Non-Newtonian Flows in Porous Media (24w5230)

The Banff International Research Station will host the “Non-Newtonian Flows in Porous Media” workshop in Banff from July 14 - 19, 2024.

Complex fluids, or Non-Newtonian fluids, often have surprising behaviors due to their non-linear responses. This is the case for example for fluids that become solid under certain conditions, or those that can store or restore elastic energy. Their behavior has been the subject of a considerable number of studies. However so far, much less so when the flow occurs inside porous media.

In some contexts, such as environmental, bio-medical or energy, such fluids flow in porous structures like soils, biological tissues for example. These structures are often very heterogeneous and random. The study of the flow of such fluids in porous media is therefore faced with a coupling between two complexities, that of rheology with that of the porous structure. Also on large scale, immiscible fluids flowing in porous media such as oil and water, may behave as if they were one single non-Newtonian fluid. These examples demonstrate how the field of complex fluids in porous media is relevant to a vast number of different and urgent fields.

The objective of this meeting is thus to bring together experts in different fields, complex fluids mechanics, porous media, statistical physics to share their different approaches and advances.

The Banff International Research Station for Mathematical Innovation and Discovery (BIRS) is a collaborative Canada-US-Mexico venture that provides an environment for creative interaction as well as the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and methods within the Mathematical Sciences, with related disciplines and with industry. The research station is located at The Banff Centre in Alberta and is supported by Canada’s Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), Alberta’s Advanced Education and Technology, and Mexico’s Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT).