WorldWideScience

Sample records for cell porous transport

  1. Characterization of transport phenomena in porous transport layers using X-ray microtomography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasanpour, S.; Hoorfar, M.; Phillion, A. B.

    2017-06-01

    Among different methods available for estimating the transport properties of porous transport layers (PTLs) of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, X-ray micro computed tomography (X-μCT) imaging in combination with image-based numerical simulation has been recognized as a viable tool. In this study, four commercially-available single-layer and dual-layer PTLs are analyzed using this method in order to compare and contrast transport properties between different PTLs, as well as the variability within a single sheet. Complete transport property datasets are created for each PTL. The simulation predictions indicate that PTLs with high porosity show considerable variability in permeability and effective diffusivity, while PTLs with low porosity do not. Furthermore, it is seen that the Tomadakis-Sotirchos (TS) analytical expressions for porous media match the image-based simulations when porosity is relatively low but predict higher permeability and effective diffusivity for porosity values greater than 80%. Finally, the simulations show that cracks within MPL of dual-layer PTLs have a significant effect on the overall permeability and effective diffusivity of the PTLs. This must be considered when estimating the transport properties of dual-layer PTLs. These findings can be used to improve macro-scale models of product and reactant transport within fuel cells, and ultimately, fuel cell efficiency.

  2. Porous media geometry and transports

    CERN Document Server

    Adler, Pierre

    1992-01-01

    The goal of ""Porous Media: Geometry and Transports"" is to provide the basis of a rational and modern approach to porous media. This book emphasizes several geometrical structures (spatially periodic, fractal, and random to reconstructed) and the three major single-phase transports (diffusion, convection, and Taylor dispersion).""Porous Media"" serves various purposes. For students it introduces basic information on structure and transports. Engineers will find this book useful as a readily accessible assemblage of al the major experimental results pertaining to single-phase tr

  3. Tritium transport in lithium ceramics porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tam, S.W.; Ambrose, V.

    1991-01-01

    A random network model has been utilized to analyze the problem of tritium percolation through porous Li ceramic breeders. Local transport in each pore channel is described by a set of convection-diffusion-reaction equations. Long range transport is described by a matrix technique. The heterogeneous structure of the porous medium is accounted for via Monte Carlo methods. The model was then applied to an analysis of the relative contribution of diffusion and convective flow to tritium transport in porous lithium ceramics. 15 refs., 4 figs

  4. Pore size distribution effect on rarefied gas transport in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hori, Takuma; Yoshimoto, Yuta; Takagi, Shu; Kinefuchi, Ikuya

    2017-11-01

    Gas transport phenomena in porous media are known to strongly influence the performance of devices such as gas separation membranes and fuel cells. Knudsen diffusion is a dominant flow regime in these devices since they have nanoscale pores. Many experiments have shown that these porous media have complex structures and pore size distributions; thus, the diffusion coefficient in these media cannot be easily assessed. Previous studies have reported that the characteristic pore diameter of porous media can be defined in light of the pore size distribution; however, tortuosity factor, which is necessary for the evaluation of diffusion coefficient, is still unknown without gas transport measurements or simulations. Thus, the relation between pore size distributions and tortuosity factors is required to obtain the gas transport properties. We perform numerical simulations to prove the relation between them. Porous media are numerically constructed while satisfying given pore size distributions. Then, the mean-square displacement simulation is performed to obtain the tortuosity factors of the constructed porous media.. This paper is based on results obtained from a project commissioned by the New Energy and Industrial Development Organization (NEDO).

  5. Gas transport in porous media

    CERN Document Server

    Ho, Clifford K

    2006-01-01

    This book presents a compilation of state-of-the art studies on gas and vapor transport processes in porous and fractured media. A broad set of models and processes are presented, including advection/diffusion, the Dusty Gas Model, enhanced vapor diffusion, phase change, coupled processes, solid/vapor sorption, and vapor-pressure lowering. Numerous applications are also presented that illustrate these processes and models in current problems facing the scientific community. This book fills a gap in the general area of transport in porous and fractured media; an area that has historically been dominated by studies of liquid-phase flow and transport. This book identifies gas and vapor transport processes that may be important or dominant in various applications, and it exploits recent advances in computational modeling and experimental methods to present studies that distinguish the relative importance of various mechanisms of transport in complex media.

  6. Electrical Transport Through Micro Porous Track Etch Membranes of same Porosity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garg, Ravish; Kumar, Vijay; Kumar, Dinesh; Chakarvarti, S. K.

    2012-12-01

    Porosity, pore size and thickness of membrane are vital factors to influence the transport phenomena through micro porous track etch membranes (TEMs) and affect the various applications like separations, drug release, flow control, bio-sensing and cell size detection etc. based on transport process. Therefore, a better understanding of transport mechanism through TEMs is required for new applications in various thrust areas like biomedical devices and packaging of foods and drugs. Transport studies of electrolytic solutions of potassium chloride, through porous polycarbonate TEMS having cylindrical pores of size 0.2 μm and 0.4 μm with same porosity of 15%, have been carried out using an electrochemical cell. In this technique, the etched filter is sandwiched between two compartments of cell in such a way that the TEM acts as a membrane separating the cell into two chambers. The two chambers are then filled with electrolyte solution (KCl in distilled water). The current voltage characteristics have been drawn by stepping the voltage ranging 0 to 10 V using Keithley 2400 Series Source Measurement Unit. The results indicate that rate of ion transport through cylindrical pores although is independent of pore size of TEMs of same porosity but there seems to be effect of TEM aperture size exposed to the electrolyte used in conducting cell on ion transport magnitude. From the experimental studies, a large deviation in the conduction through TEMs was observed when compared with theoretical consideration which led to the need for modification in the applicability of simple Ohm's law to the conduction through TEMs. It is found that ion transport increases with increase in area of aperture of TEM but much lower than the expected theoretically value.

  7. Dynamics of Coupled Contaminant and Microbial Transport in Heterogeneous Porous Media: Purdue Component

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cushman, J.H.; Madilyn Fletcher

    2000-06-01

    Dynamic microbial attachment/detachment occurs in subsurface systems in response to changing environmental conditions caused by contaminant movement and degradation. Understanding the environmental conditions and mechanisms by which anaerobic bacteria partition between aqueous and solid phases is a critical requirement for designing and evaluating in situ bioremediation efforts. This interdisciplinary research project, of which we report only the Purdue contribution, provides fundamental information on the attachment/detachment dynamics of bacteria in heterogeneous porous media. Fundamental results from the Purdue collaboration are: (a) development of a matched-index method for obtaining 3-D Lagrangian trajectories of microbial sized particles transporting within porous media or microflow cells, (b) application of advanced numerical methods to optimally design a microflow cell for studying anaerobic bacterial attachment/detachment phenomena, (c) development of two types of models for simulating bacterial movement and attachment/detachment in microflow cells and natural porous media, (d) application of stochastic analysis to upscale pore scale microbial attachment/detachment models to natural heterogeneous porous media, and (e) evaluation of the role nonlocality plays in microbial dynamics in heterogeneous porous media

  8. Dynamics of Coupled Contaminant and Microbial Transport in Heterogeneous Porous Media: Purdue Component

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cushman, J.H.

    2000-06-01

    Dynamic microbial attachment/detachment occurs in subsurface systems in response to changing environmental conditions caused by contaminant movement and degradation. Understanding the environmental conditions and mechanisms by which anaerobic bacteria partition between aqueous and solid phases is a critical requirement for designing and evaluating in situ bioremediation efforts. This interdisciplinary research project, of which we report only the Purdue contribution, provides fundamental information on the attachment/detachment dynamics of bacteria in heterogeneous porous media. Fundamental results from the Purdue collaboration are: (a) development of a matched-index method for obtaining 3-D Lagrangian trajectories of microbial sized particles transporting within porous media or microflow cells, (b) application of advanced numerical methods to optimally design a microflow cell for studying anaerobic bacterial attachment/detachment phenomena, (c) development of two types of models for simulating bacterial movement and attachment/detachment in microflow cells and natural porous media, (d) application of stochastic analysis to upscale pore scale microbial attachment/detachment models to natural heterogeneous porous media, and (e) evaluation of the role nonlocality plays in microbial dynamics in heterogeneous porous media.

  9. Modelling multiphase flow inside the porous media of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Berning, Torsten; Kær, Søren Knudsen

    2011-01-01

    Transport processes inside polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC’s) are highly complex and involve convective and diffusive multiphase, multispecies flow through porous media along with heat and mass transfer and electrochemical reactions in conjunction with water transport through...... an electrolyte membrane. We will present a computational model of a PEMFC with focus on capillary transport of water through the porous layers and phase change and discuss the impact of the liquid phase boundary condition between the porous gas diffusion layer and the flow channels, where water droplets can...

  10. Image-based modeling of flow and reactive transport in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Chao-Zhong; Hoang, Tuong; Verhoosel, Clemens V.; Harald van Brummelen, E.; Wijshoff, Herman M. A.

    2017-04-01

    Due to the availability of powerful computational resources and high-resolution acquisition of material structures, image-based modeling has become an important tool in studying pore-scale flow and transport processes in porous media [Scheibe et al., 2015]. It is also playing an important role in the upscaling study for developing macroscale porous media models. Usually, the pore structure of a porous medium is directly discretized by the voxels obtained from visualization techniques (e.g. micro CT scanning), which can avoid the complex generation of computational mesh. However, this discretization may considerably overestimate the interfacial areas between solid walls and pore spaces. As a result, it could impact the numerical predictions of reactive transport and immiscible two-phase flow. In this work, two types of image-based models are used to study single-phase flow and reactive transport in a porous medium of sintered glass beads. One model is from a well-established voxel-based simulation tool. The other is based on the mixed isogeometric finite cell method [Hoang et al., 2016], which has been implemented in the open source Nutils (http://www.nutils.org). The finite cell method can be used in combination with isogeometric analysis to enable the higher-order discretization of problems on complex volumetric domains. A particularly interesting application of this immersed simulation technique is image-based analysis, where the geometry is smoothly approximated by segmentation of a B-spline level set approximation of scan data [Verhoosel et al., 2015]. Through a number of case studies by the two models, we will show the advantages and disadvantages of each model in modeling single-phase flow and reactive transport in porous media. Particularly, we will highlight the importance of preserving high-resolution interfaces between solid walls and pore spaces in image-based modeling of porous media. References Hoang, T., C. V. Verhoosel, F. Auricchio, E. H. van

  11. Transport phenomena in porous media

    CERN Document Server

    Ingham, Derek B

    1998-01-01

    Research into thermal convection in porous media has substantially increased during recent years due to its numerous practical applications. These problems have attracted the attention of industrialists, engineers and scientists from many very diversified disciplines, such as applied mathematics, chemical, civil, environmental, mechanical and nuclear engineering, geothermal physics and food science. Thus, there is a wealth of information now available on convective processes in porous media and it is therefore appropriate and timely to undertake a new critical evaluation of this contemporary information. Transport Phenomena in Porous Media contains 17 chapters and represents the collective work of 27 of the world's leading experts, from 12 countries, in heat transfer in porous media. The recent intensive research in this area has substantially raised the expectations for numerous new practical applications and this makes the book a most timely addition to the existing literature. It includes recent major deve...

  12. Porous media fluid transport and pore structure

    CERN Document Server

    Dullien, F A L

    1992-01-01

    This book examines the relationship between transport properties and pore structure of porous material. Models of pore structure are presented with a discussion of how such models can be used to predict the transport properties of porous media. Portions of the book are devoted to interpretations of experimental results in this area and directions for future research. Practical applications are given where applicable, and are expected to be useful for a large number of different fields, including reservoir engineering, geology, hydrogeology, soil science, chemical process engineering, biomedica

  13. Solute transport in aggregated and layered porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koch, S.

    1993-01-01

    This work is a contribution to research in soil physics dealing with solute transport in porous media. The influence of structural inhomogeneities on solute transport is investigated. Detailed experiments at the laboratory scale are used to enlighten distinct processes which cannot be studied separately at field scale. Two main aspects are followed up: (i) to show the influence of aggregation of a porous medium on breakthrough time and spreading of an inert tracer and consequences on the estimation of parameter values of models describing solute transport in aggregated systems, (ii) to investigate the influences on the dispersion process when stratification is perpendicular to the direction of flow. Several concepts of modelling solute transport in soil are discussed. Models based on the convection-dispersion equation (CDE) are emphasized because they are used here to model solute transport experiments conducted with aggregated porous media. Stochastic concepts are introduced to show the limitations of the deterministic CDE approaches. Experiments are done in columns containing two kinds of solid phases and were saturated with water. The solid phases are porous and solid glass beads exhibiting a distinctly unimodal or bimodal pore size distribution. Experimental breakthrough curves (BTCs) are modelled with the CDE, a bicontinuum model with a phenomenological mass transfer rate and a bicontinuum spherical diffusion model. Experiments are also done in columns that are unsaturated containing porous materials that are layered. Flow is made at a steady rate. It is shown that layer boundaries have a severe influence on lateral mixing. They may force streamlines to converge or cause a lateral redistribution of solutes. (author) figs., tabs., 122 refs

  14. Dynamics of Coupled Contaminant and Microbial Transport in Heterogeneous Porous Media: Purdue Component. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cushman, J.H.

    2000-01-01

    Dynamic microbial attachment/detachment occurs in subsurface systems in response to changing environmental conditions caused by contaminant movement and degradation. Understanding the environmental conditions and mechanisms by which anaerobic bacteria partition between aqueous and solid phases is a critical requirement for designing and evaluating in situ bioremediation efforts. This interdisciplinary research project, of which we report only the Purdue contribution, provides fundamental information on the attachment/detachment dynamics of bacteria in heterogeneous porous media. Fundamental results from the Purdue collaboration are: (a) development of a matched-index method for obtaining 3-D Lagrangian trajectories of microbial sized particles transporting within porous media or microflow cells, (b) application of advanced numerical methods to optimally design a microflow cell for studying anaerobic bacterial attachment/detachment phenomena, (c) development of two types of models for simulating bacterial movement and attachment/detachment in microflow cells and natural porous media, (d) application of stochastic analysis to upscale pore scale microbial attachment/detachment models to natural heterogeneous porous media, and (e) evaluation of the role nonlocality plays in microbial dynamics in heterogeneous porous media

  15. Effect of mass and charge transport speed and direction in porous anodes on microbial electrolysis cell performance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sleutels, T.H.J.A.; Hamelers, H.V.M.; Buisman, C.J.N.

    2011-01-01

    The use of porous electrodes like graphite felt as anode material has the potential of achieving high volumetric current densities. High volumetric current densities, however, may also lead to mass transport limitations within these porous materials. Therefore, in this study we investigated the mass

  16. Parametric study of anodic microstructures to cell performance of planar solid oxide fuel cell using measured porous transport properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, C.M.; Shy, S.S.; Chien, C.W. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University, 300 Jhong-da Road, Jhong-li 32001 (China); Lee, C.H. [Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Lung-tan, Tao-yuan 32546 (China)

    2010-04-15

    This study reports effects of porosity ({epsilon}), permeability (k) and tortuosity ({tau}) of anodic microstructures to peak power density (PPD) of a single-unit planar anode-supported SOFC based on 3D electrochemical flow models using measured porous transport properties. Applying particle image velocimetry, a transparent porous rib-channel with different {epsilon} is applied to measure an effective viscosity ({mu}{sub e}) in the Brinkman equation commonly used to predict flow properties in porous electrodes. It is found that, contrary to the popular scenario, {mu}{sub e} is not equal to the fluid viscosity ({mu}{sub f}), but it is several orders in magnitude smaller than {mu}{sub f} resulting in more than 10% difference on values of PPD. Numerical analyses show: (1) while keeping k and {tau} fixed with {epsilon} varying from 0.2 to 0.6, the highest PPD occurs at {epsilon} = 0.3 where the corresponding triple-phase-boundary length is a maximum; (2) PPD increases slightly with k when k{<=}10{sup -11} m{sup 2} due to the diffusion limitation in anode; and (3) PPD decreases with {tau} when {tau}>1.5 due to the accumulation of non-depleted products. Hence, a combination of {epsilon}=0.3, k=10{sup -11}m{sup 2}, and {tau}=1.5 is suggested for achieving higher cell performance of planar SOFC. (author)

  17. A single continuum approximation of the solute transport in fractured porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeong, J.T.; Lee, K.J.

    1992-01-01

    Solute transport in fractured porous media is described by the single continuum model, i.e., equivalent porous medium model. In this model, one-dimensional solute transport in the fracture and two-dimensional solute transport in the porous rock matrix is considered. The network of fractures embedded in the porous rock matrix is idealized as two orthogonally intersecting families of equally spaced, parallel fractures directed at 45 o to the regional groundwater flow direction. Governing equations are solved by the finite element method, and an upstream weighting technique is used in order to prevent the oscillation of the solution in the case of highly advection dominated transport. Breakthrough curves, similar to those of the one-dimensional solute transport problem in ordinary porous media, are obtained as a function of time according to volume or flux averaging of the concentration profile across the width of the flow region. The equivalent parameters, i.e., porosity and overall coefficient of longitudinal dispersivity, are obtained by a trial-and-error method. Analyses for the non-sorbing solute transport case show that within the range of considered parameters, and except for the region very close to the source, application of the single continuum model in the idealized fracture system is sufficient for modeling solute transport in fractured porous media. This numerical scheme is shown to be applicable to a sorbing solute and radionuclide transport. (author)

  18. Transport and fate of Herbaspirillum chlorophenolicum FA1 in saturated porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, X.; Xu, H.; Wu, J.

    2016-12-01

    For the bioremediation of contaminated groundwater, sufficient dispersal of functional microorganisms is one of the most important factors that determine the remediation efficiency. There are extensive studies on the transport of microbes in porous media, while most of them focus on pathogenic bacteria and little attention has been given toward functional bacteria that being used in bioremediation process. Therefore, accurate knowledge of the mechanisms that govern the transport and distribution of such bacteria in groundwater is needed to develop efficient treatment techniques. Herbaspirillum chlorophenolicum FA1, a pure bacterial strain capable of absorbing heavy metals and degrading polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), was selected as the representative functional bacterium in this study. A series of batch and column experiments were conducted to investigate the transport and deposition behavior of strain FA1 in saturated porous media. The effects of physical (grain size), chemical (ionic strength, humic acid), and biological factors (living/dead cells) were studied in detail. In addition, numerical simulations of breakthrough curve (BTC) data were also performed for information gathering. Results of this study could advance our understanding of functional bacteria transport and help to develop successful bioremediation strategies. This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China -Xinjiang Project (U1503282), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41030746, 41102148), and the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20151385). Keywords: Herbaspirillum chlorophenolicum FA1, bacteria, porous media, transport, modeling

  19. Solute transport through porous media using asymptotic dispersivity

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    ber of processes and porous media properties including convective transport .... existence of regions within the porous medium in which there is minimum advective flow. .... concentration at x = L. The initial and the exit boundary conditions can be .... rial was cleaned, washed and dried to ensure that the material free from ...

  20. Coupled electric and transport phenomena in porous media

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Li, Shuai

    2014-01-01

    The coupled electrical and transport properties of clay-containing porous media are the topics of interest in this study. Both experimental and numerical (pore network modeling) techniques are employed to gain insight into the macro-scale interaction between electrical and solute transport phenomena

  1. Bacterial transport in heterogeneous porous media: Observations from laboratory experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silliman, S. E.; Dunlap, R.; Fletcher, M.; Schneegurt, M. A.

    2001-11-01

    Transport of bacteria through heterogeneous porous media was investigated in small-scale columns packed with sand and in a tank designed to allow the hydraulic conductivity to vary as a two-dimensional, lognormally distributed, second-order stationary, exponentially correlated random field. The bacteria were Pseudomonas ftuorescens R8, a strain demonstrating appreciable attachment to surfaces, and strain Ml, a transposon mutant of strain R8 with reduced attachment ability. In bench top, sand-filled columns, transport was determined by measuring intensity of fluorescence of stained cells in the effluent or by measuring radiolabeled cells that were retained in the sand columns. Results demonstrated that strain Ml was transported more efficiently than strain R8 through columns packed with either a homogeneous silica sand or a more heterogeneous sand with iron oxide coatings. Two experiments conducted in the tank involved monitoring transport of bacteria to wells via sampling from wells and sample ports in the tank. Bacterial numbers were determined by direct plate count. At the end of the first experiment, the distribution of the bacteria in the sediment was determined by destructive sampling and plating. The two experiments produced bacterial breakthrough curves that were quite similar even though the similarity between the two porous media was limited to first- and second-order statistical moments. This result appears consistent with the concept of large-scale, average behavior such as has been observed for the transport of conservative chemical tracers. The transported bacteria arrived simultaneously with a conservative chemical tracer (although at significantly lower normalized concentration than the tracer). However, the bacterial breakthrough curves showed significant late time tailing. The concentrations of bacteria attached to the sediment surfaces showed considerably more spatial variation than did the concentrations of bacteria in the fluid phase. This

  2. High-efficient solar cells with porous silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Migunova, A.A.

    2002-01-01

    It has been shown that the porous silicon is multifunctional high-efficient coating on silicon solar cells, modifies its surface and combines in it self antireflection and passivation properties., The different optoelectronic effects in solar cells with porous silicon were considered. The comparative parameters of uncovered photodetectors also solar cells with porous silicon and other coatings were resulted. (author)

  3. Continuous time random walk analysis of solute transport in fractured porous media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cortis, Andrea; Cortis, Andrea; Birkholzer, Jens

    2008-06-01

    The objective of this work is to discuss solute transport phenomena in fractured porous media, where the macroscopic transport of contaminants in the highly permeable interconnected fractures can be strongly affected by solute exchange with the porous rock matrix. We are interested in a wide range of rock types, with matrix hydraulic conductivities varying from almost impermeable (e.g., granites) to somewhat permeable (e.g., porous sandstones). In the first case, molecular diffusion is the only transport process causing the transfer of contaminants between the fractures and the matrix blocks. In the second case, additional solute transfer occurs as a result of a combination of advective and dispersive transport mechanisms, with considerable impact on the macroscopic transport behavior. We start our study by conducting numerical tracer experiments employing a discrete (microscopic) representation of fractures and matrix. Using the discrete simulations as a surrogate for the 'correct' transport behavior, we then evaluate the accuracy of macroscopic (continuum) approaches in comparison with the discrete results. However, instead of using dual-continuum models, which are quite often used to account for this type of heterogeneity, we develop a macroscopic model based on the Continuous Time Random Walk (CTRW) framework, which characterizes the interaction between the fractured and porous rock domains by using a probability distribution function of residence times. A parametric study of how CTRW parameters evolve is presented, describing transport as a function of the hydraulic conductivity ratio between fractured and porous domains.

  4. Numerical simulation of the transport phenomena due to sudden heating in porous media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lei, S.Y.; Zheng, G.Y.; Wang, B.X.; Yang, R.G.; Xia, C.M.

    1997-07-01

    Such process as wet porous media suddenly heated by hot fluids frequently occurs in nature and in industrial applications. The three-variable simulation model was developed to predict violent transport phenomena due to sudden heating in porous media. Two sets of independent variables were applied to different regions in porous media in the simulation. For the wet zone, temperature, wet saturation and air pressure were used as the independent variables. For the dry zone, the independent variables were temperature, vapor pressure and air pressure. The model simulated two complicated transport processes in wet unsaturated porous media which is suddenly heated by melting metal or boiling water. The effect of the gas pressure is also investigated on the overall transport phenomena.

  5. Humic acid transport in saturated porous media: influence of flow velocity and influent concentration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Xiaorong; Shao, Mingan; Du, Lina; Horton, Robert

    2014-12-01

    Understanding the transport of humic acids (HAs) in porous media can provide important and practical evidence needed for accurate prediction of organic/inorganic contaminant transport in different environmental media and interfaces. A series of column transport experiments was conducted to evaluate the transport of HA in different porous media at different flow velocities and influent HA concentrations. Low flow velocity and influent concentration were found to favor the adsorption and deposition of HA onto sand grains packed into columns and to give higher equilibrium distribution coefficients and deposition rate coefficients, which resulted in an increased fraction of HA being retained in columns. Consequently, retardation factors were increased and the transport of HA through the columns was delayed. These results suggest that the transport of HA in porous media is primarily controlled by the attachment of HA to the solid matrix. Accordingly, this attachment should be considered in studies of HA behavior in porous media. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  6. Foam Transport in Porous Media - A Review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Z. F.; Freedman, Vicky L.; Zhong, Lirong

    2009-11-11

    Amendment solutions with or without surfactants have been used to remove contaminants from soil. However, it has drawbacks such that the amendment solution often mobilizes the plume, and its movement is controlled by gravity and preferential flow paths. Foam is an emulsion-like, two-phase system in which gas cells are dispersed in a liquid and separated by thin liquid films called lamellae. Potential advantages of using foams in sub-surface remediation include providing better control on the volume of fluids injected, uniformity of contact, and the ability to contain the migration of contaminant laden liquids. It is expected that foam can serve as a carrier of amendments for vadose zone remediation, e.g., at the Hanford Site. As part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s EM-20 program, a numerical simulation capability will be added to the Subsurface Transport Over Multiple Phases (STOMP) flow simulator. The primary purpose of this document is to review the modeling approaches of foam transport in porous media. However, as an aid to understanding the simulation approaches, some experiments under unsaturated conditions and the processes of foam transport are also reviewed. Foam may be formed when the surfactant concentration is above the critical micelle concentration. There are two main types of foams – the ball foam (microfoam) and the polyhedral foam. The characteristics of bulk foam are described by the properties such as foam quality, texture, stability, density, surface tension, disjoining pressure, etc. Foam has been used to flush contaminants such as metals, organics, and nonaqueous phase liquids from unsaturated soil. Ball foam, or colloidal gas aphrons, reportedly have been used for soil flushing in contaminated site remediation and was found to be more efficient than surfactant solutions on the basis of weight of contaminant removed per gram of surfactant. Experiments also indicate that the polyhedral foam can be used to enhance soil remediation. The

  7. Investigating anomalous transport of electrolytes in charged porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skjøde Bolet, Asger Johannes; Mathiesen, Joachim

    2017-04-01

    Surface charge is know to play an important role in microfluidics devices when dealing with electrolytes and their transport properties. Similarly, surface charge could play a role for transport in porous rock with submicron pore sizes. Estimates of the streaming potentials and electro osmotic are mostly considered in simple geometries both using analytic and numerical tools, however it is unclear at present how realistic complex geometries will modify the dynamics. Our work have focused on doing numerical studies of the full three-dimensional Stokes-Poisson-Nernst-Planck problem for electrolyte transport in porous rock. As the numerical implementation, we have used a finite element solver made using the FEniCS project code base, which can both solve for a steady state configuration and the full transient. In the presentation, we will show our results on anomalous transport due to electro kinetic effects such as the streaming potential or the electro osmotic effect.

  8. Control and optimization of solute transport in a thin porous tube

    KAUST Repository

    Griffiths, I. M.

    2013-03-01

    Predicting the distribution of solutes or particles in flows within porous-walled tubes is essential to inform the design of devices that rely on cross-flow filtration, such as those used in water purification, irrigation devices, field-flow fractionation, and hollow-fibre bioreactors for tissue-engineering applications. Motivated by these applications, a radially averaged model for fluid and solute transport in a tube with thin porous walls is derived by developing the classical ideas of Taylor dispersion. The model includes solute diffusion and advection via both radial and axial flow components, and the advection, diffusion, and uptake coefficients in the averaged equation are explicitly derived. The effect of wall permeability, slip, and pressure differentials upon the dispersive solute behaviour are investigated. The model is used to explore the control of solute transport across the membrane walls via the membrane permeability, and a parametric expression for the permeability required to generate a given solute distribution is derived. The theory is applied to the specific example of a hollow-fibre membrane bioreactor, where a uniform delivery of nutrient across the membrane walls to the extra-capillary space is required to promote spatially uniform cell growth. © 2013 American Institute of Physics.

  9. Porous silicon-based direct hydrogen sulphide fuel cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dzhafarov, T D; Yuksel, S Aydin

    2011-10-01

    In this paper, the use of Au/porous silicon/Silicon Schottky type structure, as a direct hydrogen sulphide fuel cell is demonstrated. The porous silicon filled with hydrochlorid acid was developed as a proton conduction membrane. The Au/Porous Silicon/Silicon cells were fabricated by first creating the porous silicon layer in single-crystalline Si using the anodic etching under illumination and then deposition Au catalyst layer onto the porous silicon. Using 80 mM H2S solution as fuel the open circuit voltage of 0.4 V was obtained and maximum power density of 30 W/m2 at room temperature was achieved. These results demonstrate that the Au/Porous Silicon/Silicon direct hydrogen sulphide fuel cell which uses H2S:dH2O solution as fuel and operates at room temperature can be considered as the most promising type of low cost fuel cell for small power-supply units.

  10. Color image analysis of contaminants and bacteria transport in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rashidi, Mehdi; Dehmeshki, Jamshid; Daemi, Mohammad F.; Cole, Larry; Dickenson, Eric

    1997-10-01

    Transport of contaminants and bacteria in aqueous heterogeneous saturated porous systems have been studied experimentally using a novel fluorescent microscopic imaging technique. The approach involves color visualization and quantification of bacterium and contaminant distributions within a transparent porous column. By introducing stained bacteria and an organic dye as a contaminant into the column and illuminating the porous regions with a planar sheet of laser beam, contaminant and bacterial transport processes through the porous medium can be observed and measured microscopically. A computer controlled color CCD camera is used to record the fluorescent images as a function of time. These images are recorded by a frame accurate high resolution VCR and are then analyzed using a color image analysis code written in our laboratories. The color images are digitized this way and simultaneous concentration and velocity distributions of both contaminant and bacterium are evaluated as a function of time and pore characteristics. The approach provides a unique dynamic probe to observe these transport processes microscopically. These results are extremely valuable in in-situ bioremediation problems since microscopic particle-contaminant- bacterium interactions are the key to understanding and optimization of these processes.

  11. Improved performance of porous bio-anodes in microbial electrolysis cells by enhancing mass and charge transport

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sleutels, T.H.J.A.; Lodder, R.; Hamelers, H.V.M.; Buisman, C.J.N.

    2009-01-01

    To create an efficient MEC high current densities and high coulombic efficiencies are required. The aim of this study was to increase cur-rent densities and coulombic efficiencies by influencing mass and charge transport in porous electrodes by: (i) introduction of a forced flow through the anode to

  12. Simulation of Tracer Transport in Porous Media: Application to Bentonites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bru, A.; Casero, D.

    2001-01-01

    We present a formal framework to describe tracer transport in heterogeneous media, such as porous media like bentonites. In these media, mean field approximation is not valid because there exist some geometrical constraints and the transport is anomalous. (Author)

  13. Reduced-Order Direct Numerical Simulation of Solute Transport in Porous Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehmani, Yashar; Tchelepi, Hamdi

    2017-11-01

    Pore-scale models are an important tool for analyzing fluid dynamics in porous materials (e.g., rocks, soils, fuel cells). Current direct numerical simulation (DNS) techniques, while very accurate, are computationally prohibitive for sample sizes that are statistically representative of the porous structure. Reduced-order approaches such as pore-network models (PNM) aim to approximate the pore-space geometry and physics to remedy this problem. Predictions from current techniques, however, have not always been successful. This work focuses on single-phase transport of a passive solute under advection-dominated regimes and delineates the minimum set of approximations that consistently produce accurate PNM predictions. Novel network extraction (discretization) and particle simulation techniques are developed and compared to high-fidelity DNS simulations for a wide range of micromodel heterogeneities and a single sphere pack. Moreover, common modeling assumptions in the literature are analyzed and shown that they can lead to first-order errors under advection-dominated regimes. This work has implications for optimizing material design and operations in manufactured (electrodes) and natural (rocks) porous media pertaining to energy systems. This work was supported by the Stanford University Petroleum Research Institute for Reservoir Simulation (SUPRI-B).

  14. Three-dimensional two-phase mass transport model for direct methanol fuel cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, W.W.; Zhao, T.S.; Xu, C.

    2007-01-01

    A three-dimensional (3D) steady-state model for liquid feed direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) is presented in this paper. This 3D mass transport model is formed by integrating five sub-models, including a modified drift-flux model for the anode flow field, a two-phase mass transport model for the porous anode, a single-phase model for the polymer electrolyte membrane, a two-phase mass transport model for the porous cathode, and a homogeneous mist-flow model for the cathode flow field. The two-phase mass transport models take account the effect of non-equilibrium evaporation/ condensation at the gas-liquid interface. A 3D computer code is then developed based on the integrated model. After being validated against the experimental data reported in the literature, the code was used to investigate numerically transport behaviors at the DMFC anode and their effects on cell performance

  15. Theoretical analysis of moisture transport in wood as an open porous hygroscopic material

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hozjan, Tomaz; Svensson, Staffan

    2010-01-01

    Moisture transport in an open porous hygroscopic material such as wood is a complex system of coupled processes. For seasoned wood in natural climate three fully coupled processes active in the moisture transport are readily identified: (1) diffusion of vapor in pores; (2) phase change from one...... state to another, also called moisture sorption; and (3) diffusion of bound water in wood tissue (in the cell wall). A mathematical model for predicting moisture transport in wood for a given condition must at least consider the dominating active processes simultaneously to be considered accurate...... of the three processes on the outcome of the coupled model. Least significant is the bound water diffusion. Based on the results from the sensitivity analyses, a simplified model for moisture transport in wood is proposed....

  16. Coulombic interactions during advection-dominated transport of ions in porous media

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Muniruzzaman, Muhammad; Stolze, Lucien; Rolle, Massimo

    2017-01-01

    bench-scale experiments and numerical simulations. The investigation aims at quantifying the key role of small-scale electrostatic interactions in flow-through systems, especially when advection is the dominant mass-transfer process. Considering dilute solutions of strong electrolytes (e.g., MgCl2......Solute transport of charged species in porous media is significantly affected by the electrochemical migration term resulting from the charge-induced interactions among dissolved ions and with solid surfaces. Therefore, the characterization of such Coulombic interactions and their effect...... on multicomponent ionic transport is of critical importance for assessing the fate of charged solutes in porous media. In this work we present a detailed investigation of the electrochemical effects during conservative multicomponent ionic transport in homogeneous and heterogeneous domains by means of laboratory...

  17. Brine transport in porous media self-similar solutions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    C.J. van Duijn (Hans); L.A. Peletier (Bert); R.J. Schotting (Ruud)

    1996-01-01

    textabstractIn this paper we analyze a model for brine transport in porous media, which includes a mass balance for the fluid, a mass balance for salt, Darcy's law and an equation of state, which relates the fluid density to the salt mass fraction. This model incorporates the effect of local volume

  18. Monte Carlo random walk simulation of electron transport in confined porous TiO2 as a promising candidate for photo-electrode of nano-crystalline solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Javadi, M.; Abdi, Y.

    2015-08-01

    Monte Carlo continuous time random walk simulation is used to study the effects of confinement on electron transport, in porous TiO2. In this work, we have introduced a columnar structure instead of the thick layer of porous TiO2 used as anode in conventional dye solar cells. Our simulation results show that electron diffusion coefficient in the proposed columnar structure is significantly higher than the diffusion coefficient in the conventional structure. It is shown that electron diffusion in the columnar structure depends both on the cross section area of the columns and the porosity of the structure. Also, we demonstrate that such enhanced electron diffusion can be realized in the columnar photo-electrodes with a cross sectional area of ˜1 μm2 and porosity of 55%, by a simple and low cost fabrication process. Our results open up a promising approach to achieve solar cells with higher efficiencies by engineering the photo-electrode structure.

  19. Monte Carlo random walk simulation of electron transport in confined porous TiO2 as a promising candidate for photo-electrode of nano-crystalline solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Javadi, M.; Abdi, Y.

    2015-01-01

    Monte Carlo continuous time random walk simulation is used to study the effects of confinement on electron transport, in porous TiO 2 . In this work, we have introduced a columnar structure instead of the thick layer of porous TiO 2 used as anode in conventional dye solar cells. Our simulation results show that electron diffusion coefficient in the proposed columnar structure is significantly higher than the diffusion coefficient in the conventional structure. It is shown that electron diffusion in the columnar structure depends both on the cross section area of the columns and the porosity of the structure. Also, we demonstrate that such enhanced electron diffusion can be realized in the columnar photo-electrodes with a cross sectional area of ∼1 μm 2 and porosity of 55%, by a simple and low cost fabrication process. Our results open up a promising approach to achieve solar cells with higher efficiencies by engineering the photo-electrode structure

  20. Effects of pH on nano-bubble stability and transport in saturated porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamamoto, Shoichiro; Takemura, Takato; Suzuki, Kenichiro; Nishimura, Taku

    2018-01-01

    An understanding of nano-scale bubble (NB) transport in porous media is important for potential application of NBs in soil/groundwater remediation. It is expected that the solution chemistry of NB water highly influences the surface characteristics of NBs and porous media and the interaction between them, thus affecting the stability and transport characteristics of NB. In this study, in addition to stability experiments, one-dimensional column transport experiments using glass beads were conducted to investigate the effects of pH on the NB transport behavior. The results showed that the NBs were more stable under higher pH. Column transport experiments revealed that entrapment of NBs, especially larger ones, was enhanced in lower-pH water, likely suggesting pH-dependent NB attachment and physical straining, both of which are also probably influenced by bubble size. Although relatively smaller NBs were released after switching the eluting fluid to one with lower ionic strength, most of the NBs in lower-pH water were still retained in the porous media even altering the chemical condition.

  1. Control of optical transport parameters of 'porous medium – supercritical fluid' systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zimnyakov, D A; Ushakova, O V; Yuvchenko, S A [Yuri Gagarin State Technical University of Saratov, Saratov (Russian Federation); Bagratashvili, V N [M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2015-11-30

    The possibility of controlling optical transport parameters (in particular, transport scattering coefficient) of porous systems based on polymer fibres, saturated with carbon dioxide in different phase states (gaseous, liquid and supercritical) has been experimentally studied. An increase in the pressure of the saturating medium leads to a rise of its refractive index and, correspondingly, the diffuse-transmission coefficient of the system due to the decrease in the transport scattering coefficient. It is shown that, in the case of subcritical saturating carbon dioxide, the small-angle diffuse transmission of probed porous layers at pressures close to the saturated vapour pressure is determined by the effect of capillary condensation in pores. The immersion effect in 'porous medium – supercritical fluid' systems, where the fluid pressure is used as a control parameter, is considered. The results of reconstructing the values of transport scattering coefficient of probed layers for different refractive indices of a saturating fluid are presented. (radiation scattering)

  2. Hindered bacterial mobility in porous media flow enhances dispersion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dehkharghani, Amin; Waisbord, Nicolas; Dunkel, Jörn; Guasto, Jeffrey

    2017-11-01

    Swimming bacteria live in porous environments characterized by dynamic fluid flows, where they play a crucial role in processes ranging from the bioremediation to the spread of infections. We study bacterial transport in a quasi-two-dimensional porous microfluidic device, which is complemented by Langevin simulations. The cell trajectories reveal filamentous patterns of high cell concentration, which result from the accumulation of bacteria in the high-shear regions of the flow and their subsequent advection. Moreover, the effective diffusion coefficient of the motile bacteria is severely hindered in the transverse direction to the flow due to decorrelation of the cells' persistent random walk by shear-induced rotation. The hindered lateral diffusion has the surprising consequence of strongly enhancing the longitudinal bacterial transport through a dispersion effect. These results demonstrate the significant role of the flow and geometry in bacterial transport through porous media with potential implications for understanding ecosystem dynamics and engineering bioreactors. NSF CBET-1511340, NSF CAREER-1554095.

  3. Material transport through porous media: a finite-element Galerkin model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duguid, J.O.; Reeves, M.

    1976-03-01

    A two-dimensional transient model for flow of a dissolved constituent through porous media has been developed. Mechanisms for advective transport, hydrodynamic dispersion, chemical absorption, and radioactive decay are included in the mathematical formulation. Implementations of quadrilateral finite elements, bilinear spatial interpolation, and Gaussian elimination are used in the numerical formulation. The programming language FORTRAN IV is used exclusively in the computer implementation. A listing of the program is included. This material-transport model is completely compatible with our moisture-transport model (Reeves and Duguid, 1975) for predicting advective Darcy velocities for porous media which may be partly unsaturated. In addition to a description of the mathematical formulation, the numerical treatment and the computer implementation results of two computer simulations are included in this document. One is a comparison with a well-known analytical treatment (Lapidus and Amundson, 1952) and is intended as a partial validation. The other simulation, a seepage-pond problem, is a more realistic demonstration of the capabilities of the computer model. Complete listings of input and output are given in the appendices so that this simulation may be used for check-out purposes. A comprehensive description of the material-transport computer model is given

  4. Monte Carlo random walk simulation of electron transport in confined porous TiO{sub 2} as a promising candidate for photo-electrode of nano-crystalline solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Javadi, M.; Abdi, Y., E-mail: y.abdi@ut.ac.ir [Nanophysics Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Tehran, North Kargar, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2015-08-14

    Monte Carlo continuous time random walk simulation is used to study the effects of confinement on electron transport, in porous TiO{sub 2}. In this work, we have introduced a columnar structure instead of the thick layer of porous TiO{sub 2} used as anode in conventional dye solar cells. Our simulation results show that electron diffusion coefficient in the proposed columnar structure is significantly higher than the diffusion coefficient in the conventional structure. It is shown that electron diffusion in the columnar structure depends both on the cross section area of the columns and the porosity of the structure. Also, we demonstrate that such enhanced electron diffusion can be realized in the columnar photo-electrodes with a cross sectional area of ∼1 μm{sup 2} and porosity of 55%, by a simple and low cost fabrication process. Our results open up a promising approach to achieve solar cells with higher efficiencies by engineering the photo-electrode structure.

  5. Numerical investigation of nanoparticles transport in anisotropic porous media

    KAUST Repository

    Salama, Amgad

    2015-07-13

    In this work the problem related to the transport of nanoparticles in anisotropic porous media is investigated numerically using the multipoint flux approximation. Anisotropy of porous media properties are an essential feature that exist almost everywhere in subsurface formations. In anisotropic media, the flux and the pressure gradient vectors are no longer collinear and therefore interesting patterns emerge. The transport of nanoparticles in subsurface formations is affected by several complex processes including surface charges, heterogeneity of nanoparticles and soil grain collectors, interfacial dynamics of double-layer and many others. We use the framework of the theory of filtration in this investigation. Processes like particles deposition, entrapment, as well as detachment are accounted for. From the numerical methods point of view, traditional two-point flux finite difference approximation cannot handle anisotropy of media properties. Therefore, in this work we use the multipoint flux approximation (MPFA). In this technique, the flux components are affected by more neighboring points as opposed to the mere two points that are usually used in traditional finite volume methods. We also use the experimenting pressure field approach which automatically constructs the global system of equations by solving multitude of local problems. This approach facilitates to a large extent the construction of the global system. A set of numerical examples is considered involving two-dimensional rectangular domain. A source of nanoparticles is inserted in the middle of the anisotropic layer. We investigate the effects of both anisotropy angle and anisotropy ratio on the transport of nanoparticles in saturated porous media. It is found that the concentration plume and porosity contours follow closely the principal direction of anisotropy of permeability of the central domain.

  6. Numerical investigation of nanoparticles transport in anisotropic porous media

    KAUST Repository

    Salama, Amgad; Negara, Ardiansyah; El Amin, Mohamed; Sun, Shuyu

    2015-01-01

    In this work the problem related to the transport of nanoparticles in anisotropic porous media is investigated numerically using the multipoint flux approximation. Anisotropy of porous media properties are an essential feature that exist almost everywhere in subsurface formations. In anisotropic media, the flux and the pressure gradient vectors are no longer collinear and therefore interesting patterns emerge. The transport of nanoparticles in subsurface formations is affected by several complex processes including surface charges, heterogeneity of nanoparticles and soil grain collectors, interfacial dynamics of double-layer and many others. We use the framework of the theory of filtration in this investigation. Processes like particles deposition, entrapment, as well as detachment are accounted for. From the numerical methods point of view, traditional two-point flux finite difference approximation cannot handle anisotropy of media properties. Therefore, in this work we use the multipoint flux approximation (MPFA). In this technique, the flux components are affected by more neighboring points as opposed to the mere two points that are usually used in traditional finite volume methods. We also use the experimenting pressure field approach which automatically constructs the global system of equations by solving multitude of local problems. This approach facilitates to a large extent the construction of the global system. A set of numerical examples is considered involving two-dimensional rectangular domain. A source of nanoparticles is inserted in the middle of the anisotropic layer. We investigate the effects of both anisotropy angle and anisotropy ratio on the transport of nanoparticles in saturated porous media. It is found that the concentration plume and porosity contours follow closely the principal direction of anisotropy of permeability of the central domain.

  7. Study of double porous silicon surfaces for enhancement of silicon solar cell performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Razali, N. S. M.; Rahim, A. F. A.; Radzali, R.; Mahmood, A.

    2017-09-01

    In this work, design and simulation of double porous silicon surfaces for enhancement of silicon solar cell is carried out. Both single and double porous structures are constructed by using TCAD ATHENA and TCAD DEVEDIT tools of the SILVACO software respectively. After the structures were created, I-V characteristics and spectral response of the solar cell were extracted using ATLAS device simulator. Finally, the performance of the simulated double porous solar cell is compared with the performance of both single porous and bulk-Si solar cell. The results showed that double porous silicon solar cell exhibited 1.8% efficiency compared to 1.3% and 1.2% for single porous silicon and bulk-Si solar cell.

  8. Integrated compartmental model for describing the transport of solute in a fractured porous medium. [FRACPORT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    DeAngelis, D.L.; Yeh, G.T.; Huff, D.D.

    1984-10-01

    This report documents a model, FRACPORT, that simulates the transport of a solute through a fractured porous matrix. The model should be useful in analyzing the possible transport of radionuclides from shallow-land burial sites in humid environments. The use of the model is restricted to transport through saturated zones. The report first discusses the general modeling approach used, which is based on the Integrated Compartmental Method. The basic equations of solute transport are then presented. The model, which assumes a known water velocity field, solves these equations on two different time scales; one related to rapid transport of solute along fractures and the other related to slower transport through the porous matrix. FRACPORT is validated by application to a simple example of fractured porous medium transport that has previously been analyzed by other methods. Then its utility is demonstrated in analyzing more complex cases of pulses of solute into a fractured matrix. The report serves as a user's guide to FRACPORT. A detailed description of data input, along with a listing of input for a sample problem, is provided. 16 references, 18 figures, 3 tables.

  9. Characterization of thermal, optical and carrier transport properties of porous silicon using the photoacoustic technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sheng, Chan Kok; Mahmood Mat Yunus, W.; Yunus, Wan Md. Zin Wan; Abidin Talib, Zainal; Kassim, Anuar

    2008-01-01

    In this work, the porous silicon layer was prepared by the electrochemical anodization etching process on n-type and p-type silicon wafers. The formation of the porous layer has been identified by photoluminescence and SEM measurements. The optical absorption, energy gap, carrier transport and thermal properties of n-type and p-type porous silicon layers were investigated by analyzing the experimental data from photoacoustic measurements. The values of thermal diffusivity, energy gap and carrier transport properties have been found to be porosity-dependent. The energy band gap of n-type and p-type porous silicon layers was higher than the energy band gap obtained for silicon substrate (1.11 eV). In the range of porosity (50-76%) of the studies, our results found that the optical band-gap energy of p-type porous silicon (1.80-2.00 eV) was higher than that of the n-type porous silicon layer (1.70-1.86 eV). The thermal diffusivity value of the n-type porous layer was found to be higher than that of the p-type and both were observed to increase linearly with increasing layer porosity

  10. FEMWASTE: a Finite-Element Model of Waste transport through porous saturated-unsaturated media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yeh, G.T.; Ward, D.S.

    1981-04-01

    A two-dimensional transient model for the transport of dissolved constituents through porous media originally developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has been expanded and modified. Transport mechanisms include: convection, hydrodynamic dispersion, chemical sorption, and first-order decay. Implementation of quadrilateral iso-parametric finite elements, bilinear spatial interpolation, asymmetric weighting functions, several time-marching techniques, and Gaussian elimination are employed in the numerical formulation. A comparative example is included to demonstrate the difference between the new and original models. Results from 12 alternative numerical schemes of the new model are compared. The waste transport model is compatible with the water flow model developed at ORNL for predicting convective Darcy velocities in porous media which may be partially saturated

  11. Heat transfer analysis of porous media receiver with different transport and thermophysical models using mixture as feeding gas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Fuqiang; Tan, Jianyu; Wang, Zhiqiang

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Using local thermal non-equilibrium model to solve heat transfer of porous media. • CH 4 /H 2 O mixture is adopted as feeding gas of porous media receiver. • Radiative transfer equation between porous strut is solved by Rosseland approximation. • Transport and thermophysical models not included in Fluent are programmed by UDFs. • Variations of model on thermal performance of porous media receiver are studied. - Abstract: The local thermal non-equilibrium model is adopted to solve the steady state heat and mass transfer problems of porous media solar receiver. The fluid entrance surface is subjected to concentrated solar radiation, and CH 4 /H 2 O mixture is adopted as feeding gas. The radiative heat transfer equation between porous strut is solved by Rosseland approximation. The impacts of variation in transport and thermophysical characteristics model of gas mixture on thermal performance of porous media receiver are investigated. The transport and thermophysical characteristics models which are not included in software Fluent are programmed by user defined functions (UDFs). The numerical results indicate that models of momentum source term for porous media receiver have significant impact on pressure drop and static pressure distribution, and the radiative heat transfer cannot be omitted during the thermal performance analysis of porous media receiver

  12. Transport Phenomena in Porous Media Aspects of MicroMacro Behaviour

    CERN Document Server

    Ichikawa, Yasuaki

    2012-01-01

    This monograph presents an integrated perspective of the wide range of phenomena and processes applicable to the study of transport of species in porous materials. In order to formulate the entire range of porous media and their uses, this book gives the basics of continuum mechanics, thermodynamics, seepage and consolidation and diffusion, including multiscale homogenization methods. The particular structure of the book has been chosen because it is essential to be aware of the true properties of porous materials particularly in terms of nano, micro and macro mechanisms.  This book is of pedagogical and practical importance to the fields covered by civil, environmental, nuclear and petroleum engineering and also in chemical physics and geophysics as it relates to radioactive waste disposal, geotechnical engineering, mining and petroleum engineering and chemical engineering.

