See How Multiphysics Simulation Is Used in Research and Development

Engineers, researchers, and scientists across industries use multiphysics simulation to research and develop innovative product designs and processes. Find inspiration in technical papers and presentations they have presented at the COMSOL Conference. Browse the selection below or use the Quick Search tool to find a specific presentation or filter by application area.


View the COMSOL Conference 2023 Collection

Geophysics and Geomechanicsx

3D Simulations of an Injection Test Done Into an Unsaturated Porous and Fractured Limestone

A. Thoraval[1], Y. Guglielmi[2], F. Cappa[3]
[1]INERIS, Nancy, France
[2]CEREGE, Aix-en-Provence, France
[3]GEOAZUR, Valbonne, France

We have developed a numerical model to represent the effect of injection test in unsaturated porous and fractured rock mass. The test was conducted at the LSBB (Laboratoire Souterrain à Bas Bruit) site close to Rustrel, Vaucluse, France in the field of the French ANR project called “HPPP ... Read More

Use of COMSOL as a Tool in the Design of an Inclined Multiple Borehole Heat Exchanger

E. Johansson[1], J. Acuña[1], B. Palm[1]
[1]Royal Institute of Technology KTH, Stockholm, Sweden

A field of connected boreholes can be used both for cooling, heating and storage purposes. The boreholes transfer heat to or from the ground, which over time changes the temperature in the ground. It is important that the borehole field is properly sized and evaluated before the ... Read More

Fracture-Matrix Flow Partitioning and Cross Flow: Numerical Modeling of Laboratory Fractured Core Flood

R. Sanaee[1], G.F. Oluyemi[1], M. Hossain[1], B.M. Oyeneyin[1]
[1]Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, United Kingdom

The contrast between hydro-mechanical behavior of the rock matrix and fracture network systems results in flow partitioning between fracture and matrix systems which is affected by the In-situ stress regime. Fracture flow, Darcy law and free and porous media flow physics interfaces of ... Read More

Finite Element Solution of Nonlinear Transient Rock Damage with Application in Geomechanics of Oil and Gas Reservoirs

S. Enayatpour[1], T. Patzek[1]
[1]The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

The increasing energy demand calls for advances in technology which translate into more accurate and complex simulations of physical problems. Understanding the rock damage is essential to understanding the geomechanics of hydrocarbon reservoirs. The fragile microstructure of some ... Read More

Analysis of Multiphysics Problems Related to Energy Piles

E. Evgin[1], J.A.I. Sedano [1], Z. Fu[1]
[1]University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada

Energy piles transfer the mechanical loads from buildings to the ground and serve as heat exchangers. Temperature changes in the ground influence its moisture content. This paper examines the effect of soil moisture content on the shaft resistance of a pile. Tests were carried out in ... Read More

Earth Pressure as a Boundary Condition to Bridge Piers and Abutments

M. Quinn[1], D. Whitlow[1], O.D.S. Taylor[1], M.H. McKenna[1]
[1] Engineer Resource and Development Center, United States Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg, MS, USA

Bridge piers and abutments makeup the bridge substructure and transmit loads from the superstructure to the bridge foundation material (Figure 1). The bridge abutment serves three purposes: to provide vertical support to the bridge superstructure where the bridge ends, to connect the ... Read More

Elastoplastic Deformation in a Wedge-Shaped Plate Caused by a Subducting Seamount

M. Ding[1], J. Lin[2]
[1]MIT/WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography, Cambridge, MA, USA
[2]Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA

We used COMSOL Multiphysics 4.3 to simulate the 2D elastoplastic deformation and plastic strain in a wedge-shaped plate above a subducting interface. The modeling results reveal that a pair of conjugate normal faults would first appear in the thinner part of the plate. Subsequently, a ... Read More

Upscaling of Heterogeneous Rock Properties via a Multiscale Image to Simulation Approach

S. Zhang[1], M. Pal[2], P. Barthelemy[1], M. Lei[1]
[1]Visualization Sciences Group, Burlington, MA, USA
[2]Shell International Exploration and Production, Rijswijk, The Netherlands

The mass and recoverability of oil and gas in unconventional reservoirs strongly depend on the understanding the petrophysical properties of the rocks at a large range of scales. Three-dimensional imaging is capable of unveiling the detailed microstructures within the rocks down to the ... Read More

Multiphysics Modelling of Standing Column Well and Implementation of Heat Pumps Off-Loading Sequence

A. Nguyen[1], P. Pasquier[1], D. Marcotte[1]
[1] Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada

A fully coupled multiphysics model involving heat transfer and groundwater flow within a SCW and its surrounding ground was implemented in COMSOL Multiphysics 4.2a with MATLAB to simulate a 24-hour heating operation. The heat pumps were modeled using interpolation functions thereby ... Read More

Poroelastic Models of Stress Diffusion and Fault Re-Activation in Underground Injection

R. Nopper[1], J. Clark[2], C. Miller[1]
[1]DuPont Company, Wilmington, DE, USA
[2]DuPont Company, Beaumont, TX, USA

Stress and failure in the earth have long been observed to couple to hydrogeology. Poroelastic models, introduced by soil scientists, can account for strong two-way coupling between porous crustal rock formations and their pore fluids. Current efforts to provide new energy resources ... Read More