Fractal models of porous media

Abstract

In the previous chapter we introduced some basic concepts of porous media, and raised the question of how best to model fluid movement in a porous medium. We suggested that fractal concepts might be well suited to such modeling, because of their simple descriptions of highly ramified spaces. In this chapter we examine some fractal models of porous media. After introducing some fractal concepts, we derive one specific random fractal model of the pore size distribution (that of Rieu and Sposito [53]), and show its application to the water retention curve (WRC). We then survey several published fractal WRC models, and develop a general form that includes some existing models as special cases. Finally, we reiterate that there is no simple mapping possible between any measure of the pore space and the soil WRC. © 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland.