Fast Fourier Transformation method for computing the permeability of periodic porous media

Abstract

A Fourier-based method is adopted to determine the permeability of periodic porous media made up of a rigid skeleton saturated by viscous fluid. The flow, induced by a prescribed macroscopic gradient of pressure, adopts the Stokes equations with incorporating a condition of adherence at the surface of the solid. The permeability is determined by solving a linear problem on a unit cell for which we determine the local velocity fields due to a prescribed gradient of pressure. The method uses the Fourier Transformation and exact expressions of the periodic Green tensor in the Fourier space. It is shown that the resolution of the problem requires an introducing of undetermined forces acting within the solid phase.