  13. Influence of biofilms on transport properties in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davit, Y.

    2015-12-01

    Microbial activity and biofilm growth in porous media can drastically modify transport properties such as permeability, longitudinal and transverse dispersion or effective reaction rates. Understanding these effects has proven to be a considerable challenge. Advances in this field have been hindered by the difficulty of modeling and visualizing these multi-phase non-linear effects across a broad range of spatial and temporal scales. To address these issues, we are developing a strategy that combines imaging techniques based on x-ray micro-tomography with homogenization of pore-scale transport equations. Here, we review recent progress in x-ray imaging of biofilms in porous media, with a particular focus on the contrast agents that are used to differentiate between the fluid and biofilm phases. We further show how the 3D distribution of the different phases can be used to extract specific information about the biofilm and how effective properties can be calculated via the resolution of closure problems. These closure problems are obtained using the method of volume averaging and must be adapted to the problem of interest. In hydrological systems, we show that a generic formulation for reactive solute transport is based on a domain decomposition approach at the micro-scale yielding macro-scale models reminiscent of multi-rate mass transfer approaches.

  14. Generation of reactive oxygen species from porous silicon microparticles in cell culture medium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Low, Suet Peng; Williams, Keryn A; Canham, Leigh T; Voelcker, Nicolas H

    2010-06-01

    Nanostructured (porous) silicon is a promising biodegradable biomaterial, which is being intensively researched as a tissue engineering scaffold and drug-delivery vehicle. Here, we tested the biocompatibility of non-treated and thermally-oxidized porous silicon particles using an indirect cell viability assay. Initial direct cell culture on porous silicon determined that human lens epithelial cells only poorly adhered to non-treated porous silicon. Using an indirect cell culture assay, we found that non-treated microparticles caused complete cell death, indicating that these particles generated a toxic product in cell culture medium. In contrast, thermally-oxidized microparticles did not reduce cell viability significantly. We found evidence for the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by means of the fluorescent probe 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin. Our results suggest that non-treated porous silicon microparticles produced ROS, which interacted with the components of the cell culture medium, leading to the formation of cytotoxic species. Oxidation of porous silicon microparticles not only mitigated, but also abolished the toxic effects.

  15. Bioclogging in Porous Media: Preferential Flow Paths and Anomalous Transport

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holzner, M.; Carrel, M.; Morales, V.; Derlon, N.; Beltran, M. A.; Morgenroth, E.; Kaufmann, R.

    2016-12-01

    Biofilms are sessile communities of microorganisms held together by an extracellular polymeric substance that enables surface colonization. In porous media (e.g. soils, trickling filters etc.) biofilm growth has been shown to affect the hydrodynamics in a complex fashion at the pore-scale by clogging individual pores and enhancing preferential flow pathways and anomalous transport. These phenomena are a direct consequence of microbial growth and metabolism, mass transfer processes and complex flow velocity fields possibly exhibiting pronounced three-dimensional features. Despite considerable past work, however, it is not fully understood how bioclogging interacts with flow and mass transport processes in porous media. In this work we use imaging techniques to determine the flow velocities and the distribution of biofilm in a porous medium. Three-dimensional millimodels are packed with a transparent porous medium and a glucose solution to match the optical refractive index. The models are inoculated with planktonic wildtype bacteria and biofilm cultivated for 60 h under a constant flow and nutrient conditions. The pore flow velocities in the increasingly bioclogged medium are measured using 3D particle tracking velocimetry (3D-PTV). The three-dimensional spatial distribution of the biofilm within the pore space is assessed by imaging the model with X-Ray microtomography. We find that biofilm growth increases the complexity of the pore space, leading to the formation of preferential flow pathways and "dead" pore zones. The probability of persistent high and low velocity regions (within preferential paths resp. stagnant flow regions) thus increases upon biofilm growth, leading to an enhancement of anomalous transport. The structural data seems to indicate that the largest pores are not getting clogged and carry the preferential flow, whereas intricated structures develop in the smallest pores, where the flow becomes almost stagnant. These findings may be relevant for

  16. Inertial Effects on Flow and Transport in Heterogeneous Porous Media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nissan, Alon; Berkowitz, Brian

    2018-02-02

    We investigate the effects of high fluid velocities on flow and tracer transport in heterogeneous porous media. We simulate fluid flow and advective transport through two-dimensional pore-scale matrices with varying structural complexity. As the Reynolds number increases, the flow regime transitions from linear to nonlinear; this behavior is controlled by the medium structure, where higher complexity amplifies inertial effects. The result is, nonintuitively, increased homogenization of the flow field, which leads in the context of conservative chemical transport to less anomalous behavior. We quantify the transport patterns via a continuous time random walk, using the spatial distribution of the kinetic energy within the fluid as a characteristic measure.

  17. Transport of vanadium (V in saturated porous media: effects of pH, ionic-strength and clay mineral

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yulu Wang

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Vanadium, a hazardous pollutant, has been frequently detected in soil and groundwater, however, its transport behavior in porous media were not clearly understood. In this study, the effects of solution pH, ionic strength (IS and the effect of clay mineral on the transport of vanadium in saturated porous media were investigated. Laboratory experiments using a series of columns packed with quartz sand were carried out to explore the retention and transport of vanadium with a range of ionic-strength (0.001–0.1 M and pH (4–8 and two different types of clay minerals montmorillonite and kaolinite. Results of the breakthrough experiments showed that vanadium was highly mobile in the saturated porous media. The increase in pH rendered a higher transport of vanadium in saturated porous media. The study also indicated an easier transfer of vanadium with an increase in IS. Montmorillonite enhanced the mobility of vanadium in the column when compared to kaolinite. A mathematical model based on advection-dispersion equation coupled with equilibrium and kinetic reactions was used to describe the retention and transport of vanadium in the columns very well.

  18. Numerical simulation of pollutant transport in fractured vuggy porous karstic aquifers

    KAUST Repository

    Sun, S.

    2011-01-01

    This paper begins with presenting a mathematical model for contaminant transport in the fractured vuggy porous media of a species of contaminant (PCP). Two phases are numerically simulated for a process of contaminant and clean water infiltrated in the fractured vuggy porous media by coupling mixed finite element (MFE) method and finite volume method (FVM), both of which are locally conservative, to approximate the model. A hybrid mixed finite element (HMFE) method is applied to approximate the velocity field for the model. The convection and diffusion terms are approached by FVM and the standard MFE, respectively. The pressure distribution and temporary evolution of the concentration profiles are obtained for two phases. The average effluent concentration on the outflow boundary is obtained at different time and shows some different features from the matrix porous media. The temporal multiscale phenomena of the effluent concentration on the outlet are observed. The results show how the different distribution of the vugs and the fractures impacts on the contaminant transport and the effluent concentration on the outlet. This paper sheds light on certain features of karstic groundwater are obtained.

  19. Numerical Simulation of Pollutant Transport in Fractured Vuggy Porous Karstic Aquifers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaolin Fan

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper begins with presenting a mathematical model for contaminant transport in the fractured vuggy porous media of a species of contaminant (PCP. Two phases are numerically simulated for a process of contaminant and clean water infiltrated in the fractured vuggy porous media by coupling mixed finite element (MFE method and finite volume method (FVM, both of which are locally conservative, to approximate the model. A hybrid mixed finite element (HMFE method is applied to approximate the velocity field for the model. The convection and diffusion terms are approached by FVM and the standard MFE, respectively. The pressure distribution and temporary evolution of the concentration profiles are obtained for two phases. The average effluent concentration on the outflow boundary is obtained at different time and shows some different features from the matrix porous media. The temporal multiscale phenomena of the effluent concentration on the outlet are observed. The results show how the different distribution of the vugs and the fractures impacts on the contaminant transport and the effluent concentration on the outlet. This paper sheds light on certain features of karstic groundwater are obtained.

  20. Stochastic modeling of mass transport in porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lim, Seung Cheol; Lee, Kun Jai

    1990-01-01

    The stochastic moments analysis technique is developed to investigate radionuclide migration in geologic porous media. The mechanisms for radionuclide transport are assumed to be advection in the micropore, radioactive decay of the species, and sorption on the pore wall. Two covariance functions of groundwater velocity, retardation factor, and concentration are derived to incorporate the geologic parameter uncertainty in porous media of small medium dispersivity. The parametric studies show that the correlation length of groundwater velocity has significant influence on the migration behavior of radionuclide. Macro dispersivity is dominantly affected by the fluctuation of groundwater velocity, while the fluctuation of retardation factor has a considerable effect on the retarded stochastic velocity. The upper estimated concentration evaluated from this stochastic moments analysis can be used as a practical conservative value for the performance assessment of nuclear waste repository

  1. Effect of ionic strength on barium transport in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, Zi; Prigiobbe, Valentina

    2018-02-01

    Hydraulic fracturing (or fracking) is a well stimulation technique used to extract resources from a low permeability formation. Currently, the most common application of fracking is for the extraction of oil and gas from shale. During the operation, a large volume of brine, rich in hazardous chemicals, is produced. Spills of brine from wells or pits might negatively impact underground water resources and, in particular, one of the major concerns is the migration of radionuclides, such as radium (Ra2+), into the shallow subsurface. However, the transport behaviour of Ra2+ through a reactive porous medium under conditions typical of a brine, i.e., high salinity, is not well understood, yet. Here, a study on the transport behaviour of barium (Ba2+, congener of radium) through a porous medium containing a common mineral such as goethite (FeO(OH)) is presented. Batch and column flood tests were carried out at conditions resembling the produced brine, i.e., large values of ionic strength (I), namely, 1 to 3 mol/kg. The measurements were described with the triple layer surface complexation model coupled with the Pitzer activity coefficient method and a reactive transport model, in the case of the transport tests. The experimental results show that the adsorption of Ba2+ onto FeO(OH) increases with pH but decreases with I and it becomes negligible at the brine conditions. Moreover, even if isotherms show adsorption at large I, at the same conditions during transport, Ba2+ travels without retardation through the FeO(OH) porous medium. The triple layer model agrees very well with all batch data but it does not describe well the transport tests in all cases. In particular, the model cannot match the pH measurements at large I values. This suggests that the chemical reactions at the solid-liquid interface do not capture the mechanism of Ba2+ adsorption onto FeO(OH) at large salinity. Finally, this study suggests that barium, and potentially its congeners, namely, radium

  2. Matrix-oriented implementation for the numerical solution of the partial differential equations governing flows and transport in porous media

    KAUST Repository

    Sun, Shuyu

    2012-09-01

    In this paper we introduce a new technique for the numerical solution of the various partial differential equations governing flow and transport phenomena in porous media. This method is proposed to be used in high level programming languages like MATLAB, Python, etc., which show to be more efficient for certain mathematical operations than for others. The proposed technique utilizes those operations in which these programming languages are efficient the most and keeps away as much as possible from those inefficient, time-consuming operations. In particular, this technique is based on the minimization of using multiple indices looping operations by reshaping the unknown variables into one-dimensional column vectors and performing the numerical operations using shifting matrices. The cell-centered information as well as the face-centered information are shifted to the adjacent face-center and cell-center, respectively. This enables the difference equations to be done for all the cells at once using matrix operations rather than within loops. Furthermore, for results post-processing, the face-center information can further be mapped to the physical grid nodes for contour plotting and stream lines constructions. In this work we apply this technique to flow and transport phenomena in porous media. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

  3. Transport and sorption of volatile organic compounds and water vapor in porous media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lin, Tsair-Fuh [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

    1995-07-01

    To gain insight on the controlling mechanisms for VOC transport in porous media, the relations among sorbent properties, sorption equilibrium and intraparticle diffusion processes were studied at the level of individual sorbent particles and laboratory columns for soil and activated carbon systems. Transport and sorption of VOCs and water vapor were first elucidated within individual dry soil mineral grains. Soil properties, sorption capacity, and sorption rates were measured for 3 test soils; results suggest that the soil grains are porous, while the sorption isotherms are nonlinear and adsorption-desorption rates are slow and asymmetric. An intragranular pore diffusion model coupled with the nonlinear Freundlich isotherm was developed to describe the sorption kinetic curves. Transport of benzene and water vapor within peat was studied; partitioning and sorption kinetics were determined with an electrobalance. A dual diffusion model was developed. Transport of benzene in dry and moist soil columns was studied, followed by gaseous transport and sorption in activated carbon. The pore diffusion model provides good fits to sorption kinetics for VOCs to soil and VOC to granular activated carbon and activated carbon fibers. Results of this research indicate that: Intraparticle diffusion along with a nonlinea sorption isotherm are responsible for the slow, asymmetric sorption-desorption. Diffusion models are able to describe results for soil and activated carbon systems; when combined with mass transfer equations, they predict column breakthrough curves for several systems. Although the conditions are simplified, the mechanisms should provide insight on complex systems involving transport and sorption of vapors in porous media.

  4. Multifunctional substrates of thin porous alumina for cell biosensors

    KAUST Repository

    Toccafondi, Chiara; Thorat, Sanjay B.; La Rocca, Rosanna; Scarpellini, Alice; Salerno, Marco; Dante, Silvia; Das, Gobind

    2014-01-01

    We have fabricated anodic porous alumina from thin films (100/500 nm) of aluminium deposited on technological substrates of silicon/glass, and investigated the feasibility of this material as a surface for the development of analytical biosensors aiming to assess the status of living cells. To this goal, porous alumina surfaces with fixed pitch and variable pore size were analyzed for various functionalities. Gold coated (about 25 nm) alumina revealed surface enhanced Raman scattering increasing with the decrease in wall thickness, with factor up to values of approximately 104 with respect to the flat gold surface. Bare porous alumina was employed for micro-patterning and observation via fluorescence images of dye molecules, which demonstrated the surface capability for a drug-loading device. NIH-3T3 fibroblast cells were cultured in vitro and examined after 2 days since seeding, and no significant (P > 0.05) differences in their proliferation were observed on porous and non-porous materials. The effect on cell cultures of pore size in the range of 50–130 nm—with pore pitch of about 250 nm—showed no significant differences in cell viability and similar levels in all cases as on a control substrate. Future work will address combination of all above capabilities into a single device.

  5. Multifunctional substrates of thin porous alumina for cell biosensors

    KAUST Repository

    Toccafondi, Chiara

    2014-02-27

    We have fabricated anodic porous alumina from thin films (100/500 nm) of aluminium deposited on technological substrates of silicon/glass, and investigated the feasibility of this material as a surface for the development of analytical biosensors aiming to assess the status of living cells. To this goal, porous alumina surfaces with fixed pitch and variable pore size were analyzed for various functionalities. Gold coated (about 25 nm) alumina revealed surface enhanced Raman scattering increasing with the decrease in wall thickness, with factor up to values of approximately 104 with respect to the flat gold surface. Bare porous alumina was employed for micro-patterning and observation via fluorescence images of dye molecules, which demonstrated the surface capability for a drug-loading device. NIH-3T3 fibroblast cells were cultured in vitro and examined after 2 days since seeding, and no significant (P > 0.05) differences in their proliferation were observed on porous and non-porous materials. The effect on cell cultures of pore size in the range of 50–130 nm—with pore pitch of about 250 nm—showed no significant differences in cell viability and similar levels in all cases as on a control substrate. Future work will address combination of all above capabilities into a single device.

  6. Transport of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in saturated porous media under various solution chemistry conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Yu; Gao Bin; Morales, Verónica L.; Tian Yuan; Wu Lei; Gao Jie; Bai Wei; Yang Liuyan

    2012-01-01

    Because of its wide applications, nanosized titanium dioxide may become a potential environmental risk to soil and groundwater system. It is therefore important to improve current understanding of the environmental fate and transport of titanium oxides nanoparticles (TONPs). In this work, the effect of solution chemistry (i.e., pH, ionic strength, and natural organic matter (NOM) concentration) on the deposition and transport of TONPs in saturated porous media was examined in detail. Laboratory columns packed with acid-cleaned quartz sand were used in the experiment as porous media. Transport experiments were conducted with various chemistry combinations, including four ionic strengths, three pH levels, and two NOM concentrations. The results showed that TONP mobility increased with increasing solution pH, but decreased with increasing solution ionic strength. It is also found that the presence of NOM in the system enhanced the mobility of TONPs in the saturated porous media. The Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (DLVO) theory was used to justify the mobility trends observed in the experimental data. Predictions from the theory agreed excellently with the experimental data.

  7. Improved perovskite morphology and crystallinity using porous PbI2 layers for efficient planar heterojunction solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Xianyu; Hu, Ziyang; Xu, Jie; Huang, Like; Zhang, Jing; Zhang, Jianjun; Zhu, Yuejin

    2017-12-01

    We demonstrate the flexible and facile use of porous PbI2 layers to fabricate high quality perovskite films with a dense surface and without residual PbI2. PbI2 precursor solutions by adding polystyrene pore-forming agents are first spin-coated to fabricate the wet film. A porous PbI2 layer is formed by washing off polystyrene using organic solvents. The porous PbI2 layer not only serves as a channel for transporting the CH3NH3I solution but also offers extremely enlarged contact areas, facilitating interfacial reaction with CH3NH3I. Shiny smooth perovskite films with excellent electronic quality and solar cells with an efficiency up to 17% are obtained.

  8. Pollutant transport in clayey sands: reactive flows in saturated porous media and unsaturated flows

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cadalen, Sebastien

    2008-01-01

    In the context of nuclear risk control associated to nuclear waste storage, the french nuclear agency plays an increasing role in terms of research and development in the area of subsurface contamination. This study focuses on an homogeneous porous media constituted of Fontainebleau sand and clay grains (illite) presenting sorption capacities. The modeling of the complex geometry and physical phenomena at different scales enables us to describe the average transport at Darcy's scale. The two main axes developed are the impact of an heterogeneous sorption on transport phenomena and the dispersivity of an unsaturated porous media. (author) [fr

  9. Efficiency Enhancement of Silicon Solar Cells by Porous Silicon Technology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eugenijus SHATKOVSKIS

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Silicon solar cells produced by a usual technology in p-type, crystalline silicon wafer were investigated. The manufactured solar cells were of total thickness 450 mm, the junction depth was of 0.5 mm – 0.7 mm. Porous silicon technologies were adapted to enhance cell efficiency. The production of porous silicon layer was carried out in HF: ethanol = 1 : 2 volume ratio electrolytes, illuminating by 50 W halogen lamps at the time of processing. The etching current was computer-controlled in the limits of (6 ÷ 14 mA/cm2, etching time was set in the interval of (10 ÷ 20 s. The characteristics and performance of the solar cells samples was carried out illuminating by Xenon 5000 K lamp light. Current-voltage characteristic studies have shown that porous silicon structures produced affect the extent of dark and lighting parameters of the samples. Exactly it affects current-voltage characteristic and serial resistance of the cells. It has shown, the formation of porous silicon structure causes an increase in the electric power created of solar cell. Conversion efficiency increases also respectively to the initial efficiency of cell. Increase of solar cell maximum power in 15 or even more percent is found. The highest increase in power have been observed in the spectral range of Dl @ (450 ÷ 850 nm, where ~ 60 % of the A1.5 spectra solar energy is located. It has been demonstrated that porous silicon technology is effective tool to improve the silicon solar cells performance.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.18.3.2428

  10. Hydrodynamic dispersion within porous biofilms

    KAUST Repository

    Davit, Y.

    2013-01-23

    Many microorganisms live within surface-associated consortia, termed biofilms, that can form intricate porous structures interspersed with a network of fluid channels. In such systems, transport phenomena, including flow and advection, regulate various aspects of cell behavior by controlling nutrient supply, evacuation of waste products, and permeation of antimicrobial agents. This study presents multiscale analysis of solute transport in these porous biofilms. We start our analysis with a channel-scale description of mass transport and use the method of volume averaging to derive a set of homogenized equations at the biofilm-scale in the case where the width of the channels is significantly smaller than the thickness of the biofilm. We show that solute transport may be described via two coupled partial differential equations or telegrapher\\'s equations for the averaged concentrations. These models are particularly relevant for chemicals, such as some antimicrobial agents, that penetrate cell clusters very slowly. In most cases, especially for nutrients, solute penetration is faster, and transport can be described via an advection-dispersion equation. In this simpler case, the effective diffusion is characterized by a second-order tensor whose components depend on (1) the topology of the channels\\' network; (2) the solute\\'s diffusion coefficients in the fluid and the cell clusters; (3) hydrodynamic dispersion effects; and (4) an additional dispersion term intrinsic to the two-phase configuration. Although solute transport in biofilms is commonly thought to be diffusion dominated, this analysis shows that hydrodynamic dispersion effects may significantly contribute to transport. © 2013 American Physical Society.

  11. On the Mass and Heat Transfer in the Porous Electrode of a Fuel Cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Revuelta Bayod, A.

    2004-07-01

    In the first part of this report a reduced model of the mass transport in the PEMFC cathode gas diffusion layer is formulated ro an interrogated flow field design of the cathode bipolar plate. The non-dimensional formulation of the problem allows to identify the leading parameters which determines the fundamental species distribution and flow field structure. The effect of the forced convection of the gases into the porous electrode, caused by the interrogated flow field, is quantified through the Peclet numbers of the active species, and the non-dimensional polarization curves are obtained. In the second part, the diffusion-thermal instability is analyzed in a porous gas diffusion layer (GDL) of a fuel cell. The investigation presented provides an initial guideline to future theoretical and experimental investigations on one aspect of the fuel cell performance not previously considered, with impact on the fuel cell life-time. Starting from the simples possible 1D-model of the flow into the porous electrode, the steady solution of the model is presented an analyzed depending on a minimum number of non-dimensional parameters. From this steady solution, a linear stability analysis is formulated, taking into account the temporal-spatial perturbations transversal to the gas flow direction, and the marginal stability regions are determined from the corresponding dispersion relation. (Author) 33 refs.

  12. Fate and Transport of Nanoparticles in Porous Media: A Numerical Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taghavy, Amir

    Understanding the transport characteristics of NPs in natural soil systems is essential to revealing their potential impact on the food chain and groundwater. In addition, many nanotechnology-based remedial measures require effective transport of NPs through soil, which necessitates accurate understanding of their transport and retention behavior. Based upon the conceptual knowledge of environmental behavior of NPs, mathematical models can be developed to represent the coupling of processes that govern the fate of NPs in subsurface, serving as effective tools for risk assessment and/or design of remedial strategies. This work presents an innovative hybrid Eulerian-Lagrangian modeling technique for simulating the simultaneous reactive transport of nanoparticles (NPs) and dissolved constituents in porous media. Governing mechanisms considered in the conceptual model include particle-soil grain, particle-particle, particle-dissolved constituents, and particle- oil/water interface interactions. The main advantage of this technique, compared to conventional Eulerian models, lies in its ability to address non-uniformity in physicochemical particle characteristics. The developed numerical simulator was applied to investigate the fate and transport of NPs in a number of practical problems relevant to the subsurface environment. These problems included: (1) reductive dechlorination of chlorinated solvents by zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) in dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) source zones; (2) reactive transport of dissolving silver nanoparticles (nAg) and the dissolved silver ions; (3) particle-particle interactions and their effects on the particle-soil grain interactions; and (4) influence of particle-oil/water interface interactions on NP transport in porous media.

  13. Transport of Escherichia coli phage through saturated porous media considering managed aquifer recharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Wenjing; Li, Shuo; Wang, Shuang; Lei, Liancheng; Yu, Xipeng; Ma, Tianyi

    2018-03-01

    Virus is one of the most potentially harmful microorganisms in groundwater. In this paper, the effects of hydrodynamic and hydrogeochemical conditions on the transportation of the colloidal virus considering managed aquifer recharge were systematically investigated. Escherichia coli phage, vB_EcoM-ep3, has a broad host range and was able to lyse pathogenic Escherichia coli. Bacteriophage with low risk to infect human has been found extensively in the groundwater environment, so it is considered as a representative model of groundwater viruses. Laboratory studies were carried out to analyze the transport of the Escherichia coli phage under varying conditions of pH, ionic strength, cation valence, flow rate, porous media, and phosphate buffer concentration. The results indicated that decreasing the pH will increase the adsorption of Escherichia coli phage. Increasing the ionic strength, either Na + or Ca 2+ , will form negative condition for the migration of Escherichia coli phage. A comparison of different cation valence tests indicated that changes in transport and deposition were more pronounced with divalent Ca 2+ than monovalent Na + . As the flow rate increases, the release of Escherichia coli phage increases and the retention of Escherichia coli phage in the aquifer medium reduces. Changes in porous media had a significant effect on Escherichia coli phage migration. With increase of phosphate buffer concentration, the suspension stability and migration ability of Escherichia coli phage are both increased. Based on laboratory-scale column experiments, a one-dimensional transport model was established to quantitatively describe the virus transport in saturated porous medium.

  14. Large time behaviour of oscillatory nonlinear solute transport in porous media

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Duijn, van C.J.; Zee, van der S.E.A.T.M.

    2018-01-01

    Oscillations in flow occur under many different situations in natural porous media, due to tidal, daily or seasonal patterns. In this paper, we investigate how such oscillations in flow affect the transport of an initially sharp solute front, if the solute undergoes nonlinear sorption and,

  15. Analysis of physical mechanisms underlying density-dependent transport in porous media

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Landman, A.J.

    2005-01-01

    In this thesis, the interaction between (large) density gradients and flow and transport in porous media is studied. Large gradients in the density of groundwater exist for example near deep salt rock formations, which are considered as possible long-term storage sites for radioactive waste.

  16. Analytical and numerical models of transport in porous cementitious materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garboczi, E.J.; Bentz, D.P.

    1990-01-01

    Most chemical and physical processes that degrade cementitious materials are dependent on an external source of either water or ions or both. Understanding the rates of these processes at the microstructural level is necessary in order to develop a sound scientific basis for the prediction and control of the service life of cement-based materials, especially for radioactive-waste containment materials that are required to have service lives on the order of hundreds of years. An important step in developing this knowledge is to understand how transport coefficients, such as diffusivity and permeability, depend on the pore structure. Fluid flow under applied pressure gradients and ionic diffusion under applied concentration gradients are important transport mechanisms that take place in the pore space of cementitious materials. This paper describes: (1) a new analytical percolation-theory-based equation for calculating the permeability of porous materials, (2) new computational methods for computing effective diffusivities of microstructural models or digitized images of actual porous materials, and (3) a new digitized-image mercury intrusion simulation technique

  17. Photovoltaic characteristics of porous silicon /(n+ - p) silicon solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dzhafarov, T.D.; Aslanov, S.S.; Ragimov, S.H.; Sadigov, M.S.; Nabiyeva, A.F.; Yuksel, Aydin S.

    2012-01-01

    Full text : The purpose of this work is to improve the photovoltaic parameters of the screen-printed silicon solar cells by formation the nano-porous silicon film on the frontal surface of the cell. The photovoltaic characteristics of two type silicon solar cells with and without porous silicon layer were measured and compared. A remarkable increment of short-circuit current density and the efficiency by 48 percent and 20 percent, respectively, have been achieved for PS/(n + - pSi) solar cell comparing to (n + - p)Si solar cell without PS layer

  18. A cellular automaton simulation of contaminant transport in porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Freed, D.M.; Simonson, S.A.

    1995-01-01

    A simulation tool to investigate radionuclide transport in porous groundwater flow is described. The flow systems of interest are those important in determining the fate of radionuclides emplaced in an underground repository, such as saturated matrix flow, matrix and fracture flow in the unsaturated zone, and viscous fingering in porous fractures. The work discussed here is confined to consideration of saturated flow in porous media carrying a dilute, sorptive species. The simulation technique is based on a special class of cellular automata known as lattice gas automata (LGA) which are capable of predicting hydrodynamic behavior. The original two-dimensional scheme (that of Frisch et. al. known as the FHP model) used particles of unit mass traveling on a triangular lattice with unit velocity and undergoing simple collisions which conserve mass and momentum at each node. These microscopic rules go over to the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in the macroscopic limit. One of the strengths of this technique is the natural way that heterogeneities, such as boundaries, are accommodated. Complex geometries such as those associated with porous microstructures can be modeled effectively. Several constructions based on the FHP model have been devised, including techniques to eliminate statistical noise, extension to three dimensions, and the addition of surface tension which leads to multiphase flow

  19. The effect of a concentration-dependent viscosity on particle transport in a channel flow with porous walls

    KAUST Repository

    Herterich, James G.; Griffiths, Ian M.; Vella, Dominic; Field, Robert W.

    2014-01-01

    The transport of a dilute suspension of particles through a channel with porous walls, accounting for the concentration dependence of the viscosity, is analyzed. In particular, we study two cases of fluid permeation through the porous channel walls

  20. Stochastic dynamics modeling solute transport in porous media modeling solute transport in porous media

    CERN Document Server

    Kulasiri, Don

    2002-01-01

    Most of the natural and biological phenomena such as solute transport in porous media exhibit variability which can not be modeled by using deterministic approaches. There is evidence in natural phenomena to suggest that some of the observations can not be explained by using the models which give deterministic solutions. Stochastic processes have a rich repository of objects which can be used to express the randomness inherent in the system and the evolution of the system over time. The attractiveness of the stochastic differential equations (SDE) and stochastic partial differential equations (SPDE) come from the fact that we can integrate the variability of the system along with the scientific knowledge pertaining to the system. One of the aims of this book is to explaim some useufl concepts in stochastic dynamics so that the scientists and engineers with a background in undergraduate differential calculus could appreciate the applicability and appropriateness of these developments in mathematics. The ideas ...

  1. Method of model reduction and multifidelity models for solute transport in random layered porous media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Zhijie; Tartakovsky, Alexandre M.

    2017-09-01

    This work presents a hierarchical model for solute transport in bounded layered porous media with random permeability. The model generalizes the Taylor-Aris dispersion theory to stochastic transport in random layered porous media with a known velocity covariance function. In the hierarchical model, we represent (random) concentration in terms of its cross-sectional average and a variation function. We derive a one-dimensional stochastic advection-dispersion-type equation for the average concentration and a stochastic Poisson equation for the variation function, as well as expressions for the effective velocity and dispersion coefficient. We observe that velocity fluctuations enhance dispersion in a non-monotonic fashion: the dispersion initially increases with correlation length λ, reaches a maximum, and decreases to zero at infinity. Maximum enhancement can be obtained at the correlation length about 0.25 the size of the porous media perpendicular to flow.

  2. Fabrication of three-dimensional porous cell-laden hydrogel for tissue engineering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, Chang Mo; Sant, Shilpa; Masaeli, Mahdokht; Kachouie, Nezamoddin N; Zamanian, Behnam; Khademhosseini, Ali; Lee, Sang-Hoon

    2010-01-01

    For tissue engineering applications, scaffolds should be porous to enable rapid nutrient and oxygen transfer while providing a three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment for the encapsulated cells. This dual characteristic can be achieved by fabrication of porous hydrogels that contain encapsulated cells. In this work, we developed a simple method that allows cell encapsulation and pore generation inside alginate hydrogels simultaneously. Gelatin beads of 150-300 μm diameter were used as a sacrificial porogen for generating pores within cell-laden hydrogels. Gelation of gelatin at low temperature (4 0 C) was used to form beads without chemical crosslinking and their subsequent dissolution after cell encapsulation led to generation of pores within cell-laden hydrogels. The pore size and porosity of the scaffolds were controlled by the gelatin bead size and their volume ratio, respectively. Fabricated hydrogels were characterized for their internal microarchitecture, mechanical properties and permeability. Hydrogels exhibited a high degree of porosity with increasing gelatin bead content in contrast to nonporous alginate hydrogel. Furthermore, permeability increased by two to three orders while compressive modulus decreased with increasing porosity of the scaffolds. Application of these scaffolds for tissue engineering was tested by encapsulation of hepatocarcinoma cell line (HepG2). All the scaffolds showed similar cell viability; however, cell proliferation was enhanced under porous conditions. Furthermore, porous alginate hydrogels resulted in formation of larger spheroids and higher albumin secretion compared to nonporous conditions. These data suggest that porous alginate hydrogels may have provided a better environment for cell proliferation and albumin production. This may be due to the enhanced mass transfer of nutrients, oxygen and waste removal, which is potentially beneficial for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications.

  3. Pore-Scale Simulation for Predicting Material Transport Through Porous Media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goichi Itoh; Jinya Nakamura; Koji Kono; Tadashi Watanabe; Hirotada Ohashi; Yu Chen; Shinya Nagasaki

    2002-01-01

    Microscopic models of real-coded lattice gas automata (RLG) method with a special boundary condition and lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) are developed for simulating three-dimensional fluid dynamics in complex geometry. Those models enable us to simulate pore-scale fluid dynamics that is an essential part for predicting material transport in porous media precisely. For large-scale simulation of porous media with high resolution, the RLG and LBM programs are designed for parallel computation. Simulation results of porous media flow by the LBM with different pressure gradient conditions show quantitative agreements with macroscopic relations of Darcy's law and Kozeny-Carman equation. As for the efficiency of parallel computing, a standard parallel computation by using MPI (Message Passing Interface) is compared with the hybrid parallel computation of MPI-node parallel technique. The benchmark tests conclude that in case of using large number of computing node, the parallel performance declines due to increase of data communication between nodes and the hybrid parallel computation totally shows better performance in comparison with the standard parallel computation. (authors)

  4. On the transport of emulsions in porous media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cortis, Andrea; Ghezzehei, Teamrat A.

    2007-06-27

    Emulsions appear in many subsurface applications includingbioremediation, surfactant-enhanced remediation, and enhancedoil-recovery. Modeling emulsion transport in porous media is particularlychallenging because the rheological and physical properties of emulsionsare different from averages of the components. Current modelingapproaches are based on filtration theories, which are not suited toadequately address the pore-scale permeability fluctuations and reductionof absolute permeability that are often encountered during emulsiontransport. In this communication, we introduce a continuous time randomwalk based alternative approach that captures these unique features ofemulsion transport. Calculations based on the proposed approach resultedin excellent match with experimental observations of emulsionbreakthrough from the literature. Specifically, the new approach explainsthe slow late-time tailing behavior that could not be fitted using thestandard approach. The theory presented in this paper also provides animportant stepping stone toward a generalizedself-consistent modeling ofmultiphase flow.

  5. Multiphase flow and transport in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, J. C.

    1989-08-01

    Multiphase flow and transport of compositionally complex fluids in geologic media is of importance in a number of applied problems which have major social and economic effects. In petroleum reservoir engineering, efficient recovery of energy reserves is the principal goal. Unfortunately, some of these hydrocarbons and other organic chemicals often find their way unwanted into the soils and groundwater supplies. Removal in the latter case is predicated on ensuring the public health and safety. In this paper, principles of modeling fluid flow in systems containing up to three fluid phases (namely, water, air, and organic liquid) are described. Solution of the governing equations for multiphase flow requires knowledge of functional relationships between fluid pressures, saturations, and permeabilities which may be formulated on the basis of conceptual models of fluid-porous media interactions. Mechanisms of transport in multicomponent multiphase systems in which species may partition between phases are also described, and the governing equations are presented for the case in which local phase equilibrium may be assumed. A number of hypothetical numerical problems are presented to illustrate the physical behavior of systems in which multiphase flow and transport arise.

  6. Graphite and PMMA as pore formers for thermoplastic extrusion of porous 3Y-TZP oxygen transport membrane supports

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjørnetun Haugen, Astri; Gurauskis, Jonas; Kaiser, Andreas

    2016-01-01

    A gas permeable porous support is a crucial part of an asymmetric oxygen transport membrane (OTM). Here, we develop feedstocks for thermoplastic extrusion of tubular, porous 3Y-TZP (partially stabilized zirconia polycrystals, (Y2O3)0.03(ZrO2)0.97)) ceramics, using graphite and/or polymethyl....... This demonstrates the suitability of thermoplastic extrusion for fabrication of porous 3Y-TZP OTM supports, or for other technologies requiring porous ceramics....

  7. Transport phenomena through porous screens and openings : from theory to greenhouse practice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Miguel, A.A.F.

    1998-01-01

    The study of transport phenomena in multi-zone enclosures with permeable boundaries is fundamental for indoor climate control management. In this study, aspects concerning the air exchange through porous screens and openings, and heat transfer between the enclosure surface and inside air,

  8. Water transport in gas diffusion media for PEM fuel cells. Experimental and numerical investigation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roth, Joerg

    2010-08-20

    The water flux in partially saturated hydrophobic carbon fibre paper for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell applications is investigated and compared with the frequently used constitutive two-phase flow model based on Darcy's law. Further, the first steps towards a math-based material design for gas diffusion media are explored in this thesis. Two self-developed ex-situ experiments to investigate the liquid water transport are introduced. The first is a newly developed buoyancy-based measurement of the pressuresaturation relationship on thin porous material with an accuracy of 0.5 kPa for the pressure and {+-} 5% for the saturation. The second experiment measures the pressure drop in dependence of flow rates down to magnitudes of {mu}L/s across the partially saturated thin porous material. This flow rate is relevant for the fuel cell application. The liquid water transport through Toray 060 carbon fibre paper, impregnated with 7% and 10% PTFE is investigated at wet and dry boundary conditions. The experiments are also accompanied by analytical and numerical free surface modelling with the consideration of the material morphology and liquid-solid interaction. The imbibing and draining cases of an arrangement of six fibres at varying solid-liquid interaction and boundary conditions are studied with 'Surface Evolver'. In order to evaluate the findings of ex-situ and modelling work for applicability to water transport in fuel cell operation, the technique of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging is assessed. The focus is on the visualisation of 2D and 3D water distribution in the operating fuel cell. The compatibility of the NMR experiment with fuel cell operation in relation to material selection, operating temperature, and current density is addressed. NMR imaging is employed for different current densities, stoichiometries, and fuel cell arrangements. The fuel cell arrangements differ by the cathode diffusion medium. Plain, hydrophobic, and

  9. Transport and Retention of Colloids in Porous Media: Does Shape Really Matter?

    Science.gov (United States)

    The effect of particle shape on its transport and retention in porous media was evaluated by stretching carboxylate-modified fluorescent polystyrene spheres into rod shapes with aspect ratios of 2:1 and 4:1. Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation experiments (QCM-D) were c...

  10. Simulation of Tracer Transport in Porous Media: Application to Bentonites; Simulacion del Transporte de Trazadores en Medios Porosos: Aplicacion al Caso de Arcillas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bru, A; Casero, D [CIEMAT, Madrid (Spain)

    2001-07-01

    We present a formal framework to describe tracer transport in heterogeneous media, such as porous media like bentonites. In these media, mean field approximation is not valid because there exist some geometrical constraints and the transport is anomalous. (Author)

  11. A Multiscale Time-Splitting Discrete Fracture Model of Nanoparticles Transport in Fractured Porous Media

    KAUST Repository

    El-Amin, Mohamed F.; Kou, Jisheng; Sun, Shuyu

    2017-01-01

    Recently, applications of nanoparticles have been considered in many branches of petroleum engineering, especially, enhanced oil recovery. The current paper is devoted to investigate the problem of nanoparticles transport in fractured porous media, numerically. We employed the discrete-fracture model (DFM) to represent the flow and transport in the fractured formations. The system of the governing equations consists of the mass conservation law, Darcy's law, nanoparticles concentration in water, deposited nanoparticles concentration on the pore-wall, and entrapped nanoparticles concentration in the pore-throat. The variation of porosity and permeability due to the nanoparticles deposition/entrapment on/in the pores is also considered. We employ the multiscale time-splitting strategy to control different time-step sizes for different physics, such as pressure and concentration. The cell-centered finite difference (CCFD) method is used for the spatial discretization. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed multiscale time splitting approach.

  12. A Multiscale Time-Splitting Discrete Fracture Model of Nanoparticles Transport in Fractured Porous Media

    KAUST Repository

    El-Amin, Mohamed F.

    2017-06-06

    Recently, applications of nanoparticles have been considered in many branches of petroleum engineering, especially, enhanced oil recovery. The current paper is devoted to investigate the problem of nanoparticles transport in fractured porous media, numerically. We employed the discrete-fracture model (DFM) to represent the flow and transport in the fractured formations. The system of the governing equations consists of the mass conservation law, Darcy\\'s law, nanoparticles concentration in water, deposited nanoparticles concentration on the pore-wall, and entrapped nanoparticles concentration in the pore-throat. The variation of porosity and permeability due to the nanoparticles deposition/entrapment on/in the pores is also considered. We employ the multiscale time-splitting strategy to control different time-step sizes for different physics, such as pressure and concentration. The cell-centered finite difference (CCFD) method is used for the spatial discretization. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed multiscale time splitting approach.

  13. Effect of flow on bacterial transport and biofilm formation in saturated porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rusconi, R.

    2016-12-01

    Understanding the transport of bacteria in saturated porous media is crucial for many applications ranging from the management of pumping wells subject to bio-clogging to the design of new bioremediation schemes for subsurface contamination. However, little is known about the spatial distribution of bacteria at the pore scale, particularly when small-scale heterogeneities - always present even in seemingly homogeneous aquifers - lead to preferential pathways for groundwater flow. In particular, the coupling of flow and motility has recently been shown to strongly affect bacterial transport1, and this leads us to predict that subsurface flow may strongly affect the dispersal of bacteria and the formation of biofilms in saturated aquifers. I present here microfluidic experiments combined with numerical simulations to show how the topological features of the flow correlate with bacterial concentration and promote the attachment of bacteria to specific regions of the pore network, which will ultimately influence the formations of biofilms. These results highlight the intimate link between small-scale biological processes and transport in porous media.

  14. Optimum design for effective water transport through a double-layered porous hydrogel inspired by plant leaves

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Hyejeong; Kim, Hyeonjeong; Huh, Hyungkyu; Hwang, Hyung Ju; Lee, Sang Joon

    2014-11-01

    Plant leaves are generally known to have optimized morphological structure in response to environmental changes for efficient water usage. However, the advantageous features of plant leaves are not fully utilized in engineering fields yet, since the optimum design in internal structure of plant leaves is unclear. In this study, the tissue organization of the hydraulic pathways inside plant leaves was investigated. Water transport through double-layered porous hydrogel models analogous to mesophyll cells was experimentally observed. In addition, computational experiment and theoretical analysis were applied to the model systems to find the optimal design for efficient water transport. As a result, the models with lower porosity or with pores distributed widely in the structure exhibit efficient mass transport. Our theoretical prediction supports that structural features of plant leaves guarantee sufficient water supply as survival strategy. This study may provide a new framework for investigating the biophysical principles governing the morphological optimization of plant leaves and for designing microfluidic devices to enhance mass transport ability. This study was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea and funded by the Korean government.

  15. Diatomite biosilica nanocarriers for siRNA transport inside cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rea, Ilaria; Martucci, Nicola M; De Stefano, Luca; Ruggiero, Immacolata; Terracciano, Monica; Dardano, Principia; Migliaccio, Nunzia; Arcari, Paolo; Taté, Rosarita; Rendina, Ivo; Lamberti, Annalisa

    2014-12-01

    Diatomite is a natural porous biomaterial of sedimentary origin, formed by fragments of diatom siliceous skeletons, called "frustules". Due to large availability in many areas of the world, chemical stability, and non-toxicity, these fossil structures have been widespread used in lot of industrial applications, such as food production, water extracting agent, production of cosmetics and pharmaceutics. However, diatomite is surprisingly still rarely used in biomedical applications. In this work, we exploit diatomite nanoparticles for small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) transport inside human epidermoid cancer cells (H1355). Morphology and composition of diatomite microfrustules (average size lower than 40μm) are investigated by scanning electron microscopy equipped by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared analysis, and photoluminescence measurements. Nanometric porous particles (average size lower than 450nm) are obtained by mechanical crushing, sonication, and filtering of micrometric frustules. siRNA bioconjugation is performed on both micrometric and nanometric fragments by silanization. In-vitro experiments show very low toxicity on exposure of the cells to diatomite nanoparticle concentration up to 300μg/ml for 72h. Confocal microscopy imaging performed on cancer cells incubated with siRNA conjugated nanoparticles demonstrates a cytoplasmatic localization of vectors. Gene silencing by delivered siRNA is also demonstrated. Our studies endorse diatomite nanoparticles as non-toxic nanocarriers for siRNA transport in cancer cells. siRNA is a powerful molecular tool for cancer treatment but its delivery is inefficient due to the difficulty to penetrate the cell membrane. siRNA-diatomite nanoconjugate may be well suited for delivery of therapeutic to cancer cells. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Finite medium Green's function solutions to nuclide transport in porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oston, S.G.

    1979-01-01

    Current analytical techniques for predicting the transport of nuclides in porous materials center on the Green's function approach - i.e., determining the response characteristics of a geologic pathway to an impulse function input. To data, the analyses all have set the boundary conditions needed to solve the 1-D transport equation as though each pathway were infinite in length. The purpose of this work is to critically examine the effect that this infinite pathway assumption has on Green's function models of nuclide transport in porous media. The work described herein has directly attacked the more difficult problem of obtaining suitable Green's functions for finite pathways whose dimensions, in fact, may not be much greater than the diffusion length. Two different finite media Green's functions describing the nuclide mass flux have been determined, depending on whether the pathway is terminated by a high or a low flow resistance at the outlet end. Pulse shapes and peak amplitudes have been computed for each Green's function over a wide range of geohydrologic parameters. These results have been compared to both infinite and semi-infinite medium solutions. It was found that predicted pulse shapes are quite sensitive to selection of a Green's function model for short pathways only. For long pathways all models tend toward a symmetric Gaussian flux-time history at the outlet. Thus, the results of our previous waste transport studies using the infinite pathway assumption are still generally valid because they always included at least one long pathway. It was also found that finite medium models offer some unique computational advantages for evaluating nuclide transport in a series of connecting pathways

  17. Effect of ultrasonic stimulation on particle transport and fate over different lengths of porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xingxin; Wu, Zhonghan; Cai, Qipeng; Cao, Wei

    2018-04-01

    It is well established that seismic waves traveling through porous media stimulate fluid flow and accelerate particle transport. However, the mechanism remains poorly understood. To quantify the coupling effect of hydrodynamic force, transportation distance, and ultrasonic stimulation on particle transport and fate in porous media, laboratory experiments were conducted using custom-built ultrasonic-controlled soil column equipment. Three column lengths (23 cm, 33 cm, and 43 cm) were selected to examine the influence of transportation distance. Transport experiments were performed with 0 W, 600 W, 1000 W, 1400 W, and 1800 W of applied ultrasound, and flow rates of 0.065 cm/s, 0.130 cm/s, and 0.195 cm/s, to establish the roles of ultrasonic stimulation and hydrodynamic force. The laboratory results suggest that whilst ultrasonic stimulation does inhibit suspended-particle deposition and accelerate deposited-particle release, both hydrodynamic force and transportation distance are the principal controlling factors. The median particle diameter for the peak concentration was approximately 50% of that retained in the soil column. Simulated particle-breakthrough curves using extended traditional filtration theory effectively described the experimental curves, particularly the curves that exhibited a higher tailing concentration.

  18. Modeling of ion transport through a porous separator in vanadium redox flow batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, X. L.; Zhao, T. S.; An, L.; Zeng, Y. K.; Wei, L.

    2016-09-01

    In this work, we develop a two-dimensional, transient model to investigate the mechanisms of ion-transport through a porous separator in VRFBs and their effects on battery performance. Commercial-available separators with pore sizes of around 45 nm are particularly investigated and effects of key separator design parameters and operation modes are explored. We reveal that: i) the transport mechanism of vanadium-ion crossover through available separators is predominated by convection; ii) reducing the pore size below 15 nm effectively minimizes the convection-driven vanadium-ion crossover, while further reduction in migration- and diffusion-driven vanadium-ion crossover can be achieved only when the pore size is reduced to the level close to the sizes of vanadium ions; and iii) operation modes that can affect the pressure at the separator/electrode interface, such as the electrolyte flow rate, exert a significant influence on the vanadium-ion crossover rate through the available separators, indicating that it is critically important to equalize the pressure on each half-cell of a power pack in practical applications.

  19. Effective Heat and Mass Transport Properties of Anisotropic Porous Ceria for Solar Thermochemical Fuel Generation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sophia Haussener

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available High-resolution X-ray computed tomography is employed to obtain the exact 3D geometrical configuration of porous anisotropic ceria applied in solar-driven thermochemical cycles for splitting H2O and CO2. The tomography data are, in turn, used in direct pore-level numerical simulations for determining the morphological and effective heat/mass transport properties of porous ceria, namely: porosity, specific surface area, pore size distribution, extinction coefficient, thermal conductivity, convective heat transfer coefficient, permeability, Dupuit-Forchheimer coefficient, and tortuosity and residence time distributions. Tailored foam designs for enhanced transport properties are examined by means of adjusting morphologies of artificial ceria samples composed of bimodal distributed overlapping transparent spheres in an opaque medium.

  20. Inverse modelling for flow and transport in porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giudici, M.

    2004-01-01

    The problem of parameter identification for flow and transport model in porous media is discussed in this communication. First, a general framework for the development and application of environmental models is discussed. Then the forward and inverse problems for discrete models are described in detail, introducing fundamental concepts (uniqueness, identifiability, stability, conditioning). The importance of model scales is reviewed and is shown its link with the stability and conditioning issues. Finally some remarks are given to the use of several independent sets of data in inverse modelling

  1. The heat and moisture transport properties of wet porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, B.X.; Fang, Z.H.; Yu, W.P.

    1989-01-01

    Existing methods for determining heat and moisture transport properties in porous media are briefly reviewed, and their merits and deficiencies are discussed. Emphasis is placed on research in developing new transient methods undertaken in China during the recent years. An attempt has been made to relate the coefficients in the heat and mass transfer equations with inherent properties of the liquid and matrix and then to predict these coefficients based on limited measurements

  2. Hyporheic less-mobile porosity and solute transport in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    MahmoodPoorDehkordy, F.; Briggs, M. A.; Day-Lewis, F. D.; Scruggs, C.; Singha, K.; Zarnetske, J. P.; Lane, J. W., Jr.; Bagtzoglou, A. C.

