A cellular-automata method for studying porous media properties

A cellular-automata (CA) approach for investigation of properties of porous media with tortuous channels and different smoothness of pore walls is proposed. This approach is aimed at combining two different CA models: the first one is intended for constructing the morphology of a porous material, the second – for simulation of a fluid flow through it. The porous media morphology is obtained as a result of evolution of a cellular automaton, forming a “steady pattern”. The result obtained is then used for simulating a fluid flow through a porous medium by Lattice Gas CA model application. The method has been tested on a small fragment of a porous material and implemented for investigating a carbon electrode of a hydrogen fuel cell on a multiprocessor cluster.