Formulation of a finite deformation model for the dynamic response of open cell biphasic media

Abstract

The paper illustrates a biphasic formulation which addresses the dynamic response of fluid saturated porous biphasic media at finite deformations with no restriction on the compressibility of the fluid and of the solid skeleton. The proposed model exploits four state fields of purely kinematic nature: the displacements of the solid phase, the velocity of the fluid, the density of the fluid and an additional macroscopic scalar field, termed effective Jacobian, associated with the effective volumetric deformation of the solid phase. The governing equations are characterized by the property of being all expressed in the reference configuration of the solid phase and by the property of employing only work-conjugate variables, thus avoiding the use of a total Cauchy stress tensor. In particular, the set of governing equations includes a momentum balance equation associated with the effective Jacobian field. This equation, differently from the closure-equations proposed by other authors which express a saturation constraint or a porosity balance, is derived as a stationarity condition on account of a least-action variational principle.