Knowledge of hydraulic properties is crucial for understanding and modeling fluid flow in thin porous media. In this work, we have developed a new simple custom-built apparatus to measure the intrinsic permeability of a single thin fibrous sheet in the in-plane direction. The permeability was measured for two types of nonwoven thin fibrous porous materials using either the water or gas phase. For each layer, the measurements have been done for different combinations of flow direction and fiber orientation. The permeability values measured using gas and water were approximately close to each other. The permeability of the two samples was found to be anisotropic and the principal permeabilities were determined based on the measurements.
PratMAgaësseT.Thin porous media. In: KambizV (ed.) Handbook of Porous Media.
London:
Taylor & Francis, 2015, pp. 89–112.
2.
TavangarradAHHassanizadehSMRosatiR, et al.
Capillary pressure–saturation curves of thin hydrophilic fibrous layers: effects of overburden pressure, number of layers, and multiple imbibition–drainage cycles. Text Res J2019;
89: 4906–4915.
3.
SpielmanLGorenSL.Model for predicting pressure drop and filtration efficiency in fibrous media. Environ Sci Technol1968;
2: 279–287.
4.
ReynoldsWDElrickDEYoungsEG, et al. Saturated and field-saturated water flow parameters. In: DaneJHToppG (eds) Methods of soil analysis. Part 4. Physical methods. SSSA Book Ser. 5. SSSA.
Madison, USA:
Soil Science Society of America, 2002, pp. 797–801.
5.
JacksonGWJamesDF.The permeability of fibrous porous media. Can J Chem Eng1986;
64: 364–374.
6.
StylianopoulosTYeckelADerbyJJ, et al.
Permeability calculations in three-dimensional isotropic and oriented fiber networks. Phys Fluids2008;
20: 123601.
7.
TahirMAVahediTH.Influence of fiber orientation on the transverse permeability of fibrous media. Phys. Fluids2009;
21: 083604.
8.
TamayolABahramiM.Transverse permeability of fibrous porous media. Phys Rev E – Stat Nonlinear, Soft Matter Phys2011;
83: 1–9.
9.
FeserJPPrasadAKAdvaniSG.Experimental characterization of in-plane permeability of gas diffusion layers. J Power Sources2006;
162: 1226–1231.
10.
MukherjeeMBonnetCLapicqueF.Estimation of through-plane and in-plane gas permeability across gas diffusion layers (GDLs): comparison with equivalent permeability in bipolar plates and relation to fuel cell performance. Int J Hydrog Energy2020;
45: 13428–13440.
11.
GebartBRLidströmP.Measurement of in-plane permeability of anisotropic fiber reinforcements. Polym Compos1996;
17: 43–51.
12.
WeitzenböckJRShenoiRAWilsonPA.Measurement of principal permeability with the channel flow experiment. Polym Compos1998;
20: 321–335.
13.
MathiasMRothJFlemingJ, et al. Diffusion media materials and characterisation. In: VielstichWLammAHAGasteiger (eds) Handbook of Fuel Cells – Fundamentals, Technology and Application.
Chichester, UK:
Wiley, 2003, pp. 517–537.
14.
OrogbemiOMInghamDBIsmailMS, et al.
Through-plane gas permeability of gas diffusion layers and microporous layer: effects of carbon loading and sintering. J Energy Inst2018;
91: 270–278.
15.
BanerjeeRKandlikarSG.Effect of temperature on the in-plane permeability in the gas diffusion layer of a PEM fuel cell. ECS Trans2011;
41: 489–497.
16.
GostickJTFowlerMWPritzkerMD, et al.
In-plane and through-plane gas permeability of carbon fiber electrode backing layers. J Power Sources2006;
162: 228–238.
17.
TanikawaWShimamotoT.Comparison of Klinkenberg-corrected gas permeability and water permeability in sedimentary rocks. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci2009;
46: 229–238.
18.
DemaríaCRuizETrochuF.In-plane anisotropic permeability characterization of deformed woven fabrics by unidirectional injection. Part I: Experimental results. Polym Compos2007;
28: 797–811.
