Microstructure simulation to predict the influence of particle properties on permeability of porous media

This work investigates the influence of particle shape and particle roughness on the flow behavior of porous structures using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The developed framework includes the generation of particle packings with LIGGGHTS using the Discrete Element Method (DEM) and the subsequent analysis of the pore space in terms of porosity and specific surface area. CFD is then applied to analyze the flow through the pore space at a Reynolds number of Re=1. In the post-processing, the permeability of the porous structure is derived and a significant influence of the particle shape and roughness on the permeability and porosity can be seen. In the end, a comparative analysis of simulations and analytical models based on Ergun and Carman-Kozeny is conducted. The study reveals that the Carman-Kozeny approach exhibits a remarkable capacity to replicate the influence of particle shape and roughness, while the Ergun approach demonstrates a more limited suitability for describing the influence of shape and roughness.