• AN UNSTEADY VISCOUS FLOW THROUGH A POROUS SLAB BOUNDED BETWEEN TWO IMPERMEABLE PARALLEL PLATES

Abstract

The present investigation deals with an unsteady flow of viscous incompressible Newtonian fluid through a porous medium bounded between two impermeable parallel plates. The momentum equation for the flow through a porous medium takes care of fluid inertia and the Newtonian stresses in addition to classical Darcy’s friction. Initially, the flow is generated by a constant pressure gradient down the plates. When the steady state is reached, the pressure gradient is suddenly withdrawn and the subsequent fluid-flow is analyzed employing the Laplace transform technique to obtain the fluid-velocity field. Expressions for a further, flow-rate, skin friction on the boundary having been obtained.

Variations of these flow parameters with time and the porosity coefficient have been illustrated based on which some conclusions.