51cg

Biography

Dr Yukie Tanino is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Engineering at 51cg.  Prior to joining the University in 2012, she was a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial College London (2009-2012) and in Laboratoire Fluides, Automatique et Systèmes Thermiques in France (2008-2009).  Dr Tanino holds a B.S. (Environmental Engineering Science), S.M. (Civil and Environmental Engineering), and PhD (Environmental Fluid Mechanics) from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Dr Tanino’s research is focused on flow and mass transport under conditions relevant to the subsurface, e.g., soil, groundwater aquifers, geological reservoirs.  Her team uses a variety of laboratory techniques including lab-on-a-chip methods (microfluidics), neutron and X-ray imaging, corefloods, and column experiments to explore how nm- and micron-scale properties affect Darcy-scale flow behaviour.  At Aberdeen Dr Tanino leads the Subsurface Flow and Transport Laboratory and supervises postgraduate research students and research staff with colleagues in the Schools of Engineering and Biological Sciences.  She also teaches fluid mechanics to 3rd year undergraduate students and enhanced oil recovery to students on the MSc and MEng programmes in Petroleum Engineering.

CV [pdf]

Research Overview

• Microplastics and polymers in the subsurface.
• Multi-phase flow in porous media.
• Buoyancy-driven flows.
  • Instability and turbulence in stratified shear flows under confinement.
• Turbulence and mass transport in random cylinder arrays.

• ---

  Techniques used include:
  • corefloods
  • microfluidics
  • X-ray microtomography
  • scanning electron microscopy
  • neutron and X-ray imaging
  • pore-network simulation
  • Darcy-scale simulation (history matching)
  • ADV, LDV, PIV
  • LIF, PLIF

If you like the kind of research that I do and would like to apply for a postdoctoral fellowship to work with us, please get in touch at least 3.5 months before the fellowship deadline.  Details of our internal process for fellowship applications can be found in the section Fellowship Support Process under Applying for a Research Grant.

I am open to hosting and visiting researchers also.

Current Research

FATE, TRANSPORT, AND IMPACT OF MICROPLASTICS IN THE ENVIRONMENT

• Longevity and fate of polymer coatings on subsea pipelines.  Student: Mohammed Ahmed [with Alfred Akisanya (PI), Srinivas Sriramula]
• Unravelling the formation and impact of the plastisphere in response to environmental stresses in microplastic contaminated soils [with Hamed Movahedi, Paul Hallett (PI), (co-PI), Cecile Gubry-Rangin, , Behrooz Azimzadeh Ismali Kandi]
• Transport, retention, and release of synthesized DNAs through microplastics affected-soils [Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions experienced researcher N. Sepehrnia (PI), with P. Hallett, C. Gubry-Rangin]
• Complex DNA-based tracers to investigate the transport of microbes in soil. RA: Xanat Zacarias Hernandez; Angus Meng [with N. Sepehrnia (PI), P. Hallett, C. Gubry-Rangin].
• On the factors that determine plastic transport in rivers.  RA: Tamunoipriala Longjohn [with Daniel Valero Huerta, Mark Stewart]

MULTIPHASE FLOW IN THE SUBSURFACE

• Impact of grain roughness on gas-water-oil flow in hydrophilic porous media.  Student: Ameer Hameed [with Mehmet Kartal, Yingfang Zhou, Dubravka Pokrajac]
• Thermally-driven inversions in reservoir wettability and its impact on oil recovery.  Student: Mohammad Sarlak [with Alan McCue]
• Impact of grain roughness on the pore scale distribution of immiscible fluids in porous media. Student: Anelechi Ibekwe [PhD, Mar. 2020, with D. Pokrajac].
• Shear strength of temporary plugging layers.  Visiting researcher: Feng Zhao [with , D. Pokrajac]

Past Research

Fractured geological media

• Combining multiscale digital rock technology with AI to identify potential hydrocarbon recovery.  Student: Ciprian-Teodor Panaitescu [PhD, Mar. 2026, with Kejian Wu, M. Kartal, Andy Starkey]
• A pore-scale investigation of spontaneous imbibition under mixed-wet conditions. Student: Xanat Zacarias Hernandez .
• Characterisation of propagation of fractures in rocks using X-ray and neutron imaging. Student: Girvani Manoharan [PhD, Aug. 2020, with A. Syed and Andy Welch].

Porous media flow under mixed-wet conditions

• Impact of wettability on two-phase flow in oil/water/carbonate rock systems.  Student: Magali Christensen [PhD, Oct. 2018].

Impact of grain roughness on porous media

• Impact of grain roughness on liquid permeability in packed columns of glass spheres. Student: Kazeem Odunlami [MSc by Research, Oct 2023 with D. Pokrajac and Prashant Jadhawar]
• Impact of grain roughness and unfavorable viscosity ratios on waterflood oil recovery: a microfluidic study. Student: Olalekan Ajayi [MSc by Research, Feb. 2020].

