Open Access Library Journal
2020, Volume 7, e6033
ISSN Online: 2333-9721
ISSN Print: 2333-9705
DOI: 10.4236/oalib.1106033 Feb. 28, 2020 1 Open Access Library Journal
Pressure Variation in a Fluid Flow over
Non-Uniform, Porous Bottom Topography
Godwin Christopher Ezike Mbah, Emmanuel Oluwakorede Oshilim
Department of Mathematics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria
Abstract
This paper presents pressure variation in fluid flow over a porous media. In
the model, we considered water as an incompressible fluid: the flow as non-
steady and uniform. We derived an equation for the nonuniform bottom to-
pography (flow depth) and substituted into the governing equation for shal-
low water flow with nonuniform bottom topography. We made use of Dar-
cy’s law to construct equation for Darcy flux, which in turn related pressure
gradient to the flow velocity, the porosity, and the permeability of the porous
media. From the governing equation of shallow water flow with nonuniform
bottom topography, we solved for the flow velocity using Homotopy Pertur-
bation Method (HPM). We incorporated the flow velocity into the equation
for the pressure gradient and solved for the pressure variation in the channel.
We analyzed and found out that, the higher the permeability the lower the
pressure within the flow and the lower the permeability the higher the pres-
sure, because there is going to be a pressure build-up under this condition.
We also found that the higher the flow height (H) the higher the pressure.
Subject Areas
Fluid Mechanics
Keywords
Pressure Variation, Porous Media, Darcy’s Law, Porosity, Permeability
1. Introduction
The modern understanding of fluid motion began several centuries ago, with the
work of L. Euler, Isaac Newton, Bernoulli, Lagrange etc. [1]. The ocean and the
atmosphere remain phenomenal and have been a wonder, source of curiosity
over the years. It’s properties like buoyancy, wave and weather, transport of
How to cite this paper: Mbah, G.C.E. and
Oshilim, E.O. (2020) Pressure Variation in
a Fluid Flow over Non-Uniform, Porous
Bottom Topography. Open Access Library
Journal, 7: e6033.
https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1106033
Received: December 27, 2019
Accepted: February 25, 2020
Published: February 28, 2020
Copyright © 2020 by author(s) and Open
Access Library Inc.
This work is licensed under the Creative
Commons Attribution International
License (CC BY 4.0).
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Open Access