Hydrodynamic controls on particle transport through heterogeneous porous media. Technical progress report.

摘要

Sophisticated models of the movement of particles, particularly bacteria and viruses, through porous media have been developed, but have met with limited success when compared to field observations some argue that the poor predictive capabilities of the models are due in part to the fact that most of the sophisticated models are tied to an assumptions of homogeneity within the flow field. In previous work, the structure of random percolation fields has been investigated and suggests application of percolation theory to heterogeneous porous media. One conclusion from this study as applied to particle transport is that as the distribution of pore throat sizes takes on variation in the third dimension, the probability of finding a continuous flow path with large throat size increases. One interpretation of this work, within the current context, leads to an argument that a saturated medium will become more open to transport of particles as the medium takes on three dimensional structure. The central hypothesis of the current project is therefore be stated: Particles which are suspended within the pore fluids of media demonstrating three-dimensional heterogeneities will be transported at higher average velocities and with less trapping than particles which are suspended in the pore fluids of media demonstrating one- or two-dimensional heterogeneities. This dependence on dimension is a function of the dimensional character of the heterogeneity, the length scales of the heterogeneity, the size of the particles, the hydrodynamics of the flow field, the degree of saturation of the medium, and the medium/particle interaction.