• DOI:10.1006/JCIS.2001.8003
• Corpus ID: 7009440

Analysis and characterization of relative permeability and capillary pressure for free surface flow of a viscous fluid across an array of aligned cylindrical fibers.

@article{Dimitrovov2002AnalysisAC,
  title={Analysis and characterization of relative permeability and capillary pressure for free surface flow of a viscous fluid across an array of aligned cylindrical fibers.},
  author={Zuzana Dimitrovov{\'a} and Suresh G. Advani},
  journal={Journal of colloid and interface science},
  year={2002},
  volume={245 2},
  pages={
          325-37
        }
}

• Z. Dimitrovová, S. Advani
• Published 15 January 2002
• Engineering
• Journal of colloid and interface science

In LCM processes of fiber-reinforced composite manufacturing, resin is injected into a closed mold with a preplaced stationary fiber preform. If these preforms are created from fiber tows, resin progression at the microlevel during infiltration is often non-uniform. Consequently, macroscopic description of the filling phase requires a theory of flow through unsaturated porous media in which the transition (partly saturated) region must be taken into account. Unsaturated flows must consider surface tension effects; therefore, capillary pressure and relative permeability must be included in governing equations. This paper presents a methodology to determine relative permeability and macroscopic capillary pressure for simple flows. The results lead to important conclusions and the methodology can be generalized to other flow fields.