Numerical calculation for streaming potentials caused by solid deformation

Abstract

When a solid is deformed by an external force, it will cause the liquid in its internal pores to flow and generate a streaming potential. To understand the streaming potentials in the pores, a numerical analysis model of solid–liquid-streaming potential coupling was proposed. To validate the model, an experiment was designed and the reliability of the model was demonstrated by comparing with the results of the experiment and a theoretical analysis respectively. Then the model was applied to numerically calculate the streaming potentials in tubes with tapered-through-hole and curved holes with different curvatures respectively. The results show that under the same external loading, the streaming potentials in a straight tapered tube increases with the decrease of tube outlet diameter and increase of the thin tube length. Another result is that the curvature of a thin bent tube or hole can also cause the increment of the streaming potential. The loading frequency also affect the streaming potential. Relatively high loading frequency results in increasing the amplitude of the streaming potential.