We propose the use of the Lagrangian method Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) to model the behaviour of fluids through a pore structure of a volcanic soil core sample. Such studies are of importance to simulate preferential flows which are essential in the leeching of organic and chemical compounds in underground aquifers. Our approach combines X-ray CT imaging, and image processing techniques to extract the 3D porous structure. SPH modelling simulates water transport in the reconstructed 3D pore network using Navier Stokes governing laws. In this work an isolated pore is considered as a case-based study.
To obtain the computational solution of the set of differential equations over time the SPH approach is used. In SPH a set of particles (differential volumes) are introduces to approximate the continuum solution.
In Fig. 1 is shown the volumetric flow of the fluid at different depth levels. SPH provides with a point by point solution of the fluid behaviour.