Solute transport across a contact interface in deformable porous media

Abstract 

A finite element formulation of neutral solute transport across a contact interface between deformable porous media is implemented and validated against analytical solutions. By reducing the integral statements of external virtual work on the two contacting surfaces into a single contact integral, the algorithm automatically enforces continuity of solute molar flux across the contact interface, whereas continuity of the effective solute concentration (a measure of the solute mechano-chemical potential) is achieved using a penalty method. This novel formulation facilitates the analysis of problems in biomechanics where the transport of metabolites across contact interfaces of deformable tissues may be of interest. This contact algorithm is the first to address solute transport across deformable interfaces, and is made available in the public domain, open-source finite element code FEBio (http://www.febio.org).

Keywords: Finite element modeling, Contact mechanics, Solute transport, Porous media, Biphasic theory