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.


Publications

194. O. Hajieghrary, I.A. Frigaard, Trapping of Bubbles in Oil Sands Tailing PondsEnergies, 1719, 4943, 2024
193. S. Sotoudeh, I.A. Frigaard, Computational study of Newtonian laminar annular horizontal displacement flows with rotating inner cylinderPhys. Fluids, 368, 083113, 2024
192. H.A. Barnes, I.A. Frigaard, G.H. McKinley, T.N. Phillips, R.J. Poole, R.I. Tanner, Ken Walters: reflections J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech., 331, 105285, 2024
191. M. Ghorbani, R. Zhang, K.E.T. Giljarhus, H.J. Skadsem, I.A. Frigaard, Density unstable fluid displacement in vertical annuliPhys. Fluids, 36, 077151, 2024