    2017-12-01

    Solute transport and reactive processes are strongly influenced by hydrodynamic exchange with the hyporheic zone. Contaminant transport and redox zonation in the hyporheic zone and near-stream aquifer can be impacted by the exchange between mobile and less-mobile porosity zones in heterogeneous porous media. Less-mobile porosity zones can be created by fine materials with tight pore throats (e.g. clay, organics) and in larger, well-connected pores down gradient of flow obstructions (e.g. sand behind cobbles). Whereas fluid sampling is primarily responsive to the more-mobile domain, tracking solute tracer dynamics by geoelectrical methods provides direct information about both more- and less-mobile zones. During tracer injection through porous media of varied pore connectivity, a lag between fluid and bulk electrical conductivity is observed, creating a hysteresis loop when plotted in conductivity space. Thus, the combination of simultaneous fluid and bulk electrical conductivity measurements enables a much improved quantification of less-mobile solute dynamics compared to traditional fluid-only sampling approaches. We have demonstrated the less-mobile porosity exchange in laboratory-scale column experiments verified by simulation models. The experimental approach has also been applied to streambed sediments in column and reach-scale field experiments and verified using numerical simulation. Properties of the resultant hysteresis loops can be used to estimate exchange parameters of less-mobile porosity. Our integrated approach combining field experiments, laboratory experiments, and numerical modeling provides new insights into the effect of less-mobile porosity on solute transport in the hyporheic zone.

  3. Final technical report for project titled Quantitative Characterization of Cell Aggregation/Adhesion as Predictor for Distribution and Transport of Microorganisms in Subsurface Environment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gu, April Z. [Northeastern Univ., Boston, MA (United States); Wan, Kai-tak [Northeastern Univ., Boston, MA (United States)

    2014-09-02

    This project aims to explore and develop enabling methodology and techniques for nano-scale characterization of microbe cell surface contact mechanics, interactions and adhesion quantities that allow for identification and quantification of indicative properties related to microorganism migration and transport behavior in porous media and in subsurface environments. Microbe transport has wide impact and therefore is of great interest in various environmental applications such as in situ or enhanced subsurface bioremediation,filtration processes for water and wastewater treatments and protection of drinking water supplies. Although great progress has been made towards understanding the identities and activities of these microorganisms in the subsurface, to date, little is known of the mechanisms that govern the mobility and transport of microorganisms in DOE’s contaminated sites, making the outcomes of in situ natural attenuation or contaminant stability enhancement unpredictable. Conventionally, movement of microorganisms was believed to follows the rules governing solute (particle) transport. However, recent studies revealed that cell surface properties, especially those pertaining to cell attachment/adhesion and aggregation behavior, can cause the microbe behavior to deviate from non-viable particles and hence greatly influence the mobility and distribution of microorganisms in porous media.This complexity highlights the need to obtain detailed information of cell-cell and cell-surface interactions in order to improve and refine the conceptual and quantitative model development for fate and transport of microorganisms and contaminant in subsurface. Traditional cell surface characterization methods are not sufficient to fully predict the deposition rates and transport behaviors of microorganism observed. A breakthrough of methodology that would allow for quantitative and molecular-level description of intrinsic cell surface properties indicative for cell

  4. Graphene oxide-facilitated transport of levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin in saturated and unsaturated porous media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Kaixuan; Dong, Shunan; Sun, Yuanyuan; Gao, Bin; Du, Wenchao; Xu, Hongxia; Wu, Jichun

    2018-04-15

    In this work, effects of graphene oxide (GO) on the co-transport of the two typical Fluoroquinolones (FQs) - levofloxacin (LEV) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) in saturated and unsaturated quartz sand media were studied. The adsorption isotherms showed that GO had much larger sorption capacities to LEV and CIP than sand with the largest Langmuir adsorption capacity of 409 mg g -1 (CIP-GO); while the sorption affinity of the two FQs onto the two adsorbents might follow the order of CIP-sand > LEV-sand > LEV-GO > CIP-GO. GO promoted the mobility of the two FQs in both saturated and unsaturated porous media due to its strong mobility and sorption capacity. The GO-bound LEV/CIP was responsible for the LEV/CIP transport in the porous media, and transport of GO-bound FQs increased with the increasing of initial GO concentration. Under unsaturated conditions, moisture showed little effect on the transport of GO-bound CIP; however, the mobility of GO-bound LEV reduced with the decreasing of moisture content, suggesting the transport of adsorbed LEV from GO to air-water interface. GO sorption reduced the antibacterial ability of the two FQs, but they were still effective in inhibiting E. coli growth. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Marine phages as excellent tracers for reactive colloidal transport in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghanem, Nawras; Chatzinotas, Antonis; Harms, Hauke; Wick, Lukas Y.

    2016-04-01

    Question: Here we evaluate marine phages as specific markers of hydrological flow and reactive transport of colloidal particles in the Earth's critical zone (CZ). Marine phages and their bacterial hosts are naturally absent in the CZ, and can be detected with extremely high sensitivity. In the framework of the DFG Collaborative Research Center AquaDiva, we asked the following questions: (1) Are marine phages useful specific markers of hydrological flow and reactive transport in porous media? and (2) Which phage properties are relevant drivers for the transport of marine phages in porous media? Methods: Seven marine phages from different families (as well two commonly used terrestrial phages) were selected based on their morphology, size and physico-chemical surface properties (surface charge and hydrophobicity). Phage properties were assessed by electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering and water contact angle analysis (CA). Sand-filled laboratory percolation columns were used to study transport. The breakthrough curves of the phages were analyzed using the clean bed filtration theory and the XDLVO theory of colloid stability, respectively. Phages were quantified by a modified high- throughput plaque assay and a culture-independent particle counting method approach. Results: Our data show that most marine tested phages exhibited highly variable transport rates and deposition efficiency, yet generally high colloidal stability and viability. We find that size, morphology and hydrophobicity are key factors shaping the transport efficiency of phages. Differing deposition efficiencies of the phages were also supported by calculated XDLVO interaction energy profile. Conclusion: Marine phages have a high potential for the use as sensitive tracers in terrestrial habitats with their surface properties playing a crucial role for their transport. Marine phages however, exhibit differences in their deposition efficiency depending on their morphology, hydrophobicity and

  6. Diffusion, Coulombic interactions and multicomponent ionic transport of charged species in saturated porous media

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rolle, Massimo; Muniruzzaman, Muhammad

    water are cross-coupled due to the effects of Coulombic interactions. Such effects are illustrated in flow-through experiments in saturated porous media. Simple strong electrolytes (i.e., salts and strong acid solutions) were selected as tracers and their transport was studied under different advection......-dominated conditions in homogeneous and heterogeneous porous media [2-3]. The model-based interpretation of the experimental results is challenging since it requires a multicomponent ionic formulation with an accurate description of local hydrodynamic dispersion and explicitly accounting for the cross-coupling...

  7. Transport of radionuclides by concentrated brine in a porous medium with micropore-macropore structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hassanizadeh, S.M.

    1987-01-01

    This work concerns itself with the study of effects of soil aggregation and high salt concentrations on the transport of radionuclides by concentrated brine flowing through an aggregated porous medium. The medium is considered to be composed of porous rock aggregates separated by macropores through which the brine flows and transport of salt and radionuclides takes place. The aggregates contain dead-end pores, cracks, and stationary pockets collectively called micropores. The micropore space does not contribute to the flow, but it serves as a storage for salt and radionuclides. Adsorption of radionuclides takes place at internal surfaces of aggregates where they assume that a linear equilibrium isotherm describes the process. A one-dimensional numerical model is developed which is based on two sets of equations: one set for the flow and transport of salt and another set for transport of radionuclides. Results of numerical experiments clearly indicate that the existence of high salt concentrations markedly reduces the peak of nuclides concentration and slows down their movement. Also, it is found that diffusive mass exchange between macropores and aggregates results in a pronounced lowering of the radionuclides concentration peaks. 9 references, 7 figures

  8. Pore-scale dynamics of salt transport and distribution in drying porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shokri, Nima

    2014-01-01

    Understanding the physics of water evaporation from saline porous media is important in many natural and engineering applications such as durability of building materials and preservation of monuments, water quality, and mineral-fluid interactions. We applied synchrotron x-ray micro-tomography to investigate the pore-scale dynamics of dissolved salt distribution in a three dimensional drying saline porous media using a cylindrical plastic column (15 mm in height and 8 mm in diameter) packed with sand particles saturated with CaI 2 solution (5% concentration by mass) with a spatial and temporal resolution of 12 μm and 30 min, respectively. Every time the drying sand column was set to be imaged, two different images were recorded using distinct synchrotron x-rays energies immediately above and below the K-edge value of Iodine. Taking the difference between pixel gray values enabled us to delineate the spatial and temporal distribution of CaI 2 concentration at pore scale. Results indicate that during early stages of evaporation, air preferentially invades large pores at the surface while finer pores remain saturated and connected to the wet zone at bottom via capillary-induced liquid flow acting as evaporating spots. Consequently, the salt concentration increases preferentially in finer pores where evaporation occurs. Higher salt concentration was observed close to the evaporating surface indicating a convection-driven process. The obtained salt profiles were used to evaluate the numerical solution of the convection-diffusion equation (CDE). Results show that the macro-scale CDE could capture the overall trend of the measured salt profiles but fail to produce the exact slope of the profiles. Our results shed new insight on the physics of salt transport and its complex dynamics in drying porous media and establish synchrotron x-ray tomography as an effective tool to investigate the dynamics of salt transport in porous media at high spatial and temporal resolution

  9. Transport phenomena in fuel cells : from microscale to macroscale

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Djilali, N. [Victoria Univ., BC (Canada). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering]|[Victoria Univ., BC (Canada). Inst. for Integrated Energy Systems

    2006-07-01

    Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells rely on an array of thermofluid transport processes for the regulated supply of reactant gases and the removal of by-product heat and water. Flows are characterized by a broad range of length and time scales that take place in conjunction with reaction kinetics in a variety of regimes and structures. This paper examined some of the challenges related to computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling of PEM fuel cell transport phenomena. An overview of the main features, components and operation of PEM fuel cells was followed by a discussion of the various strategies used for component modelling of the electrolyte membrane; the gas diffusion layer; microporous layer; and flow channels. A review of integrated CFD models for PEM fuel cells included the coupling of electrochemical thermal and fluid transport with 3-D unit cell simulations; air-breathing micro-structured fuel cells; and stack level modelling. Physical models for modelling of transport at the micro-scale were also discussed. Results of the review indicated that the treatment of electrochemical reactions in a PEM fuel cell currently combines classical reaction kinetics with solutions procedures to resolve charged species transport, which may lead to thermodynamically inconsistent solutions for more complex systems. Proper representation of the surface coverage of all the chemical species at all reaction sites is needed, and secondary reactions such as platinum (Pt) dissolution and oxidation must be accounted for in order to model and understand degradation mechanisms in fuel cells. While progress has been made in CFD-based modelling of fuel cells, functional and predictive capabilities remain a challenge because of fundamental modelling and material characterization deficiencies in ionic and water transport in polymer membranes; 2-phase transport in porous gas diffusion electrodes and gas flow channels; inadequate macroscopic modelling and resolution of catalyst

  10. Multiphase radon generation and transport in porous materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rogers, V.C.; Nielson, K.K.

    1991-01-01

    Radon generation and transport in porous materials involve solid, liquid, and gas phases in the processes of emanation, diffusion, advection, absorption, and adsorption. Oversimplifications, such as representing moist soil systems by air-phase emanation and transport models, cause theoretical inconsistencies and biases in resulting calculations. Detailed Rn rate balance equations for solid, liquid, and gas phases were analyzed and combined using phase equilibrium constants to derive a single diffusive-advective rate balance equation in the traditional form. The emanation, diffusion, and permeability coefficients in the new equation have expanded definitions and interpretations to include Rn phase transfer. Radon adsorption was characterized by an exponential moisture dependence, and diffusion and permeability constants utilized previous moisture relationships. Correct boundary and interface conditions were defined, and the unified theoretical approach was applied to field data from a diffusion-dominated system and to laboratory data from an advection-dominated system. Measured 222 Rn fluxes and concentrations validated the modeled values within the measurement variability in both applications

  11. Experimental and AI-based numerical modeling of contaminant transport in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nourani, Vahid; Mousavi, Shahram; Sadikoglu, Fahreddin; Singh, Vijay P.

    2017-10-01

    This study developed a new hybrid artificial intelligence (AI)-meshless approach for modeling contaminant transport in porous media. The key innovation of the proposed approach is that both black box and physically-based models are combined for modeling contaminant transport. The effectiveness of the approach was evaluated using experimental and real world data. Artificial neural network (ANN) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) were calibrated to predict temporal contaminant concentrations (CCs), and the effect of noisy and de-noised data on the model performance was evaluated. Then, considering the predicted CCs at test points (TPs, in experimental study) and piezometers (in Myandoab plain) as interior conditions, the multiquadric radial basis function (MQ-RBF), as a meshless approach which solves partial differential equation (PDE) of contaminant transport in porous media, was employed to estimate the CC values at any point within the study area where there was no TP or piezometer. Optimal values of the dispersion coefficient in the advection-dispersion PDE and shape coefficient of MQ-RBF were determined using the imperialist competitive algorithm. In temporal contaminant transport modeling, de-noised data enhanced the performance of ANN and ANFIS methods in terms of the determination coefficient, up to 6 and 5%, respectively, in the experimental study and up to 39 and 18%, respectively, in the field study. Results showed that the efficiency of ANFIS-meshless model was more than ANN-meshless model up to 2 and 13% in the experimental and field studies, respectively.

  12. Frost induced damages within porous materials - from concrete technology to fuel cells technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palecki, Susanne; Gorelkov, Stanislav; Wartmann, Jens; Heinzel, Angelika

    2017-12-01

    Porous media like concrete or layers of membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) within fuel cells are affected by a cyclic frost exposure due to different damage mechanisms which could lead to essential degradation of the material. In general, frost damages can only occur in case of a specific material moisture content. In fuel cells, residual water is generally available after shut down inside the membrane i.e. the gas diffusion layer (GDL). During subsequent freezing, this could cause various damage phenomena such as frost heaves and delamination effects of the membrane electrode assembly, which depends on the location of pore water and on the pore structure itself. Porous materials possess a pore structure that could range over several orders of magnitudes with different properties and freezing behaviour of the pore water. Latter can be divided into macroscopic, structured and pre-structured water, influenced by surface interactions. Therefore below 0 °C different water modifications can coexist in a wide temperature range, so that during frost exposure a high amount of unfrozen and moveable water inside the pore system is still available. This induces transport mechanisms and shrinkage effects. The physical basics are similar for porous media. While the freezing behaviour of concrete has been studied over decades of years, in order to enhance the durability, the know-how about the influence of a frost attack on fuel cell systems is not fully understood to date. On the basis of frost damage models for concrete structures, an approach to describe the impact of cyclic freezing and thawing on membrane electrode assemblies has been developed within this research work. Major aim is beyond a better understanding of the frost induced mechanisms, the standardization of a suitable test procedure for the assessment of different MEA materials under such kind of attack. Within this contribution first results will be introduced.

  13. Additively manufactured metallic porous biomaterials based on minimal surfaces : A unique combination of topological, mechanical, and mass transport properties

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bobbert, F S L; Lietaert, K; Eftekhari, A A; Pouran, B; Ahmadi, S M; Weinans, H; Zadpoor, A A

    2017-01-01

    Porous biomaterials that simultaneously mimic the topological, mechanical, and mass transport properties of bone are in great demand but are rarely found in the literature. In this study, we rationally designed and additively manufactured (AM) porous metallic biomaterials based on four different

  14. Lattice Boltzmann modeling of transport phenomena in fuel cells and flow batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Ao; Shyy, Wei; Zhao, Tianshou

    2017-06-01

    Fuel cells and flow batteries are promising technologies to address climate change and air pollution problems. An understanding of the complex multiscale and multiphysics transport phenomena occurring in these electrochemical systems requires powerful numerical tools. Over the past decades, the lattice Boltzmann (LB) method has attracted broad interest in the computational fluid dynamics and the numerical heat transfer communities, primarily due to its kinetic nature making it appropriate for modeling complex multiphase transport phenomena. More importantly, the LB method fits well with parallel computing due to its locality feature, which is required for large-scale engineering applications. In this article, we review the LB method for gas-liquid two-phase flows, coupled fluid flow and mass transport in porous media, and particulate flows. Examples of applications are provided in fuel cells and flow batteries. Further developments of the LB method are also outlined.

  15. From red cells to soft porous lubrication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Qianhong; Zhu, Zenghao; Nathan, Rungun

    2017-11-01

    In this paper, we report a novel experimental study to examine the lubrication theory for highly compressible porous media (Feng & Weinbaum, JFM, 422, 282, 2000), which was applied to the frictionless motion of red cells over the endothelial surface layer (ESL). The experimental setup consists of a running conveyer belt covered with a porous sheet, and an upper planar board, i.e. planing surface. The pore pressure generation was captured when the planing surface glides over the porous sheet. If the lateral leakage was eliminated, we found that the overall pore pressure's contribution to the total lift, fair 80%, and the friction coefficient η = 0.0981, when U =5 m/s, L =0.381 m, λ = h2/h0 = 1 and k =h2/h1 = 3, where U is the velocity of the conveyor belt; L is the planing surface length; h0, h1 and h2 are the undeformed, leading and trailing edge porous layer thickness, respectively. fair increases with the increase in U, λ and L, while decreases with the increase in k. η decreases with the increase in fair. If lateral pressure leakage exists, the pore pressure generation is reduced by nearly 90%. All the results agreed well with the theoretical predictions. The study here lays the foundation for applying soft porous media for new type of bearing with significantly reduced friction. This research was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF CBET) under Award No. 1511096.

  16. Investigation of Single Phase NanoCellulose Transport through Porous Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dziuba, Carter Jordan

    The application of nanotechnology to the petroleum industry has seen many recent advancements. Nanocellulose is an emerging nanoparticle at the forefront of research. Before nanocellulose can be injected into petroleum reservoirs, further understanding is needed as to the retention mechanisms that occur during nanocellulose transport through porous media. A series of unconsolidated sandpack floods were preformed with nanocellulose and the resulting retention and permeability reduction were measured. The experimental variables include nanocellulose type, sand grain size, flowrate, and salinity. It was found that all types of nanocellulose tested showed significantly different transport properties. Retention and permeability reduction increased as grain size decreased or flowrate decreased. As a general trend, the larger the size of aggregates in bulk solution, the greater the retention and permeability reduction. Salinity was found to be the primary parameter affecting transport. Increased salinity caused additional aggregation which resulted in increased straining and filter cake formation.

  17. Upscaling solute transport in naturally fractured porous media with the continuous time random walk method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Geiger, S.; Cortis, A.; Birkholzer, J.T.

    2010-04-01

    Solute transport in fractured porous media is typically 'non-Fickian'; that is, it is characterized by early breakthrough and long tailing and by nonlinear growth of the Green function-centered second moment. This behavior is due to the effects of (1) multirate diffusion occurring between the highly permeable fracture network and the low-permeability rock matrix, (2) a wide range of advection rates in the fractures and, possibly, the matrix as well, and (3) a range of path lengths. As a consequence, prediction of solute transport processes at the macroscale represents a formidable challenge. Classical dual-porosity (or mobile-immobile) approaches in conjunction with an advection-dispersion equation and macroscopic dispersivity commonly fail to predict breakthrough of fractured porous media accurately. It was recently demonstrated that the continuous time random walk (CTRW) method can be used as a generalized upscaling approach. Here we extend this work and use results from high-resolution finite element-finite volume-based simulations of solute transport in an outcrop analogue of a naturally fractured reservoir to calibrate the CTRW method by extracting a distribution of retention times. This procedure allows us to predict breakthrough at other model locations accurately and to gain significant insight into the nature of the fracture-matrix interaction in naturally fractured porous reservoirs with geologically realistic fracture geometries.

  18. Transport and retention of 14C-perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in saturated limestone and sand porous media: Effects of input concentration, ionic strength and cation type

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xueyan, L.; Gao, B.; Sun, Y.; Wu, J.

    2017-12-01

    Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has been used in a wide variety of industrial and consumer product applications. PFOA has been detected around the world at ng/L to μg/L levels in groundwater, and at ng/g levels in soil.The physicochemical properties of porous media were proven to play pivotal roles in determining the transport behavior of various pollutants. It is anticipated that physicochemical properties of porous media will strongly influence the transport behavior of PFOA. In addition, previous investigations have revealed that input concentration significantly influence the transport behavior of nanoparticles and antibiotics. Thus, this study was designed experimentally and fundamentally to gain insight into transport and retention of PFOA in various porous medias at different input concentrations, solution IS and cation type. Unlike in quartz sand porous media, the BTCs in limestone porous media exhibited increasing retention rate and high degree of tailing in limestone porous media. Results showed that higher relative retention occurred in limestone porous media than in quartz sand porous media under the same solution chemistry. This result was attributed to the less negative zeta-potentials, rougher surface and larger specific surface area, and the presence of hydroxyl groups and organic matters of limestone grains. Higher ionic strength and Ca2+ had little impact on the mobility of PFOA in quartz sand porous media, but significantly enhanced the retention of PFOA in limestone porous media. The difference is likely due to the compression of the electrical double layer, and the surface-charge neutralization and cation-bridging effect of Ca2+. Higher input concentration resulted in lower relative PFOA retention in limestone porous media, but the influence were insignificant in quartz sand porous media. This effect is likely because attachment sites in limestone responced to the variety of input concentration differently than quartz.

  19. Preparation of open porous polycaprolactone microspheres and their applications as effective cell carriers in hydrogel system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Qingchun [Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering (China); Tan, Ke; Ye, Zhaoyang [State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Bioengineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237 China (China); Zhang, Yan, E-mail: zhang_yan@ecust.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering (China); Tan, Wensong [State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Bioengineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237 China (China); Lang, Meidong, E-mail: mdlang@ecust.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering (China)

    2012-12-01

    Common hydrogel, composed of synthetic polymers or natural polysaccharides could not support the adhesion of anchorage-dependent cells due to the lack of cell affinitive interface and high cell constraint. The use of porous polyester microspheres as cell-carriers and introduction of cell-loaded microspheres into the hydrogel system might overcome the problem. However, the preparation of the open porous microsphere especially using polycaprolactone (PCL) has been rarely reported. Here, the open porous PCL microspheres were fabricated via the combined emulsion/solvent evaporation and particle leaching method. The microspheres exhibited porous surface and inter-connective pore structure. Additionally, the pore structure could be easily controlled by adjusting the processing parameters. The surface pore size could be altered from 20 {mu}m to 80 {mu}m and the internal porosities were varied from 30% to 70%. The obtained microspheres were evaluated to delivery mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and showed the improved cell adhesion and growth when compared with the non-porous microspheres. Then, the MSCs loaded microspheres were introduced into agarose hydrogel. MSCs remained alive and sustained proliferation in microsphere/agarose composite in 5-day incubation while a decrement of MSCs viabilities was found in agarose hydrogel without microspheres. The results indicated that the microsphere/hydrogel composite had a great potential in cell therapy and injectable system for tissue regeneration. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The open porous polycaprolactone microspheres were fabricated using paraffin as a porogen. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The microspheres exhibited porous surface and inter-connective pore structure. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The surface and internal pore size and porosity of microsphere could be controlled. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The porous microspheres exhibited an improved cell adhesion and proliferation. Black

  20. Sequential flow membraneless microfluidic fuel cell with porous electrodes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salloum, Kamil S.; Posner, Jonathan D. [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-6106 (United States); Hayes, Joel R.; Friesen, Cody A. [School of Materials, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-8706 (United States)

    2008-05-15

    A novel convective flow membraneless microfluidic fuel cell with porous disk electrodes is described. In this fuel cell design, the fuel flows radially outward through a thin disk shaped anode and across a gap to a ring shaped cathode. An oxidant is introduced into the gap between anode and cathode and advects radially outward to the cathode. This fuel cell differs from previous membraneless designs in that the fuel and the oxidant flow in series, rather than in parallel, enabling independent control over the fuel and oxidant flow rate and the electrode areas. The cell uses formic acid as a fuel and potassium permanganate as the oxidant, both contained in a sulfuric acid electrolyte. The flow velocity field is examined using microscale particle image velocimetry and shown to be nearly axisymmetric and steady. The results show that increasing the electrolyte concentration reduces the cell Ohmic resistance, resulting in larger maximum currents and peak power densities. Increasing the flow rate delays the onset of mass transport and reduces Ohmic losses resulting in larger maximum currents and peak power densities. An average open circuit potential of 1.2 V is obtained with maximum current and power densities of 5.35 mA cm{sup -2} and 2.8 mW cm{sup -2}, respectively (cell electrode area of 4.3 cm{sup 2}). At a flow rate of 100 {mu}L min{sup -1} a fuel utilization of 58% is obtained. (author)

  1. Discrete-continuum multiscale model for transport, biomass development and solid restructuring in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ray, Nadja; Rupp, Andreas; Prechtel, Alexander

    2017-09-01

    Upscaling transport in porous media including both biomass development and simultaneous structural changes in the solid matrix is extremely challenging. This is because both affect the medium's porosity as well as mass transport parameters and flow paths. We address this challenge by means of a multiscale model. At the pore scale, the local discontinuous Galerkin (LDG) method is used to solve differential equations describing particularly the bacteria's and the nutrient's development. Likewise, a sticky agent tightening together solid or bio cells is considered. This is combined with a cellular automaton method (CAM) capturing structural changes of the underlying computational domain stemming from biomass development and solid restructuring. Findings from standard homogenization theory are applied to determine the medium's characteristic time- and space-dependent properties. Investigating these results enhances our understanding of the strong interplay between a medium's functional properties and its geometric structure. Finally, integrating such properties as model parameters into models defined on a larger scale enables reflecting the impact of pore scale processes on the larger scale.

  2. Modeling coupled nanoparticle aggregation and transport in porous media: a Lagrangian approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taghavy, Amir; Pennell, Kurt D; Abriola, Linda M

    2015-01-01

    Changes in nanoparticle size and shape due to particle-particle interactions (i.e., aggregation or agglomeration) may significantly alter particle mobility and retention in porous media. To date, however, few modeling studies have considered the coupling of transport and particle aggregation processes. The majority of particle transport models employ an Eulerian modeling framework and are, consequently, limited in the types of collisions and aggregate sizes that can be considered. In this work, a more general Lagrangian modeling framework is developed and implemented to explore coupled nanoparticle aggregation and transport processes. The model was verified through comparison of model simulations to published results of an experimental and Eulerian modeling study (Raychoudhury et al., 2012) of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-modified nano-sized zero-valent iron particle (nZVI) transport and retention in water-saturated sand columns. A model sensitivity analysis reveals the influence of influent particle concentration (ca. 70 to 700 mg/L), primary particle size (10-100 nm) and pore water velocity (ca. 1-6 m/day) on particle-particle, and, consequently, particle-collector interactions. Model simulations demonstrate that, when environmental conditions promote particle-particle interactions, neglecting aggregation effects can lead to under- or over-estimation of nanoparticle mobility. Results also suggest that the extent to which higher order particle-particle collisions influence aggregation kinetics will increase with the fraction of primary particles. This work demonstrates the potential importance of time-dependent aggregation processes on nanoparticle mobility and provides a numerical model capable of capturing/describing these interactions in water-saturated porous media. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Stability Analysis of Algebraic Reconstruction for Immersed Boundary Methods with Application in Flow and Transport in Porous Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yousefzadeh, M.; Battiato, I.

    2017-12-01

    Flow and reactive transport problems in porous media often involve complex geometries with stationary or evolving boundaries due to absorption and dissolution processes. Grid based methods (e.g. finite volume, finite element, etc.) are a vital tool for studying these problems. Yet, implementing these methods requires one to answer a very first question of what type of grid is to be used. Among different possible answers, Cartesian grids are one of the most attractive options as they possess simple discretization stencil and are usually straightforward to generate at roughly no computational cost. The Immersed Boundary Method, a Cartesian based methodology, maintains most of the useful features of the structured grids while exhibiting a high-level resilience in dealing with complex geometries. These features make it increasingly more attractive to model transport in evolving porous media as the cost of grid generation reduces greatly. Yet, stability issues and severe time-step restriction due to explicit-time implementation combined with limited studies on the implementation of Neumann (constant flux) and linear and non-linear Robin (e.g. reaction) boundary conditions (BCs) have significantly limited the applicability of IBMs to transport in porous media. We have developed an implicit IBM capable of handling all types of BCs and addressed some numerical issues, including unconditional stability criteria, compactness and reduction of spurious oscillations near the immersed boundary. We tested the method for several transport and flow scenarios, including dissolution processes in porous media, and demonstrate its capabilities. Successful validation against both experimental and numerical data has been carried out.

  4. Centrifuge Techniques and Apparatus for Transport Experiments in Porous Media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Earl D. Mattson; Carl D. Paler; Robert W. Smith; Markus Flury

    2010-06-01

    This paper describes experimental approaches and apparatus that we have developed to study solute and colloid transport in porous media using Idaho National Laboratory's 2-m radius centrifuge. The ex-perimental techniques include water flux scaling with applied acceleration at the top of the column and sub-atmospheric pressure control at the column base, automation of data collection, and remote experimental con-trol over the internet. These apparatus include a constant displacement piston pump, a custom designed liquid fraction collector based on switching valve technology, and modified moisture monitoring equipment. Suc-cessful development of these experimental techniques and equipment is illustrated through application to transport of a conservative tracer through unsaturated sand column, with centrifugal acceleration up to 40 gs. Development of such experimental equipment that can withstand high accelerations enhances the centrifuge technique to conduct highly controlled unsaturated solute/colloid transport experiments and allows in-flight liquid sample collection of the effluent.

  5. Analysis of radionuclide transport through fissured porous media with a perturbation method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Banat, M [JGC Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

    1995-04-01

    This paper presents a specific procedure for obtaining solutions for the transport of radionuclides in a fissured porous media. The concentration profiles are deduced for a wide range of Peclet numbers using a perturbation method with a multiscale of time. Results show clearly that because of an increase of longitudinal dispersion, the radionuclide moves faster with respect to the case of zero dispersion (i.e. an infinite Peclet number). The main purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the practical advantage of the present calculation method with respect to the classical numerical and analytical methods used for radionuclide transport. (author).

  6. Modeling fractures as interfaces for flow and transport in porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Serres, Ch.; Alboin, C.; Jaffre, J.; Roberts, J.

    2002-05-01

    We are concerned with flow and transport in a fractured porous medium at a scale where the fractures can be modelled individually. The fractures themselves are porous media with large permeability in comparison with that in the surrounding rock. Contrarily to many studies in which the contrast in permeabilities is of such an order that the flow outside of the fracture is neglected, the purpose of this work is to consider the case where the exchange between the fractures and the surrounding rock is significant. Then it is necessary to take into account this interaction because it has a profound effect on the flow and the transport of a solute. The main idea for this work is to treat fractures as interfaces. Then it will not be necessary to use mesh refinements around the fractures, which is an important drawback of most models. Treating fractures as interfaces leads to non-overlapping domain decomposition methods, using the natural domain decomposition suggested by the fracture network. This paper is organized as follows. In Section 2, we present the model, and in Section 3, we show that the corresponding problem has a unique solution. In Section 4, we reduce the approximate problem to a problem with unknowns on the interface. Numerical results are given in Section 5 for the simple case of a domain divided into two sub-domains by one fracture. In Section 6 we extend the formulation to the case of intersecting fractures and in Section 7 to that of a solute transport. (authors)

  7. High-performance supercapacitors based on hierarchically porous graphite particles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Zheng; Wen, Jing; Yan, Chunzhu; Rice, Lynn; Sohn, Hiesang; Lu, Yunfeng [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Shen, Meiqing [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072 (China); Cai, Mei [General Motor R and D Center, Warren, MI 48090 (United States); Dunn, Bruce [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States)

    2011-07-15

    Hierarchically porous graphite particles are synthesized using a continuous, scalable aerosol approach. The unique porous graphite architecture provides the particles with high surface area, fast ion transportation, and good electronic conductivity, which endows the resulting supercapacitors with high energy and power densities. This work provides a new material platform for high-performance supercapacitors with high packing density, and is adaptable to battery electrodes, fuel-cell catalyst supports, and other applications. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  8. FEFLOW finite element modeling of flow, mass and heat transport in porous and fractured media

    CERN Document Server

    Diersch, Hans-Jörg G

    2013-01-01

    Placing advanced theoretical and numerical methods in the hands of modeling practitioners and scientists, this book explores the FEFLOW system for solving flow, mass and heat transport processes in porous and fractured media. Offers applications and exercises.

  9. Modeling of Flow, Transport and Controlled Sedimentation Phenomena during Mixing of Salt Solutions in Complex Porous Formations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skouras, Eugene D.; Jaho, Sofia; Pavlakou, Efstathia I.; Sygouni, Varvara; Petsi, Anastasia; Paraskeva, Christakis A.

    2015-04-01

    The deposition of salts in porous media is a major engineering phenomenon encountered in a plethora of industrial and environmental applications where in some cases is desirable and in other not (oil production, geothermal systems, soil stabilization etc). Systematic approach of these problems requires knowledge of the key mechanisms of precipitating salts within the porous structures, in order to develop new methods to control the process. In this work, the development and the solution of spatiotemporally variable mass balances during salt solution mixing along specific pores were performed. Both analytical models and finite differences CFD models were applied for the study of flow and transport with simultaneous homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation (by crystal growth on the surface of the pores) in simple geometries, while unstructured finite elements and meshless methods were developed and implemented for spatial discretization, reconstruction, and solution of transport equations and homogeneous / heterogeneous reactions in more complex geometries. At initial stages of this work, critical problem parameters were identified, such as the characteristics of the porosity, the number of dissolved components, etc. The parameters were then used for solving problems which correspond to available experimental data. For each combination of ions and materials, specific data and process characteristics were included: (a) crystal kinetics (nucleation, growth rates or reaction surface rates of crystals, critical suspension concentrations), (b) physico-chemical properties (bulk density, dimensions of generated crystals, ion diffusion coefficients in the solution), (c) operating parameters (macroscopic velocity, flow, or pressure gradient of the solution, ion concentration) (d) microfluidic data (geometry, flow area), (e) porosity data in Darcy description (initial porosity, specific surface area, tortuosity). During the modeling of flow and transport in three

  10. Additively Manufactured Open-Cell Porous Biomaterials Made from Six Different Space-Filling Unit Cells: The Mechanical and Morphological Properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seyed Mohammad Ahmadi

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available It is known that the mechanical properties of bone-mimicking porous biomaterials are a function of the morphological properties of the porous structure, including the configuration and size of the repeating unit cell from which they are made. However, the literature on this topic is limited, primarily because of the challenge in fabricating porous biomaterials with arbitrarily complex morphological designs. In the present work, we studied the relationship between relative density (RD of porous Ti6Al4V EFI alloy and five compressive properties of the material, namely elastic gradient or modulus (Es20–70, first maximum stress, plateau stress, yield stress, and energy absorption. Porous structures with different RD and six different unit cell configurations (cubic (C, diamond (D, truncated cube (TC, truncated cuboctahedron (TCO, rhombic dodecahedron (RD, and rhombicuboctahedron (RCO were fabricated using selective laser melting. Each of the compressive properties increased with increase in RD, the relationship being of a power law type. Clear trends were seen in the influence of unit cell configuration and porosity on each of the compressive properties. For example, in terms of Es20–70, the structures may be divided into two groups: those that are stiff (comprising those made using C, TC, TCO, and RCO unit cell and those that are compliant (comprising those made using D and RD unit cell.

  11. Monte Carlo simulation of radioactive contaminant transport in unsaturated porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giacobbo, F.; Patelli, E.; Zio, E.

    2005-01-01

    In the current proposed solutions of radioactive waste repositories, the protective function against the radionuclide water-driven transport back to the biosphere is to be provided by an integrated system of artificial and natural geologic barriers. The complexity of the transport process in the barriers' heterogeneous media forces approximations to the classical analytical-numerical models, thus reducing their adherence to reality. In an attempt to overcome these difficulties, in the present paper we adopt a Monte Carlo simulation approach, previously developed on the basis of the Kolmogorov and Dmitriev theory of branching stochastic processes. The approach is here extended for describing transport through unsaturated porous media under unsteady flow conditions. This generalization entails the determination of the functional dependence of the parameters of the proposed transport model from the water content, which changes in space and time during the water infiltration process. The approach is verified with respect to a case of non-reactive transport under transient unsaturated field conditions by a comparison with a standard code based on the classical advection-dispersion equations. An application regarding linear reactive transport is then presented. (authors)

  12. The Effect of Inhomogeneous Compression on Water Transport in the Cathode of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olesen, Anders Christian; Berning, Torsten; Kær, Søren Knudsen

    2012-01-01

    A three-dimensional, multicomponent, two-fluid model developed in the commercial CFD package CFX 13 (ANSYS Inc.) is used to investigate the effect of porous media compression on water transport in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The PEMFC model only consist of the cathode channel, gas....... Furthermore, the presence of irreducible liquid water is taken into account. In order to account for compression, porous media morphology variations are specified based on the gas diffusion layer (GDL) through-plane strain and intrusion which are stated as a function of compression. These morphology...... variations affect gas and liquid water transport, and hence liquid water distribution and the risk of blocking active sites. Hence, water transport is studied under GDL compression in order to investigate the qualitative effects. Two simulation cases are compared; one with and one without compression....

  13. Moisture Transport in Wood

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Astrup, Thomas; Hansen, Kurt Kielsgaard; Hoffmeyer, Preben

    2005-01-01

    Modelling of moisture transport in wood is of great importance as most mechanical and physical properties of wood depend on moisture content. Moisture transport in porous materials is often described by Ficks second law, but several observations indicate that this does not apply very well to wood....... Recently at the Technical University of Denmark, Department of Civil Engineering, a new model for moisture transport in wood has been developed. The model divides the transport into two phases, namely water vapour in the cell lumens and bound water in the cell walls....

  14. Modeling of the pollutant transport in fissured-porous media under consideration of colloids using the transport codes FRAME and COFRAME; Modellierung des Schadstofftransports in geklueftet-poroesen Medien unter Beruecksichtigung von Kolloiden mit den Transportprogrammen FRAME und COFRAME

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reiche, Tatiana; Noseck, Ulrich; Wolf, Jens Wilhelm

    2014-05-15

    For the long-term safety analysis of final nuclear waste repositories the transport of pollutants from the repository into the biosphere three mostly independent subsystems are considered: the near field, the geosphere and the biosphere. Normally rocks include fissures or other disturbances. Porous materials in the rock matrix have usually a high water content and acts as storage for pollutants due to sorption and diffusion processes. The aim of the project is the development of calculation modules for the code RepoTREND that simulate the pollutant transport in saturated fissured-porous media taking into account the effect of colloids. FRAME describes the pollutant dispersion in a fissured-porous medium and COFRAME the colloid influenced transport in a fissured-porous medium.

  15. Elliptic random-walk equation for suspension and tracer transport in porous media

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shapiro, Alexander; Bedrikovetsky, P. G.

    2008-01-01

    . The new theory predicts delay of the maximum of the tracer, compared to the velocity of the flow, while its forward "tail" contains much more particles than in the solution of the classical parabolic (advection-dispersion) equation. This is in agreement with the experimental observations and predictions......We propose a new approach to transport of the suspensions and tracers in porous media. The approach is based on a modified version of the continuous time random walk (CTRW) theory. In the framework of this theory we derive an elliptic transport equation. The new equation contains the time...... of the CTRW theory. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved....

  16. Optimization of micro-fabricated porous membranes for intestinal epithelial cell culture and in vitro modeling of the human intestinal barrier

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nair Gourikutty Sajay, Bhuvanendran; Yin, Chiam Su; Ramadan, Qasem

    2017-12-01

    In vitro modeling of organs could provide a controlled platform for studying physiological events and has great potential in the field of pharmaceutical development. Here, we describe the characterization of in vitro modeling of the human intestinal barrier mimicked using silicon porous membranes as a substrate. To mimic an intestinal in vivo setup as closely as possible, a porous substrate is required in a dynamic environment for the cells to grow rather than a static setup with an impermeable surface such as a petri dish. In this study, we focus on the detailed characterization of Caco-2 cells cultured on a silicon membrane with different pore sizes as well as the effect of dynamic fluid flow on the model. The porous silicon membrane together with continuous perfusion of liquid applying shear stress on the cells enhances the differentiation of polarized cells by providing access to the both their basal and apical surfaces. Membranes with pore sizes of 0.5-3 µm were used and a shear stress of ~0.03 dyne cm-2 was created by applying a low flow rate of 20 nl s-1. By providing these optimized conditions, cells were able to differentiate with columnar morphology, which developed microvilli structures on their apical side and tight junctions between adjacent cells like those in a healthy human intestinal barrier. In this setup, it is possible to study the important cellular functions of the intestine such as transport, absorption and secretion, and thus this model has great potential in drug screening.

  17. Semi-solid electrode cell having a porous current collector and methods of manufacture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiang, Yet-Ming; Carter, William Craig; Cross, III, James C.; Bazzarella, Ricardo; Ota, Naoki

    2017-11-21

    An electrochemical cell includes an anode, a semi-solid cathode, and a separator disposed therebetween. The semi-solid cathode includes a porous current collector and a suspension of an active material and a conductive material disposed in a non-aqueous liquid electrolyte. The porous current collector is at least partially disposed within the suspension such that the suspension substantially encapsulates the porous current collector.

  18. Theoretical background and user's manual for the computer code on groundwater flow and radionuclide transport calculation in porous rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shirakawa, Toshihiko; Hatanaka, Koichiro

    2001-11-01

    In order to document a basic manual about input data, output data, execution of computer code on groundwater flow and radionuclide transport calculation in heterogeneous porous rock, we investigated the theoretical background about geostatistical computer codes and the user's manual for the computer code on groundwater flow and radionuclide transport which calculates water flow in three dimension, the path of moving radionuclide, and one dimensional radionuclide migration. In this report, based on above investigation we describe the geostatistical background about simulating heterogeneous permeability field. And we describe construction of files, input and output data, a example of calculating of the programs which simulates heterogeneous permeability field, and calculates groundwater flow and radionuclide transport. Therefore, we can document a manual by investigating the theoretical background about geostatistical computer codes and the user's manual for the computer code on groundwater flow and radionuclide transport calculation. And we can model heterogeneous porous rock and analyze groundwater flow and radionuclide transport by utilizing the information from this report. (author)

  19. Mechanical properties of regular porous biomaterials made from truncated cube repeating unit cells: Analytical solutions and computational models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hedayati, R; Sadighi, M; Mohammadi-Aghdam, M; Zadpoor, A A

    2016-03-01

    Additive manufacturing (AM) has enabled fabrication of open-cell porous biomaterials based on repeating unit cells. The micro-architecture of the porous biomaterials and, thus, their physical properties could then be precisely controlled. Due to their many favorable properties, porous biomaterials manufactured using AM are considered as promising candidates for bone substitution as well as for several other applications in orthopedic surgery. The mechanical properties of such porous structures including static and fatigue properties are shown to be strongly dependent on the type of the repeating unit cell based on which the porous biomaterial is built. In this paper, we study the mechanical properties of porous biomaterials made from a relatively new unit cell, namely truncated cube. We present analytical solutions that relate the dimensions of the repeating unit cell to the elastic modulus, Poisson's ratio, yield stress, and buckling load of those porous structures. We also performed finite element modeling to predict the mechanical properties of the porous structures. The analytical solution and computational results were found to be in agreement with each other. The mechanical properties estimated using both the analytical and computational techniques were somewhat higher than the experimental data reported in one of our recent studies on selective laser melted Ti-6Al-4V porous biomaterials. In addition to porosity, the elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio of the porous structures were found to be strongly dependent on the ratio of the length of the inclined struts to that of the uninclined (i.e. vertical or horizontal) struts, α, in the truncated cube unit cell. The geometry of the truncated cube unit cell approaches the octahedral and cube unit cells when α respectively approaches zero and infinity. Consistent with those geometrical observations, the analytical solutions presented in this study approached those of the octahedral and cube unit cells when

  20. Coupled models in porous media: reactive transport and fractures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amir, L.

    2008-12-01

    This thesis deals with numerical simulation of coupled models for flow and transport in porous media. We present a new method for coupling chemical reactions and transport by using a Newton-Krylov method, and we also present a model of flow in fractured media, based on a domain decomposition method that takes into account the case of intersecting fractures. This study is composed of three parts: the first part contains an analysis, and implementation, of various numerical methods for discretizing advection-diffusion problems, in particular by using operator splitting methods. The second part is concerned with a fully coupled method for modeling transport and chemistry problems. The coupled transport-chemistry model is described, after discretization in time, by a system of nonlinear equations. The size of the system, namely the number of grid points times the number a chemical species, precludes a direct solution of the linear system. To alleviate this difficulty, we solve the system by a Newton-Krylov method, so as to avoid forming and factoring the Jacobian matrix. In the last part, we present a model of flow in 3D for intersecting fractures, by using a domain decomposition method. The fractures are treated as interfaces between sub-domains. We show existence and uniqueness of the solution, and we validate the model by numerical tests. (author)

  1. Transport Studies and Modeling in PEM Fuel Cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mittelsteadt, Cortney K. [Giner, Inc., Auburndale, MA (United States); Xu, Hui [Giner, Inc., Auburndale, MA (United States); Brawn, Shelly [Giner, Inc., Auburndale, MA (United States)

    2014-07-30

    This project’s aim was to develop fuel cell components (i.e. membranes, gas-diffusion media (GDM), bipolar plates and flow fields) that possess specific properties (i.e. water transport and conductivity). A computational fluid dynamics model was developed to elucidate the effect of certain parameters on these specific properties. Ultimately, the model will be used to determine sensitivity of fuel cell performance to component properties to determine limiting components and to guide research. We have successfully reached our objectives and achieved most of the milestones of this project. We have designed and synthesized a variety of hydrocarbon block polymer membranes with lower equivalent weight, structure, chemistry, phase separation and process conditions. These membranes provide a broad selection with optimized water transport properties. We have also designed and constructed a variety of devices that are capable of accurately measuring the water transport properties (water uptake, water diffusivity and electro-osmatic drag) of these membranes. These transport properties are correlated to the membranes’ structures derived from X-ray and microscopy techniques to determine the structure-property relationship. We successfully integrated hydrocarbon membrane MEAs with a current distribution board (CBD) to study the impact of hydrocarbon membrane on water transport in fuel cells. We have designed and fabricated various GDM with varying substrate, diffusivity and micro-porous layers (MPL) and characterized their pore structure, tortuosity and hydrophobicity. We have derived a universal chart (MacMullin number as function of wet proofing and porosity) that can be used to characterize various GDM. The abovementioned GDMs have been evaluated in operating fuel cells; their performance is correlated to various pore structure, tortuosity and hydrophobicity of the GDM. Unfortunately, determining a universal relationship between the MacMullin number and these properties

  2. Fast simulation of transport and adaptive permeability estimation in porous media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Berre, Inga

    2005-07-01

    The focus of the thesis is twofold: Both fast simulation of transport in porous media and adaptive estimation of permeability are considered. A short introduction that motivates the work on these topics is given in Chapter 1. In Chapter 2, the governing equations for one- and two-phase flow in porous media are presented. Overall numerical solution strategies for the two-phase flow model are also discussed briefly. The concepts of streamlines and time-of-flight are introduced in Chapter 3. Methods for computing streamlines and time-of-flight are also presented in this chapter. Subsequently, in Chapters 4 and 5, the focus is on simulation of transport in a time-of-flight perspective. In Chapter 4, transport of fluids along streamlines is considered. Chapter 5 introduces a different viewpoint based on the evolution of isocontours of the fluid saturation. While the first chapters focus on the forward problem, which consists in solving a mathematical model given the reservoir parameters, Chapters 6, 7 and 8 are devoted to the inverse problem of permeability estimation. An introduction to the problem of identifying spatial variability in reservoir permeability by inversion of dynamic production data is given in Chapter 6. In Chapter 7, adaptive multiscale strategies for permeability estimation are discussed. Subsequently, Chapter 8 presents a level-set approach for improving piecewise constant permeability representations. Finally, Chapter 9 summarizes the results obtained in the thesis; in addition, the chapter gives some recommendations and suggests directions for future work. Part II In Part II, the following papers are included in the order they were completed: Paper A: A Streamline Front Tracking Method for Two- and Three-Phase Flow Including Capillary Forces. I. Berre, H. K. Dahle, K. H. Karlsen, and H. F. Nordhaug. In Fluid flow and transport in porous media: mathematical and numerical treatment (South Hadley, MA, 2001), volume 295 of Contemp. Math., pages 49

  3. Thermomechanical analysis of porous solid oxide fuel cell by using peridynamics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hanlin Wang

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC is widely used in hybrid marine propulsion systems due to its high power output, excellent emission control and wide fuel suitability. However, the operating temperature in SOFC will rise up to 800–1000 ℃ due to redox reaction among hydrogen and oxygen ions. This provides a suitable environment for ions transporting through ceramic materials. Under such operation temperatures, degradation may occur in the electrodes and electrolyte. As a result, unstable voltage, low capacity and cell failure may eventually occur. This study presents thermomechanical analysis of a porous SOFC cell plate which contains electrodes, electrolytes and pores. A microscale specimen in the shape of a plate is considered in order to maintain uniform temperature loading and increase the accuracy of estimation. A new computational technique, peridynamics, is utilized to calculate the deformations and stresses of the cell plate. Moreover, the crack formation and propagation are also obtained by using peridynamics. According to the numerical results, damage evolution depends on the electrolyte/electrode interface strength during the charging process. For weak interface strength case, damage emerges at the electrode/electrolyte interface. On the other hand, for stronger interface cases, damage emerges on pore boundaries especially with sharp corner.

