Simulating flows in multi-layered and spatially-variable permeability media via a new Gray Lattice Boltzmann model

The simulation of flow in porous and fibrous permeable media is of high importance in many scientific and industrial applications. Although the finite element models at the representative elementary volume scales are used to solve a huge amount of scientific and engineering problems, they are hardly used to efficiently simulate pore-fluid flow problems at the particle scales. This encourages the development of numerical models to match the needs of such studies. In this paper, we propose a new Gray Lattice Boltzmann numerical model for simulating fluid flow in permeable media. Unlike most previous models, our proposed model has the ability to simulate multi-layers and space-variable permeability while preserving the continuity of the macroscopic velocity field. The model is verified with the available analytical solutions and a derived analytical expression for the case of variable porosity. In addition, we examine the importance of introducing a transition layer with a defined porosity function near the boundaries and interfaces. If this layer exists in practice, then the numerical results reveal that it cannot be neglected, and its impact is significant on the obtained velocity distribution. Finally, in the light of the obtained results, we can state that the proposed model has great potential to simulate complex and heterogeneous media with smoothness and accuracy, so that it may enrich the research content of the emerging computational geosciences.