Transparent 3D-printed flow cells for porous media studies with proof-of-concept on two-phase flow-reversal asymmetry
Abstract
Porous media experiments commonly rely on geometry-controlled and optically transparent experimental flow cells. Examples include studies of flow structure, solute mixing, multiphase flow, bacterial dynamics, and reactive transport. Here, we provide a reproducible and open-source protocol to fabricate transparent monolithic porous flow cells by stereolithography 3D printing. The protocol covers digital design, resin printing, internal flushing, and resin coating. The flushing and coating steps are central to the workflow, enabling enclosed single-material cells to be cleared of uncured resin and made optically transparent for direct imaging. The protocol produces optically transparent, millimetre-scale, and quasi-two-dimensional flow cells suitable for simultaneous pressure and image-based measurements. As a proof of concept, we study flow-reversal asymmetry in steady oil-air two-phase flow in quasi-two-dimensional Hele-Shaw cells containing either triangular or cylindrical obstacles. Directional differences are quantified from pressure measurements and from image-based active-width measurements. The triangular geometry produces a clear directional response, whereas the cylindrical geometry remains symmetric within experimental uncertainty. These results demonstrate that our fabrication protocol can link digitally designed pore geometries to macroscopic pressure response and steady-state two-phase flow organisation. By making the design files, scripts, and manufacturing workflow openly available, we aim to make 3D-printed flow cells readily adaptable to other experimental systems and research fields.
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BibTeX
@misc{dumay2026transparent,
title = {{Transparent 3D-printed flow cells for porous media studies with proof-of-concept on two-phase flow-reversal asymmetry}},
author = {Yann Dumay and J. Kevin Pierce and Julie Delhaie and Erika Eiser},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.04105},
eprint = {2610.04105},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.04105},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Transparent 3D-printed flow cells for porous media studies with proof-of-concept on two-phase flow-reversal asymmetry
AU - Yann Dumay
AU - J. Kevin Pierce
AU - Julie Delhaie
AU - Erika Eiser
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/28
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.04105
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.04105
AB - Porous media experiments commonly rely on geometry-controlled and optically transparent experimental flow cells. Examples include studies of flow structure, solute mixing, multiphase flow, bacterial dynamics, and reactive transport. Here, we provide a reproducible and open-source protocol to fabricate transparent monolithic porous flow cells by stereolithography 3D printing. The protocol covers digital design, resin printing, internal flushing, and resin coating. The flushing and coating steps are central to the workflow, enabling enclosed single-material cells to be cleared of uncured resin and made optically transparent for direct imaging. The protocol produces optically transparent, millimetre-scale, and quasi-two-dimensional flow cells suitable for simultaneous pressure and image-based measurements. As a proof of concept, we study flow-reversal asymmetry in steady oil-air two-phase flow in quasi-two-dimensional Hele-Shaw cells containing either triangular or cylindrical obstacles. Directional differences are quantified from pressure measurements and from image-based active-width measurements. The triangular geometry produces a clear directional response, whereas the cylindrical geometry remains symmetric within experimental uncertainty. These results demonstrate that our fabrication protocol can link digitally designed pore geometries to macroscopic pressure response and steady-state two-phase flow organisation. By making the design files, scripts, and manufacturing workflow openly available, we aim to make 3D-printed flow cells readily adaptable to other experimental systems and research fields.
ER -