Primary domain
Dynamics, monitoring, and control of drilling systems, with emphasis on vibration mitigation and real-time optimization.
Ulf Jakob Flø Aarsnes, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist, NORCE — Modeling, Estimation, and Control for Energy Systems
I am a Senior Research Scientist at NORCE working with model-based methods for drilling, offshore operations, and emerging energy systems. My research combines nonlinear dynamics, distributed-parameter systems, and estimation/control design to support safer, faster, and more autonomous operations.
In addition to drilling dynamics and well control, I work on hydrogen value chains and energy-system integration, and I coordinate the MARINER project alongside related Hydrogen FCs activities.
This page complements my institutional profile with selected technical highlights, publications, and open-source material. For a concise institutional overview, see my NORCE profile.
At a Glance
Methodological focus
Physics-based reduced-order modeling, nonlinear control, observer design, and data-informed model calibration.
Applications
Managed pressure drilling, torsional/axial dynamics, hydrogen/energy-system integration, and decision support for operational teams.
Current Research Focus
- Drill-string dynamics and mitigation of torsional/axial vibrations in long horizontal wells.
- Model-based control and estimation for drilling automation, including friction and toolface dynamics.
- Simplified two-phase flow models for pressure management and real-time operations.
- Hydrogen FCs and related energy-system modeling for robust operation, integration, and decision support.
- Optimization and extremum-seeking methods for improved drilling and energy-system efficiency.
Selected Topics and Representative Work
If you know my work through MARINER, which I coordinate, this site is intended to show the same core competence applied across domains: physics-based modeling, estimation, and control for high-consequence energy operations.
Drilling vibrations
I have worked extensively on torsional and axial drill-string dynamics, including side-force-driven stick-slip and regenerative effects. A concise overview is available in this University of Minnesota talk.
Extremum seeking for drilling optimization
Weight-on-bit optimization via extremum seeking was studied both analytically and experimentally, with particular attention to transient foundering effects and practical implementation constraints.
Flow and pressure control
My doctoral thesis and subsequent work developed simplified two-phase models designed for controller and estimator synthesis, with applications in drilling and production-oriented settings.
Suggested visitor path
- Start here for a technical summary and current focus areas.
- Use Publications for the full scholarly record.
- Use Code for open-source implementations connected to selected papers.