Public Abstract

DE-SC0017614: Fusing 4D coded thermoacoustic, electromagnetic, acoustic/seismic,and X-ray wavefields for subsurface characterization and imaging of fluid flow in porous media

Award Status: Expired

Institution: Northeastern University, Boston, MA
UEI: HLTMVS2JZBS6
DUNS: 001423631

Most Recent Award Date: 01/31/2023
Number of Support Periods: 6
PM: Wilk, Philip

Current Budget Period: 02/15/2023 - 02/14/2024
Current Project Period: 02/15/2021 - 02/14/2024
PI: Martinez-Lorenzo, Jose Angel

Supplement Budget Period: N/A

Public Abstract

Motivation, challenges, and barriers: Accurate predictions of fluid flow, mass transport and reaction rates critically impact the efficiency and reliability of subsurface exploration and situation awareness. Quantitative dynamical sensing and imaging can play a pivotal role in the ability to make such predictions. This research program will have a direct impact in at least two important energy-driven applications: “C1 - Petrophysical Assessment of Hydrocarbon Reservoirs", and “C2- Monitoring Anthropogenic CO2 Storage Underground." These two challenging applications require research breakthroughs to overcome barriers B1-B3 in the field of sensing, imaging, and characterization: B1-There is a need to develop a new science and technology base that will enable a better understanding of the interaction of physical wave fields i.e. Thermoacoustic (TA), Electromagnetic (EM), Acoustic/Seismic (AC/S), and X-rays with fluid-filled porous media at different spatial and temporal scales; B2 - There is a need to refine existing geophysical methods and to develop new technology that provides enhanced imaging capabilities by fusing data from multiple sensors at multiple scales, in quasi-real-time (in-situ), and with limited data; B3 - There is a need to understand how to up-scale and observe quantum effects at macroscopic scales. Project objectives: The overarching goal of this research program is to gain knowledge on the theory and experimental validation of a new unified sensing and imaging methodology for coupling 4D coded Electromagnetic (EM), Acoustic/Seismic (AC/S), X-ray, and novel Thermoacoustic (TA) physical fields, which will be applicable to multi-physics and multi-scale material characterization and underground imaging of fluid flow and temperature profiles in porous media. The architecture of the proposed sensing and imaging framework will be compatible with the software packages “OpenFOAM," conventionally used to simulate fluid flow in porous media. Project structure and methods: The proposed project will utilize a top-down and bottom-up three level strategy. The top “C" level is comprised of the Applications C1 and C2. The bottom “R" level is comprised of the fundamental research program needed to overcome the Barriers B1-B3. The middle “T" level is comprised of a testbed to determine the effectiveness of the research using controlled laboratory and simulated environments. The research and experimental validation will directly feed into the top C level. At the R level, three thrusts, R1-R3, will define the following research program: R1 - Modeling and optimization of 4D coded TA, EM, AC/S, and X-ray sensing systems in porous media; R2 -Distributed TA, EM, AC/S, and X-ray imaging in distorted metric spaces for explainable deep-learning in geophysics; and R3 - Modeling and upscaling quantum thermoacoustic sensing for petrophysical characterization. At the T-level, a new multi-physics testbed T1 will be constructed for characterizing rocks and soil models as well as performing controlled dynamic imaging experiments. Finally, the proposed research will have a deep impact on the energy driven applications described at the C - level. Impact of the proposed research: The proposed research will enhance the efficiency and reliability of subsurface exploration and extraction of hydrocarbons, as well as the monitoring of the anthropogenic deposition of CO2 underground. The fundamental science in this proposal will allow one to understand the interaction of physical fields with fluid-filled porous media at different temporal and spatial scales; including the up-scaling from quantum microscopic to classical macroscopic domain. Furthermore, the program not only will enable dynamic imaging of fluid flow in porous media (velocities of 1 m/s, and 1 s temporal resolution) but also the subsurface reconstruction of temperature profiles (1 K accuracy) using non-contact sensors. Finally, this program will establish a basis for understanding bounds and limitations that deep neural networks have for real-time, distributed monitoring of underground processes, which can be simulated on new evolving petascale computing platforms.

Motivation, challenges, and barriers: Accurate predictions of fluid flow, mass transport and reaction rates critically impact the efficiency and reliability of subsurface exploration and situation awareness. Quantitative dynamical sensing and imaging can play a pivotal role in the ability to make such predictions. This research program will have a direct impact in at least two important energy-driven applications: “C1 - Petrophysical Assessment of Hydrocarbon Reservoirs", and “C2- Monitoring Anthropogenic CO2 Storage Underground." These two challenging applications require research breakthroughs to overcome barriers B1-B3 in the field of sensing, imaging, and characterization: B1-There is a need to develop a new science and technology base that will enable a better understanding of the interaction of physical wave fields i.e. Thermoacoustic (TA), Electromagnetic (EM), Acoustic/Seismic (AC/S), and X-rays with fluid-filled porous media at different spatial and temporal scales; B2 - There is a need to refine existing geophysical methods and to develop new technology that provides enhanced imaging capabilities by fusing data from multiple sensors at multiple scales, in quasi-real-time (in-situ), and with limited data; B3 - There is a need to understand how to up-scale and observe quantum effects at macroscopic scales.

Project objectives: The overarching goal of this research program is to gain knowledge on the theory and experimental validation of a new unified sensing and imaging methodology for coupling 4D coded Electromagnetic (EM), Acoustic/Seismic (AC/S), X-ray, and novel Thermoacoustic (TA) physical fields, which will be applicable to multi-physics and multi-scale material characterization and underground imaging of fluid flow and temperature profiles in porous media. The architecture of the proposed sensing and imaging framework will be compatible with the software packages “OpenFOAM," conventionally used to simulate fluid flow in porous media.

Project structure and methods: The proposed project will utilize a top-down and bottom-up three level strategy. The top “C" level is comprised of the Applications C1 and C2. The bottom “R" level is comprised of the fundamental research program needed to overcome the Barriers B1-B3. The middle “T" level is comprised of a testbed to determine the effectiveness of the research using controlled laboratory and simulated environments. The research and experimental validation will directly feed into the top C level. At the R level, three thrusts, R1-R3, will define the following research program: R1 - Modeling and optimization of 4D coded TA, EM, AC/S, and X-ray sensing systems in porous media; R2 -Distributed TA, EM, AC/S, and X-ray imaging in distorted metric spaces for explainable deep-learning in geophysics; and R3 - Modeling and upscaling quantum thermoacoustic sensing for petrophysical characterization. At the T-level, a new multi-physics testbed T1 will be constructed for characterizing rocks and soil models as well as performing controlled dynamic imaging experiments. Finally, the proposed research will have a deep impact on the energy driven applications described at the C - level.

Impact of the proposed research: The proposed research will enhance the efficiency and reliability of subsurface exploration and extraction of hydrocarbons, as well as the monitoring of the anthropogenic deposition of CO2 underground. The fundamental science in this proposal will allow one to understand the interaction of physical fields with fluid-filled porous media at different temporal and spatial scales; including the up-scaling from quantum microscopic to classical macroscopic domain. Furthermore, the program not only will enable dynamic imaging of fluid flow in porous media (velocities of 1 m/s, and 1 s temporal resolution) but also the subsurface reconstruction of temperature profiles (1 K accuracy) using non-contact sensors. Finally, this program will establish a basis for understanding bounds and limitations that deep neural networks have for real-time, distributed monitoring of underground processes, which can be simulated on new evolving petascale computing platforms.