About the Environmental Flow Group (EFG)

The groups activities in fluid dynamics started in 2003 (it was then called CMU, the Computational Math Unit). The main research focus of the group is modelling and understanding fluid flow processes ranging from laboratory (mm) to hundreds of meters. In this range of resolutions important processes like the mixing of water masses occur and the research is linking the traditional ocean modelling and the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling. The mixing of water masses is not only crucial for smaller scale processes like estimation of dispersion and transport of particles and concentrations, but also influence the larger scale thermohaline flow and circulation which is important for the large scale flow systems and the climate.

EFG aims to have a leading role in small scale modelling and complement the research performed in other national and international research organisations, and this has resulted in a strong network of global collaborators. Locally EFG collaborates close with the Institute of Mathematics, the University of Bergen, other departments within Uni Research like Uni Miljø and the Bjerknes centre for climate research.

EFG carry out research for industry, governmental institutions, and national and international research councils, alone, together with our collaborators, and/or together with other departments at Uni Research.

Examples of research performed at EFG are

• dispersion of pathogen and pollution in fjords and coastal areas
• leakage and entrainment of CO2 in the water column from storage
• studies of topographical effects on waves and flow
• idealized studies of processes that cause extreme velocities
• establishing reliable statistics for the flow in selected areas
• modelling of flow around industrial structures in the ocean
• modelling of surface and ship waves

The north Atlantic and the topography around the Ormen Lange gas field