Convection in Porous Media

Book excerpt: In this book we have tried to provide a user-friendly introduction to the topic of convection in porous media. We have assumed that the reader is conversant with the basic elements of fluid mechanics and heat transfer, but otherwise the book is self-contained. Only routine classical mathematics is employed. We hope that the book will be useful both as a review (for reference) and as a tutorial work (suitable as a textbook in a graduate course or seminar). This book brings into perspective the voluminous research that has been performed during the last two decades. The field has recently exploded because of worldwide concern with issues such as energy self-sufficiency and pollution of the environment. Areas of application include the insulation of buildings and equipment, energy storage and recovery, geothermal reservoirs, nuclear waste disposal, chemical reactor engineering, and the storage of heat-generating materials such as grain and coal. Geophysical applications range from the flow of groundwater around hot intrusions to the stability of snow against avalanches.