Mahmoud Elsharafi, Shaloy Chaman and Marcus Baptiste
Midwestern State University
Darcy and non-Darcy flow through packing particles is an important study to determine the flow rate and pressure drop through porous media. Darcy is formed with a low liquid flow rate while non-Darcy flow is formed with a high flow rate. The objective of this experiment is to determine the flow performance through packing particles. In this study, a syringe piston pump is used to inject the water through various packing particles. The solution contained different salt concentration mixed with desalinated water. A round tube was filled with various particles such as; gel particles, sand particles, ceramic particles, and clay pellets alternatively. Different particle sizes were used and the flow rate was controlled from the injection pump. The pressure inside the round tube was measured by using pressure gauges. Also, the permeability of the packing particles was measured by using Darcy equation. The results from this experiment can be used for selecting the best particle sizes for water treatments and hydraulic fracking. Additional particles made of different materials were also tested. The name of one particle is polypropylene pellets; chosen based on the type of material and the size consistency which was 0.125inches. Another particle tested was clay pebbles; 100% natural clay in pebble form. This medium was chosen because of its strong structural integrity and its ability to drain excess water freely. In both instances the pressure of the flow rate was recorded per minute for a duration of 20 minutes.