Comparison of Different Structures of a Proposed Equivalent Pipe Network Model for Analysis of 2D Nonlinear Flow through Isotropic Coarse Porous Media

An equivalent pipe network model (EPNM), is proposed in this study for analysis of steady two-dimensional (2D) nonlinear flow with free surface through structures made of coarse granular porous media. Pipe network used for modeling the pores and throats within the porous media, consists of orthogonal pipelines in which flow through the pipelines simulates flow through porous media. Physical and geometrical characteristics of the pipe network model such as diameter, length and friction factor of pipes are determined based on porous media characteristics e.g. porosity, mean particle size and friction factor in the turbulent region of flow. Since there is not a unique structure for an EPNM, performance of three different structures of the developed EPNM with different pipe diameters is investigated. A set of available experimental data for a physical model made of rockfill is used to compare the performance of different structures of EPNM.