Domain decomposition for an asymptotic geological fault modeling

We present in this paper a domain decomposition method to treat faults in geological basin modeling. The particularity of this model is that the faults whose widths are very small in comparison with the basin size, are not characterized as subdomains any more but as interfaces between sedimentary blocks. The originality of this work lies in the formulation of this new fault model and in the definition and the computation of the interface conditions between the subdomains. To cite this article: E. Flauraud et al., C. R. Mecanique 331 (2003).     

Cathode of a fuel cell with a solid polymer electrolyte: Calculating overall currents in the presence of a gas-diffusion layer

Mathematical apparatus, which makes it possible to perform calculations of the current-voltage characteristics of cathodes of fuel cells with a solid polymer electrolyte in conditions where there are present extraneous diffusion restrictions is proposed. In so doing, the partial pressure of oxygen and the absolute pressure of gas in the gas chamber may assume any values. First of all presented are the results of calculations of the current-voltage characteristics intrinsic to active layers of the air and oxygen cathodes, which are performed under the assumption that the extraneous diffusion restrictions are absent altogether. Thereafter, in the same conditions (at the same parameters that characterize the active layer of a cathode), obtained are results of a calculation of the current-voltage characteristics inherent in the air and oxygen cathodes in the presence of extraneous diffusion restrictions. Afterward there is performed an analysis of the way a gas-diffusion layer restricts the process of generation of current in a cathode and of what measures should be taken in order for the extraneous diffusion restrictions to become less significant.     

Integral representation of a solution to the Stokes–Darcy problem

With methods of potential theory, we develop a representation of a solution of the coupled Stokes–Darcy model in a Lipschitz domain for boundary data in H^?1/2. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development of boundary element method to dynamic problems for porous media

Biot's consolidation theory is extended to a general class of viscoelastic bodies defined by Riemann-Stieltjes integral convolutions. From a new reciprocity theorem, proved for the governing equations including the inertia terms, the basic integral representations of the displacement fields and pore pressure are obtained. It is shown that, in the absence of internal inputs, a formulation of the dynamic problem in terms of the boundary unknown fields only is possible.     

Three‐dimensional finite element modelling of coupled free/porous flows: applications to industrial and environmental flows

Conjunctive modelling of free/porous flows provides a powerful and cost‐effective tool for designing industrial filters used in the process industry and also for quantifying surface–subsurface flow interactions, which play a significant role in urban flooding mechanisms resulting from sea‐level rise and climate changes. A number of well‐established schemes are available in the literature for simulation of such regimes; however, three‐dimensional (3D) modelling of such flow systems still presents numerical and practical challenges. This paper presents the development of a fully 3D, transient finite element model for the prediction and quantitative analyses of the hydrodynamic behaviour encountered in industrial filtrations and environmental flows represented by coupled flows. The weak‐variational formulation in this model is based on the use of C⁰ continuous equal‐order Lagrange polynomial functions for velocity and pressure fields represented by 3D hexahedral finite elements. A mixed UVWP finite element scheme based on the standard Galerkin technique satisfying the Ladyzhenskaya–Babuska–Brezzi stability criterion through incorporation of an artificial compressibility term in the continuity equation has been employed for the solution of coupled partial differential equations. We prove that the discretization generates unified stabilization for both the Navier–Stokes and Darcy equations and preserves the geometrical flexibility of the computational grids. A direct node‐linking procedure involving the rearrangement of the global stiffness matrix for the interface elements has been developed by the authors, which is utilized to couple the governing equations in a single model. A variety of numerical tests are conducted, indicating that the model is capable of yielding theoretically expected and accurate results for free, porous and coupled free/porous problems encountered in industrial and environmental engineering problems representing complex filtration (dead‐end and cross‐flow) and interacting surface–subsurface flows. The model is computationally cost‐effective, robust, reliable and easily implementable for practical design of filtration equipments, investigation of land use for water resource availability and assessment of the impacts of climatic variations on environmental catastrophes (i.e. coastal and urban floods). The model developed in this work results from the extension of a multi‐disciplinary project (AEROFIL) primarily sponsored by the European aerospace industries for development of a computer simulation package (Aircraft Cartridge Filter Analysis Modelling Program), which was successfully utilized and deployed for designing hydraulic dead‐end filters used in Airbus A380.Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On hydraulic permeability of random packs of monodisperse spheres: Direct flow simulations versus correlations

