The impact of clogging on the transfer dynamics of hydraulic networks

Abstract

We investigate how clogging affects the transfer properties of a generic class of materials featuring a hydraulic network embedded in a matrix. We consider the flow of a liquid through fully saturated hydraulic networks which transfer heat (or mass) by advection and diffusion, and a matrix in which only diffusion operates. Networks are subjected to different clogging scenarios (or attacks), changing their microstructure and flow field. A series of canonical cooling tests are simulated using a tracer method prior to and following attack. Results quantify the threat posed by different types and degrees of attack to a system's transfer properties. An analytical framework is introduced to predict this vulnerability to attacks, rationalised in terms of their effect on the physical mechanisms underlying the transfer dynamics.