A Novel approach for modeling mechanical behavior of porous media

Abstract

A multi-scale novel homogenization technique is introduced to model mechanical behavior of open-cell porous media. The proposed method consists of primarily four components. The first component is based on two assumptions. First, a random porous structure can be approximated by superimposing regular grids that are interacting with each other at "junction" points. The second component consists of replacing each grid by an equivalent continuum. The forces at the junction points are also replaced by interacting body forces. The third component is to represent the equivalent media by single medium by expressing the "average stresses" in the elastic mixture in terms of the "average displacement" It is discussed how to extract the information about the geometrical and mechanical properties of the grids by comparing the analytical and experimental data for the dispersion of waves propagating in porous medium.