A meshfree generalized finite difference method for solution mining processes

Experimental and field investigations for solution mining processes have improved intensely in recent years. Due to today’s computing capacities, three-dimensional simulations of potential salt solution caverns can further enhance the understanding of these processes. They serve as a “virtual prototype” of a projected site and support planning in reasonable time. In this contribution, we present a meshfree generalized finite difference method (GFDM) based on a cloud of numerical points that is able to simulate solution mining processes on microscopic and macroscopic scales, which differ significantly in both the spatial and temporal scales. Focusing on anticipated industrial requirements, Lagrangian and Eulerian formulations including an Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) approach are considered.