Hydraulics modelling for drilling automation - The scientific objective of HYDRA is to develop a framework for multi-phase hydraulic modeling and model complexity reduction for drilling operations, delivered in software directly usable in industry. The resulting models uniquely combine high predictive capacity and low complexity enabling their usage in both virtual drilling scenario testing and drilling automation. The main training objective is to launch 3 doctoral students into future leading scientific positions with an intersectoral network to support them throughout their careers.
Improving Thermal Efficiency of horizontal ground heat exchangers - The overall aim of ITER is to ensure the sustainability of ground coupled heating-cooling systems and especially the horizontal ground heat exchangers systems. Key challenges are (i) to enhance the heat transfer of the ground surrounding the pipes creating thermally enhanced backfilling material (TEBM) suitable for horizontal systems; (ii) to assess the performance and the environmental impacts of new promising technological solutions as helix systems with and without TEBM; (iii) to monitor the results over time through direct measurements and numerical simulation.
In-situ thermal rock properties lab - In the ITHERLAB project, an innovative laboratory device will be developed and pilot-tested allowing measurements of thermal rock properties at simultaneously increased pressures and temperatures. Mathematic formulations for the p/T dependence of both parameters will be established and it will be demonstrated whether micro-structural effects affect these relations for different rock types.