Pore-scale dispersion: bridging the gap between microscopic pore structure and the emerging macroscopic transport behavior
File(s)MeyerBijeljic_PRE2016_ACCEPTED.pdf (4.03 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Meyer, DW
Bijeljic, B
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
We devise an efficient methodology to provide a universal statistical description of advection-dominated dispersion (Péclet→∞) in natural porous media including carbonates. First, we investigate the dispersion of tracer particles by direct numerical simulation (DNS). The transverse dispersion is found to be essentially determined by the tortuosity and it approaches a Fickian limit within a dozen characteristic scales. Longitudinal dispersion was found to be Fickian in the limit for bead packs and superdiffusive for all other natural media inspected. We demonstrate that the Lagrangian velocity correlation length is a quantity that characterizes the spatial variability for transport. Finally, a statistical transport model is presented that sheds light on the connection between pore-scale characteristics and the resulting macroscopic transport behavior. Our computationally efficient model accurately reproduces the transport behavior in longitudinal direction and approaches the Fickian limit in transverse direction.
Date Issued
2016-07-14
Date Acceptance
2016-05-28
Citation
Physical Review E, 2016, 94 (1)
ISSN
1539-3755
Publisher
American Physical Society
Journal / Book Title
Physical Review E
Volume
94
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© 2016 American Physical Society
Subjects
Fluids & Plasmas
Mathematical Sciences
Physical Sciences
Engineering
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
013107