Experimental studies of model porous media fluid dynamics

The three-dimensional, steady flow velocity components of a viscous, incompressible, Newtonian fluid in model porous media were measured. The model porous geometries were constructed from 3 mm glass rods. A laser Doppler anemometer was used to measure two of the velocity components and the third was calculated by integrating the continuity equation. The effects of viscous drag, inertial flow fields and eddy losses in the model were studied. The results showed that the measured flow was laminar and stable such that micromixing of the fluid was absent. Inertial flow effects were absent due to high viscous drag coefficients.