Dr Martin Dutko, Rockfield Software Ltd

Industrial Fellowships 2021

Pressurised fluids can create fractures and predicting fracture growth is key to understanding the impact of many industrial and natural processes on the environment. Carbon Capture and Underground Storage (CCUS) is one technology where this is crucial. The development of the CCUS process is recognised as an integral part of the UK Clean Growth Strategy leading to future zero emission. Dr Dutko’s work will develop computational methods to increase the safety of the storage sites by reducing rock fracturing because of carbon injection.

Substantial research effort has been dedicated to the development of a computational model. However, for practical applications in processes such as CCUS their complexity and computational costs means they still require improvements.

Dr Dutko’s Industrial Fellowship project sets out to resolving these issues. It brings together knowledge of commercial software development and industrial applications from a world-leading software house with the research team at Aberystwyth University, who have achieved breakthroughs in numerical analysis of fracture growth.

https://www.rockfieldglobal.com/