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Absolute Permeability Simulation
with VGSTUDIO MAX
Simulate absolute permeability on CT scans of different materials using the Transport Phenomena Simulation Module for VGSTUDIO MAX.
Simulation of Absolute Permeability
Permeability is the ability of a medium to allow a fluid to flow through.
The Transport Phenomena Simulation Module for VGSTUDIO MAX:
- Calculates stationary laminar (low Reynolds number) flow of an incompressible fluid through the voids of a porous material.
- Works directly on voxel data and makes use of the sub-voxel accurate, local adaptive surface determination in VGSTUDIO MAX.
- Has "experiment mode" for performing a virtual experiment and "tensor mode" for calculating the absolute permeability tensor.
Permeability simulations are based on the following assumptions regarding the viscous flow:
- Movement of a single fluid through the pore space from high pressure to low pressure
- Stationary laminar ("Stokes") flow, low Reynolds number, no turbulences
- Only advection (no diffusion)
- Incompressible fluid (no gas)
- Porous material is completely flooded with fluid
Governing equations:
Experiment Mode
In experiment mode, the software performs a virtual experiment on the CT data of a structure, simulating the flow of a fluid through the structure from an inlet plane towards an outlet plane parallel to each other. Perpendicular to the inlet and outlet plane, sealed or embedded boundary conditions can be defined. A pressure difference or total flow rate can be specified as driving quantities for the flow.
Results of Calculation
The results are provided as 2D and 3D visualizations of the velocity field as well as the pressure distribution. Flow directions can be visualized by streamlines in 2D and 3D:
- Velocity field
- Pressure distribution
- Streamlines
Additional Results
The following additional results are provided in a table view:
- Absolute permeability (scalar value, calculated in flow direction)
- Hydraulic tortuosity (in the calculated flow direction)
- Void fraction
- Effective void fraction
- Total flow rate
- Pressure gradient
The following results can be viewed as curve plots along the flow direction:
- Velocity
- Void fraction
- Total flow rate
Tensor Mode
In tensor mode, the software calculates the intrinsic effective tensor-valued permeability. The calculation of the permeability tensor can be done on the whole structure or for increments of the structure by means of an integration mesh.
Results
As a result for the absolute permeability, the software provides you the permeability tensor as 2D and 3D visualizations.
- Results are displayed as an ellipsoid in the center of the simulated volume.
- When the analysis is performed on an integration mesh, results are displayed as an ellipsoid in the center of each cell.
- The main axes of the ellipsoid are aligned with the eigenvectors of the tensor while the lengths of the axes are proportional to the eigenvalues of the tensor.
- When the analysis is performed on an integration mesh, the mean absolute permeability and the void fraction as well as the eigenvalues of the permeability tensor tensor can also be visualized in 2D and 3D.
In addition to the tensors' eigenvalues and eigenvectors, the components of the absolute permeability tensor with respect to the simulation coordinate system are provided in a table view.
Benefits
Easy to use
- No simulation expertise required
- No meshing required
Efficient
- Seamless workflow from material segmentation to simulation in one software
Validated
- Accuracy and performance proven in a peer-reviewed benchmark study (Source: doi:10.1016/j.advwatres.2017.09.007)