  4. Effect of porous silicon on the performances of silicon solar cells during the porous silicon-based gettering procedure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nouri, H.; Bessais, B. [Laboratoire de Nanomateriaux et des Systemes pour l' Energie, Centre de Recherches et des Technologies de l' Energie, Technopole de Borj-Cedria, BP 95, 2050 Hammam-Lif (Tunisia); Bouaicha, M. [Laboratoire de Photovoltaique, des Semi-conducteurs et des Nanostructures, Centre de Recherches et des Technologies de l' Energie, Technopole de Borj-Cedria, BP 95, 2050 Hammam-Lif (Tunisia)

    2009-10-15

    In this work we analyse the effect of porous silicon on the performances of multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) solar cells during the porous silicon-based gettering procedure. This procedure consists of forming PS layers on both front and back sides of the mc-Si wafers followed by an annealing in an infrared furnace under a controlled atmosphere at different temperatures. Three sets of samples (A, B and C) have been prepared; for samples A and B, the PS films were removed before and after annealing, respectively. In order to optimize the annealing temperature, we measure the defect density at a selected grain boundary (GB) using the dark current-voltage (I-V) characteristics across the GB itself. The annealing temperature was optimized to 1000 C. The effect of these treatments on the performances of mc-Si solar cells was studied by means of the current-voltage characteristic (at AM 1.5) and the internal quantum efficiency (IQE). The results obtained for cell A and cell B were compared to those obtained on a reference cell (C). (author)

  5. Correlating Gas Transport Parameters and X-ray Computed Tomography Measurements in Porous Media

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Naveed, Muhammad; Hamamoto, Shoichiro; Kawamoto, Ken

    2013-01-01

    physical processes. The objective of this study was to characterize the relationships between gas transport parameters and soil-pore geometry revealed by X-ray CT. Sands of different shapes with a mean particle diameter (d50) ranging from 0.19 to 1.51 mm were used as porous media under both air...... was found between α and tortuosity calculated from gas transport parameters (Equation (Uncited) Image Tools), indicating that gas dispersivity has a linear and inverse relationship with gas diffusivity. A linear relationship was also found between ka and d50/TUMS2, indicating a strong dependency of ka...

  6. A continuous time random walk model for Darcy-scale anomalous transport in heterogeneous porous media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Comolli, Alessandro; Hakoun, Vivien; Dentz, Marco

    2017-04-01

    Achieving the understanding of the process of solute transport in heterogeneous porous media is of crucial importance for several environmental and social purposes, ranging from aquifers contamination and remediation, to risk assessment in nuclear waste repositories. The complexity of this aim is mainly ascribable to the heterogeneity of natural media, which can be observed at all the scales of interest, from pore scale to catchment scale. In fact, the intrinsic heterogeneity of porous media is responsible for the arising of the well-known non-Fickian footprints of transport, including heavy-tailed breakthrough curves, non-Gaussian spatial density profiles and the non-linear growth of the mean squared displacement. Several studies investigated the processes through which heterogeneity impacts the transport properties, which include local modifications to the advective-dispersive motion of solutes, mass exchanges between some mobile and immobile phases (e.g. sorption/desorption reactions or diffusion into solid matrix) and spatial correlation of the flow field. In the last decades, the continuous time random walk (CTRW) model has often been used to describe solute transport in heterogenous conditions and to quantify the impact of point heterogeneity, spatial correlation and mass transfer on the average transport properties [1]. Open issues regarding this approach are the possibility to relate measurable properties of the medium to the parameters of the model, as well as its capability to provide predictive information. In a recent work [2] the authors have shed new light on understanding the relationship between Lagrangian and Eulerian dynamics as well as on their evolution from arbitrary initial conditions. On the basis of these results, we derive a CTRW model for the description of Darcy-scale transport in d-dimensional media characterized by spatially random permeability fields. The CTRW approach models particle velocities as a spatial Markov process, which is

  7. Bacteria transport through porous media. Annual report, December 31, 1984

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yen, T.F.

    1986-09-01

    The following five chapters in this report have been processed separately for inclusion in the Energy Data Base: (1) theoretical model of convective diffusion of motile and non-motile bacteria toward solid surfaces; (2) interfacial electrochemistry of oxide surfaces in oil-bearing sands and sandstones; (3) effects of sodium pyrophosphate additive on the ''huff and puff''/nutrient flooding MEOR process; (4) interaction of Escherichia coli B, B/4, and bacteriophage T4D with Berea sandstone rock in relation to enhanced oil recovery; and (5) transport of bacteria in porous media and its significance in microbial enhanced oil recovery.

  8. Engineered porous silicon counter electrodes for high efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erwin, William R; Oakes, Landon; Chatterjee, Shahana; Zarick, Holly F; Pint, Cary L; Bardhan, Rizia

    2014-06-25

    In this work, we demonstrate for the first time, the use of porous silicon (P-Si) as counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with efficiencies (5.38%) comparable to that achieved with platinum counter electrodes (5.80%). To activate the P-Si for triiodide reduction, few layer carbon passivation is utilized to enable electrochemical stability of the silicon surface. Our results suggest porous silicon as a promising sustainable and manufacturable alternative to rare metals for electrochemical solar cells, following appropriate surface modification.

  9. The origin of anomalous transport in porous media - is it possible to make a priori predictions?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bijeljic, Branko; Blunt, Martin

    2013-04-01

    Despite the range of significant applications of flow and solute transport in porous rock, including contaminant migration in subsurface hydrology, geological storage of carbon-dioxide and tracer studies and miscible displacement in oil recovery, even the qualitative behavior in the subsurface is uncertain. The non-Fickian nature of dispersive processes in heterogeneous porous media has been demonstrated experimentally from pore to field scales. However, the exact relationship between structure, velocity field and transport has not been fully understood. Advances in X ray imaging techniques made it possible to accurately describe structure of the pore space, helping predict flow and anomalous transport behaviour using direct simulation. This is demonstrated by simulating solute transport through 3D images of rock samples, with resolutions of a few microns, representing geological media of increasing pore-scale complexity: a sandpack, a sandstone, and a carbonate. A novel methodology is developed that predicts solute transport at the pore scale by using probability density functions of displacement (propagators) and probability density function of transit time between the image voxels, and relates it to probability density function of normalized local velocity. A key advantage is that full information on velocity and solute concentration is retained in the models. The methodology includes solving for Stokes flow by Open Foam, solving for advective transport by the novel streamline simulation method, and superimposing diffusive transport diffusion by the random walk method. It is shown how computed propagators for beadpack, sandstone and carbonate depend on the spread in the velocity distribution. A narrow velocity distribution in the beadpack leads to the least anomalous behaviour where the propagators rapidly become Gaussian; the wider velocity distribution in the sandstone gives rise to a small immobile concentration peak, and a large secondary mobile peak moving

  10. Effect of porous silicon layer on the performance of Si/oxide photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Badawy, Waheed A.

    2008-01-01

    Photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical systems were prepared by the formation of a thin porous film on silicon. The porous silicon layer was formed on the top of a clean oxide free silicon wafer surface by anodic etching in HF/H 2 O/C 2 H 5 OH mixture (2:1:1). The silicon was then covered by an oxide film (tin oxide, ITO or titanium oxide). The oxide films were prepared by the spray/pyrolysis technique which enables doping of the oxide film by different atoms like In, Ru or Sb during the spray process. Doping of SnO 2 or TiO 2 films with Ru atoms improves the surface characteristics of the oxide film which improves the solar conversion efficiency. The prepared solar cells are stable against environmental attack due to the presence of the stable oxide film. It gives relatively high short circuit currents (I sc ), due to the presence of the porous silicon layer, which leads to the recorded high conversion efficiency. Although the open-circuit potential (V oc ) and fill factor (FF) were not affected by the thickness of the porous silicon film, the short circuit current was found to be sensitive to this thickness. An optimum thickness of the porous film and also the oxide layer is required to optimize the solar cell efficiency. The results represent a promising system for the application of porous silicon layers in solar energy converters. The use of porous silicon instead of silicon single crystals in solar cell fabrication and the optimization of the solar conversion efficiency will lead to the reduction of the cost as an important factor and also the increase of the solar cell efficiency making use of the large area of the porous structures

  11. Radionuclide transport in fractured porous media -- Analytical solutions for a system of parallel fractures with a constant inlet flux

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, C.T.; Li, S.H.

    1997-01-01

    Analytical solutions are developed for the problem of radionuclide transport in a system of parallel fractures situated in a porous rock matrix. A constant flux is used as the inlet boundary condition. The solutions consider the following processes: (a) advective transport along the fractures; (b) mechanical dispersion and molecular diffusion along the fractures; (c) molecular diffusion from a fracture to the porous matrix; (d) molecular diffusion within the porous matrix in the direction perpendicular to the fracture axis; (e) adsorption onto the fracture wall; (f) adsorption within the porous matrix, and (g) radioactive decay. The solutions are based on the Laplace transform method. The general transient solution is in the form of a double integral that is evaluated using composite Gauss-Legendre quadrature. A simpler transient solution that is in the form of a single integral is also presented for the case that assumes negligible longitudinal dispersion along the fractures. The steady-state solutions are also provided. A number of examples are given to illustrate the effects of various important parameters, including: (a) fracture spacing; (b) fracture dispersion coefficient; (c) matrix diffusion coefficient; (d) fracture width; (e) groundwater velocity; (f) matrix retardation factor; and (g) matrix porosity

  12. On the importance of aqueous diffusion and electrostatic interactions in advection-dominated transport in saturated porous media

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rolle, Massimo

    2015-01-01

    to multicomponent ionic dispersion: the dispersive fluxes of the different ions are cross-coupled due to the effects of Coulombic interactions. Such effects are illustrated in flow-through experiments in saturated porous media. Simple strong electrolytes were selected as tracers and their transport was studied...... under different advection-dominated conditions and in homogeneous and heterogeneous porous media. The interpretation of the experimental results requires a multicomponent modeling approach with an accurate description of local hydrodynamic dispersion and explicitly accounting for the cross-coupling...

  13. An upscaled two-equation model of transport in porous media through unsteady-state closure of volume averaged formulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaynikov, S.; Porta, G.; Riva, M.; Guadagnini, A.

    2012-04-01

    We focus on a theoretical analysis of nonreactive solute transport in porous media through the volume averaging technique. Darcy-scale transport models based on continuum formulations typically include large scale dispersive processes which are embedded in a pore-scale advection diffusion equation through a Fickian analogy. This formulation has been extensively questioned in the literature due to its inability to depict observed solute breakthrough curves in diverse settings, ranging from the laboratory to the field scales. The heterogeneity of the pore-scale velocity field is one of the key sources of uncertainties giving rise to anomalous (non-Fickian) dispersion in macro-scale porous systems. Some of the models which are employed to interpret observed non-Fickian solute behavior make use of a continuum formulation of the porous system which assumes a two-region description and includes a bimodal velocity distribution. A first class of these models comprises the so-called ''mobile-immobile'' conceptualization, where convective and dispersive transport mechanisms are considered to dominate within a high velocity region (mobile zone), while convective effects are neglected in a low velocity region (immobile zone). The mass exchange between these two regions is assumed to be controlled by a diffusive process and is macroscopically described by a first-order kinetic. An extension of these ideas is the two equation ''mobile-mobile'' model, where both transport mechanisms are taken into account in each region and a first-order mass exchange between regions is employed. Here, we provide an analytical derivation of two region "mobile-mobile" meso-scale models through a rigorous upscaling of the pore-scale advection diffusion equation. Among the available upscaling methodologies, we employ the Volume Averaging technique. In this approach, the heterogeneous porous medium is supposed to be pseudo-periodic, and can be represented through a (spatially) periodic unit cell

  14. Study of porous silicon morphologies for electron transport

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pang, Y.; Demroff, H.P.; Elliott, T.S.; Lee, B.; Lu, J.; Madduri, V.B.; Mazumdar, T.K.; McIntyre, P.M.; Smith, D.D.; Trost, H.J.

    1993-01-01

    Field emitter devices are being developed for the gigatron, a high-efficiency, high frequency and high power microwave source. One approach being investigated is porous silicon, where a dense matrix of nanoscopic pores are galvanically etched into a silicon surface. In the present paper pore morphologies were used to characterize these materials. Using of Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) images of both N-type and P-type porous layers, it is found that pores propagate along the crystallographic direction, perpendicular to the surface of (100) silicon. Distinct morphologies were observed systematically near the surface, in the main bulk and near the bottom of N-type (100) silicon lift-off samples. It is seen that the pores are not cylindrical but exhibit more or less approximately square cross sections. X-ray diffraction spectra and electron diffraction patterns verified that bulk porous silicon is still a single crystal. In addition, a Scanning Tunnelling Microscope (STM) and an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) were successfully applied to image the 40 angstrom gold film structure which was coated upon a cooled porous silicon layer. By associating the morphology study with the measured emitting current density of the Oxidized Porous Silicon Field Emission Triode (OPSFET), techniques for the surface treatment of porous silicon will be optimized

  15. Transport, retention, and size perturbation of graphene oxide in saturated porous media: Effects of input concentration and grain size

    Science.gov (United States)

    Accurately predicting the fate and transport of graphene oxide (GO) in porous media is critical to assess its environmental impact. In this work, sand column experiments were conducted to determine the effect of input concentration and grain size on transport, retention, and size perturbation of GO ...

  16. The use of the dusty-gas model for the description of mass transport with chemical reaction in porous media

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Veldsink, J.W.; Veldsink, J.W.; van Damme, Rudolf M.J.; Versteeg, Geert; van Swaaij, Willibrordus Petrus Maria

    1995-01-01

    In the present study, mass transport accompanied by chemical reactions in porous media is studied according to the Fick model and the dusty-gas model. For mass transport accompanied by a chemical reaction in catalyst structures showing a plane, line, or point of symmetry, the approximate analytical

  17. Pore-Scale Investigation of Micron-Size Polyacrylamide Elastic Microspheres (MPEMs) Transport and Retention in Saturated Porous Media

    KAUST Repository

    Yao, Chuanjin; Lei, Guanglun; Cathles, Lawrence M.; Steenhuis, Tammo S.

    2014-01-01

    Knowledge of micrometer-size polyacrylamide elastic microsphere (MPEM) transport and retention mechanisms in porous media is essential for the application of MPEMs as a smart sweep improvement and profile modification agent in improving oil recovery

  18. Stochastic porous media modeling and high-resolution schemes for numerical simulation of subsurface immiscible fluid flow transport

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brantson, Eric Thompson; Ju, Binshan; Wu, Dan; Gyan, Patricia Semwaah

    2018-04-01

    This paper proposes stochastic petroleum porous media modeling for immiscible fluid flow simulation using Dykstra-Parson coefficient (V DP) and autocorrelation lengths to generate 2D stochastic permeability values which were also used to generate porosity fields through a linear interpolation technique based on Carman-Kozeny equation. The proposed method of permeability field generation in this study was compared to turning bands method (TBM) and uniform sampling randomization method (USRM). On the other hand, many studies have also reported that, upstream mobility weighting schemes, commonly used in conventional numerical reservoir simulators do not accurately capture immiscible displacement shocks and discontinuities through stochastically generated porous media. This can be attributed to high level of numerical smearing in first-order schemes, oftentimes misinterpreted as subsurface geological features. Therefore, this work employs high-resolution schemes of SUPERBEE flux limiter, weighted essentially non-oscillatory scheme (WENO), and monotone upstream-centered schemes for conservation laws (MUSCL) to accurately capture immiscible fluid flow transport in stochastic porous media. The high-order schemes results match well with Buckley Leverett (BL) analytical solution without any non-oscillatory solutions. The governing fluid flow equations were solved numerically using simultaneous solution (SS) technique, sequential solution (SEQ) technique and iterative implicit pressure and explicit saturation (IMPES) technique which produce acceptable numerical stability and convergence rate. A comparative and numerical examples study of flow transport through the proposed method, TBM and USRM permeability fields revealed detailed subsurface instabilities with their corresponding ultimate recovery factors. Also, the impact of autocorrelation lengths on immiscible fluid flow transport were analyzed and quantified. A finite number of lines used in the TBM resulted into visual

  19. Multiscale Adapted Time-Splitting Technique for Nonisothermal Two-Phase Flow and Nanoparticles Transport in Heterogenous Porous Media

    KAUST Repository

    El-Amin, Mohamed F.; Kou, Jisheng; Sun, Shuyu

    2017-01-01

    This paper is devoted to study the problem of nonisothermal two-phase flow with nanoparticles transport in heterogenous porous media, numerically. For this purpose, we introduce a multiscale adapted time-splitting technique to simulate the problem

  20. Transport of Butane in a Porous Vycor Glass Membrane in the Region of Condensation Pressure.

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Uchytil, Petr; Petričkovič, Roman; Seidel-Morgenstern, A.

    2007-01-01

    Roč. 293, 1-2 (2007) , s. 15-21 ISSN 0376-7388 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA4072402 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40720504 Keywords : mass transport * porous vycor glass * capillary condensation Subject RIV: CI - Industrial Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Impact factor: 2.432, year: 2007

  1. Impact of Interfacial Water Transport in PEMFCs on Cell Performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kotaka, Toshikazu; Tabuchi, Yuichiro; Pasaogullari, Ugur; Wang, Chao-Yang

    2014-01-01

    Coupled cell performance evaluation, liquid water visualization by neutron radiography (NRG) and numerical modeling based on multiphase mixture (M2) model were performed with three types of GDMs: Micro Porous Layer (MPL) free; Carbon Paper (CP) with MPL; and CP free to investigate interfacial liquid water transport phenomena in PEMFCs and its effect on cell performance. The visualized results of MPL free GDM with different wettability of bi-polar plates (BPPs) showed hydrophilic BPP improved liquid water transport at the interface between CP and channel. Numerical modeling results indicated that this difference with BPP wettability was caused by the liquid water coverage difference on CP surface. Thus, controlling liquid water coverage is the one of the key strategies for improving cell performance. Additionally, liquid water distributions across the cell for three types of GDMs were compared and significant difference in liquid water content at the interface between Catalyst Layer (CL) and GDM was observed. Numerical modeling suggests this difference is influenced by the gap at the interface and that the MPL could minimize this effect. The CP free cell (i.e. only MPL) showed the best performance and the lowest liquid water content. There were multiple impacts of interfacial liquid water transport both at CL-GDM and GDM-channel interfaces. High hydrophobicity and fine structure of MPLs contributed to enhanced liquid water transport at GDM-channel interface and as a result reduced the liquid water coverage. At the same time, MPL improves contact at the CL-GDM interface in the same manner as seen in CP with MPL case. Thus, the CP free concept showed the best performance. It is suggested that the design of the interface between each component of the PEMFC has a great impact on cell performance and plays a significant role in achievement of high current density operation and cost reduction in FCEVs

  2. Discrete-fracture-model of multi–scale time-splitting two–phase flow including nanoparticles transport in fractured porous media

    KAUST Repository

    El-Amin, Mohamed

    2017-11-23

    In this article, we consider a two-phase immiscible incompressible flow including nanoparticles transport in fractured heterogeneous porous media. The system of the governing equations consists of water saturation, Darcy’s law, nanoparticles concentration in water, deposited nanoparticles concentration on the pore-wall, and entrapped nanoparticles concentration in the pore-throat, as well as, porosity and permeability variation due to the nanoparticles deposition/entrapment on/in the pores. The discrete-fracture model (DFM) is used to describe the flow and transport in fractured porous media. Moreover, multiscale time-splitting strategy has been employed to manage different time-step sizes for different physics, such as saturation, concentration, etc. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed multi-scale time splitting approach.

  3. Discrete-fracture-model of multi–scale time-splitting two–phase flow including nanoparticles transport in fractured porous media

    KAUST Repository

    El-Amin, Mohamed; Kou, Jisheng; Sun, Shuyu

    2017-01-01

    In this article, we consider a two-phase immiscible incompressible flow including nanoparticles transport in fractured heterogeneous porous media. The system of the governing equations consists of water saturation, Darcy’s law, nanoparticles concentration in water, deposited nanoparticles concentration on the pore-wall, and entrapped nanoparticles concentration in the pore-throat, as well as, porosity and permeability variation due to the nanoparticles deposition/entrapment on/in the pores. The discrete-fracture model (DFM) is used to describe the flow and transport in fractured porous media. Moreover, multiscale time-splitting strategy has been employed to manage different time-step sizes for different physics, such as saturation, concentration, etc. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed multi-scale time splitting approach.

  4. Response of murine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells to dry-etched porous silicon scaffolds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hajj-Hassan, Mohamad; Khayyat-Kholghi, Maedeh; Wang, Huifen; Chodavarapu, Vamsy; Henderson, Janet E

    2011-11-01

    Porous silicon shows great promise as a bio-interface material due to its large surface to volume ratio, its stability in aqueous solutions and to the ability to precisely regulate its pore characteristics. In the current study, porous silicon scaffolds were fabricated from single crystalline silicon wafers by a novel xenon difluoride dry etching technique. This simplified dry etch fabrication process allows selective formation of porous silicon using a standard photoresist as mask material and eliminates the post-formation drying step typically required for the wet etching techniques, thereby reducing the risk of damaging the newly formed porous silicon. The porous silicon scaffolds supported the growth of primary cultures of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) plated at high density for up to 21 days in culture with no significant loss of viability, assessed using Alamar Blue. Scanning electron micrographs confirmed a dense lawn of cells at 9 days of culture and the presence of MSC within the pores of the porous silicon scaffolds. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Porous Silicon Nanoparticle Photosensitizers for Singlet Oxygen and Their Phototoxicity Against Cancer Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Ling; Gu, Luo; Howell, Stephen B.; Sailor, Michael J.

    2011-01-01

    Porous Si nanoparticles, prepared from electrochemically etched single crystal Si wafers, function as photosensitizers to generate 1O2 in ethanol and in aqueous media. The preparation conditions for the porous Si nanoparticles were optimized to maximize (1) the yield of material; (2) its quantum yield of 1O2 production; and (3) its in vitro degradation properties. The optimal formulation was determined to consist of nanoparticles 146 ± 7 nm in diameter, with nominal pore sizes of 12 ± 4 nm. The quantum yield for 1O2 production is 0.10 ± 0.02 in ethanol and 0.17 ± 0.01 in H2O. HeLa or NIH-3T3 cells treated with 100 µg/mL porous Si nanoparticles and exposed to 60 J/cm2 white light (infrared filtered, 100 mW/cm2 for 10 min) exhibit ~ 45% cell death, while controls containing no nanoparticles show 10% or 25% cell death, respectively. The dark control experiment yields < 10% cytotoxicity for either cell type. PMID:21452822

  6. Correspondence Between One- and Two-Equation Models for Solute Transport in Two-Region Heterogeneous Porous Media

    KAUST Repository

    Davit, Y.; Wood, B. D.; Debenest, G.; Quintard, M.

    2012-01-01

    In this work, we study the transient behavior of homogenized models for solute transport in two-region porous media. We focus on the following three models: (1) a time non-local, two-equation model (2eq-nlt). This model does not rely on time

  7. Human aortic endothelial cell morphology influenced by topography of porous silicon substrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Formentín, Pilar; Catalán, Úrsula; Fernández-Castillejo, Sara; Alba, Maria; Baranowska, Malgorzata; Solà, Rosa; Pallarès, Josep; Marsal, Lluís F

    2015-10-01

    Porous silicon has received much attention because of its optical properties and for its usefulness in cell-based biosensing, drug delivery, and tissue engineering applications. Surface properties of the biomaterial are associated with cell adhesion and with proliferation, migration, and differentiation. The present article analyzes the behavior of human aortic endothelial cells in macro- and nanoporous collagen-modified porous silicon samples. On both substrates, cells are well adhered and numerous. Confocal microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were employed to study the effects of porosity on the morphology of the cells. On macroporous silicon, filopodia is not observed but the cell spreads on the surface, increasing the lamellipodia surface which penetrates the macropore. On nanoporous silicon, multiple filopodia were found to branch out from the cell body. These results demonstrate that the pore size plays a key role in controlling the morphology and growth rate of human aortic endothelial cells, and that these forms of silicon can be used to control cell development in tissue engineering as well as in basic cell biology research. © The Author(s) 2015.

  8. Evaluation and Validation of a TCAT Model to Describe Non-Dilute Flow and Species Transport in Porous Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weigand, T. M.; Harrison, E.; Miller, C. T.

    2017-12-01

    A thermodynamically constrained averaging theory (TCAT) model has been developed to simulate non-dilute flow and species transport in porous media. This model has the advantages of a firm connection between the microscale, or pore scale, and the macroscale; a thermodynamically consistent basis; the explicit inclusion of dissipative terms that arise from spatial gradients in pressure and chemical activity; and the ability to describe both high and low concentration displacement. The TCAT model has previously been shown to provide excellent agreement for a set of laboratory data and outperformed existing macroscale models that have been used for non-dilute flow and transport. The examined experimental dataset consisted of stable brine displacements for a large range of fluid properties. This dataset however only examined one type of porous media and had a fixed flow rate for all experiments. In this work, the TCAT model is applied to a dataset that consists of two different porous media types, constant head and flow rate conditions, varying resident fluid concentrations, and internal probes that measured the pressure and salt mass fraction. Parameter estimation is performed on a subset of the experimental data for the TCAT model as well as other existing non-dilute flow and transport models. The optimized parameters are then used for forward simulations and the accuracy of the models is compared.

  9. Particle and solute migration in porous media. Modeling of simultaneous transport of clay particles and radionuclides in a salinity gradient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faure, M.H.

    1994-03-01

    Understanding the mechanisms which control the transient transport of particles and radionuclides in natural and artificial porous media is a key problem for the assessment of safety of radioactive waste disposals. An experimental study has been performed to characterize the clayey particle mobility in porous media: a laboratory- made column, packed with an unconsolidated sand bentonite (5% weight) sample, is flushed with a salt solution. An original method of salinity gradient allowed us to show and to quantify some typical behaviours of this system: threshold effects in the peptization of particles, creation of preferential pathways, formation of immobile water zones induce solute-transfer limitation. The mathematical modelling accounts for a phenomenological law, where the distribution of particles between the stagnant water zone and the porous medium is a function of sodium chloride concentration. This distribution function is associated with a radionuclide adsorption model, and is included in a convective dispersive transport model with stagnant water zones. It allowed us to simulate the particle and solute transport when the salt environment is modified. The complete model has been validated with experiments involving cesium, calcium and neptunium in a sodium chloride gradient. (author). refs., figs., tabs

  10. Complex three dimensional modelling of porous media using high performance computing and multi-scale incompressible approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, R.; Orgogozo, L.; Noiriel, C. N.; Guibert, R.; Golfier, F.; Debenest, G.; Quintard, M.

    2013-05-01

    In the context of biofilm growth in porous media, we developed high performance computing tools to study the impact of biofilms on the fluid transport through pores of a solid matrix. Indeed, biofilms are consortia of micro-organisms that are developing in polymeric extracellular substances that are generally located at a fluid-solid interfaces like pore interfaces in a water-saturated porous medium. Several applications of biofilms in porous media are encountered for instance in bio-remediation methods by allowing the dissolution of organic pollutants. Many theoretical studies have been done on the resulting effective properties of these modified media ([1],[2], [3]) but the bio-colonized porous media under consideration are mainly described following simplified theoretical media (stratified media, cubic networks of spheres ...). Therefore, recent experimental advances have provided tomography images of bio-colonized porous media which allow us to observe realistic biofilm micro-structures inside the porous media [4]. To solve closure system of equations related to upscaling procedures in realistic porous media, we solve the velocity field of fluids through pores on complex geometries that are described with a huge number of cells (up to billions). Calculations are made on a realistic 3D sample geometry obtained by X micro-tomography. Cell volumes are coming from a percolation experiment performed to estimate the impact of precipitation processes on the properties of a fluid transport phenomena in porous media [5]. Average permeabilities of the sample are obtained from velocities by using MPI-based high performance computing on up to 1000 processors. Steady state Stokes equations are solved using finite volume approach. Relaxation pre-conditioning is introduced to accelerate the code further. Good weak or strong scaling are reached with results obtained in hours instead of weeks. Factors of accelerations of 20 up to 40 can be reached. Tens of geometries can now be

  11. Human alveolar bone cell proliferation, expression of osteoblastic phenotype, and matrix mineralization on porous titanium produced by powder metallurgy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosa, Adalberto Luiz; Crippa, Grasiele Edilaine; de Oliveira, Paulo Tambasco; Taba, Mario; Lefebvre, Louis-Philippe; Beloti, Marcio Mateus

    2009-05-01

    This study aimed at investigating the influence of the porous titanium (Ti) structure on the osteogenic cell behaviour. Porous Ti discs were fabricated by the powder metallurgy process with the pore size typically between 50 and 400 microm and a porosity of 60%. Osteogenic cells obtained from human alveolar bone were cultured until subconfluence and subcultured on dense Ti (control) and porous Ti for periods of up to 17 days. Cultures grown on porous Ti exhibited increased cell proliferation and total protein content, and lower levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity than on dense Ti. In general, gene expression of osteoblastic markers-runt-related transcription factor 2, collagen type I, alkaline phosphatase, bone morphogenetic protein-7, and osteocalcin was lower at day 7 and higher at day 17 in cultures grown on porous Ti compared with dense Ti, a finding consistent with the enhanced growth rate for such cultures. The amount of mineralized matrix was greater on porous Ti compared with the dense one. These results indicate that the porous Ti is an appropriate substrate for osteogenic cell adhesion, proliferation, and production of a mineralized matrix. Because of the three-dimensional environment it provides, porous Ti should be considered an advantageous substrate for promoting desirable implant surface-bone interactions.

  12. Additively Manufactured Open-Cell Porous Biomaterials Made from Six Different Space-Filling Unit Cells : The Mechanical and Morphological Properties

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ahmadi, S.M.; Yavari, S.A.; Wauthle, R.; Pouran, B.; Schrooten, J.; Weinans, H.; Zadpoor, A.A.

    2015-01-01

    It is known that the mechanical properties of bone-mimicking porous biomaterials are a function of the morphological properties of the porous structure, including the configuration and size of the repeating unit cell from which they are made. However, the literature on this topic is limited,

  13. Software package r3t. Model for transport and retention in porous media. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fein, E.

    2004-01-01

    In long-termsafety analyses for final repositories for hazardous wastes in deep geological formations the impact to the biosphere due to potential release of hazardous materials is assessed for relevant scenarios. The model for migration of wastes from repositories to men is divided into three almost independent parts: the near field, the geosphere, and the biosphere. With the development of r 3 t the feasibility to model the pollutant transport through the geosphere for porous or equivalent porous media in large, three-dimensional, and complex regions is established. Furthermore one has at present the ability to consider all relevant retention and interaction effects which are important for long-term safety analyses. These are equilibrium sorption, kinetically controlled sorption, diffusion into immobile pore waters, and precipitation. The processes of complexing, colloidal transport and matrix diffusion may be considered at least approximately by skilful choice of parameters. Speciation is not part of the very recently developed computer code r 3 t. With r 3 t it is possible to assess the potential dilution and the barrier impact of the overburden close to reality

  14. On the Longitudinal Dispersion in Conservative Transport Through Heterogeneous Porous Formations at Finite Peclet Numbers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Severino, Gerardo; Cuomo, Salvatore; Sommella, Angelo; D'urso, Guido

    2017-10-01

    We consider transport of a conservative solute through an aquifer as determined: (i) by the advective velocity, which depends upon the hydraulic conductivity K and (ii) by the local spreading due to the pore-scale dispersion (PSD). The flow is steady, and it takes place in a porous formation where, owing to its erratic spatial variations, the hydraulic log conductivity Y≡ln⁡K is modeled as a stationary Gaussian random field. The relative effect of the above mechanisms (i)-(ii) is quantified by the Peclet number>(Pe>) which, in most of the previous studies, was considered infinite (i.e., no PSD) due to the overtake of advective heterogeneities upon the PSD. Here we aim at generalizing such studies by accounting for the impact of finite Pe on conservative transport. Previous studies on the topic required extensive numerical computations. In the present note, we remove the computational burden by adopting the rational approximate expression of Dagan and Cvetkovic (1993) for the covariance of the velocity field. This allows one to obtain closed form expressions for the quantities characterizing the longitudinal plume's dispersion. Transport can be straightforwardly investigated by dealing with a modified Peclet number>(Pe>¯>) incorporating both the PSD and the aquifer's anisotropy. The satisfactory match to Cape Cod field data suggests that the present theoretical results lend themselves as a useful tool to assess the impact of the PSD upon conservative transport through heterogeneous porous formations.

  15. Geological entropy and solute transport in heterogeneous porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bianchi, Marco; Pedretti, Daniele

    2017-06-01

    We propose a novel approach to link solute transport behavior to the physical heterogeneity of the aquifer, which we fully characterize with two measurable parameters: the variance of the log K values (σY2), and a new indicator (HR) that integrates multiple properties of the K field into a global measure of spatial disorder or geological entropy. From the results of a detailed numerical experiment considering solute transport in K fields representing realistic distributions of hydrofacies in alluvial aquifers, we identify empirical relationship between the two parameters and the first three central moments of the distributions of arrival times of solute particles at a selected control plane. The analysis of experimental data indicates that the mean and the variance of the solutes arrival times tend to increase with spatial disorder (i.e., HR increasing), while highly skewed distributions are observed in more orderly structures (i.e., HR decreasing) or at higher σY2. We found that simple closed-form empirical expressions of the bivariate dependency of skewness on HR and σY2 can be used to predict the emergence of non-Fickian transport in K fields considering a range of structures and heterogeneity levels, some of which based on documented real aquifers. The accuracy of these predictions and in general the results from this study indicate that a description of the global variability and structure of the K field in terms of variance and geological entropy offers a valid and broadly applicable approach for the interpretation and prediction of transport in heterogeneous porous media.

  16. Highly efficient perovskite solar cells based on a nanostructured WO3-TiO2 core-shell electron transporting material

    KAUST Repository

    Mahmood, Khalid; Swain, Bhabani Sankar; Kirmani, Ahmad R.; Amassian, Aram

    2015-01-01

    Until recently, only mesoporous TiO2 and ZnO were successfully demonstrated as electron transport layers (ETL) alongside the reports of ZrO2 and Al2O3 as scaffold materials in organometal halide perovskite solar cells, largely owing to ease of processing and to high power conversion efficiency. In this article, we explore tungsten trioxide (WO3)-based nanostructured and porous ETL materials directly grown hydrothermally with different morphologies such as nanoparticles, nanorods and nanosheet arrays. The nanostructure morphology strongly influences the photocurrent and efficiency in organometal halide perovskite solar cells. We find that the perovskite solar cells based on WO3 nanosheet arrays yield significantly enhanced photovoltaic performance as compared to nanoparticles and nanorod arrays due to good perovskite absorber infiltration in the porous scaffold and more rapid carrier transport. We further demonstrate that treating the WO3 nanostructures with an aqueous solution of TiCl4 reduces charge recombination at the perovskite/WO3 interface, resulting in the highest power conversion efficiency of 11.24% for devices based on WO3 nanosheet arrays. The successful demonstration of alternative ETL materials and nanostructures based on WO3 will open up new opportunities in the development of highly efficient perovskite solar cells. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2015.

  17. Equilibrium and transfer in porous media 2 transfer laws

    CERN Document Server

    Daïan, Jean-François

    2014-01-01

    A porous medium is composed of a solid matrix and its geometrical complement: the pore space. This pore space can be occupied by one or more fluids. The understanding of transport phenomena in porous media is a challenging intellectual task.  This book provides a detailed analysis of the aspects required for the understanding of many experimental techniques in the field of porous media transport phenomena. It is aimed at studentsor engineers who may not be looking specifically to become theoreticians in porous media, but wish to integrate knowledge of porous media with their previous scientif

  18. Pore-Scale Investigation of Micron-Size Polyacrylamide Elastic Microspheres (MPEMs) Transport and Retention in Saturated Porous Media

    KAUST Repository

    Yao, Chuanjin

    2014-05-06

    Knowledge of micrometer-size polyacrylamide elastic microsphere (MPEM) transport and retention mechanisms in porous media is essential for the application of MPEMs as a smart sweep improvement and profile modification agent in improving oil recovery. A transparent micromodel packed with translucent quartz sand was constructed and used to investigate the pore-scale transport, surface deposition-release, and plugging deposition-remigration mechanisms of MPEMs in porous media. The results indicate that the combination of colloidal and hydrodynamic forces controls the deposition and release of MPEMs on pore-surfaces; the reduction of fluid salinity and the increase of Darcy velocity are beneficial to the MPEM release from pore-surfaces; the hydrodynamic forces also influence the remigration of MPEMs in pore-throats. MPEMs can plug pore-throats through the mechanisms of capture-plugging, superposition-plugging, and bridge-plugging, which produces resistance to water flow; the interception with MPEM particulate filters occurring in the interior of porous media can enhance the plugging effect of MPEMs; while the interception with MPEM particulate filters occurring at the surface of low-permeability layer can prevent the low-permeability layer from being damaged by MPEMs. MPEMs can remigrate in pore-throats depending on their elasticity through four steps of capture-plugging, elastic deformation, steady migration, and deformation recovery. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

  19. Networks of neuroblastoma cells on porous silicon substrates reveal a small world topology

    KAUST Repository

    Marinaro, Giovanni; La Rocca, Rosanna; Toma, Andrea; Barberio, Marianna; Cancedda, Laura; Di Fabrizio, Enzo M.; Decuzzi, Paolo C W; Gentile, Francesco T.

    2015-01-01

    The human brain is a tightly interweaving network of neural cells where the complexity of the network is given by the large number of its constituents and its architecture. The topological structure of neurons in the brain translates into its increased computational capabilities, low energy consumption, and nondeterministic functions, which differentiate human behavior from artificial computational schemes. In this manuscript, we fabricated porous silicon chips with a small pore size ranging from 8 to 75 nm and large fractal dimensions up to Df ∼ 2.8. In culturing neuroblastoma N2A cells on the described substrates, we found that those cells adhere more firmly to and proliferate on the porous surfaces compared to the conventional nominally flat silicon substrates, which were used as controls. More importantly, we observed that N2A cells on the porous substrates create highly clustered, small world topology patterns. We conjecture that neurons with a similar architecture may elaborate information more efficiently than in random or regular grids. Moreover, we hypothesize that systems of neurons on nano-scale geometry evolve in time to form networks in which the propagation of information is maximized. This journal is

  20. Mixed convection in fluid superposed porous layers

    CERN Document Server

    Dixon, John M

    2017-01-01

    This Brief describes and analyzes flow and heat transport over a liquid-saturated porous bed. The porous bed is saturated by a liquid layer and heating takes place from a section of the bottom. The effect on flow patterns of heating from the bottom is shown by calculation, and when the heating is sufficiently strong, the flow is affected through the porous and upper liquid layers. Measurements of the heat transfer rate from the heated section confirm calculations. General heat transfer laws are developed for varying porous bed depths for applications to process industry needs, environmental sciences, and materials processing. Addressing a topic of considerable interest to the research community, the brief features an up-to-date literature review of mixed convection energy transport in fluid superposed porous layers.

  1. Pore-Network Modeling of Water and Vapor Transport in the Micro Porous Layer and Gas Diffusion Layer of a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Qin, C.; Hassanizadeh, S.M.; van Oosterhout, L.M.

    2016-01-01

    In the cathode side of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC), a micro porous layer (MPL) added between the catalyst layer (CL) and the gas diffusion layer (GDL) plays an important role in water management. In this work, by using both quasi-static and dynamic pore-network models, water and vapor

  2. Finite element computation of multi-physical micropolar transport phenomena from an inclined moving plate in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shamshuddin, MD.; Anwar Bég, O.; Sunder Ram, M.; Kadir, A.

    2018-02-01

    Non-Newtonian flows arise in numerous industrial transport processes including materials fabrication systems. Micropolar theory offers an excellent mechanism for exploring the fluid dynamics of new non-Newtonian materials which possess internal microstructure. Magnetic fields may also be used for controlling electrically-conducting polymeric flows. To explore numerical simulation of transport in rheological materials processing, in the current paper, a finite element computational solution is presented for magnetohydrodynamic, incompressible, dissipative, radiative and chemically-reacting micropolar fluid flow, heat and mass transfer adjacent to an inclined porous plate embedded in a saturated homogenous porous medium. Heat generation/absorption effects are included. Rosseland's diffusion approximation is used to describe the radiative heat flux in the energy equation. A Darcy model is employed to simulate drag effects in the porous medium. The governing transport equations are rendered into non-dimensional form under the assumption of low Reynolds number and also low magnetic Reynolds number. Using a Galerkin formulation with a weighted residual scheme, finite element solutions are presented to the boundary value problem. The influence of plate inclination, Eringen coupling number, radiation-conduction number, heat absorption/generation parameter, chemical reaction parameter, plate moving velocity parameter, magnetic parameter, thermal Grashof number, species (solutal) Grashof number, permeability parameter, Eckert number on linear velocity, micro-rotation, temperature and concentration profiles. Furthermore, the influence of selected thermo-physical parameters on friction factor, surface heat transfer and mass transfer rate is also tabulated. The finite element solutions are verified with solutions from several limiting cases in the literature. Interesting features in the flow are identified and interpreted.

  3. Data on bone marrow stem cells delivery using porous polymer scaffold

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramasatyaveni Geesala

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Low bioavailability and/or survival at the injury site of transplanted stem cells necessitate its delivery using a biocompatible, biodegradable cell delivery vehicle. In this dataset, we report the application of a porous biocompatible, biodegradable polymer network that successfully delivers bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs at the wound site of a murine excisional splint wound model. In this data article, we are providing the additional data of the reference article “Porous polymer scaffold for on-site delivery of stem cells – protects from oxidative stress and potentiates wound tissue repair” (Ramasatyaveni et al., 2016 [1]. This data consists of the characterization of bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs showing the pluripotency and stem cell-specific surface markers. Image analysis of the cellular penetration into PEG–PU polymer network and the mechanism via enzymatic activation of MMP-2 and MMP-13 are reported. In addition, we provide a comparison of various routes of transplantation-mediated BMSCs engraftment in the murine model using bone marrow transplantation chimeras. Furthermore, we included in this dataset the engraftment of BMSCs expressing Sca-1+Lin−CD133+CD90.2+ in post-surgery day 10.

  4. Radionuclide transport in fractured porous media -- Analytical solutions for a system of parallel fractures with a kinetic solubility-limited dissolution model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, S.H.; Chen, C.T.

    1997-01-01

    Analytical solutions are developed for the problem of radionuclide transport in a system of parallel fractures situated in a porous rock matrix. A kinetic solubility-limited dissolution model is used as the inlet boundary condition. The solutions consider the following processes: (a) advective transport in the fractures, (b) mechanical dispersion and molecular diffusion along the fractures, (c) molecular diffusion from a fracture to the porous matrix, (d) molecular diffusion within the porous matrix in the direction perpendicular to the fracture axis, (e) adsorption onto the fracture wall, (f) adsorption within the porous matrix, and (g) radioactive decay. The solutions are based on the Laplace transform method. The general transient solution is in the form of a double integral that is evaluated using composite Gauss-Legendre quadrature. A simpler transient solution that is in the form of a single integral is also presented for the case that assumes negligible longitudinal dispersion along the fractures. The steady-state solutions are also provided. A number of examples are given to illustrate the effects of the following important parameters: (a) fracture spacings, (b) dissolution-rate constants, (c) fracture dispersion coefficient, (d) matrix retardation factor, and (e) fracture retardation factor

  5. Colloid suspension stability and transport through unsaturated porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McGraw, M.A.; Kaplan, D.I.

    1997-04-01

    Contaminant transport is traditionally modeled in a two-phase system: a mobile aqueous phase and an immobile solid phase. Over the last 15 years, there has been an increasing awareness of a third, mobile solid phase. This mobile solid phase, or mobile colloids, are organic or inorganic submicron-sized particles that move with groundwater flow. When colloids are present, the net effect on radionuclide transport is that radionuclides can move faster through the system. It is not known whether mobile colloids exist in the subsurface environment of the Hanford Site. Furthermore, it is not known if mobile colloids would likely exist in a plume emanating from a Low Level Waste (LLW) disposal site. No attempt was made in this study to ascertain whether colloids would form. Instead, experiments and calculations were conducted to evaluate the likelihood that colloids, if formed, would remain in suspension and move through saturated and unsaturated sediments. The objectives of this study were to evaluate three aspects of colloid-facilitated transport of radionuclides as they specifically relate to the LLW Performance Assessment. These objectives were: (1) determine if the chemical conditions likely to exist in the near and far field of the proposed disposal site are prone to induce flocculation (settling of colloids from suspension) or dispersion of naturally occurring Hanford colloids, (2) identify the important mechanisms likely involved in the removal of colloids from a Hanford sediment, and (3) determine if colloids can move through unsaturated porous media

  6. Bilayer porous scaffold based on poly-({epsilon}-caprolactone) nanofibrous membrane and gelatin sponge for favoring cell proliferation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou Zhihua; Zhou Yang [Department of Chemistry, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang 330031 (China); Chen Yiwang, E-mail: ywchen@ncu.edu.cn [Department of Chemistry, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang 330031 (China); Institute of Polymers, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang 330031 (China); Nie Huarong, E-mail: niehr@iccas.ac.cn [Institute of Polymers, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang 330031 (China); Wang Yang [First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, 17 Yongwaizheng Road, Nanchang 330006 (China); Li Fan; Zheng Yan [Institute of Polymers, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang 330031 (China)

    2011-12-15

    Electrospun poly-({epsilon}-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibers has been widely used in the medical prosthesis. However, poor hydrophilicity and the lack of natural recognition sites for covalent cell-recognition signal molecules to promote cell attachment have limited its utility as tissue scaffolds. In this study, Bilayer porous scaffolds based on PCL electrospun membranes and gelatin (GE) sponges were fabricated through soft hydrolysis of PCL electrospun followed by grafting gelatin onto the fiber surface, through crosslinking and freeze drying treatment of additional gelatin coat and grafted gelatin surface. GE sponges were stably anchored on PCL membrane surface with the aid of grafted GE molecules. The morphologies of bilayer porous scaffolds were observed through SEM. The contact angle of the scaffolds was 0 Degree-Sign , the mechanical properties of scaffolds were measured by tensile test, Young's moduli of PCL scaffolds before and after hydrolysis are 66-77.3 MPa and 62.3-75.4 MPa, respectively. Thus, the bilayer porous scaffolds showed excellent hydrophilic surface and desirable mechanical strength due to the soft hydrolysis and GE coat. The cell culture results showed that the adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells did more favor to adhere and grow on the bilayer porous scaffolds than on PCL electrospun membranes. The better cell affinity of the final bilayer scaffolds not only attributed to the surface chemistry but also the introduction of bilayer porous structure.

  7. Bilayer porous scaffold based on poly-(ε-caprolactone) nanofibrous membrane and gelatin sponge for favoring cell proliferation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Zhihua; Zhou Yang; Chen Yiwang; Nie Huarong; Wang Yang; Li Fan; Zheng Yan

    2011-01-01

    Electrospun poly-(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibers has been widely used in the medical prosthesis. However, poor hydrophilicity and the lack of natural recognition sites for covalent cell-recognition signal molecules to promote cell attachment have limited its utility as tissue scaffolds. In this study, Bilayer porous scaffolds based on PCL electrospun membranes and gelatin (GE) sponges were fabricated through soft hydrolysis of PCL electrospun followed by grafting gelatin onto the fiber surface, through crosslinking and freeze drying treatment of additional gelatin coat and grafted gelatin surface. GE sponges were stably anchored on PCL membrane surface with the aid of grafted GE molecules. The morphologies of bilayer porous scaffolds were observed through SEM. The contact angle of the scaffolds was 0°, the mechanical properties of scaffolds were measured by tensile test, Young's moduli of PCL scaffolds before and after hydrolysis are 66-77.3 MPa and 62.3-75.4 MPa, respectively. Thus, the bilayer porous scaffolds showed excellent hydrophilic surface and desirable mechanical strength due to the soft hydrolysis and GE coat. The cell culture results showed that the adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells did more favor to adhere and grow on the bilayer porous scaffolds than on PCL electrospun membranes. The better cell affinity of the final bilayer scaffolds not only attributed to the surface chemistry but also the introduction of bilayer porous structure.

  8. Living bacterial sacrificial porogens to engineer decellularized porous scaffolds.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Feng Xu

    Full Text Available Decellularization and cellularization of organs have emerged as disruptive methods in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Porous hydrogel scaffolds have widespread applications in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and drug discovery as viable tissue mimics. However, the existing hydrogel fabrication techniques suffer from limited control over pore interconnectivity, density and size, which leads to inefficient nutrient and oxygen transport to cells embedded in the scaffolds. Here, we demonstrated an innovative approach to develop a new platform for tissue engineered constructs using live bacteria as sacrificial porogens. E.coli were patterned and cultured in an interconnected three-dimensional (3D hydrogel network. The growing bacteria created interconnected micropores and microchannels. Then, the scafold was decellularized, and bacteria were eliminated from the scaffold through lysing and washing steps. This 3D porous network method combined with bioprinting has the potential to be broadly applicable and compatible with tissue specific applications allowing seeding of stem cells and other cell types.

  9. Monte Carlo simulation of nonlinear reactive contaminant transport in unsaturated porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giacobbo, F.; Patelli, E.

    2007-01-01

    In the current proposed solutions of radioactive waste repositories, the protective function against the radionuclide water-driven transport back to the biosphere is to be provided by an integrated system of engineered and natural geologic barriers. The occurrence of several nonlinear interactions during the radionuclide migration process may render burdensome the classical analytical-numerical approaches. Moreover, the heterogeneity of the barriers' media forces approximations to the classical analytical-numerical models, thus reducing their fidelity to reality. In an attempt to overcome these difficulties, in the present paper we adopt a Monte Carlo simulation approach, previously developed on the basis of the Kolmogorov-Dmitriev theory of branching stochastic processes. The approach is here extended for describing transport through unsaturated porous media under transient flow conditions and in presence of nonlinear interchange phenomena between the liquid and solid phases. This generalization entails the determination of the functional dependence of the parameters of the proposed transport model from the water content and from the contaminant concentration, which change in space and time during the water infiltration process. The corresponding Monte Carlo simulation approach is verified with respect to a case of nonreactive transport under transient unsaturated flow and to a case of nonlinear reactive transport under stationary saturated flow. Numerical applications regarding linear and nonlinear reactive transport under transient unsaturated flow are reported

  10. The effect of bacterial generation on the transport of radionuclide in porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, B.S.; Lee, K.J.

