Electrokinetic and Poroelastic Coupling During Finite Deformations of Charged Porous Media

Abstract

Due to microstructural interactions between the charged solid matrix and ionic interstitial fluid, hydrated biological tissues and other porous media may exhibit macroscopic coupling between solid deformation, fluid, and electrical flows. In the present manuscript, we develop a variationally motivated finite deformation continuum theory for describing such coupled phenomena. The theoretical formulation combines descriptions of poroelastic and electro quasi-static subsystems along with a continuum electromechanical coupling law, and leads to a five-field finite element formulation. Several axisymmetric problems are presented as examples of mechanical-to-electrical and electrical-to-mechanical transduction phenomena in common experimental configurations.