Fluid inertia controls mineral precipitation and clogging in pore to network-scale flows.

ABSTRACT: Mineral precipitation caused by fluid mixing presents complex control and predictability challenges in a variety of natural and engineering processes, including carbon mineralization, geothermal energy, and microfluidics. Precipitation dynamics, particularly under the influence of fluid flow, remain poorly understood. Combining microfluidic experiments and three-dimensional reactive transport simulations, we demonstrate that fluid inertia controls mineral precipitation and clogging at flow intersections, even in laminar flows. We observe distinct precipitation regimes as a function of Reynolds number (Re). At low Reynolds numbers (Re < 10), precipitates form a thin, dense layer along the mixing interface, which shuts precipitation off, while at high Reynolds numbers (Re > 50), strong three

SUBMITTER: Yang W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11252985 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature