Electrokinetics of Erosive Seepage through Deformable Porous Media.

Channelization and branching patterns frequently appear in porous structures as a result of fluid-flow-mediated erosion, which causes spatiotemporal changes in the medium. However, most studies on electrokinetic effects in porous media focus on the overall impact of the electric field on electrical double-layer formation in micropores and its influence on ionic transport, without addressing the spatiotemporal erosive characteristics and resulting porosity distribution. In this study, we explore the interplay between flow-induced shear stress and an external electric field on the dynamic evolution of porosity in deformable porous media using semi-analytical modeling. Our numerical simulations accurately predict the differences in porosity and erosive development when the electric field aligns with or opposes the flow, highlighting the importance of the direction of the external stimulus and not just its magnitude. Our findings establish a foundation for electric-field-mediated control of porous media properties and explain electrokinetic transport by considering dynamic porosity variations as a result of erosive deformation, an aspect previously unaddressed.