Percolation model of drying under isothermal conditions in porous media

Abstract A model of drying of capillary porous media is presented based on a modified form of invasion percolation theory. The porous medium is conceptualized as a network of pores connected by narrow throats. In addition to capillary and gravity effects, evaporation at the microscopic gas-liquid interface and vapor diffusion in the gaseous phase are taken into account. This leads to a modification of the invasion rules associated with invasion percolation. The simulations on a two-dimensional network containing 5000 ducts compare favorably with experimental results obtained by means of a two-dimensional micromodel.