Effect of viscosity, capillarity and grid spacing on thermal variable-density flow

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Authors

  • Thomas Graf
  • Michel C. Boufadel

External Research Organisations

  • Temple University
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Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)41-57
Number of pages17
JournalJournal of hydrology
Volume400
Issue number1-2
Early online date3 Feb 2011
Publication statusPublished - 30 Mar 2011

Abstract

The HydroGeoSphere model is further developed and used to investigate the effects of viscosity, capillarity and grid spacing on thermal variable-density flow. Under saturated and unsaturated flow conditions, the flow dynamics significantly depends on the viscosity assumption (constant vs. variable), where downwelling regions (constant viscosity) become upwelling regions (temperature-dependent variable viscosity). Capillarity does not change the location of downwelling and upwelling regions. Capillarity can significantly alter the flow dynamics in the way that the water table acts as a " lid" to flow, and it diverts a thermal plume laterally. Significance of capillarity increases with increasing soil moisture. Thermal convective flow is highly sensitive to spatial discretization. While the flow dynamics remains to be a function of grid level, spatial discretization Δ. x=Δ z= 1 m appears to be appropriate to simulate unsaturated variable-density flow and heat transfer in porous media because estimated errors have asymptotically reached a minimum.

Keywords

    Capillarity, Density, Elder problem, Heat flow, Unsaturated, Viscosity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Cite this

Effect of viscosity, capillarity and grid spacing on thermal variable-density flow. / Graf, Thomas; Boufadel, Michel C.
In: Journal of hydrology, Vol. 400, No. 1-2, 30.03.2011, p. 41-57.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Graf T, Boufadel MC. Effect of viscosity, capillarity and grid spacing on thermal variable-density flow. Journal of hydrology. 2011 Mar 30;400(1-2):41-57. Epub 2011 Feb 3. doi: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2011.01.025
Graf, Thomas ; Boufadel, Michel C. / Effect of viscosity, capillarity and grid spacing on thermal variable-density flow. In: Journal of hydrology. 2011 ; Vol. 400, No. 1-2. pp. 41-57.
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