COMPARISON BETWEEN TWO WAYS OF MODELING THE FLOW RESISTANCE IN A POROUS MEDIUM

Abstract

Pieces manufactured from polymeric composites are known for their good mechanical properties and low specific weight. However, controlling their fabrication process requires precise knowledge of the reinforcement and resin physical properties. This is needed to ensure that defective composites are not manufactured. Investigations into these materials physical properties are generally carried out experimentally, which makes it difficult to observe what happens on microscale level. Present work aims to analyze, and compare, flow behavior in a porous medium using two approaches: a) flow resistance is modeled with Darcy's Law, and b) fluid flow is solved through the reinforcement fibers in a micro-sample level. Medium permeability determination was used in results comparison. A good quantitative agreement in predictions obtained with both methods was observed.