Approaches for the Simulation of Coupled Processes in Evolving Fractured Porous Media Enabled by Exascale Computing

Journal Article · 22 May 2024 · Computing in Science and Engineering

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/mcse.2024.3403983 · OSTI ID:2477246

Molins, Sergi  ^[1]; Trebotich, David ^[1]; Steefel, Carl I.  ^[1]

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1. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Models have historically represented fractured porous media with continuum descriptions that characterize the media using bulk parameters. The impact of small-scale features is not captured in these models, although they may be controlling the performance of subsurface applications. Pore-scale models can simulate processes in small-scale features by representing the pore space geometry explicitly but are computationally expensive for large domains. The alternative multiscale approach entails the combination of pore-scale and continuum-scale descriptions in a single framework. We use Chombo-Crunch, a computational capability that discretizes complex geometries with an adaptive, embedded boundary method to contrast these two approaches. Chombo-Crunch takes advantage of recent computational performance and memory bandwidth improvements resulting from the emergence of exascale computing resources. These combined improvements enable the efficient simulation of reactive transport in fractured media with a high degree of fidelity and the ability to capture the control small-scale processes exert on the overall medium evolution.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities (SUF)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231; AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 2477246
• Journal Information: Computing in Science and Engineering, Journal Name: Computing in Science and Engineering Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 26; ISSN 1521-9615
• Publisher: IEEE Computer SocietyCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English