Hydraulic permeability is studied in porous media consisting of randomly distributed monodisperse spheres by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The packing of spheres is generated by inserting a certain number of nonoverlapping spherical particles inside a cubic box at both low and high packing fractions using proper algorithms. Fluid flow simulations are performed within the interparticulate porous space by solving Navier-Stokes equations in a low-Reynolds laminar flow regime. The hydraulic permeability is calculated from the Darcy equation once the mean values of velocity and pressure gradient are calculated across the particle packing. The simulation results for the pressure drop across the packing are verified by the Ergun equation for the lower range of porosities (<0.75), and the Stokes equation for higher porosities (∼1). Using the results of simulations, the effects of porosity and particle diameters on the hydraulic permeability are investigated. Simulations precisely specified the range of applicability of empirical or semi-empirical correlations for hydraulic permeability, namely the Carman-Kozeny, Rumpf-Gupte, and Howells-Hinch formulas. The number of spheres in the model is gradually decreased from 2000 to 20 to discover the finite-size effect of pores on the hydraulic permeability of spherical packing, which has not been clearly addressed in the literature. In addition, the scale dependence of hydraulic permeability is studied via simulations of the packing of spheres shrunk to lower scales. The results of this work not only reveal the validity range of the aforementioned correlations, but also show the finite-size effect of pores and the scale-independence of direct CFD simulations for hydraulic permeability.     

Poroacoustic solitary waves under the unidirectional Darcy–Jordan model

Working in the context of poroacoustics, we present new, physically relevant, explicit solutions to the Cauchy problem for the model we term the (1D) damped Riemann equation. The solitary waveforms that evolve from both Lorentzian ($C^{\infty }$-smooth) and symmetric-exponential ($C^0$-smooth) initial conditions are analyzed, the focus being on wave overturning and the evolution/structure of the shocks which develop thereafter. In addition to those for both the multi- and single-valued forms of each solution, expressions for the shock amplitude, velocity, and critical values of the physical parameters are derived/compared. Lastly, links to other areas of continuum physics, and possible follow-on investigations, are noted.     

Spatial decay in a double diffusive convection problem in Darcy flow

This paper deals with a model of time-dependent double diffusive convection in Darcy flow. In particular it is concerned with the spatial decay of solutions when the flow is confined to a semi-infinite cylinder. Decay bounds for an energy expression are derived.     

Singular nature of nonlinear macroscale effects in high-rate flow through porous mediaNature singulière des effets macroscopiques non linéaires dans un écoulement à hautes vitesses en milieux poreux

The quadratic law of laminar flow through porous media at high Reynolds numbers, which is well confirmed by the multiple experimental data, is shown to give rise to three fundamental paradoxes. All them can be resolved by assuming the singular structure of flow. The singularity is produced by the formation of jet brunches which invade the stagnant zones and sharply loss their kinetic energy. The numerical simulation confirms this effect. To cite this article: M. Panfilov et al., C. R. Mecanique 331 (2003).     

On the mixed problem for the semilinear Darcy‐Forchheimer‐Brinkman PDE system in Besov spaces on creased Lipschitz domains

The purpose of this paper is to study the mixed Dirichlet‐Neumann boundary value problem for the semilinear Darcy‐Forchheimer‐Brinkman system in L _p ‐based Besov spaces on a bounded Lipschitz domain in ${\mathbb{R}}^3$, with p in a neighborhood of 2. This system is obtained by adding the semilinear term | u | u to the linear Brinkman equation. First, we provide some results about equivalence between the Gagliardo and nontangential traces, as well as between the weak canonical conormal derivatives and the nontangential conormal derivatives. Various mapping and invertibility properties of some integral operators of potential theory for the linear Brinkman system, and well‐posedness results for the Dirichlet and Neumann problems in L _p ‐based Besov spaces on bounded Lipschitz domains in ${\mathbb{R}}^n$(n ≥3) are also presented. Then, using integral potential operators, we show the well‐posedness in L ₂‐based Sobolev spaces for the mixed problem of Dirichlet‐Neumann type for the linear Brinkman system on a bounded Lipschitz domain in ${\mathbb{R}}^n$(n ≥3). Further, by using some stability results of Fredholm and invertibility properties and exploring invertibility of the associated Neumann‐to‐Dirichlet operator, we extend the well‐posedness property to some L _p ‐based Sobolev spaces. Next, we use the well‐posedness result in the linear case combined with a fixed point theorem to show the existence and uniqueness for a mixed boundary value problem of Dirichlet and Neumann type for the semilinear Darcy‐Forchheimer‐Brinkman system in L _p ‐based Besov spaces, with p ∈(2?ε ,2+ε ) and some parameter ε >0.