Identification of the pore size distribution of a porous medium using oscillating Newtonian fluids

Abstract

In this paper, we present a new method to characterize the topology of a porous medium in terms of the pore-size distribution (PSD). This innovative model is based on the dynamic analysis of the oscillating flow of a Newtonian fluid through the porous sample. It consists in using the hydrodynamic transfer function of the porous material and more particularly its admittance. Indeed, the penetration thickness in each pore is a function of the oscillation frequency of the imposed pressure gradient and the viscosity of the fluid. The capillary bundle model (Carman-Kozeny type) was used. This technique has been successfully tested and validated for many types of pore size distributions. Compared to existing techniques, this original method is typical by its simplicity, non-toxicity, and low cost.