Numerical Simulation of Ferrofluid Flow for Subsurface Environmental Engineering Applications
- LBNL Library
Ferrofluids are suspensions of magnetic particles of diameter approximately 10 nm stabilized by surfactants in carrier liquids. The large magnetic susceptibility of ferrofluids allows the mobilization of ferrofluid through permeable rock and soil by the application of strong external magnetic fields. We have developed simulation capabilities for both miscible and immiscible conceptualizations of ferrofluid flow through porous media in response to magnetic forces arising from the magnetic field of a rectangular permanent magnet. The flow of ferrofluid is caused by the magnetization of the particles and their attraction toward a magnet, regardless of the orientation of the magnet. The steps involved in calculating the flow of ferrofluid are (1) calculation of the external magnetic field, (2) calculation of the gradient of the external magnetic field, (3) calculation of the magnetization of the ferrofluid, and (4) assembly of the magnetic body force term and addition of this term to the standard pressure gradient and gravity force terms. We compare numerical simulations to laboratory measurements of the magnetic field, fluid pressures, and the two-dimensional flow of ferrofluid to demonstrate the applicability of the methods coded in the numerical simulators. We present an example of the use of the simulator for a field-scale application of ferrofluids for barrier verification.
- Research Organization:
- Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- OSTI ID:
- 834876
- Report Number(s):
- LBNL--40146
- Journal Information:
- Transport in Porous Media, Journal Name: Transport in Porous Media Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 38; ISSN TPMEEI
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
58 GEOSCIENCES
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
FERROFLUIDS MAGNETIC FLUIDS SUBSURFACE BARRIER VERIFICATION MAGNETO PRESSURE NUMERICAL SIMULATION
LIQUIDS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC MATERIALS
MAGNETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY
MAGNETIZATION
ORIENTATION
PERMANENT MAGNETS
PRESSURE GRADIENTS
SIMULATION
SIMULATORS
SOILS
SURFACTANTS
VERIFICATION