in altering the initial thickness distribution of ponded turbidites and suggests how fully ponded mini-basins represent the ideal setting for further research linking turbidite thickness statistics and frequency distribution of parent flow volumes.

Contrasting the modelled sensitivity of the Amundsen Sea Embayment ice streams

AbstractPresent-day mass loss from the West Antarctic ice sheet is centred on the Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE), primarily through ice streams, including Pine Island, Thwaites and Smith glaciers. To understand the differences in response of these ice streams, we ran a perturbed parameter ensemble, using a vertically-integrated ice flow model with adaptive mesh refinement. We generated 71 sets of three physical parameters (basal traction coefficient, ice viscosity stiffening factor and sub-shelf melt rate), which we used to simulate the ASE for 50 years. We also explored the effects of different bed geometries and basal sliding laws. The mean rate of sea-level rise across the ensemble of simulations is comparable with current observed rates for the ASE. We found evidence that grounding line dynamics are sensitive to features in the bed geometry: simulations using BedMap2 geometry resulted in a higher rate of sea-level rise than simulations using a rougher geometry, created using mass conservation. Modelled grounding-line retreat of all the three ice streams was sensitive to viscosity and basal traction, while the melt rate was more important in Pine Island and Smith glaciers, which flow through more confined ice shelves than Thwaites, which has a relatively unconfined shelf.

Effective flow properties heterolithic, cross-bedded tidal sandstones: Part 2. Flow simulation

Tidal heterolithic sandstone reservoirs are heterogeneous at the submeter scale because of the ubiquitous presence of intercalated sandstone and mudstone laminae. Core-plug permeability measurements fail to sample a representative volume of this heterogeneity. Here, we investigate the impact of mudstone drape distribution on the effective permeability of heterolithic, cross-bedded tidal sandstones using three-dimensional, surface-based “minimodels” that capture the geometry of cross beds at an appropriate scale. The impact of seven geometric parameters has been determined: (1) mudstone fraction, (2) sandstone laminae thickness, (3) mudstone drape continuity, (4) toeset dip, (5) climb angle of foreset–toeset surfaces, (6) proportion of foresets to toesets, and (7) trough or tabular geometry of the cross beds. We begin by identifying a representative elementary volume of 1 m3 (∼35 ft3), confirming that the model volume of 9 m3 (∼318 ft3) yields representative permeability values. Effective permeability decreases as the mudstone fraction increases, and it is highly anisotropic: vertical permeability falls to approximately 0.5% of the sandstone permeability at a mudstone fraction of 25%, whereas the horizontal permeability falls to approximately 5% and approximately 50% of the sandstone value in the dip (across mudstone drapes) and strike (parallel to mudstone drapes) directions, respectively. Considerable spread exists around these values, because each parameter investigated can significantly impact effective permeability, with the impact depending upon the flow direction and mudstone fraction. The results yield improved estimates of effective permeability in heterolithic, cross-bedded sandstones, which can be used to populate reservoir-scale model grid blocks using estimates of mudstone fraction and geometrical parameters obtained from core and outcrop-analog data.

Numerical analysis of a heat-generating, truncated conical porous bed in a fluid-filled enclosure

Analysis of natural convection in enclosures containing heat generating porous medium has important applications related to geothermal, chemical, thermal and nuclear energy such as in-vessel cooling of debris beds in nuclear reactors, cooling of coal stockpiles etc. The objective of the present numerical study is to characterise the pattern of fluid flow and energy transfer during steady laminar natural convective flow in a cylindrical enclosure with a centrally placed heat generating porous bed. Flow through porous region is modelled using Darcy–Brinkmann–Forchheimer model and local thermal equilibrium is assumed for the porous region. Analysis is carried out for a wide range of Rayleigh number (Ra), Darcy number (Da) and thermal conductivity ratio, as well as for different bed geometries. It is observed that in addition to Ra and Da, the bed geometry also plays a very important role in determining flow field and temperature distribution within the enclosure. Interestingly, a significant change is observed in energy transfer mode from the porous bed corresponding to specific values of bed permeability and bed heat generation rate. This is characterised in terms of Ra and Da. Further, it is observed that this change in energy transfer mode is highly dependent on Ra.