Flow of a viscous fluid past a heterogeneous porous sphere at low Reynolds numbers

Abstract

A flow past a heterogeneous porous sphere is investigated by using the perturbation theory. The flow through the sphere is divided into two zones, which are fully saturated with the viscous fluid, and the flow in these zones is governed by the Brinkman equation. The space outside the sphere, where a clear fluid flows, is also divided into two zones: the Navier–Stokes zone and the Oseen flow zone. The solutions on the interface inside the sphere are matched with the condition proposed by Merrikh and Mohammad. The stream function in the Navier–Stokes zone is matched with that on the sphere surface by the condition proposed by Ochoa-Tapia and Whitaker. It is found that the drag on the spherical shell decreases as the permeability toward the sphere boundary increases.