What we work on
The Kelly Lab studies the evolution of multiphase flow and physical-chemical fluid-mineral interactions in complex geologic porous media, specializing in nanoporous and dual-porosity systems. We are broadly interested in a spectrum of energy-related sedimentary and igneous/metamorphic rocks as well as clays, soils and engineered materials such as membranes and cements. Liquid-gas-mineral interactions in these rock and material systems drive a host of sustainable energy and environmental applications, including subsurface carbon storage and mineralization (e.g., basalts). The lab integrates pore- to core-scale sample analyses and measurement techniques, microscopy, micro/nanofluidics, and computational fluid dynamics methods (CFD) to identify emergent pore-scale phenomena.
Applications
Fluid storage & containment | Sustainable resource production
Surface and subsurface rocks and cements
EOR/IOR, water use strategies
Fracture conductivity and leak-off
Hydrogen storage, enhanced weathering, hydrogeology, aquifer remediation, deep nuclear waste storage, etc.
We integrate microscale experiments, modeling, and imaging to isolate emergent fluid flow mechanisms and link those results to bulk sample measurements and field data.
Sponsored Projects & Collaborators
We gratefully acknowledge the following entities for research awards and collaborations.
