Objectives
Significant progress in the following research themes:
1. (sound) wave propagation and scattering in the earth's crust;
2. the physics of three-phase flows.
Background, relevance and implementation
The Foundation Shell Research (SSR) has provided a budget of M Euro 0.8 for fundamental physics research on the above mentioned themes.
In theme 1 research on the propagation, scattering and diffraction of (sound) waves in the earth's crust will be performed. Although seismic imaging techniques have become very advanced in the past decennia, there is a lack of fundamental knowledge on the behaviour of waves along and through cracks and areas with variable densities. The research in theme 1 is relevant for the energy industry for both exploration and exploitation of oil and gas reservoirs.
In theme 2 the physics of three-phase flows (e.g. fluid-fluid-gas) will be explored. The research in this theme is relevant for obtaining a better knowledge of the behaviour of three-phase flows in tubes and pipelines for the production and transport of oil and gas, and for processes in the petrochemical industry such as the catalytic hydrogenation of oils. |
