Multilevel Schur-complement algorithms for scalable parallel reservoir simulation with temperature variation

Abstract

In reservoir simulation, the non-isothermal multiphase flow problem introduces the temperature variable to account for thermal effects, simultaneously posing challenges in efficiently solving the nonlinear systems for large-scale simulations. In this paper, we introduce and investigate a family of Schur-complement-based field-split algorithms designed for addressing non-isothermal multiphase flow problems, particularly those characterized by high heterogeneity. This algorithm involves decomposing a large system into smaller, more manageable sub-systems for solving non-isothermal multiphase flow problems with multiple physical fields, which enables parallel computation and makes it suitable for high-performance computing environments. Furthermore, a multilevel Schur-complement preconditioner, which involves applying the Schur-complement technique at each level of the hierarchy by capturing the coupling between different fields and physics, is proposed to enhance the efficiency and robustness of the parallel simulator. Large-scale simulations for both benchmark and realistic problems are conducted on a supercomputer, showcasing the method's efficacy in managing heat diffusion, significantly reducing linear iterations, and demonstrating a good parallel scalability.