Pore Network Modeling of Drying Processes in Macroporous Materials: Effects of Gravity, Mass Boundary Layer and Pore Microstructure

We develop a pore network model for the evaporative drying of macroporous media that accounts for the major pore-scale mechanisms experimentally identified to play an important role on the drying rates and phase distribution patterns. The model accounts for viscous flow through liquid films, gravity...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Transport in porous media 2015-11, Vol.110 (2), p.175-196
Main Authors: Yiotis, A. G., Salin, D., Yortsos, Y. C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Boundary layer
Boundary layers
Civil Engineering
Classical and Continuum Physics
Dimensionless numbers
Drying
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Evaporation rate
Geotechnical Engineering & Applied Earth Sciences
Gravitation
Gravitational effects
Hydrogeology
Hydrology/Water Resources
Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering
Mass transfer
Media
Microstructure
Networks
Particle size distribution
Phase distribution
Physics
Pore size distribution
Porosity
Roundness
Viscous flow
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Summary:We develop a pore network model for the evaporative drying of macroporous media that accounts for the major pore-scale mechanisms experimentally identified to play an important role on the drying rates and phase distribution patterns. The model accounts for viscous flow through liquid films, gravity and mass transfer, both within the dry medium and also through a mass boundary layer over the external surface of the medium. Also accounted are the heterogeneity of the pore size distribution and pore wall microstructure effects expressed through the degree of corner roundness. The latter plays a major role on the extent of the film region. The model is then used to study capillary, gravity and external mass transfer effects through the variation of the appropriate dimensionless numbers. The effect of gravity is particularly analyzed for the two cases, when gravity is opposing and when it is enhancing drying, respectively. In the latter case, strong mass transfer and viscous forces compared to gravity can prevent instability of the receding evaporation front, leading to a two constant-rate-regime drying curve in agreement with the 1-D theory proposed earlier.
ISSN:0169-3913
1573-1634
DOI:10.1007/s11242-015-0529-2