upstreamFoam: an OpenFOAM-based solver for heterogeneous porous media at different scales

Abstract: A new OpenFOAM application to simulate multiphase flows in porous media is formulated and tested. The proposed solver combines the Eulerian multi-fluid formulation for a system of phase fractions with Darcy's law for flows through porous media. It is based on the multiphaseEulerFoam and includes models for reservoir simulation of the porousMultiphaseFoam, taking advantage of the most recent technologies developed for these well-established solvers. With such an innovative combination, we are able to simulate a system of any number of compressible phase fractions in reservoirs that rely on specialized models for relative permeability, capillary pressure, and time step selection. We successfully validate the solver for classical problems with analytical, semi-analytical, and reference solutions. A wide range of flows in porous media has been studied, demonstrating the potential of the solver to approximate complex multiphase problems.