The linear stability of vertical mixture seepage into the close porous filter with clogging

Abstract

In the present paper, filtration of a mixture through a close porous filter is considered. A heavy solute penetrates from the upper side of the filter into the filter body due to seepage flow and diffusion. In the presence of heavy solute a domain with a heavy fluid is formed near the upper boundary of the filter. The stratification, at which the heavy fluid is located above the light, is unstable. When the mass of the heavy solute exceeds the critical value, one can observe the onset of instability. As a result, two regimes of vertical filtration can occur: (1) homogeneous seepage and (2) convective filtration. Filtration of a mixture in porous media is a complex process. It is necessary to take into account the solute immobilization (or sorption) and clogging of porous medium. We consider the case of low solute concentrations, in which the immobilization is described by the linear MIM (mobile/immobile media) model. The clogging is described by the dependence of permeability on porosity in terms of the Carman–Kozeny formula. The presence of immobile (or adsorbed) particles of the solute decreases the porosity of media and porous media becomes less permeable. The purpose of the paper is to find the stability conditions for the homogeneous vertical seepage of the mixture into the close porous filter. The linear stability problem is solved using the quasi-static approach. The critical times of instability are estimated. The stability maps have been plotted in the space of system parameters. The applicability of quasi-static approach is substantiated by direct numerical simulation.