A global existence result for weakly coupled two-phase poromechanics

TL;DR

This paper proves the global existence of weak solutions for a complex multiphase poromechanics model that incorporates capillarity, gravity, and degeneracies, advancing the mathematical understanding of such systems.

Contribution

It introduces a thermodynamically consistent multiphase poromechanics model with a novel Lagrange multiplier and proves global weak solution existence under weak coupling conditions.

Findings

First global existence result for multiphase poromechanics with degeneracies

Model includes capillarity, gravity, and positivity constraints

Utilizes gradient flow structure and regularization techniques

Abstract

Multiphase poromechanics describes the evolution of multiphase flow in deformable porous media. Mathematical models for such multiphysics system are inheritely nonlinear, potentially degenerate and fully coupled systems of partial differential equations. In this work, we present a thermodynamically consistent multiphase poromechanics model falling into the category of Biot equations and obeying to a generalized gradient flow structure. It involves capillarity effects, degenerate relative permeabilities, and gravity effects. In addition to established models it introduces a Lagrange multiplier associated to a bound constraint on the effective porosity in particular ensuring its positivity. We establish existence of global weak solutions under the assumption of a weak coupling strength, implicitly utilizing the gradient flow structure, as well as regularization, a Faedo-Galerkin approach and compactness arguments. This comprises the first global existence result for multiphase poromechanics accounting for degeneracies that are consistent with the multiphase nature of the flow.