Abstract
Pore scale analysis of flow through porous media is of interest because it is essential for understanding internal erosion and piping, among other applications. Past studies have mainly focused on exploring macroscopic flow to infer microscopic phenomena. An innovative method is introduced in this study which permits visualization of interstitial fluid flow through the pores of a saturated synthetic transparent granular medium at the microscale. Several representative images of Ottawa sand were obtained using dynamic image analysis (DIA), for comparison with flow through perfect cylinders. Magnified transparent soil particles made of hydrogel were cast in 3D printed molds. Custom 3D printed jigs were employed for accurate positioning of the particles to ensure that particles have the same flow area within the soil. The pore fluid was embedded with silver-coated hollow microspheres that allowed for their florescence and tracking their movement within the model when illuminated by a laser light source. Images of the flow were captured from the model using a high-speed camera. This, along with particle image velocimetry (PIV) provided for the velocity and direction analysis of fluid flow movements within the pore space of a planar 2D model. Comparison of interstitial flow through homogeneous porosity-controlled Ottawa-shaped and cylindrical particles demonstrates that the magnitude of turbulence is related to particle roundness.
Highlights
Visualization of Interstitial Pore FluidFluid motion through porous media is an important problem of interest to many fields of science and engineering
Empirical experimental studies often rely on macro scale measurements that focus on global parameters such as overall pressure drop which are typically used to estimate the behavior of porous media
The general pattern of flow within the porous media depended on the shapes of the modelled sands
Summary
Fluid motion through porous media is an important problem of interest to many fields of science and engineering. Applications such as seepage induced instability, internal erosion, piping, and earth dam design are fundamentally flow problems. Problems where rapid generation and dissipation of pore water pressures are significant, such as liquefaction and cavitation, all benefit from advances in this area. Flow through the pores of a granular media can be studied at the macro scale or at the micro/pore scale. Empirical experimental studies often rely on macro scale measurements that focus on global parameters such as overall pressure drop which are typically used to estimate the behavior of porous media. Filter design to prevent erosion or clogging has conventionally been studied using these empirical approaches
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
