K-State Geology Seminar Series Presents

 'Submicron to subsurface characterization: Transport phenomena in porous media for sustainable energy application'

by Dr. Shaina Kelly, Assistant Professor of Earth & Environmental Engineering
Columbia University

Thursday, 13 April 2023 | 4:00-5:00 PM

Virtually via Zoom

Title:  Submicron to subsurface characterization: Transport phenomena in porous media for sustainable energy application

Abstract: The transport of fluid, mass, and heat in geologic porous media will play a critical role in the next frontier of sustainable energy practices, particularly subsurface activities such as carbon storage and unconventional resource recovery. The Kelly Lab’s research approach uses a combination of laboratory rock core/sample analyses, microscopy, micro/nanofluidics, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) characterization methods to address the following overarching research question: How does rock heterogeneity (e.g., spatial changes in micro- and macroscopic compositional fabric, pore types, and surface chemistry), fluid-solid interactions, and unconventional properties (e.g., nano-confinement effects) impact critical fluid storage and deliverability mechanisms and scalable properties? This talk will focus on the submicron characterization of capillary imbibition in varied nanochannels, nanopores, and nano-networks to quantify how interfacial interactions influence fluid and solute transport in low permeability porous media. The pore-scale findings are upscaled in terms of engineering variables such as effective pore diameter, viscosity and diffusivity for continuum modeling of tight rock energy production and storage. The findings are related to parallel core analyses, microscopy, microfluidics, and CFD investigations as well as new directions in subsurface carbon mineralization.

Bio: Shaina Kelly and her research team investigate and optimize the interplay between transport phenomena and fluid-rock interactions in geologic and engineered porous media for sustainable energy applications. Shaina joined the Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering as an assistant professor in July 2022. Prior to her appointment, Shaina’s 6+ years of industry experience include roles as Senior Petrophysicist at ConocoPhillips Company and Senior Geoscience Engineer at AquaNRG Consulting Inc. working on related geologic porous media research topics. Shaina received her PhD from The University of Texas at Austin in 2015, and her BSc from the University of Florida in 2011. 

Modality: VIRTUAL (via Zoom)