    1997-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to provide a methodology to develop a predictive model based on a conceptual three-phase system and to investigate the influence of bacteria and their generation on the radionuclide transport in porous media. The mass balance equations for bacteria, substrate and radionuclide were formulated. To illustrate the model simply, an equilibrium condition was assumed to partition the substrate, bacteria and radionuclide concentrations, between the solid soil matrix, aqueous phase and bacterial surface. From the numerical calculation of radionuclide transport in the presence of bacteria, it was found that the growth of bacterial and supplied primary substrate as a limiting or stimulating growth factor of bacteria are the most important factors of the radionuclide transport. It was also found that, depending on the transport of bacteria, the temporal and spatial distribution of the radionuclide concentration was significantly affected. The model proposed in this study will improve the evaluation of the role of the bacteria to the transport of radionuclide in groundwater systems. Furthermore, this model can be usefully utilized in analyzing the important role of colloidal particulate on the overall performance of radioactive waste safety. (Author)

  11. Electrochemical characteristics of vanadium redox reactions on porous carbon electrodes for microfluidic fuel cell applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Jin Wook; Hong, Jun Ki; Kjeang, Erik

    2012-01-01

    Microfluidic vanadium redox fuel cells are membraneless and catalyst-free fuel cells comprising a microfluidic channel network with two porous carbon electrodes. The anolyte and catholyte for fuel cell operation are V(II) and V(V) in sulfuric acid based aqueous solution. In the present work, the electrochemical characteristics of the vanadium redox reactions are investigated on commonly used porous carbon paper electrodes and compared to a standard solid graphite electrode as baseline. Half-cell electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is applied to measure the overall ohmic resistance and resistivity of the electrodes. Kinetic parameters for both V(II) and V(V) discharging reactions are extracted from Tafel plots and compared for the different electrodes. Cyclic voltammetry techniques reveal that the redox reactions are irreversible and that the magnitudes of peak current density vary significantly for each electrode. The obtained kinetic parameters for the carbon paper are implemented into a numerical simulation and the results show a good agreement with measured polarization curves from operation of a microfluidic vanadium redox fuel cell employing the same material as flow-through porous electrodes. Recommendations for microfluidic fuel cell design and operation are provided based on the measured trends.

  12. Inkjet-Printed Porous Silver Thin Film as a Cathode for a Low-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Chen-Chiang; Baek, Jong Dae; Su, Chun-Hao; Fan, Liangdong; Wei, Jun; Liao, Ying-Chih; Su, Pei-Chen

    2016-04-27

    In this work we report a porous silver thin film cathode that was fabricated by a simple inkjet printing process for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell applications. The electrochemical performance of the inkjet-printed silver cathode was studied at 300-450 °C and was compared with that of silver cathodes that were fabricated by the typical sputtering method. Inkjet-printed silver cathodes showed lower electrochemical impedance due to their porous structure, which facilitated oxygen gaseous diffusion and oxygen surface adsorption-dissociation reactions. A typical sputtered nanoporous silver cathode became essentially dense after the operation and showed high impedance due to a lack of oxygen supply. The results of long-term fuel cell operation show that the cell with an inkjet-printed cathode had a more stable current output for more than 45 h at 400 °C. A porous silver cathode is required for high fuel cell performance, and the simple inkjet printing technique offers an alternative method of fabrication for such a desirable porous structure with the required thermal-morphological stability.

  13. Effects of Solution Chemistry on Nano-Bubbles Transport in Saturated Porous Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamamoto, S.; Takemura, T.; Suzuki, K.; Nihei, N.; Nishimura, T.

    2017-12-01

    Nano-bubbles (NBs) have a considerable potential for the remediation of soil and groundwater contaminated by organic compounds, especially when used in conjunction with bioremediation technologies. Understanding the transport mechanisms of NBs in soils is essential to optimize NB-based remediation techniques. In this study, one-dimensional column transport experiments using glass beads with 0.1 mm size were conducted, where NBs created by oxygen gas at different pH and ionic strength were injected to the column at the constant flow rate. The NBs concentration in the effluent was quantified using a resonant mass measurement technique. Effects of solution chemistry of the NBs water on NB transport in the porous media were investigated. The results showed that attachment of NBs was enhanced under higher ionic strength and lower pH conditions, caused by the reduced repulsive force between NBs and glass beads. In addition, bubble size distributions in the effluents showed that relatively larger NBs were retained in the column. This trend was more significant at lower pH condition.

  14. Investigation of bioactivity and cell effects of nano-porous sol–gel derived bioactive glass film

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ma, Zhijun, E-mail: mokuu@zju.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640 (China); Ji, Huijiao [College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310028 (China); Hu, Xiaomeng [School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640 (China); Teng, Yu [State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640 (China); Zhao, Guiyun; Mo, Lijuan; Zhao, Xiaoli [College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310028 (China); Chen, Weibo [School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640 (China); Qiu, Jianrong, E-mail: qjr@scut.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640 (China); Zhang, Ming, E-mail: zhangming201201@126.com [College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310028 (China)

    2013-11-01

    In orthopedic surgery, bioactive glass film coating is extensively studied to improve the synthetic performance of orthopedic implants. A lot of investigations have confirmed that nano-porous structure in bioactive glasses can remarkably improve their bioactivity. Nevertheless, researches on preparation of nano-porous bioactive glasses in the form of film coating and their cell response activities are scarce. Herein, we report the preparation of nano-porous bioactive glass film on commercial glass slide based on a sol–gel technique, together with the evaluation of its in vitro bioactivity through immersion in simulated body fluid and monitoring the precipitation of apatite-like layer. Cell responses of the samples, including attachment, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation, were also investigated using BMSCS (bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells) as a model. The results presented here provide some basic information on structural influence of bioactive glass film on the improvement of bioactivity and cellular effects.

  15. Investigation of bioactivity and cell effects of nano-porous sol-gel derived bioactive glass film

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Zhijun; Ji, Huijiao; Hu, Xiaomeng; Teng, Yu; Zhao, Guiyun; Mo, Lijuan; Zhao, Xiaoli; Chen, Weibo; Qiu, Jianrong; Zhang, Ming

    2013-11-01

    In orthopedic surgery, bioactive glass film coating is extensively studied to improve the synthetic performance of orthopedic implants. A lot of investigations have confirmed that nano-porous structure in bioactive glasses can remarkably improve their bioactivity. Nevertheless, researches on preparation of nano-porous bioactive glasses in the form of film coating and their cell response activities are scarce. Herein, we report the preparation of nano-porous bioactive glass film on commercial glass slide based on a sol-gel technique, together with the evaluation of its in vitro bioactivity through immersion in simulated body fluid and monitoring the precipitation of apatite-like layer. Cell responses of the samples, including attachment, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation, were also investigated using BMSCS (bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells) as a model. The results presented here provide some basic information on structural influence of bioactive glass film on the improvement of bioactivity and cellular effects.

  16. Modeling Transport in Fractured Porous Media with the Random-Walk Particle Method: The Transient Activity Range and the Particle-Transfer Probability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lehua Pan; G.S. Bodvarsson

    2001-01-01

    Multiscale features of transport processes in fractured porous media make numerical modeling a difficult task, both in conceptualization and computation. Modeling the mass transfer through the fracture-matrix interface is one of the critical issues in the simulation of transport in a fractured porous medium. Because conventional dual-continuum-based numerical methods are unable to capture the transient features of the diffusion depth into the matrix (unless they assume a passive matrix medium), such methods will overestimate the transport of tracers through the fractures, especially for the cases with large fracture spacing, resulting in artificial early breakthroughs. We have developed a new method for calculating the particle-transfer probability that can capture the transient features of diffusion depth into the matrix within the framework of the dual-continuum random-walk particle method (RWPM) by introducing a new concept of activity range of a particle within the matrix. Unlike the multiple-continuum approach, the new dual-continuum RWPM does not require using additional grid blocks to represent the matrix. It does not assume a passive matrix medium and can be applied to the cases where global water flow exists in both continua. The new method has been verified against analytical solutions for transport in the fracture-matrix systems with various fracture spacing. The calculations of the breakthrough curves of radionuclides from a potential repository to the water table in Yucca Mountain demonstrate the effectiveness of the new method for simulating 3-D, mountain-scale transport in a heterogeneous, fractured porous medium under variably saturated conditions

  17. Direct synthesis of platelet graphitic-nanofibres as a highly porous counter-electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsieh, Chien-Kuo; Tsai, Ming-Chi; Yen, Ming-Yu; Su, Ching-Yuan; Chen, Kuei-Fu; Ma, Chen-Chi M; Chen, Fu-Rong; Tsai, Chuen-Horng

    2012-03-28

    We synthesized platelet graphitic-nanofibres (GNFs) directly onto FTO glass and applied this forest of platelet GNFs as a highly porous structural counter-electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). We investigated the electrochemical properties of counter-electrodes made from the highly porous structural GNFs and the photoconversion performance of the cells made with these electrodes.

  18. Solid oxide fuel cells having porous cathodes infiltrated with oxygen-reducing catalysts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Meilin; Liu, Ze; Liu, Mingfei; Nie, Lifang; Mebane, David Spencer; Wilson, Lane Curtis; Surdoval, Wayne

    2014-08-12

    Solid-oxide fuel cells include an electrolyte and an anode electrically coupled to a first surface of the electrolyte. A cathode is provided, which is electrically coupled to a second surface of the electrolyte. The cathode includes a porous backbone having a porosity in a range from about 20% to about 70%. The porous backbone contains a mixed ionic-electronic conductor (MIEC) of a first material infiltrated with an oxygen-reducing catalyst of a second material different from the first material.

  19. Fabricating porous silicon carbide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shor, Joseph S. (Inventor); Kurtz, Anthony D. (Inventor)

    1994-01-01

    The formation of porous SiC occurs under electrochemical anodization. A sample of SiC is contacted electrically with nickel and placed into an electrochemical cell which cell includes a counter electrode and a reference electrode. The sample is encapsulated so that only a bare semiconductor surface is exposed. The electrochemical cell is filled with an HF electrolyte which dissolves the SiC electrochemically. A potential is applied to the semiconductor and UV light illuminates the surface of the semiconductor. By controlling the light intensity, the potential and the doping level, a porous layer is formed in the semiconductor and thus one produces porous SiC.

  20. Two-phase, mass-transport model for direct methanol fuel cells with effect of non-equilibrium evaporation and condensation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, W. W.; Zhao, T. S.

    A two-phase, mass-transport model for liquid-feed direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) is developed by taking into account the effect of non-equilibrium evaporation and condensation of methanol and water. The comparison between the present model and other models indicates that the present model yields more reasonable predictions of cell performance. Particularly, it is shown that the models that invoke a thermodynamic-equilibrium assumption between phases will overestimate mass-transport rates of methanol and water, thereby resulting in an inaccurate prediction of cell performance. The parametric study using the present model reveals that the gas coverage at the flow channel-diffusion-layer interface is directly related to the gas-void fraction inside the anode porous region; increasing the gas-void fraction will increase the mass-transfer resistance of methanol and thus lower cell performance. The effects of the geometric dimensions of the cell structure, such as channel width and rib width, on cell performance are also investigated with the model developed in this work.

  1. Transepithelial transport of aliphatic carboxylic acids studied in Madin Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell monolayers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cho, M.J.; Adson, A.; Kezdy, F.J.

    1990-01-01

    Transport of 14C-labeled acetic, propionic (PA), butyric, valeric, heptanoic (HA), and octanoic (OA) acids across the Madin Darby canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial cell monolayer grown on a porous polycarbonate membrane was studied in Hanks' balanced salt solution (HBSS) at 37 degrees C in both apical-to-basolateral and basolateral-to-apical directions. At micromolar concentrations of solutes, metabolic decomposition was significant as evidenced by [14C]CO2 production during the OA transport. The apparent permeability (Pe) indicates that as lipophilicity increases, diffusion across the unstirred boundary layer becomes rate limiting. In support of this notion, transport of OA and HA was enhanced by agitation, showed an activation energy of 3.7 kcal/mol for OA, and resulted in identical Pe values for both transport directions. Analysis of Pe changes with varying alkyl chain length resulted in a delta G of -0.68 +/- 0.09 kcal/mol for -CH2-group transfer from an aqueous phase to the MDCK cells. When the intercellular tight junctions were opened by the divalent chelator EGTA in Ca2+/Mg2(+)-free HBSS, transport of the fluid-phase marker Lucifer yellow greatly increased because of paracellular leakage. PA transport also showed a significant increase, but OA transport was independent of EGTA. Although albumin also undergoes paracellular transport in the presence of EGTA and OA binds strongly to albumin, OA transport in EGTA solution was unchanged by albumin. These observations indicate that transmembrane transport is the major mechanism for lipophilic substances. The present study, together with earlier work on the transport of polar substances, shows that the MDCK cell monolayer is an excellent model of the transepithelial transport barrier

  2. Pore-Scale Hydrodynamics in a Progressively Bioclogged Three-Dimensional Porous Medium: 3-D Particle Tracking Experiments and Stochastic Transport Modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carrel, M.; Morales, V. L.; Dentz, M.; Derlon, N.; Morgenroth, E.; Holzner, M.

    2018-03-01

    Biofilms are ubiquitous bacterial communities that grow in various porous media including soils, trickling, and sand filters. In these environments, they play a central role in services ranging from degradation of pollutants to water purification. Biofilms dynamically change the pore structure of the medium through selective clogging of pores, a process known as bioclogging. This affects how solutes are transported and spread through the porous matrix, but the temporal changes to transport behavior during bioclogging are not well understood. To address this uncertainty, we experimentally study the hydrodynamic changes of a transparent 3-D porous medium as it experiences progressive bioclogging. Statistical analyses of the system's hydrodynamics at four time points of bioclogging (0, 24, 36, and 48 h in the exponential growth phase) reveal exponential increases in both average and variance of the flow velocity, as well as its correlation length. Measurements for spreading, as mean-squared displacements, are found to be non-Fickian and more intensely superdiffusive with progressive bioclogging, indicating the formation of preferential flow pathways and stagnation zones. A gamma distribution describes well the Lagrangian velocity distributions and provides parameters that quantify changes to the flow, which evolves from a parallel pore arrangement under unclogged conditions, toward a more serial arrangement with increasing clogging. Exponentially evolving hydrodynamic metrics agree with an exponential bacterial growth phase and are used to parameterize a correlated continuous time random walk model with a stochastic velocity relaxation. The model accurately reproduces transport observations and can be used to resolve transport behavior at intermediate time points within the exponential growth phase considered.

  3. Biomimetic apatite-coated porous PVA scaffolds promote the growth of breast cancer cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ye, Mao; Mohanty, Pravansu; Ghosh, Gargi

    2014-01-01

    Recapitulating the native environment of bone tissue is essential to develop in vitro models of breast cancer bone metastasis. The bone is a composite material consisting of organic matrix and inorganic mineral phase, primarily hydroxyapatite. In this study, we report the mineralization of porous poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) scaffolds upon incubation in modified Hanks' Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS) for 14 days. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, and X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the deposited minerals have composition similar to hydroxyapatite. The study demonstrated that the rate of nucleation and growth of minerals was faster on surfaces of less porous scaffolds. However, upon prolonged incubation, formation of mineral layer was observed on the surface of all the scaffolds. In addition, the study also demonstrated that 3D mineralization only occurred for scaffolds with highly interconnected porous networks. The mineralization of the scaffolds promoted the adsorption of serum proteins and consequently, the adhesion and proliferation of breast cancer cells. - Highlights: • Porous PVA scaffolds fabricated via mechanical agitation followed by freeze-drying. • Mineralization of the scaffold was carried out by utilizing biomimetic approach. • Mineralization resulted in increased protein adsorption on the scaffold. • Increased breast cancer cell growth was observed on mineralized scaffolds

  4. Biomimetic apatite-coated porous PVA scaffolds promote the growth of breast cancer cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ye, Mao; Mohanty, Pravansu; Ghosh, Gargi, E-mail: gargi@umich.edu

    2014-11-01

    Recapitulating the native environment of bone tissue is essential to develop in vitro models of breast cancer bone metastasis. The bone is a composite material consisting of organic matrix and inorganic mineral phase, primarily hydroxyapatite. In this study, we report the mineralization of porous poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) scaffolds upon incubation in modified Hanks' Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS) for 14 days. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, and X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the deposited minerals have composition similar to hydroxyapatite. The study demonstrated that the rate of nucleation and growth of minerals was faster on surfaces of less porous scaffolds. However, upon prolonged incubation, formation of mineral layer was observed on the surface of all the scaffolds. In addition, the study also demonstrated that 3D mineralization only occurred for scaffolds with highly interconnected porous networks. The mineralization of the scaffolds promoted the adsorption of serum proteins and consequently, the adhesion and proliferation of breast cancer cells. - Highlights: • Porous PVA scaffolds fabricated via mechanical agitation followed by freeze-drying. • Mineralization of the scaffold was carried out by utilizing biomimetic approach. • Mineralization resulted in increased protein adsorption on the scaffold. • Increased breast cancer cell growth was observed on mineralized scaffolds.

  5. Modeling and simulation of nanoparticles transport in a two-phase flow in porous media

    KAUST Repository

    El-Amin, Mohamed; Salama, Amgad; Sun, Shuyu

    2012-01-01

    In the current paper, a mathematical model to describe the nanoparticles transport carried by a two-phase flow in a porous medium is presented. Both capillary forces as well as Brownian diffusion are considered in the model. A numerical example of countercurrent water-oil imbibition is considered. We monitor the changing of the fluid and solid properties due to the addition of the nanoparticles using numerical experiments. Variation of water saturation, nanoparticles concentration and porosity ratio are investigated.

  6. Matrix-oriented implementation for the numerical solution of the partial differential equations governing flows and transport in porous media

    KAUST Repository

    Sun, Shuyu; Salama, Amgad; El-Amin, Mohamed

    2012-01-01

    In this paper we introduce a new technique for the numerical solution of the various partial differential equations governing flow and transport phenomena in porous media. This method is proposed to be used in high level programming languages like

  7. SPECT Imaging as a Tool for Testing and Challenging Assumptions About Transport in Porous Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moysey, S. M.; DeVol, T. A.; Tornai, M. P.

    2014-12-01

    Medical imaging has shown promise for unraveling the influence of physical, chemical and biological processes on contaminant transport. Micro-CT scans, for instance, are increasingly utilized to image the pore-scale structure of rocks and soils, which can subsequently be used within modeling studies. A disadvantage of micro-CT, however, is that this imaging modality does not directly detect contaminants. In contrast, Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) can provide the three-dimensional distribution of gamma emitting materials and is thus ideal for imaging the transport of radionuclides. SPECT is of particular interest as a tool for both directly imaging the behavior of long-lived radionuclides of interest, e.g., 99Tc and 137Cs, as well as monitoring shorter-lived isotopes as in-situ tracers of flow and biogeochemical processes. We demonstrate the potential of combining CT and SPECT imaging to improve the mechanistic understanding of flow and transport processes within a heterogeneous porous medium. In the experiment, a column was packed with 0.2mm glass beads with a cylindrical zone of 2mm glass beads embedded near the outlet; this region could be readily identified within the CT images. The column was injected with a pulse of NaCl solution spiked with 99mTcO4- and monitored using SPECT while aliquots of the effluent were used to analyze the breakthrough of both solutes. The breakthrough curves could be approximately replicated by a one-dimensional transport model, but the SPECT data revealed that the tracers migrated around the inclusion of larger beads. Although the zone of large-diameter beads was expected to act as a preferential pathway, the observed behavior could only be replicated in numerical transport simulations if this region was treated as a low-permeability zone relative to the rest of the column. This simple experiment demonstrates the potential of SPECT for investigating flow and transport phenomena within a porous medium.

  8. Simulation of contaminant transport in fractured porous media on triangular meshes

    KAUST Repository

    Dong, Chen

    2010-12-01

    A mathematical model for contaminant species passing through fractured porous media is presented. In the numerical model, we combine two locally conservative methods, i.e. mixed finite element (MFE) and the finite volume (FV) methods. Adaptive triangle mesh is used for effective treatment of the fractures. A hybrid MFE method is employed to provide an accurate approximation of velocities field for both the fractures and matrix which are crucial to the convection part of the transport equation. The FV method and the standard MFE method are used to approximate the convection and dispersion terms respectively. Numerical examples in a medium containing fracture network illustrate the robustness and efficiency of the proposed numerical model. © 2010 IEEE.

  9. Simulation of contaminant transport in fractured porous media on triangular meshes

    KAUST Repository

    Dong, Chen; Sun, Shuyu

    2010-01-01

    A mathematical model for contaminant species passing through fractured porous media is presented. In the numerical model, we combine two locally conservative methods, i.e. mixed finite element (MFE) and the finite volume (FV) methods. Adaptive triangle mesh is used for effective treatment of the fractures. A hybrid MFE method is employed to provide an accurate approximation of velocities field for both the fractures and matrix which are crucial to the convection part of the transport equation. The FV method and the standard MFE method are used to approximate the convection and dispersion terms respectively. Numerical examples in a medium containing fracture network illustrate the robustness and efficiency of the proposed numerical model. © 2010 IEEE.

  10. Ti Porous Film-Supported NiCo₂S₄ Nanotubes Counter Electrode for Quantum-Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Jianping; Wang, Minqiang; Song, Xiaohui; Yang, Zhi; Yuan, Zhaolin

    2018-04-17

    In this paper, a novel Ti porous film-supported NiCo₂S₄ nanotube was fabricated by the acid etching and two-step hydrothermal method and then used as a counter electrode in a CdS/CdSe quantum-dot-sensitized solar cell. Measurements of the cyclic voltammetry, Tafel polarization curves, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of the symmetric cells revealed that compared with the conventional FTO (fluorine doped tin oxide)/Pt counter electrode, Ti porous film-supported NiCo₂S₄ nanotubes counter electrode exhibited greater electrocatalytic activity toward polysulfide electrolyte and lower charge-transfer resistance at the interface between electrolyte and counter electrode, which remarkably improved the fill factor, short-circuit current density, and power conversion efficiency of the quantum-dot-sensitized solar cell. Under illumination of one sun (100 mW/cm²), the quantum-dot-sensitized solar cell based on Ti porous film-supported NiCo₂S₄ nanotubes counter electrode achieved a power conversion efficiency of 3.14%, which is superior to the cell based on FTO/Pt counter electrode (1.3%).

  11. A novel porous scaffold fabrication technique for epithelial and endothelial tissue engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McHugh, Kevin J; Tao, Sarah L; Saint-Geniez, Magali

    2013-07-01

    Porous scaffolds have the ability to minimize transport barriers for both two- (2D) and three-dimensional tissue engineering. However, current porous scaffolds may be non-ideal for 2D tissues such as epithelium due to inherent fabrication-based characteristics. While 2D tissues require porosity to support molecular transport, pores must be small enough to prevent cell migration into the scaffold in order to avoid non-epithelial tissue architecture and compromised function. Though electrospun meshes are the most popular porous scaffolds used today, their heterogeneous pore size and intense topography may be poorly-suited for epithelium. Porous scaffolds produced using other methods have similar unavoidable limitations, frequently involving insufficient pore resolution and control, which make them incompatible with 2D tissues. In addition, many of these techniques require an entirely new round of process development in order to change material or pore size. Herein we describe "pore casting," a fabrication method that produces flat scaffolds with deterministic pore shape, size, and location that can be easily altered to accommodate new materials or pore dimensions. As proof-of-concept, pore-cast poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds were fabricated and compared to electrospun PCL in vitro using canine kidney epithelium, human colon epithelium, and human umbilical vein endothelium. All cell types demonstrated improved morphology and function on pore-cast scaffolds, likely due to reduced topography and universally small pore size. These results suggest that pore casting is an attractive option for creating 2D tissue engineering scaffolds, especially when the application may benefit from well-controlled pore size or architecture.

  12. Laser-beam-induced current mapping evaluation of porous silicon-based passivation in polycrystalline silicon solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rabha, M. Ben; Bessais, B. [Laboratoire de Nanomateriaux et des Systemes pour l' Energie, Centre de Recherches et des Technologies de l' Energie - Technopole de Borj-Cedria BP 95, 2050 Hammam-Lif (Tunisia); Dimassi, W.; Bouaicha, M.; Ezzaouia, H. [Laboratoire de photovoltaique, des semiconducteurs et des nanostructures, Centre de Recherches et des Technologies de l' Energie - Technopole de Borj-Cedria BP 95, 2050 Hammam-Lif (Tunisia)

    2009-05-15

    In the present work, we report on the effect of introducing a superficial porous silicon (PS) layer on the performance of polycrystalline silicon (pc-Si) solar cells. Laser-beam-induced current (LBIC) mapping shows that the PS treatment on the emitter of pc-Si solar cells improves their quantum response and reduce the grain boundaries (GBs) activity. After the porous silicon treatment, mapping investigation shows an enhancement of the LBIC and the internal quantum efficiency (IQE), due to an improvement of the minority carrier diffusion length and the passivation of recombination centers at the GBs as compared to the reference substrate. It was quantitatively shown that porous silicon treatment can passivate both the grains and GBs. (author)

  13. Reactive solute transport in physically and chemically heterogeneous porous media with multimodal reactive mineral facies: the Lagrangian approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soltanian, Mohamad Reza; Ritzi, Robert W; Dai, Zhenxue; Huang, Chao Cheng

    2015-03-01

    Physical and chemical heterogeneities have a large impact on reactive transport in porous media. Examples of heterogeneous attributes affecting reactive mass transport are the hydraulic conductivity (K), and the equilibrium sorption distribution coefficient (Kd). This paper uses the Deng et al. (2013) conceptual model for multimodal reactive mineral facies and a Lagrangian-based stochastic theory in order to analyze the reactive solute dispersion in three-dimensional anisotropic heterogeneous porous media with hierarchical organization of reactive minerals. An example based on real field data is used to illustrate the time evolution trends of reactive solute dispersion. The results show that the correlation between the hydraulic conductivity and the equilibrium sorption distribution coefficient does have a significant effect on reactive solute dispersion. The anisotropy ratio does not have a significant effect on reactive solute dispersion. Furthermore, through a sensitivity analysis we investigate the impact of changing the mean, variance, and integral scale of K and Kd on reactive solute dispersion. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Hydroxyapatite coatings deposited by liquid precursor plasma spraying: controlled dense and porous microstructures and osteoblastic cell responses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang Yi; Song Lei; Liu Xiaoguang; Xiao Yanfeng; Wu Yao; Chen Jiyong; Wu Fang; Gu Zhongwei

    2010-01-01

    Hydroxyapatite coatings were deposited on Ti-6Al-4V substrates by a novel plasma spraying process, the liquid precursor plasma spraying (LPPS) process. X-ray diffraction results showed that the coatings obtained by the LPPS process were mainly composed of hydroxyapatite. The LPPS process also showed excellent control on the coating microstructure, and both nearly fully dense and highly porous hydroxyapatite coatings were obtained by simply adjusting the solid content of the hydroxyapatite liquid precursor. Scanning electron microscope observations indicated that the porous hydroxyapatite coatings had pore size in the range of 10-200 μm and an average porosity of 48.26 ± 0.10%. The osteoblastic cell responses to the dense and porous hydroxyapatite coatings were evaluated with human osteoblastic cell MG-63, in respect of the cell morphology, proliferation and differentiation, with the hydroxyapatite coatings deposited by the atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) process as control. The cell experiment results indicated that the heat-treated LPPS coatings with a porous structure showed the best cell proliferation and differentiation among all the hydroxyapatite coatings. Our results suggest that the LPPS process is a promising plasma spraying technique for fabricating hydroxyapatite coatings with a controllable microstructure, which has great potential in bone repair and replacement applications.

  15. Molecular simulation of adsorption and transport in hierarchical porous materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coasne, Benoit; Galarneau, Anne; Gerardin, Corine; Fajula, François; Villemot, François

    2013-06-25

    Adsorption and transport in hierarchical porous solids with micro- (~1 nm) and mesoporosities (>2 nm) are investigated by molecular simulation. Two models of hierarchical solids are considered: microporous materials in which mesopores are carved out (model A) and mesoporous materials in which microporous nanoparticles are inserted (model B). Adsorption isotherms for model A can be described as a linear combination of the adsorption isotherms for pure mesoporous and microporous solids. In contrast, adsorption in model B departs from adsorption in pure microporous and mesoporous solids; the inserted microporous particles act as defects, which help nucleate the liquid phase within the mesopore and shift capillary condensation toward lower pressures. As far as transport under a pressure gradient is concerned, the flux in hierarchical materials consisting of microporous solids in which mesopores are carved out obeys the Navier-Stokes equation so that Darcy's law is verified within the mesopore. Moreover, the flow in such materials is larger than in a single mesopore, due to the transfer between micropores and mesopores. This nonzero velocity at the mesopore surface implies that transport in such hierarchical materials involves slippage at the mesopore surface, although the adsorbate has a strong affinity for the surface. In contrast to model A, flux in model B is smaller than in a single mesopore, as the nanoparticles act as constrictions that hinder transport. By a subtle effect arising from fast transport in the mesopores, the presence of mesopores increases the number of molecules in the microporosity in hierarchical materials and, hence, decreases the flow in the micropores (due to mass conservation). As a result, we do not observe faster diffusion in the micropores of hierarchical materials upon flow but slower diffusion, which increases the contact time between the adsorbate and the surface of the microporosity.

  16. Variation in thermal conductivity of porous media due to temperature and pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rehman, M.A.; Maqsood, A.

    2003-01-01

    In the last decade, a great amount of attention has been paid to the study of the temperature dependence of the thermal transport properties of insulating materials. Thermal insulators constitute one of the major areas of the porous ceramic consumption. Measurements of thermal transport properties are important tools in this field. In the present work a set of synthetic porous insulating foams, used as insulating materials is studied. Advantageous Transient Plane Source (ATPS) method is used for the simultaneous measurement of thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of these materials in air and then volumetric heat capacity is calculated. The study of thermal transport properties of three synthetic porous insulators that are foam, closed cell foam and fiberglass, under different conditions of temperature pressure and with corresponding densities was done. Due to this research it is possible to work out the material with optimum performance, lower thermal expansion and conductivity, high temperature use, low as well as high-pressure use, so that the insulation with high margin of safety and space with lower cost could be obtained. As a result the proper type of insulation can be recommended in accordance with the specific application. The change in the temperature and pressure causes different behavior on the samples, even then all these samples are suitable for insulation purposes in scientific and commercial fields. Foam is the best choice because of its lowest thermal conductivity values, fiberglass is a better choice because of its consistency, and closed cell foam is the third choice because of its plastic nature and high density. (author)

  17. The effects of surface aging on nanoparticle fate and transport in natural and engineered porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mittelman, Anjuliee M.

    Nanomaterials will be subjected to various surface transformations in the environment and within water and wastewater treatment systems. A comprehensive understanding of the fate and transport behavior of "aged" nanomaterials in both natural and engineered porous media is required in order to accurately quantify ecological and human health risks. This research sought to (1) evaluate the impact of ultraviolet (UV) light aging on nanoparticle transport in water-saturated porous media; and (2) assess the effects of influent water quality on silver nanoparticle retention and dissolution in ceramic water filters. Additionally, the value of quartz crystal microbalance (QCM-D) data in nanoparticle fate and transport studies was evaluated by comparing deposition behavior in complementary QCM-D and sand columns experiments. Silver (nAg) and iron oxide nanoparticles exposed to UV light were up to 50% more strongly retained in porous media compared with freshly prepared suspensions due to less negative surface charge and larger aggregate sizes. UV-aged nAg were more prone to dissolution in sand columns, resulting in effluent Ag+ concentrations as high as 1.2 mg/L. In ceramic water filters, dissolution and cation exchange processes controlled silver release into treated water. The use of acidic, high salinity, or high hardness water accelerated oxidative dissolution of the silver coating and resulted in effluent silver concentrations 5-10 times above international drinking water guidelines. Results support the recommendation for a regular filter replacement or silver re-application schedule to ensure ongoing efficacy. Taken in concert, these research findings suggest that oxidative aging of nanomaterial surfaces (either through exposure to UV light or aggressive water chemistries) will alter the fate of nanomaterials in the environment and may decrease the effective lifetime of devices which utilize nanotechnology. Corresponding QCM-D and column experiments revealed that

  18. Effects of anodizing parameters and heat treatment on nanotopographical features, bioactivity, and cell culture response of additively manufactured porous titanium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amin Yavari, S; Chai, Y C; Böttger, A J; Wauthle, R; Schrooten, J; Weinans, H; Zadpoor, A A

    2015-06-01

    Anodizing could be used for bio-functionalization of the surfaces of titanium alloys. In this study, we use anodizing for creating nanotubes on the surface of porous titanium alloy bone substitutes manufactured using selective laser melting. Different sets of anodizing parameters (voltage: 10 or 20V anodizing time: 30min to 3h) are used for anodizing porous titanium structures that were later heat treated at 500°C. The nanotopographical features are examined using electron microscopy while the bioactivity of anodized surfaces is measured using immersion tests in the simulated body fluid (SBF). Moreover, the effects of anodizing and heat treatment on the performance of one representative anodized porous titanium structures are evaluated using in vitro cell culture assays using human periosteum-derived cells (hPDCs). It has been shown that while anodizing with different anodizing parameters results in very different nanotopographical features, i.e. nanotubes in the range of 20 to 55nm, anodized surfaces have limited apatite-forming ability regardless of the applied anodizing parameters. The results of in vitro cell culture show that both anodizing, and thus generation of regular nanotopographical feature, and heat treatment improve the cell culture response of porous titanium. In particular, cell proliferation measured using metabolic activity and DNA content was improved for anodized and heat treated as well as for anodized but not heat-treated specimens. Heat treatment additionally improved the cell attachment of porous titanium surfaces and upregulated expression of osteogenic markers. Anodized but not heat-treated specimens showed some limited signs of upregulated expression of osteogenic markers. In conclusion, while varying the anodizing parameters creates different nanotube structure, it does not improve apatite-forming ability of porous titanium. However, both anodizing and heat treatment at 500°C improve the cell culture response of porous titanium

  19. Changes of the Specific Infectivity of Tracer Phages during Transport in Porous Media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghanem, Nawras; Trost, Manuel; Sánchez Fontanet, Laura; Harms, Hauke; Chatzinotas, Antonis; Wick, Lukas Y

    2018-03-20

    Phages (i.e., viruses infecting bacteria) are considered to be good indicators and tracers for fecal pollution, hydraulic flow, or colloidal transport in the subsurface. They are typically quantified as total virus particles (VLP) or plaque forming units (PFU) of infectious phages. As transport may lead to phage deactivation, VLP quantification can overestimate the number of infectious phages. In contrast, PFU counts may underestimate the transport of total virus particles. Using PFU and tunable resistive pulse sensing-based counting for active and total phages, respectively, we quantified the effect of transport through laboratory percolation columns on the specific infectivity (SI). The SI is defined by the ratio of total VLP to PFU and is a measure for the minimum particle numbers needed to create a single infection. Transport of three marine tracer phages and the coli-phage (T4) was described by colloidal filtration theory. We found that apparent collision efficiencies of active and total phages differed. Depending on the phage properties (e.g., morphology or hydrophobicity), passage through a porous medium led to either an increasing or decreasing SI of effluent phages. Our data suggest that both phage mass recovery and the SI should be considered in quantitative phage tracer experiments.

  20. Large-scale model of flow in heterogeneous and hierarchical porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chabanon, Morgan; Valdés-Parada, Francisco J.; Ochoa-Tapia, J. Alberto; Goyeau, Benoît

    2017-11-01

    Heterogeneous porous structures are very often encountered in natural environments, bioremediation processes among many others. Reliable models for momentum transport are crucial whenever mass transport or convective heat occurs in these systems. In this work, we derive a large-scale average model for incompressible single-phase flow in heterogeneous and hierarchical soil porous media composed of two distinct porous regions embedding a solid impermeable structure. The model, based on the local mechanical equilibrium assumption between the porous regions, results in a unique momentum transport equation where the global effective permeability naturally depends on the permeabilities at the intermediate mesoscopic scales and therefore includes the complex hierarchical structure of the soil. The associated closure problem is numerically solved for various configurations and properties of the heterogeneous medium. The results clearly show that the effective permeability increases with the volume fraction of the most permeable porous region. It is also shown that the effective permeability is sensitive to the dimensionality spatial arrangement of the porous regions and in particular depends on the contact between the impermeable solid and the two porous regions.

  1. Software package r{sup 3}t. Model for transport and retention in porous media. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fein, E. (ed.)

    2004-07-01

    In long-termsafety analyses for final repositories for hazardous wastes in deep geological formations the impact to the biosphere due to potential release of hazardous materials is assessed for relevant scenarios. The model for migration of wastes from repositories to men is divided into three almost independent parts: the near field, the geosphere, and the biosphere. With the development of r{sup 3}t the feasibility to model the pollutant transport through the geosphere for porous or equivalent porous media in large, three-dimensional, and complex regions is established. Furthermore one has at present the ability to consider all relevant retention and interaction effects which are important for long-term safety analyses. These are equilibrium sorption, kinetically controlled sorption, diffusion into immobile pore waters, and precipitation. The processes of complexing, colloidal transport and matrix diffusion may be considered at least approximately by skilful choice of parameters. Speciation is not part of the very recently developed computer code r{sup 3}t. With r{sup 3}t it is possible to assess the potential dilution and the barrier impact of the overburden close to reality.

  2. Porous hydroxyapatite and biphasic calcium phosphate ceramics promote ectopic osteoblast differentiation from mesenchymal stem cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang Lingli; Fan Hongsong; Zhang Xingdong [National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610064 (China); Hanagata, Nobutaka; Ikoma, Toshiyuki [Biomaterials Center, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Maeda, Megumi; Minowa, Takashi, E-mail: HANAGATA.Nobutaka@nims.go.j [Nanotechnology Innovation Center, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan)

    2009-04-15

    Because calcium phosphate (Ca-P) ceramics have been used as bone substitutes, it is necessary to investigate what effects the ceramics have on osteoblast maturation. We prepared three types of Ca-P ceramics with different Ca-P ratios, i.e. hydroxyapatite (HA), beta-tricalcium phosphate ({beta}-TCP), and biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) ceramics with dense-smooth and porous structures. Comprehensive gene expression microarray analysis of mouse osteoblast-like cells cultured on these ceramics revealed that porous Ca-P ceramics considerably affected the gene expression profiles, having a higher potential for osteoblast maturation. In the in vivo study that followed, porous Ca-P ceramics were implanted into rat skeletal muscle. Sixteen weeks after the implantation, more alkaline-phosphatase-positive cells were observed in the pores of hydroxyapatite and BCP, and the expression of the osteocalcin gene (an osteoblast-specific marker) in tissue grown in pores was also higher in hydroxyapatite and BCP than in {beta}-TCP. In the pores of any Ca-P ceramics, 16 weeks after the implantation, we detected the expressions of marker genes of the early differentiation stage of chondrocytes and the complete differentiation stage of adipocytes, which originate from mesenchymal stem cells, as well as osteoblasts. These marker gene expressions were not observed in the muscle tissue surrounding the implanted Ca-P ceramics. These observations indicate that porous hydroxyapatite and BCP had a greater potential for promoting the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblasts than {beta}-TCP.

  3. Biomimetic Coating on Porous Alumina for Tissue Engineering: Characterisation by Cell Culture and Confocal Microscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabeth Kolos

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available In this study porous alumina samples were prepared and then coated using the biomimetic coating technique using a five times Simulated Body Fluid (5.0SBF as the growth solution. A coating was achieved after pre-treatment with concentrated acid. From elemental analysis, the coating contained calcium and phosphorous, but also sodium and chlorine. Halite was identified by XRD, a sodium chloride phase. Sintering was done to remove the halite phase. Once halite was burnt off, the calcium phosphate crystals were not covered with halite and, therefore, the apatite phases can be clearly observed. Cell culturing showed sufficient cell attachment to the less porous alumina, Sample B, that has more calcium phosphate growth, while the porous alumina, Sample A, with minimal calcium phosphate growth attained very little cell attachment. This is likely due to the contribution that calcium phosphate plays in the attachment of bone-like cells to a bioinert ceramic such as alumina. These results were repeated on both SEM and confocal microscopy analysis. Confocal microscopy was a novel characterisation approach which gave useful information and was a visual aid.

  4. An Equation-Type Approach for the Numerical Solution of the Partial Differential Equations Governing Transport Phenomena in Porous Media

    KAUST Repository

    Sun, Shuyu

    2012-06-02

    A new technique for the numerical solution of the partial differential equations governing transport phenomena in porous media is introduced. In this technique, the governing equations as depicted from the physics of the problem are used without extra manipulations. In other words, there is no need to reduce the number of governing equations by some sort of mathematical manipulations. This technique enables the separation of the physics part of the problem and the solver part, which makes coding more robust and could be used in several other applications with little or no modifications (e.g., multi-phase flow in porous media). In this method, one abandons the need to construct the coefficient matrix for the pressure equation. Alternatively, the coefficients are automatically generated within the solver routine. We show examples of using this technique to solving several flow problems in porous media.

  5. An Equation-Type Approach for the Numerical Solution of the Partial Differential Equations Governing Transport Phenomena in Porous Media

    KAUST Repository

    Sun, Shuyu; Salama, Amgad; El-Amin, Mohamed

    2012-01-01

    A new technique for the numerical solution of the partial differential equations governing transport phenomena in porous media is introduced. In this technique, the governing equations as depicted from the physics of the problem are used without extra manipulations. In other words, there is no need to reduce the number of governing equations by some sort of mathematical manipulations. This technique enables the separation of the physics part of the problem and the solver part, which makes coding more robust and could be used in several other applications with little or no modifications (e.g., multi-phase flow in porous media). In this method, one abandons the need to construct the coefficient matrix for the pressure equation. Alternatively, the coefficients are automatically generated within the solver routine. We show examples of using this technique to solving several flow problems in porous media.

  6. Micropatterned arrays of porous silicon: toward sensory biointerfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flavel, Benjamin S; Sweetman, Martin J; Shearer, Cameron J; Shapter, Joseph G; Voelcker, Nicolas H

    2011-07-01

    We describe the fabrication of arrays of porous silicon spots by means of photolithography where a positive photoresist serves as a mask during the anodization process. In particular, photoluminescent arrays and porous silicon spots suitable for further chemical modification and the attachment of human cells were created. The produced arrays of porous silicon were chemically modified by means of a thermal hydrosilylation reaction that facilitated immobilization of the fluorescent dye lissamine, and alternatively, the cell adhesion peptide arginine-glycine-aspartic acid-serine. The latter modification enabled the selective attachment of human lens epithelial cells on the peptide functionalized regions of the patterns. This type of surface patterning, using etched porous silicon arrays functionalized with biological recognition elements, presents a new format of interfacing porous silicon with mammalian cells. Porous silicon arrays with photoluminescent properties produced by this patterning strategy also have potential applications as platforms for in situ monitoring of cell behavior.

  7. Hybrid Multiscale Finite Volume method for multiresolution simulations of flow and reactive transport in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barajas-Solano, D. A.; Tartakovsky, A. M.

    2017-12-01

    We present a multiresolution method for the numerical simulation of flow and reactive transport in porous, heterogeneous media, based on the hybrid Multiscale Finite Volume (h-MsFV) algorithm. The h-MsFV algorithm allows us to couple high-resolution (fine scale) flow and transport models with lower resolution (coarse) models to locally refine both spatial resolution and transport models. The fine scale problem is decomposed into various "local'' problems solved independently in parallel and coordinated via a "global'' problem. This global problem is then coupled with the coarse model to strictly ensure domain-wide coarse-scale mass conservation. The proposed method provides an alternative to adaptive mesh refinement (AMR), due to its capacity to rapidly refine spatial resolution beyond what's possible with state-of-the-art AMR techniques, and the capability to locally swap transport models. We illustrate our method by applying it to groundwater flow and reactive transport of multiple species.

  8. Statistical model for suspension transport in porous media; Modelo estatistico para o transporte de suspensoes em meios porosos

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Santos, Adriano dos; Barros, Paulo [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil)

    2008-07-01

    An analytical model for transport of particulate suspensions in porous medium is discussed. The model takes microscopic rock characteristics into account and considers that size exclusion is the dominant particle retention mechanism. Analytical solutions for suspended and retained particle concentrations are obtained and the inverse problem is solved, allowing the filtration coefficients determination from experiments. The filtration coefficients for the proposed and the classical deep bed filtration models are calculated from experimental data available in the literature and the results are compared. Finally, it is shown that the proposed model tends to the classical deep bed filtration model when the particle retention probability tends to zero. (author)

  9. Concurrent aggregation and transport of graphene oxide in saturated porous media: Roles of temperature, cation type, and electrolyte concentration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Mei; Gao, Bin; Tang, Deshan; Yu, Congrong

    2018-04-01

    Simultaneous aggregation and retention of nanoparticles can occur during their transport in porous media. In this work, the concurrent aggregation and transport of GO in saturated porous media were investigated under the conditions of different combinations of temperature, cation type (valence), and electrolyte concentration. Increasing temperature (6-24 °C) at a relatively high electrolyte concentration (i.e., 50 mM for Na + , 1 mM for Ca 2+ , 1.75 mM for Mg 2+ , and 0.03 and 0.05 mM for Al 3+ ) resulted in enhanced GO retention in the porous media. For instance, when the temperature increased from 6 to 24 °C, GO recovery rate decreased from 31.08% to 6.53% for 0.03 mM Al 3+ and from 27.11% to 0 for 0.05 mM Al 3+ . At the same temperature, increasing cation valence and electrolyte concentration also promoted GO retention. Although GO aggregation occurred in the electrolytes during the transport, the deposition mechanisms of GO retention in the media depended on cation type (valence). For 50 mM Na + , surface deposition via secondary minima was the dominant GO retention mechanism. For multivalent cation electrolytes, GO aggregation was rapid and thus other mechanisms such as physical straining and sedimentation also played important roles in controlling GO retention in the media. After passing through the columns, the GO particles in the effluents showed better stability with lower initial aggregation rates. This was probably because less stable GO particles with lower surface charge densities in the porewater were filtered by the porous media, resulting in more stable GO particle with higher surface charge densities in the effluents. An advection-dispersion-reaction model was applied to simulate GO breakthrough curves and the simulations matched all the experimental data well. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Anomalous solute transport in saturated porous media: Relating transport model parameters to electrical and nuclear magnetic resonance properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swanson, Ryan D; Binley, Andrew; Keating, Kristina; France, Samantha; Osterman, Gordon; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.; Singha, Kamini

    2015-01-01

    The advection-dispersion equation (ADE) fails to describe commonly observed non-Fickian solute transport in saturated porous media, necessitating the use of other models such as the dual-domain mass-transfer (DDMT) model. DDMT model parameters are commonly calibrated via curve fitting, providing little insight into the relation between effective parameters and physical properties of the medium. There is a clear need for material characterization techniques that can provide insight into the geometry and connectedness of pore spaces related to transport model parameters. Here, we consider proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), direct-current (DC) resistivity, and complex conductivity (CC) measurements for this purpose, and assess these methods using glass beads as a control and two different samples of the zeolite clinoptilolite, a material that demonstrates non-Fickian transport due to intragranular porosity. We estimate DDMT parameters via calibration of a transport model to column-scale solute tracer tests, and compare NMR, DC resistivity, CC results, which reveal that grain size alone does not control transport properties and measured geophysical parameters; rather, volume and arrangement of the pore space play important roles. NMR cannot provide estimates of more-mobile and less-mobile pore volumes in the absence of tracer tests because these estimates depend critically on the selection of a material-dependent and flow-dependent cutoff time. Increased electrical connectedness from DC resistivity measurements are associated with greater mobile pore space determined from transport model calibration. CC was hypothesized to be related to length scales of mass transfer, but the CC response is unrelated to DDMT.

  11. The effect of a concentration-dependent viscosity on particle transport in a channel flow with porous walls

    KAUST Repository

    Herterich, James G.

    2014-02-02

    The transport of a dilute suspension of particles through a channel with porous walls, accounting for the concentration dependence of the viscosity, is analyzed. In particular, we study two cases of fluid permeation through the porous channel walls: (1) at a constant flux and (2) dependent on the pressure drop across the wall. We also consider the effect of mixing the suspension first compared with point injection by considering inlet concentration distributions of different widths. We find that a pessimal inlet distribution width exists that maximizes the required hydrodynamic pressure for a constant fluid influx. The effect of an external hydrodynamic pressure, to compensate for the reduced transmembrane pressure difference due to osmotic pressure, is investigated. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

  12. A new approach to tracer transport analysis: From fracture systems to strongly heterogeneous porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsang, Chin-Fu.

    1989-02-01

    Many current development and utilization of groundwater resources include a study of their flow and transport properties. These properties are needed in evaluating possible changes in groundwater quality and potential transport of hazardous solutes through the groundwater system. Investigation of transport properties of fractured rocks is an active area of research. Most of the current approaches to the study of flow and transport in fractured rocks cannot be easily used for analysis of tracer transport field data. A new approach is proposed based on a detailed study of transport through a fracture of variable aperture. This is a two-dimensional strongly heterogeneous permeable system. It is suggested that tracer breakthrough curves can be analyzed based on an aperture or permeability probability distribution function that characterizes the tracer flow through the fracture. The results are extended to a multi-fracture system and can be equally applied to a strongly heterogeneous porous medium. Finally, the need for multi-point or line and areal tracer injection and observation tests is indicated as a way to avoid the sensitive dependence of point measurements on local permeability variability. 30 refs., 15 figs

  13. Impact of Uncertainty on the Porous Media Description in the Subsurface Transport Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darvini, G.; Salandin, P.

    2008-12-01

    In the modelling of flow and transport phenomena in naturally heterogeneous media, the spatial variability of hydraulic properties, typically the hydraulic conductivity, is generally described by use of a variogram of constant sill and spatial correlation. While some analyses reported in the literature discuss of spatial inhomogeneity related to a trend in the mean hydraulic conductivity, the effect in the flow and transport due to an inexact definition of spatial statistical properties of media as far as we know had never taken into account. The relevance of this topic is manifest, and it is related to the uncertainty in the definition of spatial moments of hydraulic log-conductivity from an (usually) little number of data, as well as to the modelling of flow and transport processes by the Monte Carlo technique, whose numerical fields have poor ergodic properties and are not strictly statistically homogeneous. In this work we investigate the effects related to mean log-conductivity (logK) field behaviours different from the constant one due to different sources of inhomogeneity as: i) a deterministic trend; ii) a deterministic sinusoidal pattern and iii) a random behaviour deriving from the hierarchical sedimentary architecture of porous formations and iv) conditioning procedure on available measurements of the hydraulic conductivity. These mean log-conductivity behaviours are superimposed to a correlated weakly fluctuating logK field. The time evolution of the spatial moments of the plume driven by a statistically inhomogeneous steady state random velocity field is analyzed in a 2-D finite domain by taking into account different sizes of injection area. The problem is approached by both a classical Monte Carlo procedure and SFEM (stochastic finite element method). By the latter the moments are achieved by space-time integration of the velocity field covariance structure derived according to the first- order Taylor series expansion. Two different goals are

  14. Concept on groundwater flow and mass transport through heterogeneous porous media and application to in-situ test analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hatanaka, Koichiro; Umeki, Hiroyuki.

