Fluid blob tracking for evaluation of multiphase flow simulations

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for fluid blob tracking. One of the methods includes identifying, by a computer system, a connected fluid phase region in a flow simulation. The method includes tracking, by the computer system, the connected fluid phase region over a first timeframe and a second timeframe. The method also includes determining, by the computer system, movement of the connected fluid phase region from the first timeframe to the second timeframe based on the tracking.

1 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A method for flow analysis executed on a data processing system, the method comprising:
 identifying, by the data processing system, a fluid blob represented in fluid flow data; and   analyzing, by the data processing system the fluid flow data to identify one or more cells that indicate movement of the fluid blob from a first time to a second, subsequent time.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the flow analysis is a flow simulation and the fluid flow data are a representation of the fluid blob in the fluid simulation. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the flow analysis is of a physical flow and the fluid flow data are a representation of the fluid blob in the physical flow. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 identifying phases in the fluid blob.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the cells are in the fluid blob, and identifying phases further comprises:
 determining phases of the one or more cells in the fluid blob. 
 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein identifying phases further comprises:
 determining phases in the one or more cells in the fluid blob by calculating the Atwood number of at least some of the one or more cells according to:
     A =(ρ_1−ρ_2)/(ρ_1+ρ_2)
 
 
 
       where, A is the Atwood number, ρ_1 is the density of phase 1, ρ_2 is the density of phase 2, with the determining Atwood number of the one or more cells compared to a threshold value, with the Atwood number for a given one of the one or more cells being above the threshold, qualifying the cell as belonging to a first phase, otherwise the cell is qualified as belonging to a second, different phase. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35  wherein identifying phases further comprises:
 determining one or more phases in the one or more cells in the fluid blob; and 
 storing a determined one of the one or more phases for the corresponding one or more cells in a state matrix. 
 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the state matrix stores for each of the one or more cells corresponding one or more values that identify the phase calculated for the corresponding cell. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising:
 iteratively traversing the state matrix to determine cells that qualify as being of a first phase of the determined one or more phases; and   producing a listing of cells belonging to the first phase.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising:
 executing a filling algorithm to produce a list of the first phase cells that are connected to an initial one of the first phase cells, by using a six point nearest-neighbor stencil to examine each cell enclosing a current one of the first phase cells; and   adding the current one of the first phase cells to the list of first phase cells, when the current one of the first phase cells has a state matrix value that qualifies the current one of the first phase cells as being part of the first phase; and   continuing executing the filling algorithm until the list is exhausted, to find all connected cells of the fluid blob.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40  wherein the fluid blob is in a domain, and the method further comprises:
 finding fluid blobs in the domain; and 
 determining for each blob in the domain one or more of corresponding total volume, center of gravity location and one or more subdomains occupied by the blob. 
 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41  wherein finding the fluid blobs in the domain further comprises:
 executing the filling algorithm for a given blob in the domain; and 
 continuing executing the filling algorithm until a complete set of blobs is established to find all blobs of the domain. 
 
     
     
         43 . A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with computer program instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to:
 identify a fluid blob represented in fluid flow data; and   analyze the fluid flow data to identify one or more cells that indicate movement of the fluid blob from a first time to a second, subsequent time.   
     
     
         44 . The computer storage medium of  claim 43  wherein the flow analysis is a flow simulation and the fluid flow data are a representation of the fluid blob in the fluid simulation. 
     
     
         45 . The computer storage medium of  claim 43  wherein the flow analysis is of a physical flow and the fluid flow data are a representation of the fluid blob in the physical flow. 
     
     
         46 . The computer storage medium of  claim 43 , further comprising:
 identifying phases in the fluid blob.   
     
     
         47 . The computer storage medium of  claim 46  wherein the cells are in the fluid blob, and identifying phases further comprises:
 determining phases of the one or more cells in the fluid blob. 
 
     
     
         48 . The computer storage medium of  claim 47  wherein identifying phases further comprises:
 determining phases in the one or more cells in the fluid blob by calculating the Atwood number of at least some of the one or more cells according to:
     A =(ρ_1−ρ_2)/(ρ_1+ρ_2)
 
 
 
       where, A is the Atwood number, ρ_1 is the density of phase 1, ρ_2 is the density of phase 2, with the determining Atwood number of the one or more cells compared to a threshold value, with the Atwood number for a given one of the one or more cells being above the threshold, qualifying the cell as belonging to a first phase, otherwise the cell is qualified as belonging to a second, different phase. 
     
     
         49 . The computer storage medium of  claim 47  wherein identifying phases further comprises:
 determining one or more phases in the one or more cells in the fluid blob; and 
 storing a determined one of the one or more phases for the corresponding one or more cells in a state matrix. 
 
