AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF DISPERSION IN LAYERED POROUS-MEDIA

Experiments were run in three linear, homogeneous, nonuniform porous m edia constructed in lucite columns using spherical glass beads. The co lumns were also joined end to end to create an in series layered heter ogeneous porous media. Each column, all combinations of columns and se veral permutations were studied with a factorial experimental design t o determine the effects of porosity, permeability, velocity, length, a nd column order upon dispersion. Attempts to predict the heterogeneous results from the homogeneous results were made, and a statistical reg ression based on the factorial design was calculated. Results showed t hat no simple averaging procedure accurately predicted the heterogeneo us results. The statistical regression showed permeability, velocity, viscosity, length and column order to be significant.