    1995-01-01

    Generally, geological media is modelled as porous or fractured media depending on their characteristics. Since the channels of groundwater flow and the transport paths are determined by the heterogeneity of the geological media, quantitative understanding of the heterogeneity is an important issue for modelling flow and transport processes through them. Therefore, it becomes popular way to develop statistical identification approaches of the heterogeneous field by using data from in-situ test and conduct validation studies of flow and transport models through the field by comparing with observed data. In this report, the theories of the identification approach and the concept on groundwater flow and mass transport are explained briefly and the application to tracer tests conducted at Grimsel test site, Switzerland, are described. (author)

  15. Quantitative characterization of water transport and flooding in the diffusion layers of polymer electrolyte fuel cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Casalegno, A.; Colombo, L.; Galbiati, S.; Marchesi, R. [Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, via Lambruschini 4, 20156 Milano (Italy)

    2010-07-01

    Optimization of water management in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) and in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) is a very important factor for the achievement of high performances and long lifetime. A good hydration of the electrolyte membrane is essential for high proton conductivity; on the contrary water in excess may lead to electrode flooding and severe reduction in performances. Many studies on water transport across the gas diffusion layer (GDL) have been carried out to improve these components; anyway efforts in this field are affected by lack of effective experimental methods. The present work reports an experimental investigation with the purpose to determine the global coefficient of water transport across different diffusion layers under real operating conditions. An appropriate and accurate experimental apparatus has been designed and built to test the single GDL under a wide range of operating conditions. Data analysis has allowed quantification of both the water vapor transport across different diffusion layers, and the effects of micro-porous layers; furthermore flooding onset and its consequences on the mass transport coefficient have been characterized by means of suitably defined parameters. (author)

  16. Analysis on the moment method for determining the moisture transport properties in porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, B.X.; Fang, Z.H.

    1987-01-01

    The authors discuss a new unsteady-state method proposed for determining the moisture transport properties in wet porous media. It is based on measurement of the change in moment of gravity caused by the moisture migration. In addition to its high-speed performance, this method may get rid of the difficulty in determination of a changing moisture content or moisture distribution. On this basis, two particular procedures are contrived: a constant heat source method for determining the thermal mass diffusivity and an instantaneous moisture source method for determining the moisture diffusivity

  17. P type porous silicon resistivity and carrier transport

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ménard, S.; Fèvre, A.; Billoué, J.; Gautier, G.

    2015-01-01

    The resistivity of p type porous silicon (PS) is reported on a wide range of PS physical properties. Al/PS/Si/Al structures were used and a rigorous experimental protocol was followed. The PS porosity (P % ) was found to be the major contributor to the PS resistivity (ρ PS ). ρ PS increases exponentially with P % . Values of ρ PS as high as 1 × 10 9 Ω cm at room temperature were obtained once P % exceeds 60%. ρ PS was found to be thermally activated, in particular, when the temperature increases from 30 to 200 °C, a decrease of three decades is observed on ρ PS . Based on these results, it was also possible to deduce the carrier transport mechanisms in PS. For P % lower than 45%, the conduction occurs through band tails and deep levels in the tissue surrounding the crystallites. When P % overpasses 45%, electrons at energy levels close to the Fermi level allow a hopping conduction from crystallite to crystallite to appear. This study confirms the potential of PS as an insulating material for applications such as power electronic devices

  18. Porous matrix structures for alkaline electrolyte fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vine, R. W.; Narsavage, S. T.

    1975-01-01

    A number of advancements have been realized by a continuing research program to develop higher chemically stable porous matrix structures with high bubble pressure (crossover resistance) for use as separators in potassium hydroxide electrolyte fuel cells. More uniform, higher-bubble-pressure asbestos matrices were produced by reconstituting Johns-Manville asbestos paper; Fybex potassium titanate which was found compatible with 42% KOH at 250 F for up to 3000 hr; good agreement was found between bubble pressures predicted by an analytical study and those measured with filtered structures; Teflon-bonded Fybex matrices with bubble pressures greater than 30 psi were obtained by filtering a water slurry of the mixture directly onto fuel cell electrodes; and PBI fibers have satisfactory compatibility with 42% KOH at 250 F.

  19. Stencil method: a Markov model for transport in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delgoshaie, A. H.; Tchelepi, H.; Jenny, P.

    2016-12-01

    In porous media the transport of fluid is dominated by flow-field heterogeneity resulting from the underlying transmissibility field. Since the transmissibility is highly uncertain, many realizations of a geological model are used to describe the statistics of the transport phenomena in a Monte Carlo framework. One possible way to avoid the high computational cost of physics-based Monte Carlo simulations is to model the velocity field as a Markov process and use Markov Chain Monte Carlo. In previous works multiple Markov models for discrete velocity processes have been proposed. These models can be divided into two general classes of Markov models in time and Markov models in space. Both of these choices have been shown to be effective to some extent. However some studies have suggested that the Markov property cannot be confirmed for a temporal Markov process; Therefore there is not a consensus about the validity and value of Markov models in time. Moreover, previous spacial Markov models have only been used for modeling transport on structured networks and can not be readily applied to model transport in unstructured networks. In this work we propose a novel approach for constructing a Markov model in time (stencil method) for a discrete velocity process. The results form the stencil method are compared to previously proposed spacial Markov models for structured networks. The stencil method is also applied to unstructured networks and can successfully describe the dispersion of particles in this setting. Our conclusion is that both temporal Markov models and spacial Markov models for discrete velocity processes can be valid for a range of model parameters. Moreover, we show that the stencil model can be more efficient in many practical settings and is suited to model dispersion both on structured and unstructured networks.

  20. VS2DRTI: Simulating Heat and Reactive Solute Transport in Variably Saturated Porous Media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Healy, Richard W; Haile, Sosina S; Parkhurst, David L; Charlton, Scott R

    2018-01-29

    Variably saturated groundwater flow, heat transport, and solute transport are important processes in environmental phenomena, such as the natural evolution of water chemistry of aquifers and streams, the storage of radioactive waste in a geologic repository, the contamination of water resources from acid-rock drainage, and the geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide. Up to now, our ability to simulate these processes simultaneously with fully coupled reactive transport models has been limited to complex and often difficult-to-use models. To address the need for a simple and easy-to-use model, the VS2DRTI software package has been developed for simulating water flow, heat transport, and reactive solute transport through variably saturated porous media. The underlying numerical model, VS2DRT, was created by coupling the flow and transport capabilities of the VS2DT and VS2DH models with the equilibrium and kinetic reaction capabilities of PhreeqcRM. Flow capabilities include two-dimensional, constant-density, variably saturated flow; transport capabilities include both heat and multicomponent solute transport; and the reaction capabilities are a complete implementation of geochemical reactions of PHREEQC. The graphical user interface includes a preprocessor for building simulations and a postprocessor for visual display of simulation results. To demonstrate the simulation of multiple processes, the model is applied to a hypothetical example of injection of heated waste water to an aquifer with temperature-dependent cation exchange. VS2DRTI is freely available public domain software. © 2018, National Ground Water Association.

  1. The kinetics of porous insertion electrodes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Atlung, S; West, K [British Columbia Univ., Vancouver (Canada)

    1989-05-01

    The principles of porous electrodes are discussed as well as the discharge of the insertion compound, the working potential, transport in the electrolyte, the time dependence of the electrolyte concentration, and modeling of the porous electrode. The simulation of a TiS2 porous electrode and the composite insertion electrode are considered as well. The influence of electrode thickness and porosity in a typical porous TiS2 electrode is revealed. It is shown that the use of insertion compounds as battery electrodes is limited by the requirement that the inserted ion must be distributed in the interior of the insertion compound particle. 15 refs.

  2. Upscaling of Large-Scale Transport in Spatially Heterogeneous Porous Media Using Wavelet Transformation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moslehi, M.; de Barros, F.; Ebrahimi, F.; Sahimi, M.

    2015-12-01

    Modeling flow and solute transport in large-scale heterogeneous porous media involves substantial computational burdens. A common approach to alleviate this complexity is to utilize upscaling methods. These processes generate upscaled models with less complexity while attempting to preserve the hydrogeological properties comparable to the original fine-scale model. We use Wavelet Transformations (WT) of the spatial distribution of aquifer's property to upscale the hydrogeological models and consequently transport processes. In particular, we apply the technique to a porous formation with broadly distributed and correlated transmissivity to verify the performance of the WT. First, transmissivity fields are coarsened using WT in such a way that the high transmissivity zones, in which more important information is embedded, mostly remain the same, while the low transmissivity zones are averaged out since they contain less information about the hydrogeological formation. Next, flow and non-reactive transport are simulated in both fine-scale and upscaled models to predict both the concentration breakthrough curves at a control location and the large-scale spreading of the plume around its centroid. The results reveal that the WT of the fields generates non-uniform grids with an average of 2.1% of the number of grid blocks in the original fine-scale models, which eventually leads to a significant reduction in the computational costs. We show that the upscaled model obtained through the WT reconstructs the concentration breakthrough curves and the spreading of the plume at different times accurately. Furthermore, the impacts of the Hurst coefficient, size of the flow domain and the orders of magnitude difference in transmissivity values on the results have been investigated. It is observed that as the heterogeneity and the size of the domain increase, better agreement between the results of fine-scale and upscaled models can be achieved. Having this framework at hand aids

  3. Nanostructured porous silicon: The winding road from photonics to cell scaffolds. A review.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacobo eHernandez-Montelongo

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available For over 20 years nanostructured porous silicon (nanoPS has found a vast number of applications in the broad fields of photonics and optoelectronics, triggered by the discovery of its photoluminescent behavior in 1990. Besides, its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and bioresorbability make porous silicon (PSi an appealing biomaterial. These properties are largely a consequence of its particular susceptibility to oxidation, leading to the formation of silicon oxide which is readily dissolved by body fluids. This paper reviews the evolution of the applications of PSi and nanoPS from photonics through biophotonics, to their use as cell scaffolds, whether as an implantable substitute biomaterial, mainly for bony and ophthalmological tissues, or as an in-vitro cell conditioning support, especially for pluripotent cells. For any of these applications, PSi/nanoPS can be used directly after synthesis from Si wafers, upon appropriate surface modification processes, or as a composite biomaterial. Unedited studies of fluorescently active PSi structures for cell culture are brought to evidence the margin for new developments.

  4. Cation-Inhibited Transport of Graphene Oxide Nanomaterials in Saturated Porous Media: The Hofmeister Effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Tianjiao; Qi, Yu; Liu, Jing; Qi, Zhichong; Chen, Wei; Wiesner, Mark R

    2017-01-17

    Transport of negatively charged nanoparticles in porous media is largely affected by cations. To date, little is known about how cations of the same valence may affect nanoparticle transport differently. We observed that the effects of cations on the transport of graphene oxide (GO) and sulfide-reduced GO (RGO) in saturated quartz sand obeyed the Hofmeister series; that is, transport-inhibition effects of alkali metal ions followed the order of Na + cations having large ionic radii (and thus being weakly hydrated) interacted with quartz sand and GO and RGO more strongly than did cations of small ionic radii. In particular, the monovalent Cs + and divalent Ca 2+ and Ba 2+ , which can form inner-sphere complexes, resulted in very significant deposition of GO and RGO via cation bridging between quartz sand and GO and RGO, and possibly via enhanced straining, due to the enhanced aggregation of GO and RGO from cation bridging. The existence of the Hofmeister effects was further corroborated with the interesting observation that cation bridging was more significant for RGO, which contained greater amounts of carboxyl and phenolic groups (i.e., metal-complexing moieties) than did GO. The findings further demonstrate that transport of nanoparticles is controlled by the complex interplay between nanoparticle surface functionalities and solution chemistry constituents.

  5. Numerical simulation of two-phase multicomponent flow with reactive transport in porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vostrikov, Viatcheslav

    2014-01-01

    The subject of this thesis is the numerical simulation of water-gas flow in the subsurface together with chemical reactions. The subject has applications to various situations in environmental modeling, though we are mainly concerned with CO 2 storage in deep saline aquifers. In Carbon Capture and Storage studies, CO 2 is first captured from its sources of origin, transport in liquefied form and injected as gas under high pressure in deep saline aquifers. Numerical simulation is an essential tool to make sure that gaseous CO 2 will remain trapped for several hundreds or thousands of years. Several trapping mechanisms can be brought to bear to achieve this goal. Of particular interest in this thesis are solubility trapping (whereby gaseous CO 2 dissolves in the brine as it moves upward) and, on a longer term, mineral trapping (which causes CO 2 to react with the surrounding rock to form minerals such as calcite). Thus, understanding how CO 2 reacts chemically becomes an important issue for its long term fate. The thesis is composed of four chapters. The first chapter is an introduction to multicomponent two-phase flow in porous media, with or without chemical reactions. It presents a review of the existing literature, and gives an outline of the whole thesis. Chapter 2 presents a quantitative discussion of the physical and chemical phenomena involved, and of their mathematical modeling. The model we use is that of two-phase two-component flow in porous media, coupled to reactive transport. This model leads to a large set of partial differential equations, coupled to algebraic equations, describing the evolution of the concentration of each species at each grid point. A direct solution of this problem (a fully coupled solution) is possible, but presents many difficulties form the numerical point of view. Moreover, it makes it difficult to reuse codes already written, and validated, to simulate the simpler phenomena of (uncoupled) two-phase flow and reactive transport

  6. Effects of anodizing parameters and heat treatment on nanotopographical features, bioactivity, and cell culture response of additively manufactured porous titanium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Amin Yavari, S., E-mail: s.aminyavari@tudelft.nl [Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime, and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD Delft (Netherlands); Chai, Y.C. [Prometheus, Division of Skeletal Tissue Engineering, Bus 813, O& N1, Herestraat 49, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven (Belgium); Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Skeletal Biology and Engineering Research Center, Bus 813, O& N1, Herestraat 49, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven (Belgium); Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Böttger, A.J. [Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime, and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD Delft (Netherlands); Wauthle, R. [KU Leuven, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Section Production Engineering, Machine Design and Automation (PMA), Celestijnenlaan 300B, 3001 Leuven (Belgium); 3D Systems — LayerWise NV, Grauwmeer 14, 3001 Leuven (Belgium); Schrooten, J. [Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 44 — PB2450, B-3001 Heverlee (Belgium); Weinans, H. [Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime, and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD Delft (Netherlands); Department of Orthopedics and Dept. Rheumatology, UMC Utrecht, Heidelberglaan100, 3584CX Utrecht (Netherlands); Zadpoor, A.A. [Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime, and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD Delft (Netherlands)

    2015-06-01

    Anodizing could be used for bio-functionalization of the surfaces of titanium alloys. In this study, we use anodizing for creating nanotubes on the surface of porous titanium alloy bone substitutes manufactured using selective laser melting. Different sets of anodizing parameters (voltage: 10 or 20 V anodizing time: 30 min to 3 h) are used for anodizing porous titanium structures that were later heat treated at 500 °C. The nanotopographical features are examined using electron microscopy while the bioactivity of anodized surfaces is measured using immersion tests in the simulated body fluid (SBF). Moreover, the effects of anodizing and heat treatment on the performance of one representative anodized porous titanium structures are evaluated using in vitro cell culture assays using human periosteum-derived cells (hPDCs). It has been shown that while anodizing with different anodizing parameters results in very different nanotopographical features, i.e. nanotubes in the range of 20 to 55 nm, anodized surfaces have limited apatite-forming ability regardless of the applied anodizing parameters. The results of in vitro cell culture show that both anodizing, and thus generation of regular nanotopographical feature, and heat treatment improve the cell culture response of porous titanium. In particular, cell proliferation measured using metabolic activity and DNA content was improved for anodized and heat treated as well as for anodized but not heat-treated specimens. Heat treatment additionally improved the cell attachment of porous titanium surfaces and upregulated expression of osteogenic markers. Anodized but not heat-treated specimens showed some limited signs of upregulated expression of osteogenic markers. In conclusion, while varying the anodizing parameters creates different nanotube structure, it does not improve apatite-forming ability of porous titanium. However, both anodizing and heat treatment at 500 °C improve the cell culture response of porous titanium

  7. Colloid transport in saturated porous media: Elimination of attachment efficiency in a new colloid transport model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landkamer, Lee L.; Harvey, Ronald W.; Scheibe, Timothy D.; Ryan, Joseph N.

    2013-01-01

    A colloid transport model is introduced that is conceptually simple yet captures the essential features of colloid transport and retention in saturated porous media when colloid retention is dominated by the secondary minimum because an electrostatic barrier inhibits substantial deposition in the primary minimum. This model is based on conventional colloid filtration theory (CFT) but eliminates the empirical concept of attachment efficiency. The colloid deposition rate is computed directly from CFT by assuming all predicted interceptions of colloids by collectors result in at least temporary deposition in the secondary minimum. Also, a new paradigm for colloid re-entrainment based on colloid population heterogeneity is introduced. To accomplish this, the initial colloid population is divided into two fractions. One fraction, by virtue of physiochemical characteristics (e.g., size and charge), will always be re-entrained after capture in a secondary minimum. The remaining fraction of colloids, again as a result of physiochemical characteristics, will be retained “irreversibly” when captured by a secondary minimum. Assuming the dispersion coefficient can be estimated from tracer behavior, this model has only two fitting parameters: (1) the fraction of the initial colloid population that will be retained “irreversibly” upon interception by a secondary minimum, and (2) the rate at which reversibly retained colloids leave the secondary minimum. These two parameters were correlated to the depth of the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) secondary energy minimum and pore-water velocity, two physical forces that influence colloid transport. Given this correlation, the model serves as a heuristic tool for exploring the influence of physical parameters such as surface potential and fluid velocity on colloid transport.

  8. Spontaneous and Directional Bubble Transport on Porous Copper Wires with Complex Shapes in Aqueous Media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Wenjing; Zhang, Jingjing; Xue, Zhongxin; Wang, Jingming; Jiang, Lei

    2018-01-24

    Manipulation of gas bubble behaviors is crucial for gas bubble-related applications. Generally, the manipulation of gas bubble behaviors generally takes advantage of their buoyancy force. It is very difficult to control the transportation of gas bubbles in a specific direction. Several approaches have been developed to collect and transport bubbles in aqueous media; however, most reliable and effective manipulation of gas bubbles in aqueous media occurs on the interfaces with simple shapes (i.e., cylinder and cone shapes). Reliable strategies for spontaneous and directional transport of gas bubbles on interfaces with complex shapes remain enormously challenging. Herein, a type of 3D gradient porous network was constructed on copper wire interfaces, with rectangle, wave, and helix shapes. The superhydrophobic copper wires were immersed in water, and continuous and stable gas films then formed on the interfaces. With the assistance of the Laplace pressure gradient between two bubbles, gas bubbles (including microscopic gas bubbles) in the aqueous media were subsequently transported, continuously and directionally, on the copper wires with complex shapes. The small gas bubbles always moved to the larger ones.

  9. Simulating microtransport in realistic porous media

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lopez Penha, D.J.

    2012-01-01

    Simulations in porous media widely adopt macroscopic models of transport phenomena. These models are computationally efficient as not all geometrical details at the pore scale are accounted for. Generally, these models require closure relations for effective transport parameters, where the

  10. The effect of inhomogeneous compression on water transport in the cathode of a PEM fuel cell

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olesen, Anders Christian; Berning, Torsten; Kær, Søren Knudsen

    2011-01-01

    layer, micro-porous layer and catalyst layer, excluding the membrane and anode. In the porous media liquid water transport is described by the capillary pressure gradient, momentum loss via the Darcy-Forchheimer equation and mass transfer between phases by a non-equilibrium phase change model...

  11. 3D porous chitosan scaffolds suit survival and neural differentiation of dental pulp stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Xingmei; Lu, Xiaohui; Huang, Dan; Xing, Jing; Feng, Guijuan; Jin, Guohua; Yi, Xin; Li, Liren; Lu, Yuanzhou; Nie, Dekang; Chen, Xiang; Zhang, Lei; Gu, Zhifeng; Zhang, Xinhua

    2014-08-01

    A key aspect of cell replacement therapy in brain injury treatment is construction of a suitable biomaterial scaffold that can effectively carry and transport the therapeutic cells to the target area. In the present study, we created small 3D porous chitosan scaffolds through freeze-drying, and showed that these can support and enhance the differentiation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) to nerve cells in vitro. The DPSCs were collected from the dental pulp of adult human third molars. At a swelling rate of ~84.33 ± 10.92 %, the scaffold displayed high porosity and interconnectivity of pores, as revealed by SEM. Cell counting kit-8 assay established the biocompatibility of the chitosan scaffold, supporting the growth and survival of DPSCs. The successful neural differentiation of DPSCs was assayed by RT-PCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence. We found that the scaffold-attached DPSCs showed high expression of Nestin that decreased sharply following induction of differentiation. Exposure to the differentiation media also increased the expression of neural molecular markers Microtubule-associated protein 2, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase. This study demonstrates that the granular 3D chitosan scaffolds are non-cytotoxic, biocompatible, and provide a conducive and favorable micro-environment for attachment, survival, and neural differentiation of DPSCs. These scaffolds have enormous potential to facilitate future advances in treatment of brain injury.

  12. Mechanical behavior of regular open-cell porous biomaterials made of diamond lattice unit cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmadi, S M; Campoli, G; Amin Yavari, S; Sajadi, B; Wauthle, R; Schrooten, J; Weinans, H; Zadpoor, A A

    2014-06-01

    Cellular structures with highly controlled micro-architectures are promising materials for orthopedic applications that require bone-substituting biomaterials or implants. The availability of additive manufacturing techniques has enabled manufacturing of biomaterials made of one or multiple types of unit cells. The diamond lattice unit cell is one of the relatively new types of unit cells that are used in manufacturing of regular porous biomaterials. As opposed to many other types of unit cells, there is currently no analytical solution that could be used for prediction of the mechanical properties of cellular structures made of the diamond lattice unit cells. In this paper, we present new analytical solutions and closed-form relationships for predicting the elastic modulus, Poisson׳s ratio, critical buckling load, and yield (plateau) stress of cellular structures made of the diamond lattice unit cell. The mechanical properties predicted using the analytical solutions are compared with those obtained using finite element models. A number of solid and porous titanium (Ti6Al4V) specimens were manufactured using selective laser melting. A series of experiments were then performed to determine the mechanical properties of the matrix material and cellular structures. The experimentally measured mechanical properties were compared with those obtained using analytical solutions and finite element (FE) models. It has been shown that, for small apparent density values, the mechanical properties obtained using analytical and numerical solutions are in agreement with each other and with experimental observations. The properties estimated using an analytical solution based on the Euler-Bernoulli theory markedly deviated from experimental results for large apparent density values. The mechanical properties estimated using FE models and another analytical solution based on the Timoshenko beam theory better matched the experimental observations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd

  13. Current-voltage characteristics of porous-silicon structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diligenti, A.; Nannini, A.; Pennelli, G.; Pieri, F.; Fuso, F.; Allegrini, M.

    1996-01-01

    I-V DC characteristics have been measured on metal/porous-silicon structures. In particular, the measurements on metal/free-standing porous-silicon film/metal devices confirmed the result, already obtained, that the metal/porous-silicon interface plays a crucial role in the transport of any device. Four-contacts measurements on free-standing layers showed that the current linearly depends on the voltage and that the conduction process is thermally activated, the activation energy depending on the porous silicon film production parameters. Finally, annealing experiments performed in order to improve the conduction of rectifying contacts, are described

  14. Ultra-fine Pt nanoparticles on graphene aerogel as a porous electrode with high stability for microfluidic methanol fuel cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwok, Y. H.; Tsang, Alpha C. H.; Wang, Yifei; Leung, Dennis Y. C.

    2017-05-01

    Platinum-decorated graphene aerogel as a porous electrode for flow-through direct methanol microfluidic fuel cell is introduced. Ultra-fine platinum nanoparticles with size ranged from diameter 1.5 nm-3 nm are evenly anchored on the graphene nanosheets without agglomeration. The electrode is characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Catalytic activity is confirmed by cyclic voltammetry. The electroactive surface area and catalytic activity of platinum on graphene oxide (Pt/GO) are much larger than commercial platinum on carbon black (Pt/C). A counterflow microfluidic fuel cell is designed for contrasting the cell performance between flow-over type and flow-through type electrodes using Pt/C on carbon paper and Pt/GO, respectively. The Pt/GO electrode shows 358% increment in specific power compared with Pt/C anode. Apart from catalytic activity, the effect of porous electrode conductivity to cell performance is also studied. The conductivity of the porous electrode should be further enhanced to achieve higher cell performance.

  15. Platinum Porous Electrodes for Fuel Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Shuang Ma

    Fuel cell energy bears the merits of renewability, cleanness and high efficiency. Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) is one of the most promising candidates as the power source in the near future. A fine management of different transports and electrochemical reactions in PEM fuel cells...... to a genuine picture of a working PEM fuel cell catalyst layer. These, in turn, enrich the knowledge of Three-Phase-Boundary, provide efficient tool for the electrode selection and eventually will contribute the advancement of PEMFC technology....

  16. Transport and Retention of Carboxymethylcellulose-Modified Carbon Nanotube-Magnetite Nanohybrids in Water-Saturated Porous Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, D.; Su, C.

    2017-12-01

    Carbon-metal oxide nanohybrids (NHs) are increasingly recognized as the next-generation, promising group of nanomaterials for solving emerging environmental issues and challenges. This research, for the first time, systematically explored the transport and retention of the multifunctional carbon nanotube-magnetite (CNT-Fe3O4) NHs in water-saturated porous media under environmentally relevant physicochemical conditions. An environment-benign macromolecule, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), was employed to stabilize the NHs. Classical Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory and colloid transport model were used to describe the transport and retention of the NHs. Our results showed that transport of the magnetic CNT-Fe3O4 NHs was lower than that of the parent CNT due to greater aggregation (induced by magnetic attraction) during transport. The DLVO theory well-interpreted the NHs' transport; and secondary minimum played dominant roles in NHs' retention. A novel transport feature, an initial low and following sharp peaks occurred frequently in the NHs' breakthrough curves; and the magnitude and location of both transport peaks varied with different experimental conditions due to the interplay between variability of the fluid viscosity and aggregation-dispersion nature of the NHs. Very promisingly, the estimated maximum transport distance of NHs using the Tufenkji-Elimelech equation ranged between 0.38-46 m, supporting the feasibility of employing the magnetically recyclable CNT-Fe3O4 NHs for in-situ nanoremediation of contaminated soils, sediment aquifers, and groundwater.

  17. Diffuse charge and Faradaic reactions in porous electrodes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Biesheuvel, P.M.; Yu, F.; Bazant, M.Z.

    2011-01-01

    Porous electrodes instead of flat electrodes are widely used in electrochemical systems to boost storage capacities for ions and electrons, to improve the transport of mass and charge, and to enhance reaction rates. Existing porous electrode theories make a number of simplifying assumptions: (i) The

  18. Modeling contaminant transport in porous media in relation to nuclear-waste disposal: a review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grove, D.B.; Kipp, K.L.

    1980-01-01

    The modeling of solute transport in saturated porous media is reviewed as it is applied to the movement of radioactive waste in the subsurface. Those processes, both physical and chemical, that affect radionuclide movement are discussed and the references that best illustrate these processes listed. Movement is separated into convection, convection-dispersion, and convection-dispersion and chemical reactions. Solutions of equations describing such movement are divided into one-, two-, and three-dimensional analytical and numerical examples. Discussions of recent work in the area of stochastic modeling are followed by discussions of applications of the models to selected field sites

  19. Nano-hydroxyapatite colloid suspension coated on chemically modified porous silicon by cathodic bias: a suitable surface for cell culture

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanchez, Alejandra [Escuela de Quimica, Universidad de Costa Rica, 2060 (Costa Rica); Centro de Electroquimica y Energia Quimica de la Universidad de Costa Rica (CELEQ), Universidad de Costa Rica, 2060 (Costa Rica); Gonzalez, Jerson [Escuela de Quimica, Universidad de Costa Rica, 2060 (Costa Rica); Garcia-Pineres, Alfonso [Escuela de Quimica, Universidad de Costa Rica, 2060 (Costa Rica); Centro de Investigacion en Biologia Celular y Molecular (CIBCM), Universidad de Costa Rica, 2060 (Costa Rica); Montero, Mavis L. [Escuela de Quimica, Universidad de Costa Rica, 2060 (Costa Rica); Centro de Electroquimica y Energia Quimica de la Universidad de Costa Rica (CELEQ), Universidad de Costa Rica, 2060 (Costa Rica); Centro de Ciencia e Ingenieria en Materiales (CICIMA), Universidad de Costa Rica, 2060 (Costa Rica)

    2011-06-15

    The properties of porous silicon make it an interesting material for biological applications. However, porous silicon is not an appropriate surface for cell growth. Surface modification is an alternative that could afford a bioactive material. In this work, we report a method to yield materials by modification of the porous silicon surface with hydroxyapatite of nanometric dimensions, produced using an electrochemical process and coated on macroporous silicon substrates by cathodic bias. The chemical nature of the calcium phosphate deposited on the substrates after the experimental process and the amount of cell growth on these surfaces were characterized. (copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  20. Coulombic interactions and multicomponent ionic dispersion during transport of charged species in heterogeneous porous media

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Muniruzzaman, Muhammad; Rolle, Massimo

    Electrochemical cross-coupling plays a significant role for transport of charged species in porous media [1, 2]. In this study we performed flow-through experiments in a quasi two-dimensional setup using dilute solutions of strong electrolytes to study the influence of charge interactions on mass...... occurred. To quantitatively interpret the outcomes of our laboratory experiments in the spatially variable flow fields we developed a two dimensional numerical model based on a multicomponent formulation, on charge conservation and on the accurate description of transverse dispersion. The results...... of the multicomponent transport simulations were compared with the high-resolution (5 mm spacing) concentration measurements of the ionic species at the outlet of the flow-through domain. The excellent agreement between the measured concentrations and the results of purely forward numerical simulations demonstrates...

  1. Effects of nonequilibrium adsorption on nuclide transport in a porous rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shi-Ping Teng; Ching-Hor Lee

    1994-01-01

    An analytical solution covering the entire range of adsorption properties of rock has been derived for the migration of radionuclide in a porous rock matrix. The analysis takes into account the advective transport, hydrodynamic dispersion, adsorption between solid phase and liquid phase, and the radioactive decay. For adsorption of nuclide within the rock, the effects of no adsorption, linear nonequilibrium adsorption, and linear equilibrium adsorption are integrated into a generic transient analytical solution. The results indicate that the assumption of equilibrium adsorption can result in underestimation of the concentration profile in the early stages of migration. However, both the equilibrium and nonequilibrium profiles eventually approach the same value. It is also noted that for the case of nonequilibrium adsorption, plateaus appear in the concentration profile of the breakthrough curves. The effects of different adsorption rates are also analyzed

  2. Natural convection in superposed fluid-porous layers

    CERN Document Server

    Bagchi, Aniruddha

    2013-01-01

    Natural Convection in Composite Fluid-Porous Domains provides a timely overview of the current state of understanding on the phenomenon of convection in composite fluid-porous layers. Natural convection in horizontal fluid-porous layers has received renewed attention because of engineering problems such as post-accident cooling of nuclear reactors, contaminant transport in groundwater, and convection in fibrous insulation systems. Because applications of the problem span many scientific domains, the book serves as a valuable resource for a wide audience.

  3. Interdisciplinary Research to Elucidate Mechanisms Governing Silver Nanoparticle Fate and Transport in Porous Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pennell, K. D.; Mittleman, A.; Taghavy, A.; Fortner, J.; Lantagne, D.; Abriola, L. M.

    2015-12-01

    Interdisciplinary Research to Elucidate Mechanisms Governing Silver Nanoparticle Fate and Transport in Porous Media Anjuliee M. Mittelman, Amir Taghavy, Yonggang Wang, John D. Fortner, Daniele S. Lantagne, Linda M. Abriola and Kurt D. Pennell* Detailed knowledge of the processes governing nanoparticle transport and reactivity in porous media is essential for accurate predictions of environmental fate, water and wastewater treatment system performance, and assessment of potential risks to ecosystems and water supplies. To address these issues, an interdisciplinary research team combined experimental and mathematical modeling studies to investigate the mobility, dissolution, and aging of silver nanoparticles (nAg) in representative aquifer materials and ceramic filters. Results of one-dimensional column studies, conducted with water-saturated sands maintained at pH 4 or 7 and three levels of dissolved oxygen (DO), revealed that fraction of silver mass eluted as Ag+ increased with increasing DO level, and that the dissolution of attached nAg decreased over time as a result of surface oxidation. A hybrid Eulerain-Lagragian nanoparticle transport model, which incorporates DO-dependent dissolution kinetics and particle aging, was able to accurately simulate nAg mobility and Ag+ release measured in the column experiments. Model sensitivity analysis indicated that as the flow velocity and particle size decrease, nAg dissolution and Ag+ transport processes increasingly govern silver mobility. Consistent results were obtained in studies of ceramic water filters treated with nAg, where silver elution was shown to be governed by nAg dissolution to form Ag+ and subsequent cation exchange reactions. Recent studies explored the effects of surface coating aging on nAg aggregation, mobility and dissolution. Following ultraviolet light, nAg retention in water saturated sand increased by 25-50%, while up to 50% of the applied mass eluted as Ag+ compared to less than 1% for un-aged n

  4. Internal Domains of Natural Porous Media Revealed: Critical Locations for Transport, Storage, and Chemical Reaction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zachara, John M.; Brantley, Susan L.; Chorover, Jon D.; Ewing, Robert P.; Kerisit, Sebastien N.; Liu, Chongxuan; Perfect, E.; Rother, Gernot; Stack, Andrew G.

    2016-03-16

    Internal pore domains exist within rocks, lithic fragments, subsurface sediments and soil aggregates. These domains, which we term internal domains in porous media (IDPM), contain a significant fraction of their porosity as nanopores, dominate the reactive surface area of diverse porous media types, and are important locations for chemical reactivity and hydrocarbon storage. Traditionally difficult to interrogate, advances in instrumentation and imaging methods are providing new insights on the physical structures and chemical attributes of IDPM. In this review we: discuss analytical methods to characterize IDPM, evaluate what has been learned about their size distributions, connectivity, and extended structures; determine whether they exhibit unique chemical reactivity; and assess potential for their inclusion in reactive transport models. Three key findings are noteworthy. 1) A combination of methods now allows complete characterization of the porosity spectrum of natural materials and its connectivity; while imaging microscopies are providing three dimensional representations of the interconnected pore network. 2) Chemical reactivity in pores <10 nm is expected to be different from micro and macropores, yet research performed to date is inconclusive on the nature, direction, and magnitude of effect. 3) Existing continuum reactive transport models treat IDPM as a sub-grid feature with average, empirical, scale-dependent parameters; and are not formulated to include detailed information on pore networks. Overall we find that IDPM are key features controlling hydrocarbon release from shales in hydrofracking systems, organic matter stabilization and recalcitrance in soil, weathering and soil formation, and long term inorganic and organic contaminant behavior in the vadose zone and groundwater. We conclude with an assessment of impactful research opportunities to advance understanding of IDPM, and to incorporate their important effects in reactive transport models

  5. On the validity of effective formulations for transport through heterogeneous porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Dreuzy, Jean-Raynald; Carrera, Jesus

    2016-04-01

    Geological heterogeneity enhances spreading of solutes and causes transport to be anomalous (i.e., non-Fickian), with much less mixing than suggested by dispersion. This implies that modeling transport requires adopting either stochastic approaches that model heterogeneity explicitly or effective transport formulations that acknowledge the effects of heterogeneity. A number of such formulations have been developed and tested as upscaled representations of enhanced spreading. However, their ability to represent mixing has not been formally tested, which is required for proper reproduction of chemical reactions and which motivates our work. We propose that, for an effective transport formulation to be considered a valid representation of transport through heterogeneous porous media (HPM), it should honor mean advection, mixing and spreading. It should also be flexible enough to be applicable to real problems. We test the capacity of the multi-rate mass transfer (MRMT) model to reproduce mixing observed in HPM, as represented by the classical multi-Gaussian log-permeability field with a Gaussian correlation pattern. Non-dispersive mixing comes from heterogeneity structures in the concentration fields that are not captured by macrodispersion. These fine structures limit mixing initially, but eventually enhance it. Numerical results show that, relative to HPM, MRMT models display a much stronger memory of initial conditions on mixing than on dispersion because of the sensitivity of the mixing state to the actual values of concentration. Because MRMT does not restitute the local concentration structures, it induces smaller non-dispersive mixing than HPM. However long-lived trapping in the immobile zones may sustain the deviation from dispersive mixing over much longer times. While spreading can be well captured by MRMT models, in general non-dispersive mixing cannot.

  6. Pores-scale hydrodynamics in a progressively bio-clogged three-dimensional porous medium: 3D particle tracking experiments and stochastic transport modelling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morales, V. L.; Carrel, M.; Dentz, M.; Derlon, N.; Morgenroth, E.; Holzner, M.

    2017-12-01

    Biofilms are ubiquitous bacterial communities growing in various porous media including soils, trickling and sand filters and are relevant for applications such as the degradation of pollutants for bioremediation, waste water or drinking water production purposes. By their development, biofilms dynamically change the structure of porous media, increasing the heterogeneity of the pore network and the non-Fickian or anomalous dispersion. In this work, we use an experimental approach to investigate the influence of biofilm growth on pore scale hydrodynamics and transport processes and propose a correlated continuous time random walk model capturing these observations. We perform three-dimensional particle tracking velocimetry at four different time points from 0 to 48 hours of biofilm growth. The biofilm growth notably impacts pore-scale hydrodynamics, as shown by strong increase of the average velocity and in tailing of Lagrangian velocity probability density functions. Additionally, the spatial correlation length of the flow increases substantially. This points at the formation of preferential flow pathways and stagnation zones, which ultimately leads to an increase of anomalous transport in the porous media considered, characterized by non-Fickian scaling of mean-squared displacements and non-Gaussian distributions of the displacement probability density functions. A gamma distribution provides a remarkable approximation of the bulk and the high tail of the Lagrangian pore-scale velocity magnitude, indicating a transition from a parallel pore arrangement towards a more serial one. Finally, a correlated continuous time random walk based on a stochastic relation velocity model accurately reproduces the observations and could be used to predict transport beyond the time scales accessible to the experiment.

  7. Multiscale Adapted Time-Splitting Technique for Nonisothermal Two-Phase Flow and Nanoparticles Transport in Heterogenous Porous Media

    KAUST Repository

    El-Amin, Mohamed F.

    2017-05-05

    This paper is devoted to study the problem of nonisothermal two-phase flow with nanoparticles transport in heterogenous porous media, numerically. For this purpose, we introduce a multiscale adapted time-splitting technique to simulate the problem under consideration. The mathematical model consists of equations of pressure, saturation, heat, nanoparticles concentration in the water–phase, deposited nanoparticles concentration on the pore–walls, and entrapped nanoparticles concentration in the pore–throats. We propose a multiscale time splitting IMplicit Pressure Explicit Saturation–IMplicit Temperature Concentration (IMPES-IMTC) scheme to solve the system of governing equations. The time step-size adaptation is achieved by satisfying the stability Courant–Friedrichs–Lewy (CFL<1) condition. Moreover, numerical test of a highly heterogeneous porous medium is provided and the water saturation, the temperature, the nanoparticles concentration, the deposited nanoparticles concentration, and the permeability are presented in graphs.

  8. Graded/Gradient Porous Biomaterials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xigeng Miao

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Biomaterials include bioceramics, biometals, biopolymers and biocomposites and they play important roles in the replacement and regeneration of human tissues. However, dense bioceramics and dense biometals pose the problem of stress shielding due to their high Young’s moduli compared to those of bones. On the other hand, porous biomaterials exhibit the potential of bone ingrowth, which will depend on porous parameters such as pore size, pore interconnectivity, and porosity. Unfortunately, a highly porous biomaterial results in poor mechanical properties. To optimise the mechanical and the biological properties, porous biomaterials with graded/gradient porosity, pores size, and/or composition have been developed. Graded/gradient porous biomaterials have many advantages over graded/gradient dense biomaterials and uniform or homogenous porous biomaterials. The internal pore surfaces of graded/gradient porous biomaterials can be modified with organic, inorganic, or biological coatings and the internal pores themselves can also be filled with biocompatible and biodegradable materials or living cells. However, graded/gradient porous biomaterials are generally more difficult to fabricate than uniform or homogenous porous biomaterials. With the development of cost-effective processing techniques, graded/gradient porous biomaterials can find wide applications in bone defect filling, implant fixation, bone replacement, drug delivery, and tissue engineering.

  9. Micro-particle transporting system using galvanotactically stimulated apo-symbiotic cells of Paramecium bursaria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furukawa, Shunsuke; Karaki, Chiaki; Kawano, Tomonori

    2009-01-01

    It is well known that Paramecium species including green paramecia (Paramecium bursaria) migrate towards the anode when exposed to an electric field in a medium. This type of a cellular movement is known as galvanotaxis. Our previous study revealed that an electric stimulus given to P bursaria is converted to a galvanotactic cellular movement by involvement of T-type calcium channel on the plasma membrane [Aonuma et al. (2007), Z. Naturforsch. 62c, 93-102]. This phenomenon has attracted the attention of bioengineers in the fields of biorobotics or micro-robotics in order to develop electrically controllable micromachineries. Here, we demonstrate the galvanotactic controls of the cellular migration of P bursaria in capillary tubes (diameter, 1-2 mm; length, 30-240 mm). Since the Paramecium cells take up particles of various sizes, we attempted to use the electrically stimulated cells of P bursaria as the vehicle for transportation of micro-particles in the capillary system. By using apo-symbiotic cells of P bursaria obtained after forced removal of symbiotic algae, the uptake of the particles could be maximized and visualized. Then, electrically controlled transportations of particle-filled apo-symbiotic P bursaria cells were manifested. The particles transported by electrically controlled cells (varying in size from nm to /m levels) included re-introduced green algae, fluorescence-labeled polystyrene beads, magnetic microspheres, emerald green fluorescent protein (EmGFP)-labeled cells of E. coli, Indian ink, and crystals of zeolite (hydrated aluminosilicate minerals with a micro-porous structure) and some metal oxides. Since the above demonstrations were successful, we concluded that P bursaria has a potential to be employed as one of the micro-biorobotic devices used in BioMEMS (biological micro-electro-mechanical systems).

  10. Control of cell proliferation by a porous chitosan scaffold with multiple releasing capabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Shu-Jyun; Li, Ching-Wen; Weihs, Daphne; Wang, Gou-Jen

    2017-01-01

    Abstract The aim of this study was to develop a porous chitosan scaffold with long-acting drug release as an artificial dressing to promote skin wound healing. The dressing was fabricated by pre-freezing at different temperatures (−20 and −80 °C) for different periods of time, followed by freeze-drying to form porous chitosan scaffolds with different pore sizes. The chitosan scaffolds were then used to investigate the effect of the controlled release of fibroblast growth factor-basic (bFGF) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1) on mouse fibroblast cells (L929) and bovine carotid endothelial cells (BEC). The biocompatibility of the prepared chitosan scaffold was confirmed with WST-1 proliferation and viability assay, which demonstrated that the material is suitable for cell growth. The results of this study show that the pore sizes of the porous scaffolds prepared by freeze-drying can change depending on the pre-freezing temperature and time via the formation of ice crystals. In this study, the scaffolds with the largest pore size were found to be 153 ± 32 μm and scaffolds with the smallest pores to be 34 ± 9 μm. Through cell culture analysis, it was found that the concentration that increased proliferation of L929 cells for bFGF was 0.005 to 0.1 ng/mL, and the concentration for TGFβ1 was 0.005 to 1 ng/mL. The cell culture of the chitosan scaffold and growth factors shows that 3.75 ng of bFGF in scaffolds with pore sizes of 153 ± 32 μm can promote L929 cell proliferation, while 400 pg of TGFβ1 in scaffolds with pore size of 34 ± 9 μm can enhance the proliferation of L929 cells, but also inhibit BEC proliferation. It is proposed that the prepared chitosan scaffolds can form a multi-drug (bFGF and TGFβ1) release dressing that has the ability to control wound healing via regulating the proliferation of different cell types. PMID:29230255

  11. An Iterative Implicit Scheme for Nanoparticles Transport with Two-Phase Flow in Porous Media

    KAUST Repository

    El-Amin, Mohamed

    2016-06-01

    In this paper, we introduce a mathematical model to describe the nanoparticles transport carried by a two-phase flow in a porous medium including gravity, capillary forces and Brownian diffusion. Nonlinear iterative IMPES scheme is used to solve the flow equation, and saturation and pressure are calculated at the current iteration step and then the transport equation is solved implicitly. Therefore, once the nanoparticles concentration is computed, the two equations of volume of the nanoparticles available on the pore surfaces and the volume of the nanoparticles entrapped in pore throats are solved implicitly. The porosity and the permeability variations are updated at each time step after each iteration loop. Numerical example for regular heterogenous permeability is considered. We monitor the changing of the fluid and solid properties due to adding the nanoparticles. Variation of water saturation, water pressure, nanoparticles concentration and porosity are presented graphically.

  12. New transport phenomena probed by dielectric spectroscopy of oxidized and non-oxidized porous silicon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Urbach, B.; Axelrod, E.; Sa' ar, A. [Racah Institute of Physics and the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904 (Israel)

    2007-05-15

    Dielectric spectroscopy accompanied by infrared (IR) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy have been utilized to reveal the correlation between transport, optical and structural properties of oxidized porous silicon (PS). Three relaxation processes at low-, mid- and high-temperatures were observed, including dc-conductivity at high-temperatures. Both the low-T relaxation and the dc conductivity were found to be thermally activated processes that involve tunneling and hopping in between the nanocrystals in oxidized PS. We have found that the dc-conductivity is limited by geometrical constrictions along the transport channels, which are not effected by the oxidation process and are characterized by activation energies of about {proportional_to}0.85 eV. The low-T relaxation process involves thermal activation followed by tunneling in between neighbor nanocrystals, with somewhat lower activation energies. (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  13. MS-2 and poliovirus transport in porous media: Hydrophobic effects and chemical perturbations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bales, Roger C.; Li, Shimin; Maguire, Kimberly M.; Yahya, Moyasar T.; Gerba, Charles P.

    1993-04-01

    In a series of pH 7 continuous-flow column experiments, removal of the bacteriophage MS-2 by attachment to silica beads had a strong, systematic dependence on the amount of hydrophobic surface present on the beads. With no hydrophobic surface, removal of phage at pH 5 was much greater than at pH 7. Release of attached phage at both pH values did occur, but was slow; breakthrough curves exhibited tailing. Poliovirus attached to silica beads at pH 5.5 much more than at pH 7.0, and attachment was also slowly reversible. Time scales for phage and poliovinis attachment were of the order of hours. The sticking efficiency factor (α), reflecting microscaie physicochemical influences on virus attachment, was in the range of 0.0007-0.02. Phage release was small but measurable under steady state conditions. Release was enhanced by lowering ionic strength and by introducing beef extract, a high-ionic-strength protein solution. Results show that viruses experience reversible attachment/detachment (sometimes termed sorption), that large chemical perturbations are needed to induce rapid virus detachment, and that viruses should be quite mobile in sandy porous media. Even small amounts of hydrophobic organic material in the porous media (≥0.001%) can retard virus transport.

  14. Nanostructured Porous Silicon: The Winding Road from Photonics to Cell Scaffolds – A Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernández-Montelongo, Jacobo; Muñoz-Noval, Alvaro; García-Ruíz, Josefa Predestinación; Torres-Costa, Vicente; Martín-Palma, Raul J.; Manso-Silván, Miguel

    2015-01-01

    For over 20 years, nanostructured porous silicon (nanoPS) has found a vast number of applications in the broad fields of photonics and optoelectronics, triggered by the discovery of its photoluminescent behavior in 1990. Besides, its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and bioresorbability make porous silicon (PSi) an appealing biomaterial. These properties are largely a consequence of its particular susceptibility to oxidation, leading to the formation of silicon oxide, which is readily dissolved by body fluids. This paper reviews the evolution of the applications of PSi and nanoPS from photonics through biophotonics, to their use as cell scaffolds, whether as an implantable substitute biomaterial, mainly for bony and ophthalmological tissues, or as an in vitro cell conditioning support, especially for pluripotent cells. For any of these applications, PSi/nanoPS can be used directly after synthesis from Si wafers, upon appropriate surface modification processes, or as a composite biomaterial. Unedited studies of fluorescently active PSi structures for cell culture are brought to evidence the margin for new developments. PMID:26029688

  15. Gas anti-solvent precipitation assisted salt leaching for generation of micro- and nano-porous wall in bio-polymeric 3D scaffolds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flaibani, Marina; Elvassore, Nicola

    2012-08-01

    The mass transport through biocompatible and biodegradable polymeric 3D porous scaffolds may be depleted by non-porous impermeable internal walls. As consequence the concentration of metabolites and growth factors within the scaffold may be heterogeneous leading to different cell fate depending on spatial cell location, and in some cases it may compromise cell survival. In this work, we fabricated polymeric scaffolds with micro- and nano-scale porosity by developing a new technique that couples two conventional scaffold production methods: solvent casting-salt leaching and gas antisolvent precipitation. 10-15 w/w solutions of a hyaluronic benzyl esters (HYAFF11) and poly-(lactic acid) (PLA) were used to fill packed beds of 0.177-0.425 mm NaCl crystals. The polymer precipitation in micro and nano-porous structures between the salt crystals was induced by high-pressure gas, then its flushing extracted the residual solvent. The salt was removed by water-wash. Morphological analysis by scanning electron microscopy showed a uniform porosity (~70%) and a high interconnectivity between porous. The polymeric walls were porous themselves counting for 30% of the total porosity. This wall porosity did not lead to a remarkable change in compressive modulus, deformation, and rupture pressure. Scaffold biocompatibility was tested with murine muscle cell line C2C12 for 4 and 7 days. Viability analysis and histology showed that micro- and nano-porous scaffolds are biocompatible and suitable for 3D cell culture promoting cell adhesion on the polymeric wall and allowing their proliferation in layers. Micro- and nano-scale porosities enhance cell migration and growth in the inner part of the scaffold. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Porous media fluid flow, heat, and mass transport model with rock stress coupling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Runchal, A.K.

