Project Details:

Structural and topological information play a key role in behaviour of flow and 
transport through very complex geometries. Examples range from flows through rocks 
(relevant to oil and gas industry), medical applications like body cell 
absorption/extraction of fluids, urban flows, flows past canopies in either 
textiles or when looking at tree configurations in forests, to flows in media with 
dynamically changing configurations of bubbles. Scales involved can vary from 
microfluids to large geological formations.

Porous media flows are often modelled using approximations such as Darcy that offer 
efficient simulations in which only general effects of geometries are taken into 
account, but the actual geometry representation is ignored. However, for some 
problems the validity of these large-scale models is unproven especially when 
gaining experimental data is difficult or even impossible.

This project offers an opportunity to use a novel immersed boundaries based 
numerical approach developed at Loughborough University to perform challenging 
direct pore simulations reflecting the fine-scale processes, thus enabling either 
the validation of the large-scale models for a given class of problems or providing 
data allowing derivation of new more accurate approximations. There is also a 
possibility to employ Artificial Intelligence techniques to speed up computations 
further by identifying preferred directions of flow in the porous media networks – 
mimicking phenomena occurring in nature. The same numerical approach opens 
additional avenues for investigations of larger than porous media scale of complex 
geometries and can be easily applied to challenging problems of flows with moving 
boundaries. Accurate simulations of flows through such very complex geometries are 
seldom attempted and the project is likely to provide the first-ever computations 
of its kind. The numerical approach employs a massively parallel, high-resolution 
scheme, with available DNS, LES, ILES and DES turbulence treatments.

The project’s objectives:

The new numerical approach will be used to simulate flows passing through very 
complex geometries for a class of problems – selected to complement one of the 
Wolfson School’s current design and experimental research activities. Simulations 
will be very challenging and will require an elaborate preparation phase.

Numerical developments will be performed to facilitate analysis of the simulations, 
aid a possible validation or identification of new large-scale approximation 
models, and to implement AI to localise potentially preferred flow paths.

Analysis of results will be conducted aiming at providing/discovering new flow 
characterisation and fundamental understanding of physics.

The results will be post processed to aid design and experimental activities in the 
Wolfson School. Among other application options, this project will be able to 
support our activities in areas such as: energy-harvesting microclimate sensors in 
forests; convective CO2 trapping: a pore scale microfluidic investigation; or pore 
scale dynamics in manufacturing of bone specimens.

Supervisors:
Primary supervisor: Professor Joanna Szmelter
Secondary supervisor: Dr Minsuok Kim

Funding: 
The Wolfson School’s studentship competition offers the chance for UK and 
International applicants who are interested in undertaking a PhD to have their 
full-time studies paid for.

Applicants could receive full or partial funding for 3 years, including a tax-free 
stipend of £17,668 (2022/23 rate) per annum, and/or a tuition fee waiver.

Studentships will be awarded on a competitive basis to applicants who have applied 
to advertised projects within Wolfson School with the reference ‘P1-SAM23’. 
Successful candidates will be notified by the end of March 2023.

Entry requirements for United Kingdom
Successful applicants should have, or expect to achieve, an undergraduate honours 
degree with a minimum classification of a 2:1, or equivalent in a relevant subject 
for the PhD topic. A relevant master’s degree and/or experience would also be 
advantageous.

English language requirements
Applicants must meet the minimum English language requirements. Further details are 
available on the International website.

All applications should be made online through the Loughborough University website.
Under programme name, select ‘Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing 
Engineering’. Please quote reference number: P1SAM23-04 in your application. 

Competition for funded entry is high so please ensure that you submit a CV and the 
minimum supporting documents by the advert closing date. Failure to do so will mean 
that your application will not be taken forward for consideration. See studentship 
assessment criteria.