Microstructure and transport properties of wet poly-disperse particle assemblies

Computational methodology for the realisation, characterisation, and calculation of effective transport properties of random close-packed structures of poly-disperse particles, partially saturated by wetting and non-wetting fluid, is described. The effective transport properties - thermal conductivity, diffusivity, and permeability - have been systematically obtained as function of phase volume fractions, mean pore diameter, primary particle shape, and wettability. Structure-property correlations for the estimation of the effective transport properties from the volume fractions of the solid, liquid, and gas phase have been established.