Flow modelling through a packing of real particles

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The control of percolation in porous media is fundamental in geotechnical engineering and the assessment of its behaviour is predominantly performed by simple flow laws. In these constitutive models, where the medium is considered continuous, the variables obtained represent the average macroscopic behaviour of the flow in the porous medium and may be sufficient for determining and designing some practical problems in conventional engineering projects. However, the local variables in the voids can reach much different values from the average flow results on macroscopic scale modelling. These local levels can generate significant pressure drops and percolation forces that may cause engineering issues that the macroscopic models cannot predict. In this sense, this paper proposes the assessment of the flow behaviour through a packing of real particles by using a mixed numerical method methodology (DEM and VFM). The particles were characterized statistically by size and shape and packed randomly. The flow simulation was performed using a CFD software. With this model it is possible to evaluate the influence of the particles morphology and assess the flow variables at the grain and pore-scale. The results were then compared with the well-known models of Ergun (1952) and Carman (1956).

10th European Conference on Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering (NUMGE2023)

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