Models for the mechanical behavior of porous media introduced more than 50 years ago are still relied upon today, but more recent work shows that, in some cases, they may violate the laws of thermodynamics. In The Thermophysics of Porous Media, the author shows that physical consistency requires a unique description of dynamic processes that involv

Building on the success of T.J.T. Spanos's previous book The Thermophysics of Porous Media, The Physics of Composite and Porous Media explains non-linear field theory that describes how physical processes occur in the earth. It describes physical processes associated with the interaction of the various phases at the macroscale (the scale at which continuum equations are established) and how these interactions give rise to additional physical processes at the megascale (the scale orders of magnitude larger at which a continuum description may once again be established). Details are also given on how experimental, numerical and theoretical work on this subject fits together. This book will be of interest to graduate students and academic researchers working on understanding the physical process in the earth, in addition to those working in the oil and hydrogeology industries.

This important resource explores recent theoretical advances and modelling on fluids transport in fractal porous systems and presents a systematic understanding of the characterization of complex microstructure and transport mechanism in fractal porous media. Modelling of Flow and Transport in Fractal Porous Media shows how fractal theory and technology, combined with other modern experiments and numerical simulation methods, will assist researchers and practitioners in modelling of transport properties of fractal porous media, such as fluid flow, heat and mass transfer, mechanical characteristics, and electrical conductivity. - Presents the main methods and technologies for transport characterization of fractal porous media, including soils, reservoirs and artificial materials - Provides the most recent theoretical advances in modelling of fractal porous media, including gas and vapor transport in fibrous materials, nonlinear seepage flow in hydrocarbon reservoirs, mass transfer of porous nanofibers, and fractal mechanics of unsaturated soils - Includes multidisciplinary examples of applications of fractal theory to aid researchers and practitioners in characterizing various porous media structures

Porous media are broadly found in nature and their study is of high relevance in our present lives. In geosciences porous media research is fundamental in applications to aquifers, mineral mines, contaminant transport, soil remediation, waste storage, oil recovery and geothermal energy deposits. Despite their importance, there is as yet no complete

This book, "Heat and Mass Transfer in Porous Media", presents a set of new developments in the field of basic and applied research work on the physical and chemical aspects of heat and mass transfer phenomena in a porous medium domain, as well as related material properties and their measurements. The book contents include both theoretical and experimental developments, providing a self-contained major reference that is appealing to both the scientists and the engineers. At the same time, these topics will encounter of a variety of scientific and engineering disciplines, such as chemical, civil, agricultural, mechanical engineering, etc. The book is divided in several chapters that intend to be a short monograph in which the authors summarize the current state of knowledge for benefit of professionals.

This book presents a collection of recent contributions in the field of transport phenomena in multiphase systems, namely, heat and mass transfer. It discusses various topics related to the transport phenomenon in engineering (including state-of-the-art, theory and applications) and introduces some of the most important theoretical advances, computational developments and technological applications in multiphase systems domain, providing a self-contained key reference that is appealing to scientists, researchers and engineers alike. At the same time, these topics are relevant to a variety of scientific and engineering disciplines, such as chemical, civil, agricultural, and mechanical engineering.

The rapid growth of literature on convective heat and mass transfer through porous media has brought both engineering and fundamental knowledge to a new state of completeness and depth. Additionally, several new questions of fundamental merit have arisen in several areas which bear direct relation to further advancement of basic knowledge and applications in this field. For example, the growth of fundamental heat transfer data and correlations for engineering use for saturated media has now reached the point where the relations for heat transfer coefficients and flow parameters are known well enough for design purposes. Multiple flow field regimes in natural convection have been identified in several important enclosure geometries. New questions have arisen on the nature of equations being used in theoretical studies, i. e. , the Validity of Darcy assumption is being brought into question; Wall effects in high and low velocity flow fields have been found to play a role in predicting transport coefficients; The formulation of transport problems in fractured media are being investigated as both an extension of those in a homogeneous medium and for application in engineering systems in geologic media and problems on saturated media are being addressed to determine their proper formulation and solution. The long standing problem of how to adequately formulate and solve problems of multi-phase heat and mass transfer in heterogeneous media is important in the technologies of chemical reactor engineering and enhanced oil recovery.

CLIFFORD K. HOAND STEPHEN W. WEBB Sandia National Laboratories, P. O. Box 5800, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA Gas and vapor transport in porous media occur in a number of important applications includingdryingofindustrialandfoodproducts,oilandgasexploration,environm- tal remediation of contaminated sites, and carbon sequestration. Understanding the fundamental mechanisms and processes of gas and vapor transport in porous media allows models to be used to evaluate and optimize the performance and design of these systems. In this book, gas and vapor are distinguished by their available states at stan- ? dard temperature and pressure (20 C, 101 kPa). If the gas-phase constituent can also exist as a liquid phase at standard temperature and pressure (e. g. , water, ethanol, toluene, trichlorothylene), it is considered a vapor. If the gas-phase constituent is non-condensable at standard temperature and pressure (e. g. , oxygen, carbon di- ide, helium, hydrogen, propane), it is considered a gas. The distinction is important because different processes affect the transport and behavior of gases and vapors in porous media. For example, mechanisms specific to vapors include vapor-pressure lowering and enhanced vapor diffusion, which are caused by the presence of a g- phase constituent interacting with its liquid phase in an unsaturated porous media. In addition, the “heat-pipe” exploits isothermal latent heat exchange during evaporation and condensation to effectively transfer heat in designed and natural systems.

These proceedings deal with the fundamentals and applications of poromechanics to geomechanics, material sciences, geophysics, acoustics and biomechanics. They discuss the state of the art in such topics as constitutive modelling and upscaling methods.