diff --git a/dumux/boxmodels/richards/richardsfluxvariables.hh b/dumux/boxmodels/richards/richardsfluxvariables.hh
index 403ebd91faf18e2c4290286826688fc269bfdf59..cc4ba20247b2c8e2517aa105025c5cf08ab05233 100644
--- a/dumux/boxmodels/richards/richardsfluxvariables.hh
+++ b/dumux/boxmodels/richards/richardsfluxvariables.hh
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ class RichardsFluxVariables
 {
     typedef typename GET_PROP_TYPE(TypeTag, Problem) Problem;
     typedef typename GET_PROP_TYPE(TypeTag, ElementVolumeVariables) ElementVolumeVariables;
-    typedef typename GET_PROP_TYPE(TypeTag, SpatialParameters) SpatialParameters;
+    typedef typename GET_PROP_TYPE(TypeTag, SpatialParameters) SpatialParams;
 
     typedef typename GET_PROP_TYPE(TypeTag, Indices) Indices;
     enum {
@@ -55,11 +55,11 @@ class RichardsFluxVariables
 
     typedef typename GET_PROP_TYPE(TypeTag, GridView) GridView;
     typedef typename GridView::template Codim<0>::Entity Element;
-    enum { dimWorld = GridView::dimensionworld};
+    enum { dim = GridView::dimension};
 
     typedef typename GET_PROP_TYPE(TypeTag, Scalar) Scalar;
-    typedef Dune::FieldVector<Scalar, dimWorld> Vector;
-    typedef Dune::FieldMatrix<Scalar, dimWorld, dimWorld> Tensor;
+    typedef Dune::FieldVector<Scalar, dim> DimVector;
+    typedef Dune::FieldMatrix<Scalar, dim, dim> DimTensor;
 
     typedef typename GET_PROP_TYPE(TypeTag, FVElementGeometry) FVElementGeometry;
     typedef typename FVElementGeometry::SubControlVolumeFace SCVFace;
@@ -80,13 +80,13 @@ public:
      */
     RichardsFluxVariables(const Problem &problem,
                           const Element &element,
-                          const FVElementGeometry &fvElemGeom,
-                          int scvfIdx,
+                          const FVElementGeometry &fvGeometry,
+                          const int faceIdx,
                           const ElementVolumeVariables &elemVolVars,
                           const bool onBoundary = false)
-        : fvElemGeom_(fvElemGeom), onBoundary_(onBoundary)
+        : fvGeometry_(fvGeometry), faceIdx_(faceIdx), onBoundary_(onBoundary)
     {
-        scvfIdx_ = scvfIdx;
+
 
         calculateGradients_(problem, element, elemVolVars);
         calculateK_(problem, element, elemVolVars);
@@ -95,13 +95,13 @@ public:
     /*!
      * \brief Return the intrinsic permeability \f$\mathrm{[m^2]}\f$.
      */
-    const Tensor &intrinsicPermeability() const
+    const DimTensor &intrinsicPermeability() const
     { return K_; }
 
     /*!
      * \brief Return the pressure potential gradient \f$\mathrm{[Pa/m]}\f$
      */
-    const Vector &potentialGradW() const
+    const DimVector &potentialGradW() const
     { return potentialGrad_; }
 
     /*!
@@ -128,18 +128,22 @@ public:
     int upstreamIdx(Scalar normalFlux) const
     { return (normalFlux > 0)?face().i:face().j; }
 
+
+
     /*!
-     * \brief Returns the face of the element's finite volume geometry
-     *        which the flux variables object looks at
+     * \brief The face of the current sub-control volume. This may be either
+     *        an inner sub-control-volume face or a face on the boundary.
      */
     const SCVFace &face() const
     {
         if (onBoundary_)
-            return fvElemGeom_.boundaryFace[scvfIdx_];
+            return fvGeometry_.boundaryFace[faceIdx_];
         else
-            return fvElemGeom_.subContVolFace[scvfIdx_];
+            return fvGeometry_.subContVolFace[faceIdx_];
     }
 
+
+
 protected:
     void calculateGradients_(const Problem &problem,
                              const Element &element,
@@ -148,15 +152,16 @@ protected:
         potentialGrad_ = 0.0;
         // calculate gradients
         for (int idx = 0;
-             idx < fvElemGeom_.numVertices;
+             idx < fvGeometry_.numVertices;
              idx++) // loop over adjacent vertices
         {
             // FE gradient at vertex index
-            const Vector &feGrad = face().grad[idx];
+            const DimVector &feGrad = face().grad[idx];
 
             // the pressure gradient
-            Vector tmp(feGrad);
+            DimVector tmp(feGrad);
             tmp *= elemVolVars[idx].pressure(wPhaseIdx);
+
             potentialGrad_ += tmp;
         }
 
