Peridynamics modeling of coupled gas convection transport and thermal diffusion in heterogeneous porous media

Abstract

Gas convection transport in porous media plays a pivotal role in various engineering and natural systems, such as oil and gas reservoir behavior and carbon dioxide sequestration. In response, this paper presents a novel peridynamics model for pressure-driven gas convection transport in porous media. By peridynamics, we mean a non-local continuum mechanics theory that accounts for interactions within a finite distance, allowing for the modeling of discontinuities and complex material behavior without relying on classical spatial derivatives. The proposed peridynamics model intends to provide a comprehensive account for simulating gas convection in porous media by incorporating key factors such as the Klinkenberg effect, thermal-flow coupling, and heterogeneous materials. The effectiveness, accuracy, and versatility of the proposed peridynamics approach are demonstrated by numerical results from benchmark examples and complex simulation scenarios. The validity and reliability of this peridynamics model are confirmed under various conditions through convergence studies, sensitivity analyses, and comparisons with finite element method results. Conclusions drawn from the validation studies are that the proposed framework is capable of addressing practical issues such as the prediction of pore pressure in high-temperature concrete and that the proposed methodology is accurate, stable, convergent, and a promising alternative to traditional methods.