Competition between growth and shear stress drives intermittency in preferential flow paths in porous medium biofilms.

ABSTRACT: Bacteria in porous media, such as soils, aquifers, and filters, often form surface-attached communities known as biofilms. Biofilms are affected by fluid flow through the porous medium, for example, for nutrient supply, and they, in turn, affect the flow. A striking example of this interplay is the strong intermittency in flow that can occur when biofilms nearly clog the porous medium. Intermittency manifests itself as the rapid opening and slow closing of individual preferential flow paths (PFPs) through the biofilm-porous medium structure, leading to continual spatiotemporal rearrangement. The drastic changes to the flow and mass transport induced by intermittency can affect the functioning and efficiency of natural and industrial systems. Yet, the mechanistic origin of intermittency rem

SUBMITTER: Kurz DL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9335220 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature