Numerical Simulation of Fluid Flow in Random Granular Porous Media using Lattice Boltzmann Method

In this paper, fluid flow between two parallel flat plates that are partially filled with two-dimension porous media is investigated numerically using single relaxation time (SRT) lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) at pore scale. The considered obstacles are random, circular, rigid and granular with uniform diameters. Single component and single-phase viscous Newtonian fluid are considered as working fluid. There are no overlaps between obstacles. It supposed incompressible, steady and laminar flow and no chemical reaction performed in porous media. Velocity vectors and streamlines in this domain depicted. The effect of varying Reynolds number on the pressure drop or pressure gradient and Darcy drag are studied. Dimensionless permeability calculated as a function of porosity and Knudsen number. To vary porosity, obstacles diameter changed but their places considered constant. With increasing Knudsen number, the dimensionless permeability is increased. In addition, effect of domain resolution on pressure gradient investigated. The results demonstrate that lattice Boltzmann method will be very useful in fluid flow simulation through porous media.