Channelling and branching in frangible porous media

ORAL

Abstract

Fluid flowing through a fragile porous medium can cause channels to form due to erosion. We write down an effective theory for the process in terms of a multiphase flow model that couples a Darcy equation with a dynamical permeability to a dynamical equation for the rate of erosion. Solving the problem numerically shows that the appearance of tree-like branches as well as channels depending on the boundary conditions, and the rate of flow change at the boundary. Adding deposition and evaporation to the model leads to patterns similar to vascularization in tissues and suggests ways to engineer soft materials to self organize into biomimetic patterns.

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Presenters

  • Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan

    Department of Physics, Harvard University, Harvard University, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, SEAS, Physics, OEB, Harvard University

Authors

  • DAVID FRONK

    Harvard University

  • Nicholas Derr

    Harvard University

  • Amala Mahadevan

    Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

  • Christopher Rycroft

    SEAS, Harvard University, Harvard University, Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University

  • Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan

    Department of Physics, Harvard University, Harvard University, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, SEAS, Physics, OEB, Harvard University