Eur. Phys. J. B 70, 127-132 (2009)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2009-00169-4

A transport theory approach to percolation of liquids through porous media

Laboratorio di Ingegneria Nucleare di Montecuccolino, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna via dei Colli 16, 1-, 40136 Bologna, Italy

Corresponding author: ^a domiziano.mostacci@mail.ing.unibo.it

Received: 20 November 2008
Revised: 16 January 2009
Published online: 13 May 2009

Abstract

The percolation of a liquid through a porous material is investigated with the help of equations of the Onsager type. An expression is derived for the molecular attraction, starting from Sutherland's potential approximation to the van der Waals interaction. Then appropriate Onsager equations incorporating this molecular attraction are written from transport theory considerations, in terms of dimensionless variables. As an application, the system of self-similar equations so derived is applied to a simplified situation.