Seepage induced consolidation in permeability measurements for porous media - a finite element investigation

Abstract

This article reports a finite-element investigation of seepage-induced consolidation in permeability measurements for a fibroporous material, prepared sugar cane. The constituents of fibroporous prepared sugar cane allow macroscopic representation of the material using coupled solid-liquid finite-element formulations, where the intrinsic permeability of the solid matrix is defined as a function of void ratio. Simulation of experiment flow cell permeability measurements predicts significant seepage-induced consolidation and nonuniform void ration distribution in the cell, particularly at low compression ratios. Permeabilty values derived from flow cell experiments at low compression ratios may be up to four times lower than the actual permeability response.