     
     
         50 . The computer storage medium of  claim 49  wherein the state matrix stores for each of the one or more cells corresponding one or more values that identify the phase calculated for the corresponding cell. 
     
     
         51 . The computer storage medium of  claim 49 , further comprising:
 iteratively traversing the state matrix to determine cells that qualify as being of a first phase of the determined one or more phases; and   producing a listing of cells belonging to the first phase.   
     
     
         52 . The computer storage medium of  claim 51 , further comprising:
 executing a filling algorithm to produce a list of the first phase cells that are connected to an initial one of the first phase cells, by using a six point nearest-neighbor stencil to examine each cell enclosing a current one of the first phase cells; and   adding the current one of the first phase cells to the list of first phase cells, when the current one of the first phase cells has a state matrix value that qualifies the current one of the first phase cells as being part of the first phase; and   continuing executing the filling algorithm until the list is exhausted, to find all connected cells of the fluid blob.   
     
     
         53 . The computer storage medium of  claim 52  wherein the fluid blob is in a domain, and the computer storage medium further comprises instructions to:
 find fluid blobs in the domain; and 
 determine for each blob in the domain one or more of corresponding total volume, center of gravity location and one or more subdomains occupied by the blob. 
 
     
     
         54 . The computer storage medium of  claim 53  wherein the instructions to find the fluid blobs in the domain further comprises instructions to:
 execute the filling algorithm for a given blob in the domain; and 
 continue to execute the filling algorithm until a complete set of blobs is established to find all blobs of the domain. 
 
     
     
         55 . A system comprising:
 one or more processor devices;   memory operatively coupled to the one or more processor devices;   a computer storage device storing computer program instructions that when executed by the one or more processor devices cause the system to:
 identify a fluid blob represented in fluid flow data; and 
 analyze the fluid flow data to identify one or more cells that indicate movement of the fluid blob from a first time to a second, subsequent time. 
   
     
     
         56 . The system of  claim 55  wherein the flow analysis is a flow simulation and the fluid flow data are a representation of the fluid blob in the fluid simulation. 
     
     
         57 . The system of  claim 55  wherein the flow analysis is of a physical flow and the fluid flow data are a representation of the fluid blob in the physical flow. 
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 55 , further configured to:
 identify phases in the fluid blob.   
     
     
         59 . The system of  claim 58  wherein the cells are in the fluid blob, and instructions to identify phases further comprises instructions to:
 determine phases of the one or more cells in the fluid blob. 
 
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 58  wherein instructions to identify phases further comprises instructions to:
 determine phases in the one or more cells in the fluid blob by calculating the Atwood number of at least some of the one or more cells according to:
     A =(ρ_1−ρ_2)/(ρ_1+ρ_2)
 
 
 
       where, A is the Atwood number, ρ_1 is the density of phase 1, ρ_2 is the density of phase 2, with the determining Atwood number of the one or more cells compared to a threshold value, with the Atwood number for a given one of the one or more cells being above the threshold, qualifying the cell as belonging to a first phase, otherwise the cell is qualified as belonging to a second, different phase. 
     
     
         61 . The system of  claim 58  wherein instructions to identify phases further comprises instructions to:
 determine one or more phases in the one or more cells in the fluid blob; and 
 store a determined one of the one or more phases for the corresponding one or more cells in a state matrix. 
 
     
     
         62 . The system of  claim 61  wherein the state matrix stores for each of the one or more cells corresponding one or more values that identify the phase calculated for the corresponding cell. 
     
     
         63 . The system of  claim 61 , further comprising instructions to:
 iteratively traverse the state matrix to determine cells that qualify as being of a first phase of the determined one or more phases; and   produce a listing of cells belonging to the first phase.   
     
     
         64 . The system of  claim 63 , further comprising instructions to:
 execute a filling algorithm to produce a list of the first phase cells that are connected to an initial one of the first phase cells, by using a six point nearest-neighbor stencil to examine each cell enclosing a current one of the first phase cells; and   add the current one of the first phase cells to the list of first phase cells, when the current one of the first phase cells has a state matrix value that qualifies the current one of the first phase cells as being part of the first phase; and   continue to execute the filling algorithm until the list is exhausted, to find all connected cells of the fluid blob.   
     
     
         65 . The system of  claim 64  wherein the fluid blob is in a domain, and the system further comprises instructions to:
 find fluid blobs in the domain; and 
 determine for each blob in the domain one or more of corresponding total volume, center of gravity location and one or more subdomains occupied by the blob. 
 
     
     
         66 . The system of  claim 65  wherein finding the fluid blobs in the domain further comprises:
 execute the filling algorithm for a given blob in the domain; and 
 continue executing the filling algorithm until a complete set of blobs is established to find all blobs of the domain.