Structure Optimization and Transport Characteristics of Porous Media

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Processes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 740

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Earth and Space Science, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Interests: artificial intelligence; carbon molecular sieves; methane gas separation; carbon dioxide capture

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Guest Editor
Department of Electrical Information Engineering, Northeast Petroleum University, Daqing 163318, China
Interests: artificial intelligence; signal processing; complex system control; intelligent fracturing technology

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Guest Editor
Beijing International Center for Gas Hydrate, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Interests: fiber optic sensing; hydraulic fracturing; flow rate measuring; wellbore stability; rock mechanics; porous seepage
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Porous media are central to environmental sustainability and energy utilization. They enable targeted pollutant capture and CO₂ sequestration through structural optimization, while driving efficient operations (e.g., hydrocarbon recovery, geothermal energy) via advanced transport engineering. Achieving these objectives requires an integrated framework uniting materials science, fluid dynamics, and AI. This Special Issue spotlights research on the co-optimization of pore-scale design and system-scale transport control across diverse applications, inviting innovations that leverage AI to decode complex phenomena and deliver scalable solutions.

This Special Issue seeks high-quality research on the integrated design and analysis of porous media, emphasizing structural optimization for environmental applications (e.g., pollutant capture, CO₂ sequestration) and transport engineering for energy (e.g., hydrocarbon recovery, geothermal energy). We highlight advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) that bridge material design, transport physics, and industrial scalability. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • AI-optimized porous materials (MOFs, biochar, hybrid composites) for the high-efficiency adsorption of pollutants, CO₂, or heavy metals;
  • Multiphase transport dynamics in hydrocarbon reservoirs, including pore-scale modeling of oil–gas–water interactions and permeability enhancement strategies;
  • Novel fabrication processes (3D printing, freeze-casting, templated synthesis) for hierarchical porous structures with tailored adsorption and flow properties;
  • Intelligent transport control using machine learning (e.g., reinforcement learning for adaptive reservoir management, physics-informed neural networks for adsorption kinetics prediction);
  • Industrial integration of porous media in carbon capture systems, hydraulic fracturing operations, and scalable environmental remediation technologies.

Dr. Zhenlong Song
Prof. Dr. Tingting Wang
Dr. Kunpeng Zhang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • multiphase flow in reservoirs
  • AI-optimized porous adsorbents
  • hybrid physics–AI frameworks
  • sorption–separation integrated pore architectures
  • AI for reservoir management

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 8030 KiB  
Article
Damage Evolution in High-Temperature-Treated Granite: Combined DIC and AE Experimental Study
by Xianggui Zhou, Qian Liu, Weilan Hu, Qingguo Ren and Shuwen Zhang
Processes 2025, 13(4), 1082; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13041082 - 3 Apr 2025
Viewed by 241
Abstract
As mineral resource extraction progresses to greater depths, it has become imperative for geomechanical applications to understand the thermomechanical degradation mechanisms of rocks under thermal loading. To investigate the thermomechanical characteristics of granite subjected to thermal treatments ranging from ambient to 1000 °C, [...] Read more.
As mineral resource extraction progresses to greater depths, it has become imperative for geomechanical applications to understand the thermomechanical degradation mechanisms of rocks under thermal loading. To investigate the thermomechanical characteristics of granite subjected to thermal treatments ranging from ambient to 1000 °C, we conducted uniaxial compression tests integrating P-wave velocity measurements, digital image correlation (DIC), and acoustic emission (AE) monitoring. The key findings reveal the following: (1) the specimen volume exhibits thermal expansion while the mass loss and P-wave velocity reduction demonstrate a temperature dependence; (2) the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and elastic modulus display progressive thermal degradation, while the peak strain shows an inverse relationship with temperature; (3) acoustic emission signals exhibit a strong correlation with failure–time curves, progressing through three distinct phases: quiescent, progressive accumulation, and accelerated failure, and fracture mechanisms transition progressively from tensile-dominated brittle failure to shear-induced ductile failure with increasing thermal loading; and (4) the damage evolution parameter exhibits exponential growth beyond 600 °C, reaching 98.85% at 1000 °C, where specimens demonstrate a complete loss of load-bearing capacity. These findings provide critical insights for designing deep geological engineering systems involving thermomechanical rock interactions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure Optimization and Transport Characteristics of Porous Media)
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27 pages, 50861 KiB  
Article
Digital Simulation of Hydraulic Fracturing in Laminated Shale Formation Containing Varying Bedding Planes
by Can Shi, Junjie Shentu, Botao Lin, Shiming Wei, Yan Jin and Jeoung Seok Yoon
Processes 2025, 13(4), 1017; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13041017 - 28 Mar 2025
Viewed by 297
Abstract
Large-scale hydraulic fracturing is a prevalent technique for exploiting low-porosity and low-permeability shale reservoirs. The propagation and morphology of the hydraulic fracture in the laminated shale formations are significantly influenced by densely developed bedding planes, which can be classified into three categories: continuous, [...] Read more.
Large-scale hydraulic fracturing is a prevalent technique for exploiting low-porosity and low-permeability shale reservoirs. The propagation and morphology of the hydraulic fracture in the laminated shale formations are significantly influenced by densely developed bedding planes, which can be classified into three categories: continuous, transitional, and discontinuous, with each characterized by distinct properties. This categorization complicates the prediction of the fracture propagation and the optimization of fracturing plans. In this research, a comparative study was proposed to describe fracture propagation and morphology in laminated shale with different types of bedding planes, employing the hydromechanically coupled discrete element method (DEM). The simulation results revealed that bedding planes of different types produce distinct impacts on the fracture propagation, leading to diverse fracture morphologies. In particular, it was found that the plane thickness affected the fracture propagation under low permeability, but the impact was insignificant under high permeability. Under different orientation angles, the continuous bedding planes showed distinct impacts on fracture propagation, while the transitional and discontinuous bedding planes consistently captured the hydraulic fracture. Moreover, the fluid viscosity and injection rate significantly influenced continuous and transitional bedding planes while having a minor effect on the discontinuous bedding planes. The optimal injection schemes incorporating varying injection rates or fluid viscosities were investigated. In addition, the impacts of small-scale bedding planes on fracture propagation were revealed. Furthermore, the bottom hole pressure variation and seismic event distribution were presented to provide complementary evidence of the fracture propagation. The simulation results can promote a comprehensive understanding of the fracture development in shale reservoirs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure Optimization and Transport Characteristics of Porous Media)
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