Journal of Porous Media

ISSN for PRINT: 1091-028X

For Online Access

Best Paper Award Selection - Editorial Board Site

2005, Volume8

Issue 3

98 pages

DOI: 10.1615/JPorMedia.v8.i3

Issue price - $92.00

B. Markicevic
Center for Composite Materials, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA

D. Litchfield
Center for Composite Materials, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716

D. Heider
Center for Composite Materials, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA

Suresh G. Advani
Center for Composite Materials, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716

An experimental and a numerical study of filling a system of porous medium/flow enhancement network is carried out, and its flow behavior is explored. Three types of filling systems are investigated: (i) porous medium without any flow enhancement network, (ii) porous medium coupled with a highly permeable layer (distribution layer), and (iii) porous medium with flow enhancement network consisting of channels. The porous medium/channel network system was of particular interest and hence the flow and the flow mechanisms have been characterized and analyzed by identifying their flow characteristics. Two flow mechanisms have been defined that depend on the channel size (volume) and number of channels (distance between channels). A parametric study reveals that the porous medium permeability plays a role in transition from one flow mechanism to the other. Finally, the repeatability of these filling processes has been addressed and the effect of the flow enhancement network on the repeatability of time to fill the porous media is discussed.

DOI: 10.1615/JPorMedia.v8.i3.40 Download article, 281-297 pages

Article price - $35.00

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