    1980-01-01

    This paper describes the physical and mathematical basis of a general purpose porous media flow model, GWTHERM. The mathematical basis of the model is obtained from the coupled set of the classical governing equations for the mass, momentum and energy balance. These equations are embodied in a computational model which is then coupled externally to a linearly elastic rock-stress model. This coupling is rather exploratory and based upon empirical correlations. The coupled model is able to take account of time-dependent, inhomogeneous and anisotropic features of the hydrogeologic, thermal and transport phenomena. A number of applications of the model have been made. Illustrations from the application of the model to nuclear waste repositories are included

  17. Sepia ink as a surrogate for colloid transport tests in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soto-Gómez, Diego; Pérez-Rodríguez, Paula; López-Periago, J. Eugenio; Paradelo, Marcos

    2016-08-01

    We examined the suitability of the ink of Sepia officinalis as a surrogate for transport studies of microorganisms and microparticles in porous media. Sepia ink is an organic pigment consisted on a suspension of eumelanin, and that has several advantages for its use as a promising material for introducing the frugal-innovation in the fields of public health and environmental research: very low cost, non-toxic, spherical shape, moderate polydispersivity, size near large viruses, non-anomalous electrokinetic behavior, low retention in the soil, and high stability. Electrokinetic determinations and transport experiments in quartz sand columns and soil columns were done with purified suspensions of sepia ink. Influence of ionic strength on the electrophoretic mobility of ink particles showed the typical behavior of polystyrene latex spheres. Breakthrough curve (BTC) and retention profile (RP) in quartz sand columns showed a depth dependent and blocking adsorption model with an increase in adsorption rates with the ionic strength. Partially saturated transport through undisturbed soil showed less retention than in quartz sand, and matrix exclusion was also observed. Quantification of ink in leachate fractions by light absorbance is direct, but quantification in the soil profile with moderate to high organic matter content was rather cumbersome. We concluded that sepia ink is a suitable cheap surrogate for exploring transport of pathogenic viruses, bacteria and particulate contaminants in groundwater, and could be used for developing frugal-innovation related with the assessment of soil and aquifer filtration function, and monitoring of water filtration systems in low-income regions.

  18. Porous niobium coatings fabricated with selective laser melting on titanium substrates: Preparation, characterization, and cell behavior

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Sheng [Science and Technology on Power Beam Processes Laboratory, Beijing Aeronautical Manufacturing Technology Research Institute (BAMTRI), Beijing 100024 (China); State Key Lab of Materials Processing and Die & Mould Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China); Cheng, Xian; Yao, Yao; Wei, Yehui [Department of Stomatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022 (China); Han, Changjun; Shi, Yusheng [State Key Lab of Materials Processing and Die & Mould Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China); Wei, Qingsong, E-mail: wqs_xn@163.com [State Key Lab of Materials Processing and Die & Mould Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China); Zhang, Zhen, E-mail: zhangzhentitanium@163.com [State Key Lab of Materials Processing and Die & Mould Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China); Department of Stomatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022 (China)

    2015-08-01

    Nb, an expensive and refractory element with good wear resistance and biocompatibility, is gaining more attention as a new metallic biomaterial. However, the high price of the raw material, as well as the high manufacturing costs because of Nb's strong oxygen affinity and high melting point have limited the widespread use of Nb and its compounds. To overcome these disadvantages, porous Nb coatings of various thicknesses were fabricated on Ti substrate via selective laser melting (SLM), which is a 3D printing technique that uses computer-controlled high-power laser to melt the metal. The morphology and microstructure of the porous Nb coatings, which had pores ranging from 15 to 50 μm in size, were characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The average hardness of the coating, which was measured with the linear intercept method, was 392 ± 37 HV. In vitro tests of the porous Nb coating which was monitored with SEM, immunofluorescence, and CCK-8 counts of cells, exhibited excellent cell morphology, attachment, and growth. The simulated body fluid test also proved the bioactivity of the Nb coating. Therefore, these new porous Nb coatings could potentially be used for enhanced early biological fixation to bone tissue. In addition, this study has shown that SLM technique could be used to fabricate coatings with individually tailored shapes and/or porosities from group IVB and VB biomedical metals and their alloys on stainless steel, Co–Cr, and other traditional biomedical materials without wasting raw materials. - Highlights: • Porous Nb coating was firstly fabricated on Ti substrate by SLM technique. • Morphology, microstructure and hardness of the coating were characterized. • In vitro test of the coating showed good cell attachment, morphology and growth.

  19. Porous niobium coatings fabricated with selective laser melting on titanium substrates: Preparation, characterization, and cell behavior

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Sheng; Cheng, Xian; Yao, Yao; Wei, Yehui; Han, Changjun; Shi, Yusheng; Wei, Qingsong; Zhang, Zhen

    2015-01-01

    Nb, an expensive and refractory element with good wear resistance and biocompatibility, is gaining more attention as a new metallic biomaterial. However, the high price of the raw material, as well as the high manufacturing costs because of Nb's strong oxygen affinity and high melting point have limited the widespread use of Nb and its compounds. To overcome these disadvantages, porous Nb coatings of various thicknesses were fabricated on Ti substrate via selective laser melting (SLM), which is a 3D printing technique that uses computer-controlled high-power laser to melt the metal. The morphology and microstructure of the porous Nb coatings, which had pores ranging from 15 to 50 μm in size, were characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The average hardness of the coating, which was measured with the linear intercept method, was 392 ± 37 HV. In vitro tests of the porous Nb coating which was monitored with SEM, immunofluorescence, and CCK-8 counts of cells, exhibited excellent cell morphology, attachment, and growth. The simulated body fluid test also proved the bioactivity of the Nb coating. Therefore, these new porous Nb coatings could potentially be used for enhanced early biological fixation to bone tissue. In addition, this study has shown that SLM technique could be used to fabricate coatings with individually tailored shapes and/or porosities from group IVB and VB biomedical metals and their alloys on stainless steel, Co–Cr, and other traditional biomedical materials without wasting raw materials. - Highlights: • Porous Nb coating was firstly fabricated on Ti substrate by SLM technique. • Morphology, microstructure and hardness of the coating were characterized. • In vitro test of the coating showed good cell attachment, morphology and growth

  20. Transport characteristics of nanoscale zero-valent iron carried by three different "vehicles" in porous media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Yan; Zhao, Yong S; Li, Lu L; Qin, Chuan Y; Wu, Fan; Geng, Nan N; Lei, Jian S

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated the transport properties of nanoscale zero-valent iron (Fe(0)) (nZVI) carried by three vehicles: water, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solution, and SDS foam. Batch experiments were conducted to assess the sedimentation capability of nZVI particles in these three vehicles. Column experiments were conducted to investigate the transport properties of nZVI in porous media formed with different sizes of sand (0.25 mm to 0.5 mm, 0.5 mm to 0.9 mm, and 0.9 mm to 1.4 mm). Three main results were obtained. First, the batch experiments revealed that the stabilities of nZVI particles in SDS solution and SDS foam were improved, compared with that of nZVI particles in water. Moreover, the sedimentation of nZVI in foam was closely associated with the foam drainage volume. The nZVI content in foam was similar to that in the original foaming suspension, and the nZVI particle distribution in foam became significantly more uniform at a stirring speed of 3000 r/min. Second, the transport of nZVI was enhanced by foam compared with water and SDS solution for 0.25 mm to 0.5 mm diameter sand. For sand with diameters of 0.5 mm to 0.9 mm and 0.9 mm to 1.4 mm, the mobility of nZVI carried by SDS solution was optimal, followed by that of nZVI carried by foam and water. Thus, the mobility of nZVI in finer sand was significantly enhanced by foam, compared with that in coarse sand. In contrast, compared with the bare nZVI suspension and nZVI-laden foam, the spatial distribution of nZVI particles carried by SDS solution was significantly uniform along the column length. Third, the SDS concentration significantly influenced the migration of nZVI in porous media. The enhancement in the migration of nZVI carried by SDS solution was greater at an SDS dose of 0.25% compared with that at the other three doses (0.2%, 0.5%, and 1%) for sand with a 0.25 mm to 0.5 mm diameter. Increased SDS concentrations positively affected the transport of nZVI by foam for sand with a

  1. Interpretation of electrokinetic measurements with porous films: role of electric conductance and streaming current within porous structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yaroshchuk, Andriy; Luxbacher, Thomas

    2010-07-06

    It is shown that in tangential electrokinetic measurements with porous films the porous structure makes contribution not only to the cell electric conductance (as demonstrated previously) but also to the observed streaming current. Both of these contributions give rise to dependences of streaming-potential and streaming-current coefficients on the channel height. However, due to the combined contribution of two phenomena, the dependence of streaming-potential coefficient on the channel height may be rather complicated and not allow for simple extrapolation. At the same time, the dependences of streaming-current coefficient and cell electric conductance on the channel height turn out linear and can be easily extrapolated to zero channel heights. This enables one to determine separately the contributions of external surface of porous film and of its porous structure to the streaming current and of the channel and porous structure to the cell electric conductance. This procedure is illustrated by the measurements of tangential electrokinetic phenomena and electric conductance with Millipore mixed-cellulose membrane filters of various average pore sizes (from 0.025 to 5 mum) in the so-called adjustable-gap cell of SurPASS electrokinetic instrument (Anton Paar GmbH). The design of this cell allows for easy and quasi-continuous variation of channel height as well as accurate determination of cell electric conductance, streaming-current coefficient, and channel height (from the cell hydraulic permeability). The quality of linear fits of experimental data has been found to be very good, and thus, the extrapolation procedures were quite reliable and accurate. Zeta-potentials could be determined of both external film and internal pore surfaces. It is demonstrated that the porous structures make considerable contributions to both streaming-current coefficient and cell electric conductance especially in the case of filters with larger pores. It is also found that, rather

  2. Porous titanium bases for osteochondral tissue engineering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nover, Adam B.; Lee, Stephanie L.; Georgescu, Maria S.; Howard, Daniel R.; Saunders, Reuben A.; Yu, William T.; Klein, Robert W.; Napolitano, Anthony P.; Ateshian, Gerard A.

    2015-01-01

    Tissue engineering of osteochondral grafts may offer a cell-based alternative to native allografts, which are in short supply. Previous studies promote the fabrication of grafts consisting of a viable cell-seeded hydrogel integrated atop a porous, bone-like metal. Advantages of the manufacturing process have led to the evaluation of porous titanium as the bone-like base material. Here, porous titanium was shown to support the growth of cartilage to produce native levels of Young’s modulus, using a clinically relevant cell source. Mechanical and biochemical properties were similar or higher for the osteochondral constructs compared to chondral-only controls. Further investigation into the mechanical influence of the base on the composite material suggests that underlying pores may decrease interstitial fluid pressurization and applied strains, which may be overcome by alterations to the base structure. Future studies aim to optimize titanium-based tissue engineered osteochondral constructs to best match the structural architecture and strength of native grafts. Statement of Significance The studies described in this manuscript follow up on previous studies from our lab pertaining to the fabrication of osteochondral grafts that consist of a bone-like porous metal and a chondrocyte-seeded hydrogel. Here, tissue engineered osteochondral grafts were cultured to native stiffness using adult chondrocytes, a clinically relevant cell source, and a porous titanium base, a material currently used in clinical implants. This porous titanium is manufactured via selective laser melting, offering the advantages of precise control over shape, pore size, and orientation. Additionally, this manuscript describes the mechanical influence of the porous base, which may have applicability to porous bases derived from other materials. PMID:26320541

  3. Experimental study on convective heat transfer with thin porous bodies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishi, Yoshihisa; Kinoshita, Izumi; Furuya, Masahiro

    2001-01-01

    Experimental studies are made on the convective heat transfer of three types of thin porous bodies. Heat transfer performances, flow patterns and temperature profiles near the porous bodies are compared with each other. The heat transfer performance of porous bodies with the largest pore diameter is large. It became clear that the high heat transfer performance depends on an excellent heat transportation ability inside the pore and near the surface of the porous bodies. (author)

  4. Hydrodynamic dispersion within porous biofilms

    KAUST Repository

    Davit, Y.; Byrne, H.; Osborne, J.; Pitt-Francis, J.; Gavaghan, D.; Quintard, M.

    2013-01-01

    Many microorganisms live within surface-associated consortia, termed biofilms, that can form intricate porous structures interspersed with a network of fluid channels. In such systems, transport phenomena, including flow and advection, regulate

  5. Rn3D: A finite element code for simulating gas flow and radon transport in variably saturated, nonisothermal porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holford, D.J.

    1994-01-01

    This document is a user's manual for the Rn3D finite element code. Rn3D was developed to simulate gas flow and radon transport in variably saturated, nonisothermal porous media. The Rn3D model is applicable to a wide range of problems involving radon transport in soil because it can simulate either steady-state or transient flow and transport in one-, two- or three-dimensions (including radially symmetric two-dimensional problems). The porous materials may be heterogeneous and anisotropic. This manual describes all pertinent mathematics related to the governing, boundary, and constitutive equations of the model, as well as the development of the finite element equations used in the code. Instructions are given for constructing Rn3D input files and executing the code, as well as a description of all output files generated by the code. Five verification problems are given that test various aspects of code operation, complete with example input files, FORTRAN programs for the respective analytical solutions, and plots of model results. An example simulation is presented to illustrate the type of problem Rn3D is designed to solve. Finally, instructions are given on how to convert Rn3D to simulate systems other than radon, air, and water

  6. Enhanced transport of zerovalent iron nanoparticles in saturated porous media by guar gum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tiraferri, Alberto; Sethi, Rajandrea

    2009-01-01

    In order to ensure adequate mobility of zerovalent iron nanoparticles in natural aquifers, the use of a stabilizing agent is necessary. Polymers adsorbed on the nanoparticle surface will give rise to electrosteric stabilization and will decrease attachment to the surface soil grains. Water saturated sand-packed columns were used in this study to investigate the transport of iron nanoparticle suspensions, bare or modified with the green polymer guar gum. The suspensions were prepared at 154 mg/L particle concentration and 0.5 g/L polymer concentration. Transport experiments were conducted by varying the ionic strength, ionic composition, and approach velocity of the fluid. Nanoparticle deposition rates, attachment efficiencies, and travel distances were subsequently calculated based on the classical particle filtration theory. It was found that bare iron nanoparticles are basically immobile in sandy porous media. In contrast, guar gum is able to ensure significant nanoparticle transport at the tested conditions, regardless of the chemistry of the solution. Attachment efficiency values for guar gum-coated nanoparticles under the various conditions tested were smaller than 0.066. Although the calculated travel distances may not prove satisfactory for field application, the investigation attested the promising role of guar gum to ensure mobility of iron nanoparticles in the subsurface environment.

  7. Comparison of three labeled silica nanoparticles used as tracers in transport experiments in porous media. Part II: Transport experiments and modeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vitorge, Elsa; Szenknect, Stéphanie; Martins, Jean M.-F.; Barthès, Véronique; Gaudet, Jean-Paul

    2014-01-01

    Three types of labeled silica nanoparticles were used in transport experiments in saturated sand. The goal of this study was to evaluate both the efficiency of labeling techniques (fluorescence (FITC), metal (Ag(0) core) and radioactivity ( 110m Ag(0) core)) in realistic transport conditions and the reactive transport of silica nanocolloids of variable size and concentration in porous media. Experimental results obtained under contrasted experimental conditions revealed that deposition in sand is controlled by nanoparticles size and ionic strength of the solution. A mathematical model is proposed to quantitatively describe colloid transport. Fluorescent labeling is widely used to study fate of colloids in soils but was the less sensitive one. Ag(0) labeling with ICP-MS detection was found to be very sensitive to measure deposition profiles. Radiolabeled ( 110m Ag(0)) nanoparticles permitted in situ detection. Results obtained with radiolabeled nanoparticles are wholly original and might be used for improving the modeling of deposition and release dynamics. -- Highlights: • Three kinds of labeled nanotracers were used in transport experiments in sand columns. • They were used as surrogates of silica nanoparticles or mineral colloid. • Deposition depending on colloid size and ionic strength was observed and modeled. • Fluorescence labeling had the worse detection limit but was the more convenient. • Radiolabeled nanotracers were detected in situ in a non destructive way. -- Follow the kinetics of transport, deposition and release of silica nanoparticles with suitably labeled nanoparticles

  8. A detailed approach to model transport, heterogeneous chemistry, and electrochemistry in solid-oxide fuel cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Janardhanan, V.

    2007-07-01

    This dissertation layes out detailed descriptions for heterogeneous chemistry, electrochemistry, and porous media transport models to simulate solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). An elementary like heterogeneous reaction mechanism for the steam reforming of CH4 developed in our research group is used throughout this work. Based on assumption of hydrogen oxidation as the only electrochemical reaction and single step electron transfer reaction as rate limiting, a modified Butler-Volmer equation is used to model the electrochemistry. The pertinence of various porous media transport models such as Modified Fick Model (MFM), Dusty Gas Model (DGM), Mean Transport Pore Model, Modified Maxwell Stefan Model, and Generalized Maxwell Stefan Model under reaction conditions are studied. In general MFM and DGM predictions are in good agreement with experimental data. Physically realistic electrochemical model parameters are very important for fuel cell modeling. Button cell simulations are carried out to deduce the electrochemical model parameters, and those parameters are further used in the modeling of planar cells. Button cell simulations are carried out using the commercial CFD code FLUENT coupled with DETCHEM. For all temperature ranges the model works well in predicting the experimental observations in the high current density region. However, the model predicts much higher open circuit potentials than that observed in the experiments, mainly due to the absence of coking model in the elementary heterogeneous mechanism leading to nonequilibrium compositions. Furthermore, the study presented here employs Nernst equation for the calculation of reversible potential which is strictly valid only for electrochemical equilibrium. It is assumed that the electrochemical charge transfer reaction involving H2 is fast enough to be in equilibrium. However, the comparison of model prediction with thermodynamic equilibrium reveals that this assumption is violated under very low current

  9. Secondary creep of porous metal supports for solid oxide fuel cells by a CDM approach

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Esposito, L.; Boccaccini, D. N.; Pucillo, G. P.

    2017-01-01

    The creep behaviour of porous iron-chromium alloy used in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) becomes relevant under SOFC operating temperatures. In this paper, the secondary creep stage of infiltrated and non-infiltrated porous metal supports (MS) was investigated and theoretically modelled...... as function of temperature, determined by the high temperature impulse excitation technique, was directly used to account for the porosity and the related effective stress acting during the creep tests. The proposed creep rate formulation was used to extend the Crofer® 22 APU Monkman-Grant diagram...... in the viscous creep regime. The influence of oxide scale formation on creep behaviour of the porous MS was assessed by comparing the creep data of pre-oxidised samples tested in reducing atmosphere....

  10. Characterization of the nanosized porous structure of black Si solar cells fabricated via a screen printing process

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Tang Yehua; Fei Jianming; Cao Hongbin; Zhou Chunlan; Wang Wenjing; Zhou Su; Zhao Yan; Zhao Lei; Li Hailing; Yan Baojun; Chen Jingwei

    2012-01-01

    A silicon (Si) surface with a nanosized porous structure was formed via simple wet chemical etching catalyzed by gold (Au) nanoparticles on p-type Cz-Si (100).The average reflectivity from 300 to 1200 nm was less than 1.5%.Black Si solar cells were then fabricated using a conventional production process.The results reflected the output characteristics of the cells fabricated using different etching depths and emitter dopant profiles.Heavier dopants and shallower etching depths should be adopted to optimize the black Si solar cell output characteristics.The efficiency at the optimized etching time and dopant profile was 12.17%.However,surface passivation and electrode contact due to the nanosized porous surface structure are still obstacles to obtaining high conversion efficiency for the black Si solar cells.

  11. Gas anti-solvent precipitation assisted salt leaching for generation of micro- and nano-porous wall in bio-polymeric 3D scaffolds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Flaibani, Marina; Elvassore, Nicola, E-mail: nicola.elvassore@unipd.it

    2012-08-01

    The mass transport through biocompatible and biodegradable polymeric 3D porous scaffolds may be depleted by non-porous impermeable internal walls. As consequence the concentration of metabolites and growth factors within the scaffold may be heterogeneous leading to different cell fate depending on spatial cell location, and in some cases it may compromise cell survival. In this work, we fabricated polymeric scaffolds with micro- and nano-scale porosity by developing a new technique that couples two conventional scaffold production methods: solvent casting-salt leaching and gas antisolvent precipitation. 10-15 w/w solutions of a hyaluronic benzyl esters (HYAFF11) and poly-(lactic acid) (PLA) were used to fill packed beds of 0.177-0.425 mm NaCl crystals. The polymer precipitation in micro and nano-porous structures between the salt crystals was induced by high-pressure gas, then its flushing extracted the residual solvent. The salt was removed by water-wash. Morphological analysis by scanning electron microscopy showed a uniform porosity ({approx} 70%) and a high interconnectivity between porous. The polymeric walls were porous themselves counting for 30% of the total porosity. This wall porosity did not lead to a remarkable change in compressive modulus, deformation, and rupture pressure. Scaffold biocompatibility was tested with murine muscle cell line C2C12 for 4 and 7 days. Viability analysis and histology showed that micro- and nano-porous scaffolds are biocompatible and suitable for 3D cell culture promoting cell adhesion on the polymeric wall and allowing their proliferation in layers. Micro- and nano-scale porosities enhance cell migration and growth in the inner part of the scaffold. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Gas anti-solvent precipitation and salt leaching for scaffold fabrication. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Hyaluronic benzyl esters (HYAFF11) and poly-(lactic acid) (PLA) sponges. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Gas anti-solvent precipitation

  12. Gas anti-solvent precipitation assisted salt leaching for generation of micro- and nano-porous wall in bio-polymeric 3D scaffolds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flaibani, Marina; Elvassore, Nicola

    2012-01-01

    The mass transport through biocompatible and biodegradable polymeric 3D porous scaffolds may be depleted by non-porous impermeable internal walls. As consequence the concentration of metabolites and growth factors within the scaffold may be heterogeneous leading to different cell fate depending on spatial cell location, and in some cases it may compromise cell survival. In this work, we fabricated polymeric scaffolds with micro- and nano-scale porosity by developing a new technique that couples two conventional scaffold production methods: solvent casting-salt leaching and gas antisolvent precipitation. 10–15 w/w solutions of a hyaluronic benzyl esters (HYAFF11) and poly-(lactic acid) (PLA) were used to fill packed beds of 0.177–0.425 mm NaCl crystals. The polymer precipitation in micro and nano-porous structures between the salt crystals was induced by high-pressure gas, then its flushing extracted the residual solvent. The salt was removed by water-wash. Morphological analysis by scanning electron microscopy showed a uniform porosity (∼ 70%) and a high interconnectivity between porous. The polymeric walls were porous themselves counting for 30% of the total porosity. This wall porosity did not lead to a remarkable change in compressive modulus, deformation, and rupture pressure. Scaffold biocompatibility was tested with murine muscle cell line C2C12 for 4 and 7 days. Viability analysis and histology showed that micro- and nano-porous scaffolds are biocompatible and suitable for 3D cell culture promoting cell adhesion on the polymeric wall and allowing their proliferation in layers. Micro- and nano-scale porosities enhance cell migration and growth in the inner part of the scaffold. - Highlights: ► Gas anti-solvent precipitation and salt leaching for scaffold fabrication. ► Hyaluronic benzyl esters (HYAFF11) and poly-(lactic acid) (PLA) sponges. ► Gas anti-solvent precipitation induces nano-porous structures. ► Scaffolds are biocompatible and

  13. Geometric and topological characterization of porous media: insights from eigenvector centrality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jimenez-Martinez, J.; Negre, C.

    2017-12-01

    Solving flow and transport through complex geometries such as porous media involves an extreme computational cost. Simplifications such as pore networks, where the pores are represented by nodes and the pore throats by edges connecting pores, have been proposed. These models have the ability to preserve the connectivity of the medium. However, they have difficulties capturing preferential paths (high velocity) and stagnation zones (low velocity), as they do not consider the specific relations between nodes. Network theory approaches, where the complex network is conceptualized like a graph, can help to simplify and better understand fluid dynamics and transport in porous media. To address this issue, we propose a method based on eigenvector centrality. It has been corrected to overcome the centralization problem and modified to introduce a bias in the centrality distribution along a particular direction which allows considering the flow and transport anisotropy in porous media. The model predictions are compared with millifluidic transport experiments, showing that this technique is computationally efficient and has potential for predicting preferential paths and stagnation zones for flow and transport in porous media. Entropy computed from the eigenvector centrality probability distribution is proposed as an indicator of the "mixing capacity" of the system.

  14. Particle transport in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corapcioglu, M. Yavuz; Hunt, James R.

    The migration and capture of particles (such as colloidal materials and microorganisms) through porous media occur in fields as diversified as water and wastewater treatment, well drilling, and various liquid-solid separation processes. In liquid waste disposal projects, suspended solids can cause the injection well to become clogged, and groundwater quality can be endangered by suspended clay and silt particles because of migration to the formation adjacent to the well bore. In addition to reducing the permeability of the soil, mobile particles can carry groundwater contaminants adsorbed onto their surfaces. Furthermore, as in the case of contamination from septic tanks, the particles themselves may be pathogens, i.e., bacteria and viruses.

  15. A micromechanical approach To numerical modeling of yielding of open-cell porous structures under compressive loads

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hedayati, R.; Sadighi, M.

    2016-01-01

    Today, interconnected open-cell porous structures made of titanium and its alloys are replacing the prevalent solid metals used in bone substitute implants. The advent of additive manufacturing techniques has enabled manufacturing of open-cell structures with arbitrary micro-structural geometry.

  16. Design and optimization of porous ceramic supports for asymmetric ceria-based oxygen transport membranes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kaiser, Andreas; Foghmoes, Søren Preben Vagn; Pećanac, G.

    2016-01-01

    The microstructure, mechanical properties and gas permeability of porous supports of Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95−δ (CGO) were investigated as a function of sintering temperature and volume fraction of pore former for use in planar asymmetric oxygen transport membranes (OTMs). With increasing the pore former...... content from 11 vol% to 16 vol%, the gas permeabilities increased by a factor of 5 when support tapes were sintered to comparable densities. The improved permeabilities were due to a more favourable microstructure with larger interconnected pores at a porosity of 45% and a fracture strength of 47±2 MPa (m...

  17. Physics-based hybrid method for multiscale transport in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yousefzadeh, Mehrdad; Battiato, Ilenia

    2017-09-01

    Despite advancements in the development of multiscale models for flow and reactive transport in porous media, the accurate, efficient and physics-based coupling of multiple scales in hybrid models remains a major theoretical and computational challenge. Improving the predictivity of macroscale predictions by means of multiscale algorithms relative to classical at-scale models is the primary motivation for the development of multiscale simulators. Yet, very few are the quantitative studies that explicitly address the predictive capability of multiscale coupling algorithms as it is still generally not possible to have a priori estimates of the errors that are present when complex flow processes are modeled. We develop a nonintrusive pore-/continuum-scale hybrid model whose coupling error is bounded by the upscaling error, i.e. we build a predictive tightly coupled multiscale scheme. This is accomplished by slightly enlarging the subdomain where continuum-scale equations are locally invalid and analytically defining physics-based coupling conditions at the interfaces separating the two computational sub-domains, while enforcing state variable and flux continuity. The proposed multiscale coupling approach retains the advantages of domain decomposition approaches, including the use of existing solvers for each subdomain, while it gains flexibility in the choice of the numerical discretization method and maintains the coupling errors bounded by the upscaling error. We implement the coupling in finite volumes and test the proposed method by modeling flow and transport through a reactive channel and past an array of heterogeneously reactive cylinders.

  18. Porous polybenzimidazole membranes doped with phosphoric acid: Preparation and application in high-temperature proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Jin; Li, Xiaojin; Yu, Shuchun; Hao, Jinkai; Lu, Wangting; Shao, Zhigang; Yi, Baolian

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Porous polybenzimidazole membrane was prepared with glucose as porogen. • Phosphoric acid content was as high as 15.7 mol H 3 PO 4 per PBI repeat unit. • 200 h Constant current density test was carried out at 150 °C. • Degradation was due to the gap between membrane and catalyst layer. - Abstract: In this paper, the preparation and characterization of porous polybenzimidazole membranes doped with phosphoric acid were reported. For the preparation of porous polybenzimidazole membranes, glucose and saccharose were selected as porogen and added into PBI resin solution before solvent casting. The prepared porous PBI membranes had high proton conductivity and high content of acid doping at room temperature with 15.7 mol H 3 PO 4 per PBI repeat unit, much higher than pure PBI membrane at the same condition. Further, the performance and stability of the porous PBI membrane in high-temperature proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells was tested. It was found that the cell performance remained stable during 200 h stability test under a constant current discharge of 0.5 A cm −2 except for the last fifty hours. The decay in the last fifty hours was ascribed to the delamination between the catalyst layer and membrane increasing the charge-transfer resistance

  19. A study on the stochastic model for nuclide transport in the fractured porous rock using continuous time Markov process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Youn Myoung

    1995-02-01

    As a newly approaching model, a stochastic model using continuous time Markov process for nuclide decay chain transport of arbitrary length in the fractured porous rock medium has been proposed, by which the need for solving a set of partial differential equations corresponding to various sets of side conditions can be avoided. Once the single planar fracture in the rock matrix is represented by a series of finite number of compartments having region wise constant parameter values in them, the medium is continuous in view of various processes associated with nuclide transport but discrete in medium space and such geologic system is assumed to have Markov property, since the Markov process requires that only the present value of the time dependent random variable be known to determine the future value of random variable, nuclide transport in the medium can then be modeled as a continuous time Markov process. Processes that are involved in nuclide transport are advective transport due to groundwater flow, diffusion into the rock matrix, adsorption onto the wall of the fracture and within the pores in the rock matrix, and radioactive decay chain. The transition probabilities for nuclide from the transition intensities between and out of the compartments are represented utilizing Chapman-Kolmogorov equation, through which the expectation and the variance of nuclide distribution for each compartment or the fractured rock medium can be obtained. Some comparisons between Markov process model developed in this work and available analytical solutions for one-dimensional layered porous medium, fractured medium with rock matrix diffusion, and porous medium considering three member nuclide decay chain without rock matrix diffusion have been made showing comparatively good agreement for all cases. To verify the model developed in this work another comparative study was also made by fitting the experimental data obtained with NaLS and uranine running in the artificial fractured

  20. Tracer transfer in consolidated porous medium and fractured porous medium: experimentations and modelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dalla Costa, C.

    2007-07-01

    We try to identify and model physical and chemical mechanisms governing the water flow and the solute transport in fractured consolidated porous medium. An original experimental device was built. The 'cube' consists of an idealized fractured medium reproduced by piling up consolidated porous cubes of 5 cm edge. Meanwhile, columns of the homogeneous consolidated porous medium are studied. The same anionic tracing technique is used in both cases. Using a system analysis approach, we inject concentration pulses in the device to obtain breakthrough curves. After identifying the mass balance and the residence time, we fit the CD and the MIM models to the experimental data. The MIM model is able to reproduce experimental curves of the homogeneous consolidated porous medium better than the CD model. The mobile water fraction is in accordance with the porous medium geometry. The study of the flow rate influence highlights an interference dispersion regime. It was not possible to highlight the observation length influence in this case. On the contrary, we highlight the effect of the observation scale on the fractured and porous medium, comparing the results obtained on a small 'cube' and a big 'cube'. The CD model is not satisfactory in this case. Even if the MIM model can fit the experimental breakthrough curves, it was not possible to obtain unique parameters for the set of experiments. (author)

  1. Studies of Tracer Dispersion and Fluid Flow in Porous Media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rage, T.

    1996-12-31

    This doctoral thesis explores the connection between the topology of a porous medium and its macroscopic transport properties and is based on computerized simulation. In porous media, both diffusion and convection contribute to the dispersion of a tracer and their combined effect is emphasized. The governing equations are solved numerically, using finite differences and Monte Carlo technique. The influence of finite Reynolds number on the outcome of echo-experiments is discussed. Comparing experiments and simulations it is found that nonlinear inertial forces lead to a visible deformation of a returned tracer at surprisingly small Reynolds numbers. In a study of tracer dispersion and fluid flow in periodic arrays of discs it is demonstrated that the mechanisms of mechanical dispersion in periodic media and in natural (non-periodic) porous media are essentially different. Measurements of the percolation probability distribution of a sandstone sample is presented. Local porosity theory predicts that this simple geometric function of a porous medium is of dominant importance for its macroscopic transport properties. It is demonstrated that many aspects of transport through fractures can be studied by using simple but realistic models and readily available computer resources. An example may be the transport of hydrocarbon fluids from the source rock to a reservoir. 165 refs., 44 figs., 1 table

  2. Development and Characterization of Non-Conventional Micro-Porous Layers for PEM Fuel Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Riccardo Balzarotti

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Gas diffusion medium (GDM is a crucial component in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs. Being composed of a gas diffusion layer (GDL with a micro-porous layer (MPL coated onto it, it ensures a proper water management due to the highly hydrophobic materials employed in cell assembly. In current commercial applications, the desired water repellent behaviour is usually obtained by using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE. In this work, Fluorolink® P56 (Solvay Specialty Polymers, Milan, Italy, a commercially available, anionic, segmented high molecular weight polyfluorourethane with perfluoropolyether groups was extensively evaluated as an alternative to PTFE for micro-porous layer hydrophobization. A change in polymer used is desirable in order to simplify the production process, both in terms of ink formulation and thermal treatment, as well as to get a higher hydrophobicity and, consequently, more efficient water management. Innovative prepared samples were compared to a PTFE-based GDM, in order to assess differences both from morphological and from an electrochemical point of view.

  3. Optoelectronic enhancement of monocrystalline silicon solar cells by porous silicon-assisted mechanical grooving

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ben Rabha, Mohamed; Mohamed, Seifeddine Belhadj; Dimassi, Wissem; Gaidi, Mounir; Ezzaouia, Hatem; Bessais, Brahim [Laboratoire de Photovoltaique, Centre de Recherches et des Technologies de l' Energie, Technopole de Borj-Cedria, BP 95, 2050 Hammam-Lif (Tunisia)

    2011-03-15

    One of the most important factors influencing silicon solar cells performances is the front side reflectivity. Consequently, new methods for efficient reduction of this reflectivity are searched. This has always been done by creating a rough surface that enables incident light of being absorbed within the solar cell. Combination of texturization-porous silicon surface treatment was found to be an attractive technical solution for lowering the reflectivity of monocrystalline silicon (c-Si). The texturization of the monocrystalline silicon wafer was carried out by means of mechanical grooving. A specific etching procedure was then applied to form a thin porous silicon layer enabling to remove mechanical damages. This simple and low cost method reduces the total reflectivity from 29% to 7% in the 300 - 950 nm wavelength range and enhances the diffusion length of the minority carriers from 100 {mu}m to 790 {mu}m (copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  4. Transport of Silica Colloid through Saturated Porous Media under Different Hydrogeochemical and Hydrodynamic Conditions Considering Managed Aquifer Recharge

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhuo Wang

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Colloids may have an important role in regulating the structure and function of groundwater ecosystems, and may influence the migration of low solubility contaminants in groundwater. There is, however, a degree of uncertainty about how colloids behave under the variable hydrogeochemical and hydrodynamic conditions that occur during managed aquifer recharge. We used an online monitoring system to monitor the transport of silica colloid in saturated porous media under different hydrogeochemical conditions, including a range of pH values (5, 7, and 9, ionic strengths (<0.0005, 0.02, and 0.05 M, cation valences (Na+, Ca2+, flow rates (0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 mL/min. The results showed that silica colloid was more likely to deposit on the surface of porous media in acidic conditions (pH = 5 than in alkaline conditions (pH = 9, indicating that the risks of pollution from colloidal interactions would be higher when the pH of the recharge water was higher. Colloid deposition occurred when the ionic strength of the colloidal suspension increased, and bivalent cations had a greater effect than monovalent cations. This suggests that bivalent cation-rich recharge water might affect the porosity of the porous medium because of colloid deposition during the managed aquifer recharge process. As the flow rate increased, the migration ability of silica colloid increased. We simulated the migration of silica colloid in porous media with the COMSOL Multiphysics model.

  5. Ion Transport in Organic Electrolyte Solution through the Pore Channels of Anodic Nanoporous Alumina Membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fukutsuka, Tomokazu; Koyamada, Kohei; Maruyama, Shohei; Miyazaki, Kohei; Abe, Takeshi

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Ion transport in organic electrolyte solution in macro- and meso-pores was focused. • Anodic nanoporous alumina membrane was used as a porous material. • The specific ion conductivities drastically decreased in macro- and meso-pores. - Abstract: For the development of high energy density lithium-ion batteries with the high rate performance, the enhancement of the ion transport in the electrolyte solutions impregnated in the porous electrodes is a key. To study the ion transport in porous electrodes, anodic nanoporous alumina (APA) self-standing membranes with macro- or meso-pores were used as model porous materials. These membranes had nearly spherical pore channels of discrete 20–68 nm in diameters. By using the geometric shape of the pores, we attempted to evaluate the specific ion conductivities of the organic electrolyte solution dissolving lithium salt simply. AC impedance spectroscopy measurement of a four-electrode cell with membranes showed one depressed semi-circle in the Nyquist plots and this semi-circle can be assigned as the ion transport resistance in the pores. The specific ion conductivities evaluated from the ion transport resistances and the geometric parameters showed very small values, even in the macro-pores, as compared with that of the bulk electrolyte solution.

  6. Additively manufactured metallic porous biomaterials based on minimal surfaces: A unique combination of topological, mechanical, and mass transport properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bobbert, F S L; Lietaert, K; Eftekhari, A A; Pouran, B; Ahmadi, S M; Weinans, H; Zadpoor, A A

    2017-04-15

    Porous biomaterials that simultaneously mimic the topological, mechanical, and mass transport properties of bone are in great demand but are rarely found in the literature. In this study, we rationally designed and additively manufactured (AM) porous metallic biomaterials based on four different types of triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS) that mimic the properties of bone to an unprecedented level of multi-physics detail. Sixteen different types of porous biomaterials were rationally designed and fabricated using selective laser melting (SLM) from a titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V). The topology, quasi-static mechanical properties, fatigue resistance, and permeability of the developed biomaterials were then characterized. In terms of topology, the biomaterials resembled the morphological properties of trabecular bone including mean surface curvatures close to zero. The biomaterials showed a favorable but rare combination of relatively low elastic properties in the range of those observed for trabecular bone and high yield strengths exceeding those reported for cortical bone. This combination allows for simultaneously avoiding stress shielding, while providing ample mechanical support for bone tissue regeneration and osseointegration. Furthermore, as opposed to other AM porous biomaterials developed to date for which the fatigue endurance limit has been found to be ≈20% of their yield (or plateau) stress, some of the biomaterials developed in the current study show extremely high fatigue resistance with endurance limits up to 60% of their yield stress. It was also found that the permeability values measured for the developed biomaterials were in the range of values reported for trabecular bone. In summary, the developed porous metallic biomaterials based on TPMS mimic the topological, mechanical, and physical properties of trabecular bone to a great degree. These properties make them potential candidates to be applied as parts of orthopedic implants and/or as bone

  7. Hollow porous-wall glass microspheres for hydrogen storage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heung, Leung K.; Schumacher, Ray F.; Wicks, George G.

    2010-02-23

    A porous wall hollow glass microsphere is provided having a diameter range of between 1 to 200 microns, a density of between 1.0 to 2.0 gm/cc, a porous-wall structure having wall openings defining an average pore size of between 10 to 1000 angstroms, and which contains therein a hydrogen storage material. The porous-wall structure facilitates the introduction of a hydrogen storage material into the interior of the porous wall hollow glass microsphere. In this manner, the resulting hollow glass microsphere can provide a membrane for the selective transport of hydrogen through the porous walls of the microsphere, the small pore size preventing gaseous or liquid contaminants from entering the interior of the hollow glass microsphere.

  8. Effect of static porosity fluctuations on reactive transport in a porous medium

    Science.gov (United States)

    L'Heureux, Ivan

    2018-02-01

    Reaction-diffusive transport phenomena in porous media are ubiquitous in engineering applications, biological and geochemical systems. The porosity field is usually random in space, but most models consider the porosity field as a well-defined deterministic function of space and time and ignore the porosity fluctuations. They use a reaction-diffusion equation written in terms of an average porosity and average concentration fields. In this contribution, we treat explicitly the effect of spatial porosity fluctuations on the dynamics of a concentration field for the case of a one-dimensional reaction-transport system with nonlinear kinetics. Three basic assumptions are considered. (i) The porosity fluctuations are assumed to have Gaussian properties and an arbitrary variance; (ii) we assume that the noise correlation length is small compared to the relevant macroscopic length scale; (iii) and we assume that the kinetics of the reactive term in the equations for the fluctuations is a self-consistently determined constant. Elimination of the fluctuating part of the concentration field from the dynamics leads to a renormalized equation involving the average concentration field. It is shown that the noise leads to a renormalized (generally smaller) diffusion coefficient and renormalized kinetics. Within the framework of the approximations used, numerical simulations are in agreement with our theory. We show that the porosity fluctuations may have a significant effect on the transport of a reactive species, even in the case of a homogeneous average porosity.

  9. Contaminant transport in fractured porous media: analytical solution for a two-member decay chain in a single fracture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sudicky, E.A.; Frind, E.O.

    1984-01-01

    An analytical solution is presented for the problem of radionuclide chain decay during transport through a discrete fracture situated in a porous rock matrix. The solution takes into account advection along the fracture, molecular diffusion from the fracture to the porous matrix, adsorption on the fracture face, adsorption in the rock matrix, and radioactive decay. The solution for the daughter product is in the form of a double integral which is evaluated by Gauss-Legendre quadrature. Results show that the daughter product tends to advance ahead of the parent nuclide even when the half-life of the parent is larger. This is attributed to the effect of chain decay in the matrix, which tends to reduce the diffusive loss of the daughter along the fracture. The examples also demonstrate that neglecting the parent nuclide and modeling its daughter as a single species can result in significant overestimation of arrival times at some point along the fracture. Although the analytical solution is restricted to a two-member chain for practical reasons, it represents a more realistic description of nuclide transport along a fracture than available single-species models. The solution may be of use for application to other contaminants undergoing different types of first-order transformation reactions

  10. Filtration in Porous Media

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yuan, Hao; Shapiro, Alexander

    There is a considerable and ongoing effort aimed at understanding the transport and the deposition of suspended particles in porous media, especially non-Fickian transport and non-exponential deposition of particles. In this work, the influential parameters in filtration models are studied...... to understand their effects on the non-Fickian transport and the non-exponential deposition. The filtration models are validated by the comparisons between the modelling results and the experimental data.The elliptic equation with distributed filtration coefficients may be applied to model non-Fickian transport...... and hyperexponential deposition. The filtration model accounting for the migration of surface associated particles may be applied for non-monotonic deposition....

  11. Multiphase Transport in Porous Media: Gas-Liquid Separation Using Capillary Pressure Gradients International Space Station (ISS) Flight Experiment Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wheeler, Richard R., Jr.; Holtsnider, John T.; Dahl, Roger W.; Deeks, Dalton; Javanovic, Goran N.; Parker, James M.; Ehlert, Jim

    2013-01-01

    Advances in the understanding of multiphase flow characteristics under variable gravity conditions will ultimately lead to improved and as of yet unknown process designs for advanced space missions. Such novel processes will be of paramount importance to the success of future manned space exploration as we venture into our solar system and beyond. In addition, because of the ubiquitous nature and vital importance of biological and environmental processes involving airwater mixtures, knowledge gained about fundamental interactions and the governing properties of these mixtures will clearly benefit the quality of life here on our home planet. The techniques addressed in the current research involving multiphase transport in porous media and gas-liquid phase separation using capillary pressure gradients are also a logical candidate for a future International Space Station (ISS) flight experiment. Importantly, the novel and potentially very accurate Lattice-Boltzmann (LB) modeling of multiphase transport in porous media developed in this work offers significantly improved predictions of real world fluid physics phenomena, thereby promoting advanced process designs for both space and terrestrial applications.This 3-year research effort has culminated in the design and testing of a zero-g demonstration prototype. Both the hydrophilic (glass) and hydrophobic (Teflon) media Capillary Pressure Gradient (CPG) cartridges prepared during the second years work were evaluated. Results obtained from ground testing at 1-g were compared to those obtained at reduced gravities spanning Martian (13-g), Lunar (16-g) and zero-g. These comparisons clearly demonstrate the relative strength of the CPG phenomena and the efficacy of its application to meet NASAs unique gas-liquid separation (GLS) requirements in non-terrestrial environments.LB modeling software, developed concurrently with the zero-g test effort, was shown to accurately reproduce observed CPG driven gas-liquid separation

  12. Diffusion with condensation and evaporation in porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gu, L.; Plumb, O.A.; Ho, C.K.; Webb, S.W.

    1998-03-01

    Vapor phase transport in porous media is important in a number of environmental and industrial processes: soil moisture transport, vapor phase transport in the vadose zone, transport in the vicinity of buried nuclear waste, and industrial processes such as drying. The diffusion of water vapor in a packed bed containing residual liquid is examined experimentally. The objective is to quantify the effect of enhanced vapor diffusion resulting from evaporation/condensation in porous media subjected to a temperature gradient. Isothermal diffusion experiments in free-space were conducted to qualify the experimental apparatus and techniques. For these experiments measured diffusion coefficients are within 3.6% of those reported in the literature for the temperature range from 25 C to 40 C. Isothermal experiments in packed beds of glass beads were used to determine the tortuosity coefficient resulting in τ = 0.78 ± 0.028, which is also consistent with previously reported results. Nonisothermal experiments in packed beds in which condensation occurs were conducted to examine enhanced vapor diffusion. The interpretation of the results for these experiments is complicated by a gradual, but continuous, build-up of condensate in the packed beds during the course of the experiment. Results indicate diffusion coefficients which increase as a function of saturation resulting in enhancement of the vapor-phase transport by a factor of approximately four compared to a dry porous medium

  13. Plant Production Systems for Microgravity: Critical Issues in Water, Air, and Solute Transport Through Unsaturated Porous Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steinberg, Susan L. (Editor); Ming, Doug W. (Editor); Henninger, Don (Editor)

    2002-01-01

    This NASA Technical Memorandum is a compilation of presentations and discussions in the form of minutes from a workshop entitled 'Plant Production Systems for Microgravity: Critical Issues in Water, Air, and Solute Transport Through Unsaturated Porous Media' held at NASA's Johnson Space Center, July 24-25, 2000. This workshop arose from the growing belief within NASA's Advanced Life Support Program that further advances and improvements in plant production systems for microgravity would benefit from additional knowledge of fundamental processes occurring in the root zone. The objective of the workshop was to bring together individuals who had expertise in various areas of fluid physics, soil physics, plant physiology, hardware development, and flight tests to identify, discuss, and prioritize critical issues of water and air flow through porous media in microgravity. Participants of the workshop included representatives from private companies involved in flight hardware development and scientists from universities and NASA Centers with expertise in plant flight tests, plant physiology, fluid physics, and soil physics.

  14. Surfactant-Enhanced Size-Excluded Transport of Bacteria Through Unsaturated Porous Media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, J.

    2017-12-01

    US domestic waste water is rich in surfactants because of the intensive usage of surfactants-containing household product. It results in a surfactants presence environment when this untreated waste water released into subsurface. It was reported that surfactants enhance the colloidal transport in porous media, which have significant effect on issues such as subsurface pathogens contamination and biodegradation. In this study, soil column experiments were conducted. The soil column was remained unsaturated and with a steady flow passing through it. Escherichia coli K-12 transported in the soil column and its breakthrough data was collected in presence of surfactant anionic surfactant linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) concentration range over 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, and 2 times Critical Micelle Concentration (CMC). It was found that the increase in LAS concentration greatly increases breakthrough concentration C/C0 and decreases breakthrough time tb until LAS concentration reaches 1 xCMC. Numerical models were built simulating and investigating this phenomenon. The goodness of model fitting was greatly improved by adding exclusion factor into the model, which indicated that the presence of surfactant might enhance the exclusion effect. The relationships between LAS concentration and the two coefficients, deposition rate coefficient k and exclusion effect coefficient θim, were found can be fitted by a quasi-Langmuir equation. And the model validation with observed data showed that the model has an acceptable reliability.

  15. Real-time gamma imaging of technetium transport through natural and engineered porous materials for radioactive waste disposal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corkhill, Claire L; Bridge, Jonathan W; Chen, Xiaohui C; Hillel, Phil; Thornton, Steve F; Romero-Gonzalez, Maria E; Banwart, Steven A; Hyatt, Neil C

    2013-12-03

    We present a novel methodology for determining the transport of technetium-99m, a γ-emitting metastable isomer of (99)Tc, through quartz sand and porous media relevant to the disposal of nuclear waste in a geological disposal facility (GDF). Quartz sand is utilized as a model medium, and the applicability of the methodology to determine radionuclide transport in engineered backfill cement is explored using the UK GDF candidate backfill cement, Nirex Reference Vault Backfill (NRVB), in a model system. Two-dimensional distributions in (99m)Tc activity were collected at millimeter-resolution using decay-corrected gamma camera images. Pulse-inputs of ~20 MBq (99m)Tc were introduced into short (disposal of nuclear waste and potentially to a wide variety of other subsurface environments.

