Speaker
Description
Biofilm formation in porous media plays a central role in controlling flow, transport, and biogeochemical processes in natural and engineered systems, including groundwater environments, wastewater treatment, water quality management, and geological gas storage. In this contribution, we present recent advances in pore-scale modeling that elucidate how biofilm dynamics and structure jointly shape the transport properties of porous media.
We employ a micro-continuum framework in which biofilms are represented as lower-scale fluid-filled porous media, enabling the simulation of biofilm processes without explicitly tracking the biofilm-fluid interface. Pore-scale simulations reveal distinct biofilm growth regimes controlled by hydrodynamic conditions. Increasing flow rates enhance biofilm accumulation up to a critical threshold, beyond which hydrodynamic stresses induce biomass detachment. These regimes are interpreted using a dimensionless number quantifying the balance between drag forces and biomass cohesion. We further show that permeability reduction is not solely determined by total biomass but strongly depends on the spatial organization of biofilm within the pore space.
Beyond bioclogging, we investigate the impact of biofilms on solute transport by coupling the micro-continuum approach with Random Walk Particle Tracking. Our results demonstrate that biofilm heterogeneity, internal convective pathways, and reduced effective diffusivity lead to anomalous transport behaviors, including enhanced dispersion and pronounced tailing. Together, these findings highlight how biofilm structure and dynamics fundamentally alter porous media properties and provide mechanistic insights relevant for predicting and managing biofilm-driven processes in environmental and engineering applications.
| Country | Spain |
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