Flow through a reconstituted marine quartz sediment by an interacting lattice gas simulation

POSTER

Abstract

Regions of a reconstituted cylinder of quartz sediment (5.9 cm diameter x 13 cm long) from the Northern Gulf of Mexico were sub-sampled as 6.5 mm diameter cylinders. Images of sub-samples were made from x-ray micro-focus computed tomography data at 11 micron resolution. Using a coarse-grained approximation, each sample image is represented by a cubic lattice (100$^{3}$ voxels). Fluid, a pool of particles at the lattice base supplies fluid-particles flows against gravity to the sink at the top of the lattice. In addition to the concentration gradient, an external pressure bias, similar to a hydraulic head drives the mobile particles upward against gravity. Particles are allowed to execute stochastic motion by a Metropolis algorithm. Variations of the root mean square displacement of each fluid-particle and their center of mass with the time steps, mass transfer, and flux are examined as a function of the external pressure bias and compared to constant head permeameter measurements.

Authors

  • Allen Reed

    • Naval Reseach Laboratory
  • Edward Braithwaite

    • Naval Research Laboratory
  • Joe Gettrust

    • Naval Research Laboratory
  • Ras B. Pandey

    • University of Southern Mississippi
    • Naval Research Laboratory and University of Southern Mississippi