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Unexpected coupling between flow and adsorption in porous media
Jean-Mathieu Vanson1, François-Xavier Coudert, Benjamin Rotenberg
1École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Département de Chimie, Sorbonne Universités - UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS UMR 8640 PASTEUR, 24 rue Lhomond, 75005 Paris, France. anne.boutin@ens.fr.
Soft Matter
|July 4, 2015
Summary
Fluid flow in porous media causes unexpected adsorbate distribution, shifting adsorption sites downstream in grooves. This study enhances simulation methods for better understanding transport and adsorption dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Multiphase flow dynamics
- Adsorption phenomena in porous materials
- Computational fluid dynamics
Background:
- Understanding fluid flow and adsorption in porous systems is crucial for various applications.
- Previous models often simplified adsorption as linear, neglecting saturation effects.
- Lattice Boltzmann methods offer a powerful tool for simulating complex fluid dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interplay between fluid flow and adsorption in porous media.
- To analyze the impact of flow on dispersion coefficients and adsorbed density.
- To develop and validate an improved lattice Boltzmann scheme accounting for saturating adsorption.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a lattice Boltzmann scheme extended for adsorption.
- Performed simulations on well-controlled slit and grooved pore geometries.
- Investigated the influence of flow rate and adsorption properties on system behavior.
Main Results:
- Observed a counterintuitive phenomenon where fluid flow induces adsorbate heterogeneity, displacing equilibrium to downstream sites in grooves.
- Demonstrated the impact of saturating Langmuir-like adsorption on system dynamics, particularly at high adsorbate concentrations.
- Quantified changes in dispersion coefficients and adsorbed density under varying flow and adsorption conditions.
Conclusions:
- The study reveals complex interactions between transport and adsorption, influenced by pore geometry and flow.
- The enhanced lattice Boltzmann scheme provides a more realistic model for systems with saturating adsorption.
- Findings have implications for optimizing processes involving fluid flow and adsorption in engineered and natural porous systems.
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