Homogenization approach to filtration through a fibrous medium

Pages: 529 - 550, Volume 2, Issue 3, September 2007

doi:10.3934/nhm.2007.2.529       Abstract        Full Text (401.5K)       Related Articles

Mohamed Belhadj - INRIA Rocquencourt, B.P. 105, F-78153, Le Chesnay Cedex, France (email)
Eric Cancès - CERMICS, École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, 6 et 8, avenue Blaise Pascal, Cité Descartes - Champs sur Marne, F-77455 Marne La Vallée Cedex 2, France (email)
Jean-Frédéric Gerbeau - INRIA- Project M3N, Rocquencort B.P. 105, F-78153 Le Chesnay Cedex, France (email)
Andro Mikelić - Université de Lyon, Lyon, F-69003, UFR Mathématiques, Site de Gerland, Bat. A, 50, avenue Tony Garnier, 69367 Lyon Cedex 07, France (email)

Abstract: We study the flow through fibrous media using homogenization techniques. The fibre network under study is the one already used by M. Briane in the context of heat conduction of biological tissues. We derive and justify the effective Darcy equation and the permeability tensor for such fibrous media. The theoretical results on the permeability are illustrated by some numerical simulations. Finally, the low solid fraction limit is considered. Applying results by G. Allaire to our setting, we justify rigorously the leading order term in the empirical formulas for the effective permeability used in engineering. The results are also confirmed by a direct numerical calculation of the permeability, in which the small diameter of the fibres requires high accuracy approximations.

Keywords:  Homogenization, Filtration, Fibrous Porous Media, Quasi-Periodic, Darcy Equation, Permeability, Low Solid Fraction
Mathematics Subject Classification:  76M50, 76S05, 74Q15, 35B27.

Received: May 2007;      Revised: June 2007;      Published: June 2007.