Microstructure Simulation to Predict the Influence of Particle Properties on Permeability of Granular Porous Media

This work investigates the influence of particle shape and asperity height on the flow
behavior of porous granular media using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The
developed framework includes the generation of random structured particle beds with
LIGGGHTS using the Discrete Element Method (DEM) and the subsequent analysis of the
pore space in terms of porosity and specific surface area. CFD is then applied to analyze
the flow through the pore space at a Reynolds number of Re = 1. In the post-processing,
the permeability of the granular porous media is derived and a significant influence of the
particle shape and asperity height on the permeability and porosity can be seen. In the end,
a comparative analysis of simulations results and analytical models based on Ergun and
Carman-Kozeny is conducted. The study reveals that the Carman-Kozeny approach exhib-
its a remarkable capacity to replicate the influence of particle shape and surface asperity,
while the Ergun approach demonstrates a more limited suitability.