Computational Microfluidics for Geosciences

Cyprien Soulaine (1, 2) , Julien Maes (3) , Sophie Roman (1, 2)

1 ISTO - Institut des Sciences de la Terre d'Orléans - UMR7327
2 Milieux Poreux - UMR7327
3 HWU - Heriot-Watt University [Edinburgh]

Computational microfluidics for geosciences is the third leg of the scientific strategy that includes microfluidic experiments and high-resolution imaging for deciphering coupled processes in geological porous media. This modeling approach solves the fundamental equations of continuum mechanics in the exact geometry of porous materials. Computational microfluidics intends to complement and augment laboratory experiments. Although the field is still in its infancy, the recent progress in modeling multiphase flow and reactive transport at the pore-scale has shed new light on the coupled mechanisms occurring in geological porous media already. In this paper, we review the state-of-the-art computational microfluidics for geosciences, the open challenges, and the future trends.

Keywords: pore-scale analysis; microfluidics; computational fluid dynamics; reactive transport modeling; depthaveraged 2D model; porous media; multiphase flow

Domains: Sciences of the Universe [physics]; Engineering Sciences [physics]; Computer Science [cs]; Physics [physics]

Cyprien Soulaine, Julien Maes, Sophie Roman. Computational Microfluidics for Geosciences. Frontiers in Water, 2021, 3, ⟨10.3389/frwa.2021.643714⟩. ⟨insu-03169159⟩