An arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian finite element formulation for a poroelasticity problem stemming from mixture theory

Abstract

A finite element formulation is developed for a poroelastic medium consisting of an incompressible hyperelastic skeleton saturated by an incompressible fluid. The governing equations stem from mixture theory and the application is motivated by the study of interstitial fluid flow in brain tissue. The formulation is based on the adoption of an arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) perspective. We focus on a flow regime in which inertia forces are negligible. The stability and convergence of the formulation is discussed, and numerical results demonstrate agreement with the theory.