2008/12/12 by Luis Cueto‐Felgueroso, Rubén Juanes · 2 citations
Computer Science · Engineering · Mathematics · #Advanced Mathematical Modeling in Engineering #Composite material #Flow (mathematics) #Heat and Mass Transfer in Porous Media #Homogeneous #Infiltration (HVAC) #Lattice Boltzmann Simulation Studies #Materials science #Mathematics #Mechanics #Multiphase flow #Physics #Porosity #Porous medium #Saturation (graph theory) #Surface tension #Thermodynamics #Two-phase flow #Viscous fingering #Wetting
paper · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.101.244504
openalex publication_date 2008/12/12 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/26
Existing continuum models of multiphase flow in porous media are unable to explain why preferential flow (fingering) occurs during infiltration into homogeneous, dry soil. Following a phase-field methodology, we propose a continuum model that accounts for an apparent surface tension at the wetting front and does not introduce new independent parameters. The model reproduces the observed features of fingered flows, in particular, the higher saturation of water at the tip of the fingers, which is believed to be essential for the formation of fingers. From a linear stability analysis, we predict that finger velocity and finger width both increase with infiltration rate, and the predictions are in quantitative agreement with experiments.