Flow through time-evolving porous media: Swelling and erosion

The flow through a porous medium strongly depends on the boundary conditions, very often assumed to be static. Here, we consider changes in the medium due to swelling and erosion and extend existing lattice- Boltzmann models to include both. We study two boundary conditions: a constant pressure drop and a constant flow rate. For a constant flow rate, the steady state depends solely on the erosion dynamics while for a constant pressure drop it depends also on the timescale of swelling. We analyze the competition between swelling and erosion and identify a transition between regimes where either swelling or erosion dominate.

Automated summary

The flow through a porous medium is significantly affected by boundary conditions, which are often assumed to be static. Changes in the medium due to swelling and erosion have been considered in extending existing lattice-Boltzmann models. The competition between swelling and erosion determines the steady state, with a transition between regimes where either swelling or erosion dominates.