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Microfluidic Devices for Characterizing Pore-scale Event Processes in Porous Media for Oil Recovery Applications
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Time-Dependent Model for Fluid Flow in Porous Materials with Multiple Pore Sizes
Brian M Cummins1, Rukesh Chinthapatla1, Frances S Ligler1
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University , Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States.
Analytical Chemistry
|March 29, 2017
Summary
A new fluid transport model accounts for varying pore sizes in porous materials, improving predictions for capillary-driven flow in paper-based devices. This enhances accuracy for applications like lateral flow assays.
Area of Science:
- Fluid Dynamics
- Materials Science
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Accurate modeling of fluid transport in porous media is crucial for paper microfluidics and lateral flow assays.
- Existing models often oversimplify porous materials by assuming uniform pore size, leading to inaccuracies in predicting fluid behavior over time and distance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel transport model that incorporates a distribution of pore sizes for more accurate capillary fluid transport prediction.
- To validate the model's efficacy in predicting fluid saturation in paper-based microfluidic devices.
Main Methods:
- A new mathematical model was developed to simulate fluid transport considering a range of pore sizes.
- The model was applied to predict the time-dependent saturation of Whatman filter paper no. 1 strips.
- Model predictions were validated against experimental data and material properties.
Main Results:
- The new model accurately predicts the time-dependent saturation of porous paper strips.
- Incorporating a pore size distribution significantly improves the accuracy of fluid transport modeling compared to single-pore models.
- The model effectively utilizes manufacturer data, pore-size distribution measurements, and fluid properties.
Conclusions:
- The developed pore-size-distribution-aware model offers a more realistic and accurate approach to simulating capillary fluid transport in porous materials.
- This advancement is vital for the precise design and optimization of paper microfluidic devices and lateral flow assays.
- The model's predictive power is demonstrated for a common filter paper, showing its practical applicability.
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