Collaborative Research: 4D Visualization and Modeling of Two-Phase Flow and Deformation in Porous Media beyond the Realm of Creeping Flow

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Porous media (e.g., sponge, paper, fabrics, rock, and soil) are materials with pores distributed in a solid matrix. When pores are connected, fluids can flow through them. Understanding and predicting fluid flow in porous media is important as it occurs in a wide range of applications, from contamination of groundwater and soil to printing on paper and fabrics. By understanding flow pathways, we can make accurate predictions of the fluid flow, which in turn, will help us design and control related processes. However, predicting fluid flow in porous media is still a long-standing problem. While observing fluid flow in simple two-dimensional porous media can be straightforward, the same is not true in more realistic three-dimensional cases. This proposal aims to carry out an integrated computational and experimental study to provide a more accurate description of flow pathways and realistic fluid flow and the resultant deformations in such materials. Although non-destructive 3D imaging has provided much information about fluid distribution in porous materials, fast and cost-effective 4D pore-scale visualization (i.e., over a period of time) is still very difficult, costly and time-consuming. Furthermore, although visualization of multiphase flow in porous media has been extensively studied in 2D models, there have been very few of such studies in 4D (or even 3D). One goal of this proposal is to develop a 4D method for visualization of two-phase flow in transparent porous media and the deformation that it induces in the media beyond the realm of creeping flow, i.e. when the flow is very slow. This goal will be achieved by collecting 2D images from various angles, which will then be used with a computational algorithm to build a highly detailed 4D image of the multiphase flow. Detailed computations will be carried out in which the two-phase fluid flow and the resulting deformation will be simulated in the same porous media beyond creeping flow. The investigators will also study and identify the critical Reynolds number (Re) at which the transition from the Darcy regime to Forchheimer and eventually turbulent flows occurs. The effect of wettability on the deformation of porous media during two-phase flow will also be investigated. Distinct deformation modes of a porous medium will also be examined under a wide range of Reynolds number and wettability conditions.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.