Welcome to the Complex Fluids Lab
Our group is led by Dr Ian Frigaard. We work on non-Newtonian fluid mechanics and understanding industrial processes that exploit the rheological properties of fluids. A long-standing focus of both fundamental and industrial topics has been the mechanics of visco-plastic (i.e. yield stress) fluids. Methodologically, the group conducts research that combines mathematical, experimental and computational approaches. Research is carried out in the Complex Fluids Lab at UBC, in a strongly interdisciplinary environment.
Our present application focus is on sustainability engineering related to industrial GHG emissions. Many of our projects come from operations arising in the petroleum industry and other natural resource industries, which are undergoing significant structural transition.
- A key activity here centers on effective cementing of wells. These processes are important in preventing leakage of gas and other hydrocarbons from the well, both during the well lifetime and for the end of life decommissioning (plug and abandonment). Similar techniques are used for example in CO2 storage in depleted reservoirs, i.e. where the reservoir needs to be sealed.
- Recently, we have become interested to understand the dynamics of gas generation, release and entrapment in oil sands tailings ponds. Typically this is CO2 and/or CH4 and the research here covers different facets of bubble dynamics.
We’ve also studied hydrodynamic instabilities, multi-fluid flows, bubbles, particles and droplets, numerical methods, displacement and dispersion in different guises.
Research
Well cementing & integrity
This has been a major activity area for the group over the past many years. We study all aspects of well cementing, from primary cementing to well decommissioning and associated remedial cementing processes. Although there is a strong fluid mechanics focus, we also address other mechanics topics, shrinkage, leakage statistics and models
Emissions from oilsands tailings ponds
In tailings ponds the upper strata (FFT & MFT) are colloidal suspensions containing fines and clay particles, with a yield stress. Our work here focuses at the behaviour of bubbles in yield stress fluids: trapping, release and migration of bubbles, transport across interfaces, multiple bubbles, stability, etc.
Yield stress fluids applications
Yield stress fluids are ubiquitous. For the past 25+ years we’ve studied hydrodynamic instabilities, multi-fluid flows, bubbles, particles and droplets, numerical methods, displacement and dispersion in different guises.
