Fluid flow in a random porous medium: A network model and effective medium approximation

Abstract
Fluid flow through a random porous medium is discussed in the context of a network model of a diluted array of planar cracks by an effective medium approximation. We find the threshold concentration of cracks pc above which flow occurs. It turns out to be much higher than the bond percolation threshold. The existing cracks are assumed to have a range of thicknesses. The flow permeability is found as a function of the concentration for a number of crack thickness distributions. Near the threshold, anomalous critical behavior, in the form of a nonuniversal critical exponent for the permeability, is found to occur even for a family of nonsingular thickness distributions.