@@ -180,8 +185,8 @@ protected:
 
             // estimate the gravitational acceleration at a given SCV face
             // using the arithmetic mean
-            Vector f(problem.boxGravity(element, fvElemGeom_, face().i));
-            f += problem.boxGravity(element, fvElemGeom_, face().j);
+            DimVector f(problem.boxGravity(element, fvGeometry_, face().i));
+            f += problem.boxGravity(element, fvGeometry_, face().j);
             f /= 2;
 
             // make it a force
@@ -196,26 +201,26 @@ protected:
                      const Element &element,
                      const ElementVolumeVariables &elemDat)
     {
-        const SpatialParameters &sp = problem.spatialParameters();
+        const SpatialParams &spatialParams = problem.spatialParams();
         // calculate the intrinsic permeability
-        sp.meanK(K_,
-                 sp.intrinsicPermeability(element,
-                                          fvElemGeom_,
+        spatialParams.meanK(K_,
+                 spatialParams.intrinsicPermeability(element,
+                                          fvGeometry_,
                                           face().i),
-                 sp.intrinsicPermeability(element,
-                                          fvElemGeom_,
+                 spatialParams.intrinsicPermeability(element,
+                                          fvGeometry_,
                                           face().j));
     }
 
-    const FVElementGeometry &fvElemGeom_;
-    int scvfIdx_;
+    const FVElementGeometry &fvGeometry_;
+    const int faceIdx_;
     const bool onBoundary_;
 
     // gradients
-    Vector potentialGrad_;
+    DimVector potentialGrad_;
 
     // intrinsic permeability
-    Tensor K_;
+    DimTensor K_;
 };
 
 } // end namepace
diff --git a/dumux/boxmodels/richards/richardslocalresidual.hh b/dumux/boxmodels/richards/richardslocalresidual.hh
index 4ee30cb185092285d0e1fd8a16135d9f6fa7befa..30304a2716dfc45ef35fc7146fa864bae83ec1b5 100644
--- a/dumux/boxmodels/richards/richardslocalresidual.hh
+++ b/dumux/boxmodels/richards/richardslocalresidual.hh
@@ -55,10 +55,10 @@ class RichardsLocalResidual : public BoxLocalResidual<TypeTag>
     };
 
     typedef typename GET_PROP_TYPE(TypeTag, GridView) GridView;
-    enum { dimWorld = GridView::dimensionworld};
+    enum { dim = GridView::dimension};
 
     typedef typename GET_PROP_TYPE(TypeTag, Scalar) Scalar;
-    typedef Dune::FieldVector<Scalar, dimWorld> Vector;
+    typedef Dune::FieldVector<Scalar, dim> DimVector;
 
 public:
     /*!
@@ -80,12 +80,12 @@ public:
      *
      * This function should not include the source and sink terms.
      *
-     * \param result Stores the average mass per unit volume for each phase \f$\mathrm{[kg/m^3]}\f$
+     * \param storage Stores the average mass per unit volume for each phase \f$\mathrm{[kg/m^3]}\f$
      * \param scvIdx The sub control volume index of the current element
      * \param usePrevSol Calculate the storage term of the previous solution
      *                   instead of the model's current solution.
      */
-    void computeStorage(PrimaryVariables &result, int scvIdx, bool usePrevSol) const
+    void computeStorage(PrimaryVariables &storage, int scvIdx, bool usePrevSol) const
     {
         // if flag usePrevSol is set, the solution from the previous
         // time step is used, otherwise the current solution is
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ public:
             this->curVolVars_(scvIdx);
 
         // partial time derivative of the wetting phase mass
-        result[contiEqIdx] =
+        storage[contiEqIdx] =
             volVars.density(wPhaseIdx)
             * volVars.saturation(wPhaseIdx)
             * volVars.porosity();
@@ -117,18 +117,18 @@ public:
      * \param onBoundary A boolean variable to specify whether the flux variables
      *        are calculated for interior SCV faces or boundary faces, default=false
      */
-    void computeFlux(PrimaryVariables &flux, int scvfIdx, const bool onBoundary=false) const
+    void computeFlux(PrimaryVariables &flux, int faceIdx, bool onBoundary=false) const
     {
         FluxVariables fluxVars(this->problem_(),
-                               this->elem_(),
-                               this->fvElemGeom_(),
-                               scvfIdx,
+                               this->element_(),
+                               this->fvGeometry_(),
+                               faceIdx,
                                this->curVolVars_(),
                                onBoundary);
 
