Title of the talk: "Coupled Effects of Chemical Reaction and Phase Separation on Viscous Fingering in Porous Media"

Date, Time & Venue: 11 August 2025  at 12.00 PM Seminar Hall, Dept. of Mathematics

Abstract: This talk focuses on viscous fingering (VF)—a hydrodynamic instability that arises in porous media when a less viscous fluid displaces a more viscous one. VF is a critical phenomenon in a range of natural and industrial processes, including enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and carbon capture and storage (CCS). We investigate the stability of reactive displacement involving a chemical reaction of the form A+B→C in porous media, using both linear stability analysis and nonlinear simulations. The system is modeled using Darcy’s law coupled with convection-reaction-diffusion equations. The presence of chemical reactions can alter the viscosity profile, significantly impacting the evolution of VF. In addition, we examine the effect of phase separation on viscous fingering and demonstrate, through numerical simulations, how VF can be triggered or modified by such separation mechanisms.

About the Speaker: Dr. Priya Verma is currently employed in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan since June 2024. Her research centers on the numerical analysis of flow in porous media, with a focus on developing computational methods for linear stability analysis and nonlinear simulations to better understand complex flow dynamics. She obtained, PhD from IIT Ropar in March 2024 and her  research focused on reactive viscous fingering in porous media.