Accelerating Multiphase Simulations With Denoising Diffusion Model Driven Initializations

Abstract

This study introduces a hybrid fluid simulation approach that integrates generative diffusion models with physics-based simulations, aiming at reducing the computational costs of flow simulations while still honoring all the physical properties of interest. Pore-scale simulations enhance our understanding of applications such as assessing hydrogen and (Formula presented.) storage efficiency in underground reservoirs. Nevertheless, they are computationally expensive and the presence of non-unique solutions can require multiple simulations within a single geometry. To overcome the computational cost hurdle, we propose a method that couples generative diffusion models and physics-based simulations. While training the data-driven model, we simultaneously generate initial conditions and perform physics-based simulations using these. This integrated approach enables us to receive real-time feedback on a single compute node equipped with both CPUs and GPUs. By efficiently managing these processes within a single compute node, we can continuously monitor performance and halt training once the model meets the specified criteria. To test our model, we generate realizations in a real Berea sandstone fracture which shows that our technique is up to 4.4 times faster than commonly used flow simulation initializations.