Scaling laws and mechanisms of hydrodynamic dispersion in porous media

We present a theory that quantifies the interplay between intrapore and interpore flow variabilities and their impact on hydrodynamic dispersion. The theory reveals that porous media with varying levels of structural disorder exhibit notable differences in interpore flow variability, characterised b...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Liu, Yang, Xiao, Han, Aquino, Tomás, Dentz, Marco, Wang, Moran
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/379296
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/379296
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85213024157
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Porous media
Dispersion
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Descripción
Sumario:We present a theory that quantifies the interplay between intrapore and interpore flow variabilities and their impact on hydrodynamic dispersion. The theory reveals that porous media with varying levels of structural disorder exhibit notable differences in interpore flow variability, characterised by the flux-weighted probability density function (PDF), ψ̂τ(τ) ∼ τ−θ−2, for advection times τ through conduits. These differences result in varying relative strengths of interpore and intrapore flow variabilities, leading to distinct scaling behaviours of the hydrodynamic dispersion coefficient DL, normalised by the molecular diffusion coefficient Dm, with respect to the Péclet number Pe. Specifically, when ψ̂τ(τ) exhibits a broad distribution of τ with θ in the range of (0,1), the dispersion undergoes a transition from power-law scaling, DL/Dm ∼ Pe2−θ, to linear scaling, DL/Dm ∼ Pe, and eventually to logarithmic scaling, DL/Dm ∼ Peln(Pe), as Pe increases. Conversely, when τ is narrowly distributed or when θ exceeds 1, dispersion consistently follows a logarithmic scaling, DL/Dm ∼ Peln(Pe). The power-law and linear scaling occur when interpore variability predominates over intrapore variability, while logarithmic scaling arises under the opposite condition. These theoretical predictions are supported by experimental data and network simulations across a broad spectrum of porous media.