Stokesian Dynamics Simulation of Suspension Flow in Porous Media

Abstract

Suspension flow through porous medium was studied using the Stokesian dynamics simulation method. Stokesian dynamics is an efficient tool to carry out numerical simulations for suspension of rigid particles interacting through hydrodynamic and non-hydrodynamic forces. After validating the simulation method for a single particle flowing through an array of fixed grain particles, we have analysed the suspension transport through porous medium. It was observed that the hydrodynamic interactions and the inter-particle non-hydrodynamic forces between the moving and fixed grain particles have a strong influence on the particle trajectories. This was apparent from the change in particle flux with the fractional channel width in the presence of non-hydrodynamic forces. Hydrodynamic interaction between the suspension and grain particles was also studied for large-scale porous system that was generated by a random arrangement of the particles in a periodic cell. It was found that the change in porosity leads to change in the average fluctuation velocity of the suspension. The fluctuation velocity was observed to vary linearly with the particle concentration and average suspension velocity. Finally, a comparative study was performed with suspension flow in a straight channel and it was observed that the shear-induced particle migration in porous medium is altered by the presence of grain particles.