LBNL-ACTI Home Page

Advanced Flux Visualization and Virtual Reality for Reservoir Engineering

Wes Bethel, Janet Jacobsen, Nancy Johnston - Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA

Todd Little - Western Atlas Software, Houston TX

Andy Austin, Mark Lederer - BP Exploration, Houston TX

Project Summary

Under the ACTI initiative proposed by President Clinton, computing and basic science technology from the National Laboratories is to be applied to domestic energy production problems. Our proposal (Postscript version, 60K) was to work closely with reservoir and software engineers from the US oil industry to develop and bring to market software which has the capabilities for visualization of flux data and to integrate Virtual Reality technology into this environment.

The two-year, $210K project was ranked number 9 out of 122 proposals submitted by the nine National Laboratories. We commenced work early in 1995, and anticipate completion of our work by September 1996. In broad terms, the project goals have been met, despite significant and unexpected funding cuts.

Projected Milestones

In the original proposal, we identified the following milestones.

Fiscal Year 1995

Demonstration of flux visualization in AVS/Khoros and 3DView.
Article in technical journal describing Flux Visualization Algorithms.
Release of Flux Visualization in 3DView.
Demonstration of modular VR-input.
Article in technical Journal describing module VR input.

Fiscal Year 1996

Release of AVS/Khoros modules implementing modular VR input.
Release of 3DVIEW implementing modular VR input.

Project Progress Summary

For more detailed information about progress on a bimonthly basis, please refer to the progress summaries below.

Fiscal Year 1995: February 1995-September 1995

Data conversion of proprietary flux data (computed using a simulator) integrated into our visualization environment (AVS) for prototyping software tools for visualization. Several data sets were provided by industry.
Implementation of numerous flux visualization techniques in AVS and Khoros. Each of these techniques was suggested by one or more members of the FluxVis team, prototyped in AVS and/or Khoros, then evaluated for efficacy. The techniques include two broad classes of algorithms: those which represent flux at each grid point using a geometric icon, and those which represent the flux indirectly. A streamlines solver was written which computes a curve tangential to the flow field along its length.
Evaluation of and software prototypes to control VR input devices. We took delivery of and Integrated Peripheral Unit, magnetic trackers and a Head-Mounted Display, developed software drivers for making use of these devices in AVS. We demonstrated the use of this gear by using it in the context of scientific visualization and computing.
First release of VR-AVS modules for anonymous ftp to the International AVS Center.
Weathered a forced project re-ranking by our local Technology Transfer Office. The purpose of this exercise was to decide which projects would continue to receive funding, given that a Congressional Recision was causing funding problems. We suffered a 20-percent funding shortfall for FY 1995, and were told that we would receive no money for FY 1996. Project priorities were reorganized in adjustment to the new funding profile.
Ongoing work to create some instrument which each party to the project could sign. A CRADA wasn't appropriate since there is no patentable work being performed.

Fiscal Year 1996: October 1995-October 1996

Memorandums of Understanding signed by all parties in February, 1996.
Demonstration of VR technology at Supercomputing 1995, December 1995 in San Diego, California.
Commercial release of 3DView containing flux visualization capabilities, as well as isosurfaces of scalar data.
Release 2 of the VRModules Module Library to the International AVS Center.
Presentation of a paper titled "Implementation of Virtual Reality Interfaces for the Geosciences" in Halden, Norway. Describes flux visualization and VR interfaces to visualization and computing processes, along with experiences with using magnetic trackers as input devices.
Modification of visualization techniques to make use of new hierarchical grid models supplied by industry.
Port of Khoros renderer to OpenGL. This step permits us to experiment with the use of textures as a vector visualization tool.
Collaboration with the Khoros Group in an effort to bring VR technology to this freely-available software.

Reports and Publications

The Final Report, April 1997.
Monthly progress summaries requested by and sent to the Oil and Gas Partnership Office.
Reports for the LBNL Technology Transfer Office.
Implementing Virtual Reality Interfaces for the Geosciences. Technical paper describing our work in flux visualization, building VR interfaces to visualization and computing tools, and experiences using magnetic trackers as input devices.
Home Page used by the project participants as a virtual bulletin board for displaying results from visualization prototypes, etc.

Last Modified Thu Jun 13 13:14:46 PDT 1996