Porous Media Cleaning by Pulsating Filtration Flow

A problem of porous media cleaning by a pulsating external flow is studied numerically. We consider a closed domain of porous media, which was initially clogged by an impurity. The purification of such a domain is performed by an external vertical pulsating flow of a pure fluid. The transport of the impurity with immobilization process is modeled into framework of the nonlinear MIM model with saturation of the immobile phase. The clogging of media is taken into account which, in turn, leads to a decrease of the pore volume due to the immobilized impurity on the pores. The one dimensional solution as in the form of vertical seepage was obtained. It is shown that the most effective cleaning is achieved for the maximal possible value of the external flow intensity and can be controlled by the variation of the pulsation frequency and amplitude. However at the high intensities of the external flow the one dimensional solution becomes unstable. The stability problem was solved within the quasistatic approach. The critical curves in the system parameters are obtained and discussed.