Collaborations

• Paul Hallett, School of Biological Sciences, 51cg (UoA)
• Cecile Gubry-Rangin, School of Biological Sciences, UoA
• , School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham
• Alfred Akisanya, School of Engineering, UoA
• Srinivas Sriramula, School of Engineering, UoA
• Mehmet Kartal, School of Engineering, UoA
• Yingfang Zhou, School of Engineering, UoA
• Kejian Wu, School of Engineering, UoA
• Andy Starkey, School of Engineering, UoA
• Dubravka Pokrajac, School of Engineering, UoA
• Feng Zhao, Southwest Petroleum University (China)
• Jacob LaManna, NIST (US)
• David L Jacobson, NIST (US)
• Daniel S Hussey, NIST (US)
• , School of Engineering, UoA
• Andy Welch, School of Medicine & Dentistry, UoA
• Jean-Pierre Hulin, Laboratoire FAST (France)
• Frederic Moisy, Laboratoire FAST (France)
• , Imperial College London
• , MIT (US)

Funding and Grants

Our research has been supported by:

• industry "Pipeline polymer coating longevity and fate" (with Alfred Akisanya (PI), Srinivas Sriramula; Oct. 2026 - Mar. 2030, £64k)
• UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Pushing the Frontiers programme (with Paul Hallett (PI), Cecile Gubry-Rangin; Nov. 2024 - 2027, )
• Aubin Group (Oct - Dec 2022 £10383)
• 51cg (UoA) EU Brexit Mitigation Fund "On the factors that determine plastic transport in rivers" (co-I with Mark Stewart; 2022, £3263)
• BBSRC Mitigation Fund "Complex DNA-based tracers to investigate the transport of microbes in soil" (with Nasrollah Sepehrnia (PI), P Hallett, C Gubry-Rangin; 2022, £49.8k)
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship for Nasrollah Sepehrnia "" (with P Hallett, C Gubry-Rangin; 2021-2023, €225k)
• China National Offshore Oil Corporation (with Kejian Wu (PI), Andy Starkey; Dec. 2020 - 2022)
• Royal Society International Exchanges Cost Share 2018 China (with Amer Syed (PI); Mar 2019 - Mar 2021, £11066)
• UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (2016 - Feb. 2018, £20.6k)
• NERC (with Stephen Bowden (PI); Dec. 2016 - Sept. 2017, £35.4k)
• COREX (UK) Ltd. (2015-2020, £41.4k)
• Royal Society Research Grant (2014-2015, £15k)
• Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland (2014-2015, £2.5k)
• UoA Chevron Fund (2014)
• UoA Principal's Interdisciplinary Fund (2014)
• UoA Principal's Excellence Fund (2014)
• Development Trust (2012, £125k)
•  
• Higher Committee for Education Development in Iraq (A Hameed 2024 - 2027, £90650)
• China Scholarship Council (F Zhao 2023 - 24)
• Petroleum Technology Development Fund PhD studentship (K Odunlami 2019 - 2022)
• Mexican National Council for Science and Technology PhD studentship (X Zacarias Hernandez 2016-2019, £64.1k)
• grant
  • G. Manoharan 2018 £3k “Insights into mechanics of brittle fracture in rocks under triaxial conditions using combined neutron and X-ray imaging”
• Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA) Foundation grant
  • A. Hameed US$4k (2026-27)
  • K. Odunlami US$3k (2021-22)
  • O. Olofinnika US$3k (2020-21)
  • X. Zacarias Hernandez US$2.5k (2017-18), US$2k (2018-19)
  • G. Manoharan US$3.5k (2017-18)
  • O. Ajayi, 2016 US$1.5k
  • A. Ibekwe, 2016 US$2.5k
  • M. Walter, 2016
  • M. Christensen, 2014 US$2k
  • B. Akamairo, 2013
• Aberdeen Formation Evaluation Society (AFES) bursary/grant
  • A. Hameed 2025 (£3k)
  • M. Sarlak 2021 (£1k)
  • K. Odunlami 2020 (£1k)
  • X. Zacarias Hernandez 2018 (£1k), 2019 (£1k), 2020 (£1k)
  • O. Ajayi 2018 £1k
  • G. Manoharan 2017 (£500), 2018 (£1k), 2019 (£1k)
  • A. Ibekwe 2017 £500
  • M. Christensen 2013 (£2k), 2014 (£2k), 2015 (£1.5k)
  • B. Akamairo, 2015
• UoA PhD studentship
  • M. K. Habeeb Mohamed 2016-2019
  • O. Ajayi 2015-2018
• College of Physical Sciences PhD studentship (M. Christensen 2013-2016)

Teaching Responsibilities

Postgraduate

• Enhanced Oil Recovery (EG552C/2G/Q1, EG502E/2N/1Y/1M) for MSc Petroleum Engineering and MSc Oil & Gas Innovation
• Co-lecturer, Flow Assurance (EG55F8/G8, 2013-2016) for MSc Subsea Engineering and MSc Oil & Gas Engineering
• Guest lecturer, Subsea Production Systems (EG50F9/G9, 2015) for MSc Subsea Engineering
• Guest lecturer, Chemistry at Interfaces and Enhanced Oil Recovery (CM5037, 2014) for MSc Oil & Gas Chemistry
• Coordinator, MSc Individual Projects in Renewable Energy (Engineering) (EG5909, - Nov. 2016)
• Thesis supervisor, MSc in Oil & Gas Engineering (EG5908) and Petroleum Engineering (EG5911)

Undergraduate

• Discipline Co-contributor, BEng Civil Engineering Group Design Project (EG4578, spring 2024 - )
• Co-lecturer, Fluid Mechanics (EG3018, EM3018, EM3019)
• Co-lecturer, Environmental Engineering (EA4527, spring 2019 - Aug 2021; EA4027 Sept 2021 - Aug 2023)
• Co-lecturer, Geotechnics 2 (EG40JE, EA40JE, fall 2013 - Dec 2017)
• Enhanced Oil Recovery (EG50HI, EG55HI, EG552C)
• Thesis supervisor, BEng/MEng in Civil, Chemical, Mechanical, and Petroleum Engineering (EG4013/4014)