Fractal analysis of dimensionless permeability and Kozeny–Carman constant of spherical granular porous media with randomly distributed tree-like branching networks

Abstract

The seepage of porous media has garnered significant interest due to its ubiquitous presence in nature, but most of the research is based on the model of a single dendritic branching network. In this study, we derive a fractal model of the dimensionless permeability and the Kozeny–Carman (KC) constant of porous media consisting of spherical particles and randomly distributed tree-like branching networks based on fractal theory. In addition, three different types of corrugated pipes are considered. Then, the relationships between the KC constant, dimensionless permeability, and other structural parameters were discussed in detail. It is worth noting that the KC constant of the porous media composed of three types of pipes decreases sharply first and then increases with the increase in the internal diameter ratio, while the dimensionless permeability has the opposite trend and conforms to the physical law. In addition, empirical constants are not included in the analytical formulas of the present model, and the physical mechanism of fluid flow in spherical granular porous media with randomly distributed tree-like branching networks is clearly revealed.