Quasi K-Orthogonal Streamline Grids: Gridding and Discretization

A new grid generation technique based on streamlines and equi-potentials is developed for reservoir simulation. The natural property of streamlines provides a grid that has a concentration of grid lines in high velocity regions of the flow field thereby optimizing nodal placement. Results computed with the new streamline-potential grids demonstrate a significant improvement in accuracy when compared with conventional Cartesian grids of similar resolution. Streamlines and equi-potentials are shown to be K-Orthogonal. This fundamental observation has major implications for reservoir simulation. A comparison between a two point flux approximation and a full tensor flux approximation is presented for the K-Orthogonal streamline-potential grid systems. P. 373