Determining the 3D permeability of fibrous media using the Newton method

This work explores the reliability and sensitivity of using the Newton method to determine the elements of a fiber mat's permeability tensor. The goal of this work is to determine the extent to which experimental errors affect the numerical results and to provide general guidelines on which types of fiber materials are appropriate for this method. The. sensitivity analysis reveals that employing the Newton method is a rather robust approach, applicable to a wide range of materials. The sensitivity analysis also reveals robustness with regard to experimental error as well. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.