AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY ON FLUID-FLOW CHARACTERISTICS OF SUPERPOSED POROUS AND FLUID LAYERS

In the present study, fluid flow characteristics of a porous layer ove rlaid by a fluid layer were investigated through experiments. The expe rimental results were analyzed in comparison with theoretical results of a porous medium bounded by impermeable walls. With spheres, the sli p coefficient was found to be 0.0107 for Poiseuille flow over a porous layer. As the permeability decreased, the experimental results approa ched the values calculated by Darcy's law and Forchheimer's equation. In addition, the effects of the presence of a fluid layer over a porou s medium were examined in terms of the friction factor. The present ex perimental data placed in the range of the Darcy to the non-Darcy regi on are shown to be in reasonable agreement with the proposed correlati on.