Abstract
Darcy’s law, which defines a linear relationship between the specific
discharge and the hydraulic gradient, is commonly applied in many
disciplines including hydraulic engineering, hydrogeology, environmental
engineering, plant physiology, etc. However, Darcy’s law can become
invalid under certain conditions where the flow velocity is larger or
smaller than a critical value, thereby producing a non-Darcian flow.
Non-Darcian flow problems have been found to be relatively more
difficult to deal with due to associated high degree of nonlinearity.
Nevertheless, in the past few decades, great progress has been made in
the study of non-Darcian flow problems in several geoscience
disciplines. In this review paper, we introduce the background of the
laws governing non-Darcian flow behavior. We also review and elaborate
on the recent developments on non-Darcian flow in high- and
low-permeability media, and non-Darcian flow associated with heat
transfer, gas phase non-Darcian flow and multiphase. In addition to
these, three advanced topics (plant physiology, biological tissues,
nanofluids), as well as new methods used in solving non-Darcian flow
problems are presented. In each area, we introduce the related practical
problems and then elucidate the theories and science to improve
understanding of the issues. Finally, we highlight the current
challenges on the subject and provide some suggestions for future
research.