SUMMARY

Fibrous porous media are widely used in various industries such as biomedical engineering, textiles, paper, and alternative energy. There is a strong correlation between system performance and the transport and mechanical properties of the porous media. However, these properties depend on the final pore structure of the material. Thus, the ability to manufacture fibrous porous media with an engineered structure with predictable properties is highly desirable for the optimization of the overall performance of a relevant system. To date, the characterization of the porous media has been primarily based on trial and error procedures and reverse design methods that are not proper for the design purposes. The objective of this research is to develop a methodology to enable the virtual generation of complex composite porous media with tailored properties, from the implementation of a fibrous medium in the design space to the simulated coating of this media representative of the manufacturing space. To meet this objective a modified periodic surface model is proposed, which is utilized to parametrically generate a fibrous domain. The suggested modeling approach allows for a high-degree of control over the fiber profile, matrix properties, and fiber-binder composition. Using the domain generated with the suggested geometrical modeling approach, numerical simulations are executed to simulate transport properties as well as, to directly coat the microstructure, thereby forming a complex composite material. This work presents a framework for feasible and effective generation of complex porous media in the virtual space, which can be directly manufactured.