Speaker
Description
Wicking in thin media plays a crucial role in liquid absorption across a wide range of applications, including wipes, diapers, medical devices, sportswear, filtration, batteries, and oil spill cleanup. This chapter introduces a sophisticated mathematical modeling framework to analyze liquid absorption and solid deformation during unsaturated two-phase flow in thin, swelling porous media under isothermal conditions. By applying a volume averaging approach, three-dimensional point-wise mass balance equations are transformed into quasi two-dimensional averaged equations. These macroscopic mass balance equations are then coupled with a series of constitutive relationships. A closure model is proposed to describe the inter-layer mass exchange of liquid, while a deformation model, based on nonlinear elasticity theory, is used to account for layer compression.
The models presented significantly enhance computational efficiency, allowing for faster, cost-effective simulations of the absorbency process in partially-saturated porous media, such as fiber and hydrogel composites. This framework deepens our understanding of wicking in thin media, facilitating its optimization across diverse industrial and environmental applications.
| Country | United States |
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