Avrami Grader Research Overview:

The use of subsurface formations by mankind is ever increasing in disciplines such as ground water hydrology, hazardous waste disposal, containment of hazardous spills, agricultural runoff and drainage, oil and gas production and storage, and insitu mineral leaching. Common to all these disciplines is the physics of fluid flow in porous media. As the upper crust of the earth is being stressed more and more with sophisticated processes, our need for a better understanding of transport phenomena in porous media is ever increasing. We have a responsibility to preserve the functionality of fluid bearing formations, and to be able to accurately predict the outcome of prospect production or injection projects, to optimize these projects, and to prevent catastrophes. Also, in contamination cases, we must have the ability to design a cleanup process, minimizing damage and danger.

My main research goals are to further our scientific understanding of multi-phase flow in porous media, and how does the simultaneous flow of fluids affect our ability to predict the behavior of underground strata. My specific areas of research are (a) two- and three- phase flow in porous media, (b) transient pressure analysis with its effect on well testing and on reservoir engineering water influx problems, (c) and multi-phase flow dynamics in the near wellbore domain including wellbore mechanics.

Research Interests:

» Fluid dynamics in porous media
» Two- and three-phase flow
» Fracture-matrix interactions
» Relative permeabilities
» Diffusion
» Transient pressure testing--well testing
» Composite systems
» Slug testing
» Closed chamber testing
» Interference testing
» Double porosity testing
» Tracer testing
» Wellbore hydraulics
» Wellbore simulation
» Thermodynamic effects
» Well-reservoir linkage
» Acoustic well testing

Contact Avrami:

814.865.5813 | grader@pnge.psu.edu