A transport theory approach to percolation of liquids through porous media

TL;DR

This paper develops a transport theory framework using Onsager equations to analyze liquid percolation through porous media, deriving molecular attraction expressions and applying self-similar solutions to simplified models.

Contribution

It introduces a novel transport theory approach incorporating molecular attraction into Onsager equations for porous media percolation analysis.

Findings

Derived an expression for molecular attraction based on Sutherland's potential.

Formulated Onsager equations with molecular attraction terms.

Applied self-similar solutions to simplified percolation models.

Abstract

The percolation of a liquid through a porous material is investigated with the help of equations of the Onsager type. An expression is derived for the molecular attraction, starting from Sutherland's potential approximation to the van der Waals interaction. Then appropriate Onsager equations incorporating this molecular attraction are written from transport theory considerations, in terms of dimensionless variables. As an application, the system of self-similar equations so derived is applied to a simplified situation.