Slip-driven electroosmotic transport through porous media

Area of Science:

• Fluid Dynamics
• Electrokinetics
• Porous Media Physics

Background:

• Understanding fluid transport in porous media is crucial for applications like microfluidics and bioremediation.
• Electrical double layer effects significantly influence fluid behavior at interfaces within confined geometries.
• Interfacial slip, modulated by electrical forcing, presents a complex factor in electrohydrodynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate slip-driven transport of Newtonian fluids through porous media considering electrical double layer effects.
• To analyze the interplay between porous media geometry, interfacial slip, and electrical forcing on flow dynamics.
• To determine the impact of these factors on volumetric transport rates and identify potential reverse flow phenomena.

Main Methods:

• Development of a semi-analytical framework to model electrohydrodynamics.
• Analysis of fluid flow dynamics under varying porous media configurations and electrical forcing.
• Examination of interfacial slip effects on flow behavior and transport rates.

Main Results:

• Electrical forcing and porous media geometry significantly alter flow dynamics and volumetric transport rates.
• Inception of reverse flow near the wall due to induced pressure gradients from co-ion convection was observed.
• Interfacial slip was shown to influence flow rate variations, particularly in conjunction with reverse flow.

Conclusions:

• The study provides insights into complex electrokinetic transport phenomena in porous media.
• Findings highlight the critical role of geometrical features and electrical modulation of interfacial slip.
• The results can inform the design of advanced bio-microelectromechanical systems (bio-MEMS) and microfluidic devices for in-situ bioremediation.