         // calculate the flux in the normal direction of the
         // current sub control volume face
-        Vector tmpVec;
+        DimVector tmpVec;
         fluxVars.intrinsicPermeability().mv(fluxVars.potentialGradW(),
                                             tmpVec);
         Scalar normalFlux = -(tmpVec*fluxVars.face().normal);
@@ -149,16 +149,16 @@ public:
     /*!
      * \brief Calculate the source term of the equation
      *
-     * \param q Stores the average source term of all phases inside a
+     * \param source Stores the average source term of all phases inside a
      *          sub-control volume of the current element \f$\mathrm{[kg/(m^3 * s)]}\f$
      * \param scvIdx The sub control volume index inside the current
      *               element
      */
-    void computeSource(PrimaryVariables &q, int scvIdx)
+    void computeSource(PrimaryVariables &source, int scvIdx)
     {
-        this->problem_().boxSDSource(q,
-                                     this->elem_(),
-                                     this->fvElemGeom_(),
+        this->problem_().boxSDSource(source,
+                                     this->element_(),
+                                     this->fvGeometry_(),
                                      scvIdx,
                                      this->curVolVars_());
     }
diff --git a/dumux/boxmodels/richards/richardsnewtoncontroller.hh b/dumux/boxmodels/richards/richardsnewtoncontroller.hh
index 241f1872d154b626874acd9c704c80ac47043efa..fbe1451472a7f8017b42ab9849d65f901ee40bb2 100644
--- a/dumux/boxmodels/richards/richardsnewtoncontroller.hh
+++ b/dumux/boxmodels/richards/richardsnewtoncontroller.hh
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ class RichardsNewtonController : public NewtonController<TypeTag>
 
     typedef typename GET_PROP_TYPE(TypeTag, Scalar) Scalar;
     typedef typename GET_PROP_TYPE(TypeTag, SolutionVector) SolutionVector;
-    typedef typename GET_PROP_TYPE(TypeTag, SpatialParameters) SpatialParameters;
+    typedef typename GET_PROP_TYPE(TypeTag, SpatialParameters) SpatialParams;
     typedef typename GET_PROP_TYPE(TypeTag, FVElementGeometry) FVElementGeometry;
     typedef typename GET_PROP_TYPE(TypeTag, MaterialLaw) MaterialLaw;
     typedef typename GET_PROP_TYPE(TypeTag, MaterialLawParams) MaterialLawParams;
@@ -90,21 +90,21 @@ public:
                 return;
 
             // clamp saturation change to at most 20% per iteration
-            FVElementGeometry fvElemGeom;
+            FVElementGeometry fvGeomtry;
             const GridView &gv = this->problem_().gridView();
             ElementIterator eIt = gv.template begin<0>();
             const ElementIterator eEndIt = gv.template end<0>();
             for (; eIt != eEndIt; ++eIt) {
-                fvElemGeom.update(gv, *eIt);
-                for (int i = 0; i < fvElemGeom.numVertices; ++i) {
+                fvGeomtry.update(gv, *eIt);
+                for (int i = 0; i < fvGeomtry.numVertices; ++i) {
                     int globI = this->problem_().vertexMapper().map(*eIt, i, dim);
 
                     // calculate the old wetting phase saturation
-                    const SpatialParameters &sp = this->problem_().spatialParameters();
-                    const MaterialLawParams &mp = sp.materialLawParams(*eIt, fvElemGeom, i);
+                    const SpatialParams &spatialParams = this->problem_().spatialParams();
+                    const MaterialLawParams &mp = spatialParams.materialLawParams(*eIt, fvGeomtry, i);
                     Scalar pcMin = MaterialLaw::pC(mp, 1.0);
                     Scalar pW = uLastIter[globI][pwIdx];
-                    Scalar pN = std::max(this->problem_().referencePressure(*eIt, fvElemGeom, i),
+                    Scalar pN = std::max(this->problem_().referencePressure(*eIt, fvGeomtry, i),
                                          pW + pcMin);
                     Scalar pcOld = pN - pW;
                     Scalar SwOld = std::max<Scalar>(0.0, MaterialLaw::Sw(mp, pcOld));
diff --git a/dumux/boxmodels/richards/richardsproblem.hh b/dumux/boxmodels/richards/richardsproblem.hh
index e3e3c9c1200c99710ed6b329d685f1ca64a95c00..000bbf9466bc58ab888554a89b11adc698b6bae5 100644
--- a/dumux/boxmodels/richards/richardsproblem.hh
+++ b/dumux/boxmodels/richards/richardsproblem.hh
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ public:
      * \param scvIdx The local index of the sub control volume inside the element
      */
     Scalar referencePressure(const Element &element,
-                             const FVElementGeometry fvGeom,
+                             const FVElementGeometry fvGeometry,
                              int scvIdx) const
     { DUNE_THROW(Dune::NotImplemented, "referencePressure() method not implemented by the actual problem"); };
     // \}
diff --git a/dumux/boxmodels/richards/richardsvolumevariables.hh b/dumux/boxmodels/richards/richardsvolumevariables.hh
index 27f587fb9a117c9073061638a54836b5040b4e78..52e98f4ed2a0521e43199a1c627166482477d333 100644
--- a/dumux/boxmodels/richards/richardsvolumevariables.hh
+++ b/dumux/boxmodels/richards/richardsvolumevariables.hh
@@ -85,37 +85,37 @@ public:
      * \param isOldSol Specifies whether the solution is from
      *                 the previous time step or from the current one
      */
-    void update(const PrimaryVariables &priVars,
+    void update(const PrimaryVariables &primaryVariables,
                 const Problem &problem,
                 const Element &element,
-                const FVElementGeometry &elemGeom,
+                const FVElementGeometry &fvGeometry,
                 int scvIdx,
                 bool isOldSol)
     {
         assert(!FluidSystem::isLiquid(nPhaseIdx));
 
