Determination of the effects of the pore size distribution and pore connectivity distribution on the pore tortuosity and diffusive transport in model porous networks

An efficient computation method to study flow and transport process of small molecules in porous media using a dual site-bond lattice model, DBSM, is described. The microscopic properties of the porous network take into account the influence of local heterogeneities during the simulations. The numerical experiments demonstrated the combined effect of pore size distribution and connectivity distribution on the mass transport properties and the structural tortuosity. The results indicate that the pore size distribution and percolation phenomena related with pore shielding effects, influence significantly the tortuosity and the effective diffusivity of the porous network. Also, the simulations raise the important role of the connectivity distribution among the various pores in the gas diffusive properties of the poorly connected networks. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.