-        ParentType::update(priVars,
+        ParentType::update(primaryVariables,
                            problem,
                            element,
-                           elemGeom,
+                           fvGeometry,
                            scvIdx,
                            isOldSol);
 
-        completeFluidState(priVars, problem, element, elemGeom, scvIdx, fluidState_);
+        completeFluidState(primaryVariables, problem, element, fvGeometry, scvIdx, fluidState_);
 
         //////////
         // specify the other parameters
         //////////
         const MaterialLawParams &matParams =
-            problem.spatialParameters().materialLawParams(element, elemGeom, scvIdx);
+            problem.spatialParams().materialLawParams(element, fvGeometry, scvIdx);
         relativePermeabilityWetting_ =
             MaterialLaw::krw(matParams,
                              fluidState_.saturation(wPhaseIdx));
 
-        porosity_ = problem.spatialParameters().porosity(element, elemGeom, scvIdx);
+        porosity_ = problem.spatialParams().porosity(element, fvGeometry, scvIdx);
 
         // energy related quantities not contained in the fluid state
-        asImp_().updateEnergy_(priVars, problem, element, elemGeom, scvIdx, isOldSol);
+        asImp_().updateEnergy_(primaryVariables, problem, element, fvGeometry, scvIdx, isOldSol);
     }
 
     /*!
@@ -124,19 +124,19 @@ public:
     static void completeFluidState(const PrimaryVariables& primaryVariables,
                                    const Problem& problem,
                                    const Element& element,
-                                   const FVElementGeometry& elementGeometry,
+                                   const FVElementGeometry& fvGeometry,
                                    int scvIdx,
                                    FluidState& fluidState)
     {
         // temperature
         Scalar t = Implementation::temperature_(primaryVariables, problem, element,
-                                                elementGeometry, scvIdx);
+                                                fvGeometry, scvIdx);
         fluidState.setTemperature(t);
 
         // pressures
-        Scalar pnRef = problem.referencePressure(element, elementGeometry, scvIdx);
+        Scalar pnRef = problem.referencePressure(element, fvGeometry, scvIdx);
         const MaterialLawParams &matParams =
-            problem.spatialParameters().materialLawParams(element, elementGeometry, scvIdx);
+            problem.spatialParams().materialLawParams(element, fvGeometry, scvIdx);
         Scalar minPc = MaterialLaw::pC(matParams, 1.0);
         fluidState.setPressure(wPhaseIdx, primaryVariables[pwIdx]);
         fluidState.setPressure(nPhaseIdx, std::max(pnRef, primaryVariables[pwIdx] + minPc));
@@ -257,13 +257,13 @@ public:
     { return fluidState_.pressure(nPhaseIdx) - fluidState_.pressure(wPhaseIdx); }
 
 protected:
-    static Scalar temperature_(const PrimaryVariables &priVars,
+    static Scalar temperature_(const PrimaryVariables &primaryVariables,
                             const Problem& problem,
                             const Element &element,
-                            const FVElementGeometry &elemGeom,
+                            const FVElementGeometry &fvGeometry,
                             int scvIdx)
     {
-        return problem.boxTemperature(element, elemGeom, scvIdx);
+        return problem.boxTemperature(element, fvGeometry, scvIdx);
     }
 
     /*!
@@ -272,8 +272,8 @@ protected:
     void updateEnergy_(const PrimaryVariables &sol,
                        const Problem &problem,
                        const Element &element,
-                       const FVElementGeometry &elemGeom,
-                       int vertIdx,
+                       const FVElementGeometry &fvGeometry,
+                       int scvIdx,
                        bool isOldSol)
     { }