  16. Impact of Redox Reactions on Colloid Transport in Saturated Porous Media: An Example of Ferrihydrite Colloids Transport in the Presence of Sulfide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liao, Peng; Yuan, Songhu; Wang, Dengjun

    2016-10-18

    Transport of colloids in the subsurface is an important environmental process with most research interests centered on the transport in chemically stable conditions. While colloids can be formed under dynamic redox conditions, the impact of redox reactions on their transport is largely overlooked. Taking the redox reactions between ferrihydrite colloids and sulfide as an example, we investigated how and to what extent the redox reactions modulated the transport of ferrihydrite colloids in anoxic sand columns over a range of environmentally relevant conditions. Our results reveal that the presence of sulfide (7.8-46.9 μM) significantly decreased the breakthrough of ferrihydrite colloids in the sand column. The estimated travel distance of ferrihydrite colloids in the absence of sulfide was nearly 7-fold larger than that in the presence of 46.9 μM sulfide. The reduced breakthrough was primarily attributed to the reductive dissolution of ferrihydrite colloids by sulfide in parallel with formation of elemental sulfur (S(0)) particles from sulfide oxidation. Reductive dissolution decreased the total mass of ferrihydrite colloids, while the negatively charged S(0) decreased the overall zeta potential of ferrihydrite colloids by attaching onto their surfaces and thus enhanced their retention in the sand. Our findings provide novel insights into the critical role of redox reactions on the transport of redox-sensitive colloids in saturated porous media.

  17. Eigenvector centrality for geometric and topological characterization of porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jimenez-Martinez, Joaquin; Negre, Christian F. A.

    2017-07-01

    Solving flow and transport through complex geometries such as porous media is computationally difficult. Such calculations usually involve the solution of a system of discretized differential equations, which could lead to extreme computational cost depending on the size of the domain and the accuracy of the model. Geometric simplifications like pore networks, where the pores are represented by nodes and the pore throats by edges connecting pores, have been proposed. These models, despite their ability to preserve the connectivity of the medium, have difficulties capturing preferential paths (high velocity) and stagnation zones (low velocity), as they do not consider the specific relations between nodes. Nonetheless, network theory approaches, where a complex network is a graph, can help to simplify and better understand fluid dynamics and transport in porous media. Here we present an alternative method to address these issues based on eigenvector centrality, which has been corrected to overcome the centralization problem and modified to introduce a bias in the centrality distribution along a particular direction to address the flow and transport anisotropy in porous media. We compare the model predictions with millifluidic transport experiments, which shows that, albeit simple, this technique is computationally efficient and has potential for predicting preferential paths and stagnation zones for flow and transport in porous media. We propose to use the eigenvector centrality probability distribution to compute the entropy as an indicator of the "mixing capacity" of the system.

  18. Reactive silica transport in fractured porous media: Analytical solutions for a system of parallel fractures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jianwen

    2012-04-01

    A general analytical solution is derived by using the Laplace transformation to describe transient reactive silica transport in a conceptualized 2-D system involving a set of parallel fractures embedded in an impermeable host rock matrix, taking into account of hydrodynamic dispersion and advection of silica transport along the fractures, molecular diffusion from each fracture to the intervening rock matrix, and dissolution of quartz. A special analytical solution is also developed by ignoring the longitudinal hydrodynamic dispersion term but remaining other conditions the same. The general and special solutions are in the form of a double infinite integral and a single infinite integral, respectively, and can be evaluated using Gauss-Legendre quadrature technique. A simple criterion is developed to determine under what conditions the general analytical solution can be approximated by the special analytical solution. It is proved analytically that the general solution always lags behind the special solution, unless a dimensionless parameter is less than a critical value. Several illustrative calculations are undertaken to demonstrate the effect of fracture spacing, fracture aperture and fluid flow rate on silica transport. The analytical solutions developed here can serve as a benchmark to validate numerical models that simulate reactive mass transport in fractured porous media.

  19. Strength and stability of microbial plugs in porous media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sarkar, A.K. [NIPER/BDM-Oklahoma, Inc., Bartlesville, OK (United States); Sharma, M.M.; Georgiou, G. [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)

    1995-12-31

    Mobility reduction induced by the growth and metabolism of bacteria in high-permeability layers of heterogeneous reservoirs is an economically attractive technique to improve sweep efficiency. This paper describes an experimental study conducted in sandpacks using an injected bacterium to investigate the strength and stability of microbial plugs in porous media. Successful convective transport of bacteria is important for achieving sufficient initial bacteria distribution. The chemotactic and diffusive fluxes are probably not significant even under static conditions. Mobility reduction depends upon the initial cell concentrations and increase in cell mass. For single or multiple static or dynamic growth techniques, permeability reduction was approximately 70% of the original permeability. The stability of these microbial plugs to increases in pressure gradient and changes in cell physiology in a nutrient-depleted environment needs to be improved.

  20. Tubular solid oxide fuel cells with porous metal supports and ceramic interconnections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Kevin [Export, PA; Ruka, Roswell J [Pittsburgh, PA

    2012-05-08

    An intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell structure capable of operating at from 600.degree. C. to 800.degree. C. having a very thin porous hollow elongated metallic support tube having a thickness from 0.10 mm to 1.0 mm, preferably 0.10 mm to 0.35 mm, a porosity of from 25 vol. % to 50 vol. % and a tensile strength from 700 GPa to 900 GPa, which metallic tube supports a reduced thickness air electrode having a thickness from 0.010 mm to 0.2 mm, a solid oxide electrolyte, a cermet fuel electrode, a ceramic interconnection and an electrically conductive cell to cell contact layer.

  1. OPM: The Open Porous Media Initiative

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flemisch, B.; Flornes, K. M.; Lie, K.; Rasmussen, A.

    2011-12-01

    The principal objective of the Open Porous Media (OPM) initiative is to develop a simulation suite that is capable of modeling industrially and scientifically relevant flow and transport processes in porous media and bridge the gap between the different application areas of porous media modeling, including reservoir mechanics, CO2 sequestration, biological systems, and product development of engineered media. The OPM initiative will provide a long-lasting, efficient, and well-maintained open-source software for flow and transport in porous media built on modern software principles. The suite is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL). Our motivation is to provide a means to unite industry and public research on simulation of flow and transport in porous media. For academic users, we seek to provide a software infrastructure that facilitates testing of new ideas on models with industry-standard complexity, while at the same time giving the researcher control over discretization and solvers. Similarly, we aim to accelerate the technology transfer from academic institutions to professional companies by making new research results available as free software of professional standard. The OPM initiative is currently supported by six research groups in Norway and Germany and funded by existing grants from public research agencies as well as from Statoil Petroleum and Total E&P Norge. However, a full-scale development of the OPM initiative requires substantially more funding and involvement of more research groups and potential end users. In this talk, we will provide an overview of the current activities in the OPM initiative. Special emphasis will be given to the demonstration of the synergies achieved by combining the strengths of individual open-source software components. In particular, a new fully implicit solver developed within the DUNE-based simulator DuMux could be enhanced by the ability to read industry-standard Eclipse input files and to run on

  2. Improvement in photovoltaic properties of silicon solar cells with a doped porous silicon layer with rare earth (Ce, La) as antireflection coatings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Atyaoui, Malek; Dimassi, Wissem; Atyaoui, Atef; Elyagoubi, Jalel; Ouertani, Rachid; Ezzaouia, Hatem

    2013-01-01

    The performance improvement of solar cells due to the formation of a porous silicon layer treated with rare earth (Ce, La) in the n + emitter of silicon n + /p junctions has been investigated. The photovoltaic properties of the cells with and without treatment of the porous silicon layer are compared. From the reflection measurements, it was shown that the cells with treated PS layers have lower reflectivity value compared to cell with untreated PS layer. The main result is that the photovoltaic energy conversion efficiency of solar cells can be enhanced by using the treated porous silicon layers with the rare earth (Ce, La) as anti-reflection coatings. -- Highlights: • The reduction of optical loss in silicon (c-Si) solar cells attracts the attention of many researches to achieve high efficiencies. • To attain this aim, the treated PS layers with rare earth (La, Ce) are suggested to be used as an (ARC) of c-Si solar cell. • The result showed a decrease in the optical losses which can explain the improved photovoltaic properties

  3. Improvement in photovoltaic properties of silicon solar cells with a doped porous silicon layer with rare earth (Ce, La) as antireflection coatings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Atyaoui, Malek, E-mail: atyaoui.malek@yahoo.fr [Laboratoire de Photovoltaïque, Centre de recherches et des technologies de l' energie, technopole de Borj-Cédria, PB:95, Hammam Lif 2050 (Tunisia); Dimassi, Wissem [Laboratoire de Photovoltaïque, Centre de recherches et des technologies de l' energie, technopole de Borj-Cédria, PB:95,Hammam Lif 2050 (Tunisia); Atyaoui, Atef [Laboratoire de traitement des eaux usées, Centre de recherches et des technologies des eaux, technopole de Borj-Cédria, PB: 273, Soliman 8020 (Tunisia); Elyagoubi, Jalel; Ouertani, Rachid; Ezzaouia, Hatem [Laboratoire de Photovoltaïque, Centre de recherches et des technologies de l' energie, technopole de Borj-Cédria, PB:95,Hammam Lif 2050 (Tunisia)

    2013-09-15

    The performance improvement of solar cells due to the formation of a porous silicon layer treated with rare earth (Ce, La) in the n{sup +} emitter of silicon n{sup +}/p junctions has been investigated. The photovoltaic properties of the cells with and without treatment of the porous silicon layer are compared. From the reflection measurements, it was shown that the cells with treated PS layers have lower reflectivity value compared to cell with untreated PS layer. The main result is that the photovoltaic energy conversion efficiency of solar cells can be enhanced by using the treated porous silicon layers with the rare earth (Ce, La) as anti-reflection coatings. -- Highlights: • The reduction of optical loss in silicon (c-Si) solar cells attracts the attention of many researches to achieve high efficiencies. • To attain this aim, the treated PS layers with rare earth (La, Ce) are suggested to be used as an (ARC) of c-Si solar cell. • The result showed a decrease in the optical losses which can explain the improved photovoltaic properties.

  4. A mass conservative numerical solution of vertical water flow and mass transport equations in unsaturated porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lim, S.C.; Lee, K.J.

    1993-01-01

    The Galerkin finite element method is used to solve the problem of one-dimensional, vertical flow of water and mass transport of conservative-nonconservative solutes in unsaturated porous media. Numerical approximations based on different forms of the governing equation, although they are equivalent in continuous forms, can result in remarkably different solutions in an unsaturated flow problem. Solutions given by a simple Galerkin method based on the h-based Richards equation yield a large mass balance error and an underestimation of the infiltration depth. With the employment of the ROMV (restoration of main variable) concept in the discretization step, the mass conservative numerical solution algorithm for water flow has been derived. The resulting computational schemes for water flow and mass transport are applied to sandy soil. The ROMV method shows good mass conservation in water flow analysis, whereas it seems to have a minor effect on mass transport. However, it may relax the time-step size restriction and so ensure an improved calculation output. (author)

  5. Cell-Culture Reactor Having a Porous Organic Polymer Membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koontz, Steven L. (Inventor)

    2000-01-01

    A method for making a biocompatible polymer article using a uniform atomic oxygen treatment is disclosed. The substrate may be subsequently optionally grated with a compatibilizing compound. Compatibilizing compounds may include proteins, phosphory1choline groups, platelet adhesion preventing polymers, albumin adhesion promoters, and the like. The compatibilized substrate may also have a living cell layer adhered thereto. The atomic oxygen is preferably produced by a flowing afterglow microwave discharge, wherein the substrate resides in a sidearm out of the plasma. Also, methods for culturing cells for various purposes using the various membranes are disclosed as well. Also disclosed are porous organic polymers having a distributed pore chemistry (DPC) comprising hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions, and a method for making the DPC by exposing the polymer to atomic oxygen wherein the rate of hydrophilization is greater than the rate of mass loss.

  6. Growth of fingers at an unstable diffusing interface in a porous medium or hele-shaw cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wooding, R A

    1969-11-27

    Waves at an unstable horizontal interface, between 2 fluids moving vertically through a saturated porous medium, are observed to grow rapidly to become fingers (i.e., the amplitude greatly exceeds the wavelength). For a diffusing interface, in experiments using a Hele-Shaw cell, the mean amplitude taken over many fingers grows approx. as (time)U2D, followed by a transition to a growth proportional to time. Correspondingly, the mean wave number decreases approx. as (time)U-1/2D. Because of the rapid increase in amplitude, longitudinal dispersion ultimately becomes negligible relative to wave growth. To represent the observed quantities at large time, the transport equation is suitably weighted and averaged over the horizontal plane. Hyperbolic equations result, and the ascending and descending zones containing the fronts of the fingers are replaced by discontinuities. These averaged equations form an open set, but closure is achieved by assuming a law for the mean wave number based on similarity. (22 refs.)

  7. Laboratory experiments on solute transport in bimodal porous media under cyclic precipitation-evaporation boundary conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cremer, Clemens; Neuweiler, Insa

    2016-04-01

    Flow and solute transport in the shallow subsurface is strongly governed by atmospheric boundary conditions. Erratically varying infiltration and evaporation cycles lead to alternating upward and downward flow, as well as spatially and temporally varying water contents and associated hydraulic conductivity of the prevailing materials. Thus presenting a highly complicated, dynamic system. Knowledge of subsurface solute transport processes is vital to assess e.g. the entry of, potentially hazardous, solutes to the groundwater and nutrient uptake by plant roots and can be gained in many ways. Besides field measurements and numerical simulations, physical laboratory experiments represent a way to establish process understanding and furthermore validate numerical schemes. With the aim to gain a better understanding and to quantify solute transport in the unsaturated shallow subsurface under natural precipitation conditions in heterogeneous media, we conduct physical laboratory experiments in a 22 cm x 8 cm x 1 cm flow cell that is filled with two types of sand and apply cyclic infiltration-evaporation phases at the soil surface. Pressure at the bottom of the domain is kept constant. Following recent studies (Lehmann and Or, 2009; Bechtold et al., 2011a), heterogeneity is introduced by a sharp vertical interface between coarse and fine sand. Fluorescent tracers are used to i) qualitatively visualize transport paths within the domain and ii) quantify solute leaching at the bottom of the domain. Temporal and spatial variations in water content during the experiment are derived from x-ray radiographic images. Monitored water contents between infiltration and evaporation considerably changed in the coarse sand while the fine sand remained saturated throughout the experiments. Lateral solute transport through the interface in both directions at different depths of the investigated soil columns were observed. This depended on the flow rate applied at the soil surface and

  8. Revisiting Temporal Markov Chains for Continuum modeling of Transport in Porous Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delgoshaie, A. H.; Jenny, P.; Tchelepi, H.

    2017-12-01

    The transport of fluids in porous media is dominated by flow­-field heterogeneity resulting from the underlying permeability field. Due to the high uncertainty in the permeability field, many realizations of the reference geological model are used to describe the statistics of the transport phenomena in a Monte Carlo (MC) framework. There has been strong interest in working with stochastic formulations of the transport that are different from the standard MC approach. Several stochastic models based on a velocity process for tracer particle trajectories have been proposed. Previous studies have shown that for high variances of the log-conductivity, the stochastic models need to account for correlations between consecutive velocity transitions to predict dispersion accurately. The correlated velocity models proposed in the literature can be divided into two general classes of temporal and spatial Markov models. Temporal Markov models have been applied successfully to tracer transport in both the longitudinal and transverse directions. These temporal models are Stochastic Differential Equations (SDEs) with very specific drift and diffusion terms tailored for a specific permeability correlation structure. The drift and diffusion functions devised for a certain setup would not necessarily be suitable for a different scenario, (e.g., a different permeability correlation structure). The spatial Markov models are simple discrete Markov chains that do not require case specific assumptions. However, transverse spreading of contaminant plumes has not been successfully modeled with the available correlated spatial models. Here, we propose a temporal discrete Markov chain to model both the longitudinal and transverse dispersion in a two-dimensional domain. We demonstrate that these temporal Markov models are valid for different correlation structures without modification. Similar to the temporal SDEs, the proposed model respects the limited asymptotic transverse spreading of

  9. Capillary-Driven Solute Transport and Precipitation in Porous Media during Dry-Out

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ott, Holger; Andrew, Matthew; Blunt, Martin; Snippe, Jeroen

    2014-05-01

    The injection of dry or under-saturated gases or supercritical (SC) fluids into water bearing formations might lead to a formation dry-out in the vicinity of the injection well. The dry-out is caused by the evaporation/dissolution of formation water into the injected fluid and the subsequent transport of dissolved water in the injected fluid away from the injection well. Dry-out results in precipitation from solutes of the formation brine and consequently leads to a reduction of the rock's pore space (porosity) and eventually to a reduction of permeability near the injection well, or even to the loss of injectivity. Recently evidence has been found that the complexity of the pore space and the respective capillary driven solute transport plays a key role. While no effective-permeability (Keff) reduction was observed in a single-porosity sandstone, multi porosity carbonate rocks responded to precipitation with a strong reduction of Keff. The reason for the different response of Keff to salt precipitation is suspected to be in the exact location of the precipitate (solid salt) in the pore space. In this study, we investigate dry-out and salt precipitation due to supercritical CO2 injection in single and multi-porosity systems under near well-bore conditions. We image fluid saturation changes by means of μCT scanning during desaturation. We are able to observe capillary driven transport of the brine phase and the respective transport of solutes on the rock's pore scale. Finally we have access to the precipitated solid-salt phase and their distribution. The results can proof the thought models behind permeability porosity relationships K(φ) for injectivity modeling. The topic and the mechanisms we show are of general interest for drying processes in porous material such as soils and paper.

  10. THC-MP: High performance numerical simulation of reactive transport and multiphase flow in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Xiaohui; Li, Weishan; Tian, Hailong; Li, Hongliang; Xu, Haixiao; Xu, Tianfu

    2015-07-01

    The numerical simulation of multiphase flow and reactive transport in the porous media on complex subsurface problem is a computationally intensive application. To meet the increasingly computational requirements, this paper presents a parallel computing method and architecture. Derived from TOUGHREACT that is a well-established code for simulating subsurface multi-phase flow and reactive transport problems, we developed a high performance computing THC-MP based on massive parallel computer, which extends greatly on the computational capability for the original code. The domain decomposition method was applied to the coupled numerical computing procedure in the THC-MP. We designed the distributed data structure, implemented the data initialization and exchange between the computing nodes and the core solving module using the hybrid parallel iterative and direct solver. Numerical accuracy of the THC-MP was verified through a CO2 injection-induced reactive transport problem by comparing the results obtained from the parallel computing and sequential computing (original code). Execution efficiency and code scalability were examined through field scale carbon sequestration applications on the multicore cluster. The results demonstrate successfully the enhanced performance using the THC-MP on parallel computing facilities.

  11. Porous Nb-Ti based alloy produced from plasma spheroidized powder

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qijun Li

    Full Text Available Spherical Nb-Ti based alloy powder was prepared by the combination of plasma spheroidization and mechanical alloying. Phase constituents, microstructure and surface state of the powder, and pore characteristics of the resulting porous alloy were investigated. The results show that the undissolved W and V in the mechanically alloyed powder is fully alloyed after spheroidization, and single β phase is achieved. Particle size of the spheroidized powder is in the range of 20–110 μm. With the decrease of particle size, a transformation from typical dendrite solidification structure to fine cell microstructure occurs. The surface of the spheroidized powder is coated by a layer of oxides consisting mainly of TiO2 and Nb2O5. Probabilities of sinter-neck formation and particle coalescence increases with increasing sintering temperature. Porous skeleton with relatively homogeneous pore distribution and open pore channel is formed after vacuum sintering at 1700 °C, and the porosity is 32%. The sintering kinetic analysis indicates that grain boundary diffusion is the primary mass transport mechanism during sintering process. Keywords: Powder metallurgy, Nb-Ti based alloy, Porous material, Mechanical alloying, Plasma spheroidizing, Solidification microstructure

  12. Modelling of reactive fluid transport in deformable porous rocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yarushina, V. M.; Podladchikov, Y. Y.

    2009-04-01

    One outstanding challenge in geology today is the formulation of an understanding of the interaction between rocks and fluids. Advances in such knowledge are important for a broad range of geologic settings including partial melting and subsequent migration and emplacement of a melt into upper levels of the crust, or fluid flow during regional metamorphism and metasomatism. Rock-fluid interaction involves heat and mass transfer, deformation, hydrodynamic flow, and chemical reactions, thereby necessitating its consideration as a complex process coupling several simultaneous mechanisms. Deformation, chemical reactions, and fluid flow are coupled processes. Each affects the others. Special effort is required for accurate modelling of the porosity field through time. Mechanical compaction of porous rocks is usually treated under isothermal or isoentropic simplifying assumptions. However, joint consideration of both mechanical compaction and reactive porosity alteration requires somewhat greater than usual care about thermodynamic consistency. Here we consider the modelling of multi-component, multi-phase systems, which is fundamental to the study of fluid-rock interaction. Based on the conservation laws for mass, momentum, and energy in the form adopted in the theory of mixtures, we derive a thermodynamically admissible closed system of equations describing the coupling of heat and mass transfer, chemical reactions, and fluid flow in a deformable solid matrix. Geological environments where reactive transport is important are located at different depths and accordingly have different rheologies. In the near surface, elastic or elastoplastic properties would dominate, whereas viscoplasticity would have a profound effect deeper in the lithosphere. Poorly understood rheologies of heterogeneous porous rocks are derived from well understood processes (i.e., elasticity, viscosity, plastic flow, fracturing, and their combinations) on the microscale by considering a

  13. A new methodology for determination of macroscopic transport parameters in drying porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Attari Moghaddam, A.; Kharaghani, A.; Tsotsas, E.; Prat, M.

    2015-12-01

    Two main approaches have been used to model the drying process: The first approach considers the partially saturated porous medium as a continuum and partial differential equations are used to describe the mass, momentum and energy balances of the fluid phases. The continuum-scale models (CM) obtained by this approach involve constitutive laws which require effective material properties, such as the diffusivity, permeability, and thermal conductivity which are often determined by experiments. The second approach considers the material at the pore scale, where the void space is represented by a network of pores (PN). Micro- or nanofluidics models used in each pore give rise to a large system of ordinary differential equations with degrees of freedom at each node of the pore network. In this work, the moisture transport coefficient (D), the pseudo desorption isotherm inside the network and at the evaporative surface are estimated from the post-processing of the three-dimensional pore network drying simulations for fifteen realizations of the pore space geometry from a given probability distribution. A slice sampling method is used in order to extract these parameters from PN simulations. The moisture transport coefficient obtained in this way is shown in Fig. 1a. The minimum of average D values demonstrates the transition between liquid dominated moisture transport region and vapor dominated moisture transport region; a similar behavior has been observed in previous experimental findings. A function is fitted to the average D values and then is fed into the non-linear moisture diffusion equation. The saturation profiles obtained from PN and CM simulations are shown in Fig. 1b. Figure 1: (a) extracted moisture transport coefficient during drying for fifteen realizations of the pore network, (b) average moisture profiles during drying obtained from PN and CM simulations.

  14. Fem Formulation of Heat Transfer in Cylindrical Porous Medium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azeem; Khaleed, H. M. T.; Soudagar, Manzoor Elahi M.

    2017-08-01

    Heat transfer in porous medium can be derived from the fundamental laws of flow in porous region ass given by Henry Darcy. The fluid flow and energy transport inside the porous medium can be described with the help of momentum and energy equations. The heat transfer in cylindrical porous medium differs from its counterpart in radial and axial coordinates. The present work is focused to discuss the finite element formulation of heat transfer in cylindrical porous medium. The basic partial differential equations are derived using Darcy law which is the converted into a set of algebraic equations with the help of finite element method. The resulting equations are solved by matrix method for two solution variables involved in the coupled equations.

  15. Understanding compressive deformation behavior of porous Ti using finite element analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roy, Sandipan; Khutia, Niloy [Department of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur (India); Das, Debdulal [Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur (India); Das, Mitun, E-mail: mitun@cgcri.res.in [Bioceramics and Coating Division, CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, Kolkata (India); Balla, Vamsi Krishna [Bioceramics and Coating Division, CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, Kolkata (India); Bandyopadhyay, Amit [W. M. Keck Biomedical Materials Research Laboratory, School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164 (United States); Chowdhury, Amit Roy, E-mail: arcbesu@gmail.com [Department of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur (India)

    2016-07-01

    In the present study, porous commercially pure (CP) Ti samples with different volume fraction of porosities were fabricated using a commercial additive manufacturing technique namely laser engineered net shaping (LENS™). Mechanical behavior of solid and porous samples was evaluated at room temperature under quasi-static compressive loading. Fracture surfaces of the failed samples were analyzed to determine the failure modes. Finite Element (FE) analysis using representative volume element (RVE) model and micro-computed tomography (CT) based model have been performed to understand the deformation behavior of laser deposited solid and porous CP-Ti samples. In vitro cell culture on laser processed porous CP-Ti surfaces showed normal cell proliferation with time, and confirmed non-toxic nature of these samples. - Highlights: • Porous CP-Ti samples fabricated using additive manufacturing technique • Compressive deformation behavior of porous samples closely matches with micro-CT and RVE based analysis • In vitro studies showed better cell proliferation with time on porous CP-Ti surfaces.

  16. Understanding compressive deformation behavior of porous Ti using finite element analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roy, Sandipan; Khutia, Niloy; Das, Debdulal; Das, Mitun; Balla, Vamsi Krishna; Bandyopadhyay, Amit; Chowdhury, Amit Roy

    2016-01-01

    In the present study, porous commercially pure (CP) Ti samples with different volume fraction of porosities were fabricated using a commercial additive manufacturing technique namely laser engineered net shaping (LENS™). Mechanical behavior of solid and porous samples was evaluated at room temperature under quasi-static compressive loading. Fracture surfaces of the failed samples were analyzed to determine the failure modes. Finite Element (FE) analysis using representative volume element (RVE) model and micro-computed tomography (CT) based model have been performed to understand the deformation behavior of laser deposited solid and porous CP-Ti samples. In vitro cell culture on laser processed porous CP-Ti surfaces showed normal cell proliferation with time, and confirmed non-toxic nature of these samples. - Highlights: • Porous CP-Ti samples fabricated using additive manufacturing technique • Compressive deformation behavior of porous samples closely matches with micro-CT and RVE based analysis • In vitro studies showed better cell proliferation with time on porous CP-Ti surfaces

  17. Transport of Cryptosporidium parvum Oocysts in Charge Heterogeneous Porous Media: Microfluidics Experiment and Numerical Simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Y.; Meng, X.; Guo, Z.; Zhang, C.; Nguyen, T. H.; Hu, D.; Ji, J.; Yang, X.

    2017-12-01

    Colloidal attachment on charge heterogeneous grains has significant environmental implications for transport of hazardous colloids, such as pathogens, in the aquifer, where iron, manganese, and aluminium oxide minerals are the major source of surface charge heterogeneity of the aquifer grains. A patchwise surface charge model is often used to describe the surface charge heterogeneity of the grains. In the patchwise model, the colloidal attachment efficiency is linearly correlated with the fraction of the favorable patches (θ=λ(θf - θu)+θu). However, our previous microfluidic study showed that the attachment efficiency of oocysts of Cryptosporidium parvum, a waterborne protozoan parasite, was not linear correlated with the fraction of the favorable patches (λ). In this study, we developed a pore scale model to simulate colloidal transport and attachment on charge heterogeneous grains. The flow field was simulated using the LBM method and colloidal transport and attachment were simulated using the Lagrange particle tracking method. The pore scale model was calibrated with experimental results of colloidal and oocyst transport in microfluidic devices and was then used to simulate oocyst transport in charge heterogeneous porous media under a variety of environmental relative conditions, i.e. the fraction of favorable patchwise, ionic strength, and pH. The results of the pore scale simulations were used to evaluate the effect of surface charge heterogeneity on upscaling of oocyst transport from pore to continuum scale and to develop an applicable correlation between colloidal attachment efficiency and the fraction of the favorable patches.

  18. a Fractal Network Model for Fractured Porous Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Peng; Li, Cuihong; Qiu, Shuxia; Sasmito, Agus Pulung

    2016-04-01

    The transport properties and mechanisms of fractured porous media are very important for oil and gas reservoir engineering, hydraulics, environmental science, chemical engineering, etc. In this paper, a fractal dual-porosity model is developed to estimate the equivalent hydraulic properties of fractured porous media, where a fractal tree-like network model is used to characterize the fracture system according to its fractal scaling laws and topological structures. The analytical expressions for the effective permeability of fracture system and fractured porous media, tortuosity, fracture density and fraction are derived. The proposed fractal model has been validated by comparisons with available experimental data and numerical simulation. It has been shown that fractal dimensions for fracture length and aperture have significant effect on the equivalent hydraulic properties of fractured porous media. The effective permeability of fracture system can be increased with the increase of fractal dimensions for fracture length and aperture, while it can be remarkably lowered by introducing tortuosity at large branching angle. Also, a scaling law between the fracture density and fractal dimension for fracture length has been found, where the scaling exponent depends on the fracture number. The present fractal dual-porosity model may shed light on the transport physics of fractured porous media and provide theoretical basis for oil and gas exploitation, underground water, nuclear waste disposal and geothermal energy extraction as well as chemical engineering, etc.

  19. Biogenic Cracks in Porous Rock

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hemmerle, A.; Hartung, J.; Hallatschek, O.; Goehring, L.; Herminghaus, S.

    2014-12-01

    Microorganisms growing on and inside porous rock may fracture it by various processes. Some of the mechanisms of biofouling and bioweathering are today identified and partially understood but most emphasis is on chemical weathering, while mechanical contributions have been neglected. However, as demonstrated by the perseverance of a seed germinating and cracking up a concrete block, the turgor pressure of living organisms can be very significant. Here, we present results of a systematic study of the effects of the mechanical forces of growing microbial populations on the weathering of porous media. We designed a model porous medium made of glass beads held together by polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a curable polymer. The rheological properties of the porous medium, whose shape and size are tunable, can be controlled by the ratio of crosslinker to base used in the PDMS (see Fig. 1). Glass and PDMS being inert to most chemicals, we are able to focus on the mechanical processes of biodeterioration, excluding any chemical weathering. Inspired by recent measurements of the high pressure (~0.5 Mpa) exerted by a growing population of yeasts trapped in a microfluidic device, we show that yeast cells can be cultured homogeneously within porous medium until saturation of the porous space. We investigate then the effects of such an inner pressure on the mechanical properties of the sample. Using the same model system, we study also the complex interplay between biofilms and porous media. We focus in particular on the effects of pore size on the penetration of the biofilm within the porous sample, and on the resulting deformations of the matrix, opening new perspectives into the understanding of life in complex geometry. Figure 1. Left : cell culture growing in a model porous medium. The white spheres represent the grains, bonds are displayed in grey, and microbes in green. Right: microscopy picture of glass beads linked by PDMS bridges, scale bar: 100 μm.

  20. Flow and clogging mechanisms in porous media with applications to dams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martinet, P.

    1998-01-01

    The purpose of this work is to analyze both theoretically and experimentally two mechanisms that are statistical improbable and one mechanism that is negligible from the geometrical point of view. The first mechanism is related with the formation of arches between the grains of a porous matrix. The second mechanism is associated with the presence of preferential paths. The third and last mechanism is the leakage of an infinitely thin fracture in an earth dam. For each case the macroscopic flow was dramatically perturbed. This work is based on a mesoscale, also called mesoscopic, description of the flow of a particle-fluid mixture through a porous matrix. The practical advantage of mesoscale experiments is obvious. However, the limited size of the experimental cell makes the extrapolation of the results to a macroscopic description more difficult. Non-cohesive particles of mm-size were introduced at the top of a Hele-Shaw cell that contained cylindrical obstacles. An image analysis of the video frames, showed that a flow of the Darcy type still exists for the particles at mesoscale. The settling velocity is measured for different degrees of uniformity for the porous matrix. A maximum value of the settling velocity is identified with the formation of 'trains' of particles that settle faster than single particles. Longitudinal and transversal velocities were measured and corrected from the settling velocity. The result is that there is no longitudinal dispersion for the particles. One pore filled before the next pore is invaded. Particles that are transported through a porous medium can be trapped in many different ways. The final outcome is usually the formation of clusters. Experiments show a subtle mechanism of trapping particles. The formation of arches between the grains of the porous matrix induces the formation of subclusters that finally agglomerate into large clusters. The growing rate of such clusters is mainly proportional to the number of subclusters

  1. A two-dimensional, two-phase mass transport model for liquid-feed DMFCs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, W.W.; Zhao, T.S.

    2007-01-01

    A two-dimensional, isothermal two-phase mass transport model for a liquid-feed direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is presented in this paper. The two-phase mass transport in the anode and cathode porous regions is formulated based on the classical multiphase flow in porous media without invoking the assumption of constant gas pressure in the unsaturated porous medium flow theory. The two-phase flow behavior in the anode flow channel is modeled by utilizing the drift-flux model, while in the cathode flow channel the homogeneous mist-flow model is used. In addition, a micro-agglomerate model is developed for the cathode catalyst layer. The model also accounts for the effects of both methanol and water crossover through the membrane. The comprehensive model formed by integrating those in the different regions is solved numerically using a home-written computer code and validated against the experimental data in the literature. The model is then used to investigate the effects of various operating and structural parameters, such as methanol concentration, anode flow rate, porosities of both anode and cathode electrodes, the rate of methanol crossover, and the agglomerate size, on cell performance

  2. Porous poly (lactic-co-glycolide) microsphere sintered scaffolds for tissue repair applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Yingjun; Shi Xuetao; Ren Li; Wang Chunming; Wang Dongan

    2009-01-01

    In this paper, a new route to preparing porous poly (lactic-co-glycolide) (PLGA) scaffolds for bone tissue repair applications was developed. Novel porous PLGA scaffolds were fabricated via microsphere sintered technique and gas forming technique. Ammonium bicarbonate was used to regulate porosity of these porous scaffolds. Porosity of the scaffolds, and cell attachment, viability and proliferation on the scaffolds were evaluated. The results indicated that PLGA porous scaffolds were with the porosity from around 30% to 95% by regulating ammonium bicarbonate content from 0 to 10%. We also found that PLGA porous microsphere scaffolds benefited cell attachment and viability. Taken together, the achieved porous scaffolds have controlled porosity and also support mesenchymal stem cell proliferation, which could serve as potential scaffolds for bone repair applications.

  3. Global sensitivity analysis of multiscale properties of porous materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Um, Kimoon; Zhang, Xuan; Katsoulakis, Markos; Plechac, Petr; Tartakovsky, Daniel M.

    2018-02-01

    Ubiquitous uncertainty about pore geometry inevitably undermines the veracity of pore- and multi-scale simulations of transport phenomena in porous media. It raises two fundamental issues: sensitivity of effective material properties to pore-scale parameters and statistical parameterization of Darcy-scale models that accounts for pore-scale uncertainty. Homogenization-based maps of pore-scale parameters onto their Darcy-scale counterparts facilitate both sensitivity analysis (SA) and uncertainty quantification. We treat uncertain geometric characteristics of a hierarchical porous medium as random variables to conduct global SA and to derive probabilistic descriptors of effective diffusion coefficients and effective sorption rate. Our analysis is formulated in terms of solute transport diffusing through a fluid-filled pore space, while sorbing to the solid matrix. Yet it is sufficiently general to be applied to other multiscale porous media phenomena that are amenable to homogenization.

  4. Application of porous silicon in solar cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maniya, Nalin H.; Ashokan, Jibinlal; Srivastava, Divesh N.

    2018-05-01

    Silicon is widely used in solar cell applications with over 95% of all solar cells produced worldwide composed of silicon. Nanostructured thin porous silicon (PSi) layer acting as anti-reflecting coating is used in photovoltaic solar cells due to its advantages including simple and low cost fabrication, highly textured surfaces enabling lowering of reflectance, controllability of thickness and porosity of layer, and high surface area. PSi layers have previously been reported to reduce the reflection of light and replaced the conventional anti-reflective coating layers on solar cells. This can essentially improve the efficiency and decrease the cost of silicon solar cells. Here, we investigate the reflectance of different PSi layers formed by varying current density and etching time. PSi layers were formed by a combination of current density including 60 and 80 mA/cm2 and time for fabrication as 2, 4, 6, and 8 seconds. The fabricated PSi layers were characterized using reflectance spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Thickness and pore size of PSi layer were increased with increase in etching time and current density, respectively. The reflectance of PSi layers was decreased with increase in etching time until 6 seconds and increased again after 6 seconds, which was observed across both the current density. Reduction in reflectance indicates the increase of absorption of light by silicon due to the thin PSi layer. In comparison with the reflectance of silicon wafer, PSi layer fabricated at 80 mA/cm2 for 6 seconds gave the best result with reduction in reflectance up to 57%. Thus, the application of PSi layer as an effective anti-reflecting coating for the fabrication of solar cell has been demonstrated.

  5. Is There a Critical Distance for Fickian Transport? - a Statistical Approach to Sub-Fickian Transport Modelling in Porous Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Most, S.; Nowak, W.; Bijeljic, B.

    2014-12-01

    Transport processes in porous media are frequently simulated as particle movement. This process can be formulated as a stochastic process of particle position increments. At the pore scale, the geometry and micro-heterogeneities prohibit the commonly made assumption of independent and normally distributed increments to represent dispersion. Many recent particle methods seek to loosen this assumption. Recent experimental data suggest that we have not yet reached the end of the need to generalize, because particle increments show statistical dependency beyond linear correlation and over many time steps. The goal of this work is to better understand the validity regions of commonly made assumptions. We are investigating after what transport distances can we observe: A statistical dependence between increments, that can be modelled as an order-k Markov process, boils down to order 1. This would be the Markovian distance for the process, where the validity of yet-unexplored non-Gaussian-but-Markovian random walks would start. A bivariate statistical dependence that simplifies to a multi-Gaussian dependence based on simple linear correlation (validity of correlated PTRW). Complete absence of statistical dependence (validity of classical PTRW/CTRW). The approach is to derive a statistical model for pore-scale transport from a powerful experimental data set via copula analysis. The model is formulated as a non-Gaussian, mutually dependent Markov process of higher order, which allows us to investigate the validity ranges of simpler models.

  6. Application of method of volume averaging coupled with time resolved PIV to determine transport characteristics of turbulent flows in porous bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patil, Vishal; Liburdy, James

    2012-11-01

    Turbulent porous media flows are encountered in catalytic bed reactors and heat exchangers. Dispersion and mixing properties of these flows play an essential role in efficiency and performance. In an effort to understand these flows, pore scale time resolved PIV measurements in a refractive index matched porous bed were made. Pore Reynolds numbers, based on hydraulic diameter and pore average velocity, were varied from 400-4000. Jet-like flows and recirculation regions associated with large scale structures were found to exist. Coherent vortical structures which convect at approximately 0.8 times the pore average velocity were identified. These different flow regions exhibited different turbulent characteristics and hence contributed unequally to global transport properties of the bed. The heterogeneity present within a pore and also from pore to pore can be accounted for in estimating transport properties using the method of volume averaging. Eddy viscosity maps and mean velocity field maps, both obtained from PIV measurements, along with the method of volume averaging were used to predict the dispersion tensor versus Reynolds number. Asymptotic values of dispersion compare well to existing correlations. The role of molecular diffusion was explored by varying the Schmidt number and molecular diffusion was found to play an important role in tracer transport, especially in recirculation regions. Funding by NSF grant 0933857, Particulate and Multiphase Processing.

  7. Fully-developed conjugate heat transfer in porous media with uniform heating

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lopez Penha, D.J.; Stolz, S.; Kuerten, Johannes G.M.; Nordlund, M.; Kuczaj, Arkadiusz K.; Geurts, Bernardus J.

    2012-01-01

    We propose a computational method for approximating the heat transfer coefficient of fully-developed flow in porous media. For a representative elementary volume of the porous medium we develop a transport model subject to periodic boundary conditions that describes incompressible fluid flow through

  8. Additively manufactured metallic porous biomaterials based on minimal surfaces

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bobbert, F. S. L.; Lietaert, K.; Eftekhari, Ali Akbar

    2017-01-01

    Porous biomaterials that simultaneously mimic the topological, mechanical, and mass transport properties of bone are in great demand but are rarely found in the literature. In this study, we rationally designed and additively manufactured (AM) porous metallic biomaterials based on four different...... of bone properties is feasible, biomaterials that could simultaneously mimic all or most of the relevant bone properties are rare. We used rational design and additive manufacturing to develop porous metallic biomaterials that exhibit an interesting combination of topological, mechanical, and mass...

  9. Fast Response, Open-Celled Porous, Shape Memory Effect Actuators with Integrated Attachments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jardine, Andrew Peter (Inventor)

    2015-01-01

    This invention relates to the exploitation of porous foam articles exhibiting the Shape Memory Effect as actuators. Each foam article is composed of a plurality of geometric shapes, such that some geometric shapes can fit snugly into or around rigid mating connectors that attach the Shape Memory foam article intimately into the load path between a static structure and a moveable structure. The foam is open-celled, composed of a plurality of interconnected struts whose mean diameter can vary from approximately 50 to 500 microns. Gases and fluids flowing through the foam transfer heat rapidly with the struts, providing rapid Shape Memory Effect transformations. Embodiments of porous foam articles as torsional actuators and approximately planar structures are disposed. Simple, integral connection systems exploiting the ability to supply large loads to a structure, and that can also supply hot and cold gases and fluids to effect rapid actuation are also disposed.

  10. Particles and solutes migration in porous medium : radionuclides and clayey particles simultaneous transport under the effect of a salinity gradient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faure, M.H.

    1994-01-01

    This work deals with the radiation protection of high-level and long-life radioactive waste storages. The colloids presence in ground waters can accelerate the radionuclides migration in natural geological deposits. The aim of this thesis is then to control particularly the particles motion in porous medium in order to anticipate quantitatively their migration. Liquid chromatography columns are filled with a clayey sand and fed with a decreasing concentration sodium chloride solution in order to study the particles outlet under a salinity gradient. When the porous medium undergoes a decrease of salinity it deteriorates. The adsorption of the cations : sodium 22, calcium 45, cesium 137 and neptunium 237 is then studied by the ions exchange method. The radionuclide solution is injected before the decrease of the feed solution salinity. The decrease of the sodium chloride concentration leads to the decrease of the radionuclides concentration because the adsorption competition between the sodium ion and the injected cation is lower. The particles transport, without fouling of the porous medium, is carried out in particular physical and chemical conditions which are described. (O.L.). 71 refs., 105 figs., 26 tabs

  11. Conductive Polymer Porous Film with Tunable Wettability and Adhesion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuqi Teng

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available A conductive polymer porous film with tunable wettability and adhesion was fabricated by the chloroform solution of poly(3-hexylthiophene (P3HT and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyricacid-methyl-ester (PCBM via the freeze drying method. The porous film could be obtained from the solution of 0.8 wt%, whose pore diameters ranged from 50 nm to 500 nm. The hydrophobic porous surface with a water contact angle (CA of 144.7° could be transferred into a hydrophilic surface with CA of 25° by applying a voltage. The water adhesive force on the porous film increased with the increase of the external voltage. The electro-controllable wettability and adhesion of the porous film have potential application in manipulating liquid collection and transportation.

  12. Gas phase fractionation method using porous ceramic membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Reid A.; Hill, Jr., Charles G.; Anderson, Marc A.

    1996-01-01

    Flaw-free porous ceramic membranes fabricated from metal sols and coated onto a porous support are advantageously used in gas phase fractionation methods. Mean pore diameters of less than 40 .ANG., preferably 5-20 .ANG. and most preferably about 15 .ANG., are permeable at lower pressures than existing membranes. Condensation of gases in small pores and non-Knudsen membrane transport mechanisms are employed to facilitate and increase membrane permeability and permselectivity.

  13. Effects of starvation on the transport of Escherichia coli K12 in saturated porous media are dependent on pH and ionic strength

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, S.; Walczak, J. J.; Wang, L.; Bardy, S. L.; Li, J.

    2010-12-01

    In this research, we investigate the effects of starvation on the transport of E. coli K12 in saturated porous media. Particularly, we examine the relationship between such effects and the pH and ionic strength of the electrolyte solutions that were used to suspend bacterial cells. E. coli K12 (ATCC 10798) cells were cultured using either Luria-Bertani Miller (LB-Miller) broth (10 g trypton, 5 g yeast extract and 10 g NaCl in 1 L of deionized water) or LB-Luria broth (10 g tryptone, 5 g yeast extract and 0.5 g NaCl in 1 L of deionized water). Both broths had similar pH (~7.1) but differed in ionic strength (LB-Miller: ~170 mM, LB-Luria: ~ 8 mM). The bacterial cells were then harvested and suspended using one of the following electrolyte solutions: phosphate buffered saline (PBS) (pH ~7.2; ionic strength ~170 mM), 168 mM NaCl (pH ~5.7), 5% of PBS (pH ~ 7.2; ionic strength ~ 8 mM) and 8 mM NaCl (pH ~ 5.7). Column transport experiments were performed at 0, 21 and 48 hours following cell harvesting to evaluate the change in cell mobility over time under “starvation” conditions. Our results showed that 1) starvation increased the mobility of E. coli K12 cells; 2) the most significant change in mobility occurred when bacterial cells were suspended in an electrolyte solution that had different pH and ionic strength (i.e., LB-Miller culture suspended in 8 mM NaCl and LB-Luria culture suspended in 168 mM Nacl); and 3) the change in cell mobility primarily occurred within the first 21 hours. The size of the bacterial cells was measured and the surface properties (e.g., zeta potential, hydrophobicity, cell-bound protein, LPS sugar content, outer membrane protein profiles) of the bacterial cells were characterized. We found that the measured cell surface properties could not fully explain the observed changes in cell mobility caused by starvation.

  14. Comparison of Transport Characteristics and Textural Properties of Porous Material; the Role of Pore Sizes and Their Distributions

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Hejtmánek, Vladimír; Schneider, Petr; Soukup, Karel; Šolcová, Olga

    2006-01-01

    Roč. 160, - (2006), s. 1-8 ISSN 0167-2991. [International Symposium on the Characterisation of Porous Solids COPS VII /7./. Aix en Provance, 26.05.2005-28.05.2005] R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA104/04/0963; GA ČR GD203/03/H140; GA AV ČR IAA4072404 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40720504 Keywords : counter-current gas diffusion * transport parameters * Maxwell-Stefan equation Subject RIV: CA - Inorganic Chemistry Impact factor: 0.307, year: 2005

  15. History independence of steady state in simultaneous two-phase flow through two-dimensional porous media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erpelding, Marion; Sinha, Santanu; Tallakstad, Ken Tore; Hansen, Alex; Flekkøy, Eirik Grude; Måløy, Knut Jørgen

    2013-11-01

    It is well known that the transient behavior during drainage or imbibition in multiphase flow in porous media strongly depends on the history and initial condition of the system. However, when the steady-state regime is reached and both drainage and imbibition take place at the pore level, the influence of the evolution history and initial preparation is an open question. Here, we present an extensive experimental and numerical work investigating the history dependence of simultaneous steady-state two-phase flow through porous media. Our experimental system consists of a Hele-Shaw cell filled with glass beads which we model numerically by a network of disordered pores transporting two immiscible fluids. From measurements of global pressure evolution, histograms of saturation, and cluster-size distributions, we find that when both phases are flowing through the porous medium, the steady state does not depend on the initial preparation of the system or on the way it has been reached.

  16. Porous niobium coatings fabricated with selective laser melting on titanium substrates: Preparation, characterization, and cell behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Sheng; Cheng, Xian; Yao, Yao; Wei, Yehui; Han, Changjun; Shi, Yusheng; Wei, Qingsong; Zhang, Zhen

    2015-08-01

    Nb, an expensive and refractory element with good wear resistance and biocompatibility, is gaining more attention as a new metallic biomaterial. However, the high price of the raw material, as well as the high manufacturing costs because of Nb's strong oxygen affinity and high melting point have limited the widespread use of Nb and its compounds. To overcome these disadvantages, porous Nb coatings of various thicknesses were fabricated on Ti substrate via selective laser melting (SLM), which is a 3D printing technique that uses computer-controlled high-power laser to melt the metal. The morphology and microstructure of the porous Nb coatings, which had pores ranging from 15 to 50 μm in size, were characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The average hardness of the coating, which was measured with the linear intercept method, was 392±37 HV. In vitro tests of the porous Nb coating which was monitored with SEM, immunofluorescence, and CCK-8 counts of cells, exhibited excellent cell morphology, attachment, and growth. The simulated body fluid test also proved the bioactivity of the Nb coating. Therefore, these new porous Nb coatings could potentially be used for enhanced early biological fixation to bone tissue. In addition, this study has shown that SLM technique could be used to fabricate coatings with individually tailored shapes and/or porosities from group IVB and VB biomedical metals and their alloys on stainless steel, Co-Cr, and other traditional biomedical materials without wasting raw materials. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Simulation of the relationship between porosity and tortuosity in porous media with cubic particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang Xiao-Wu; Sun Zu-Feng; Cheng Guan-Chu

    2012-01-01

    Tortuosity is an important parameter used in areas such as vascular medicine, neurobiology, and the field of soil permeability and diffusion to express the mass transport in porous media. It is a function of the porosity and the shape and distribution of particles. In this paper, the tortuosity of cubic particles is calculated. With the assumption that the porous medium is homogeneous, the problem is converted to the micro-level over a unit cell, and geometry models of flow paths are proposed. In three-dimensional (3D) cells, the flow paths are too complicated to define. Hence, the 3D models are converted to two-dimensional (2D) models to simplify the calculation process. It is noticed that the path in the 2D model is shorter than that in the 3D model. As a result, triangular particles and the interaction are also taken into consideration to account for the longer distance respectively. We have proposed quadrate particle and interaction (QI) and quadrate and triangular particle (QT) models with cubic particles. Both models have shown good agreement with the experimental data. It is also found that they can predict the toruosities of some kinds of porous media, like freshwater sediment and Negev chalk

  18. Neoclassical resonant transport of a mirror cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ito, T.; Katanuma, I.

    2005-01-01

    The neoclassical resonant plateau transport in a mirror cell is studied theoretically. The analytical expression for a non-square-well magnetic field is obtained. The analytical result is applied to the GAMMA10 tandem mirror [T. Cho, M. Yoshida, J. Kohagura et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 085002-1 (2005)], which consists of several mirror cells in it, and the confinement time due to the neoclassical resonant plateau transport is determined in each mirror cell. It is found that the neoclassical resonant transport of ions trapped in the nonaxisymmetric anchor mirror cell and transition mirror cells is significantly smaller than those trapped in the central cell

  19. Electrocatalysts using porous polymers and method of preparation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Di-Jia; Yuan, Shengwen; Goenaga, Gabriel A.

    2016-08-02

    A method of producing an electrocatalyst article using porous polymers. The method creates a porous polymer designed to receive transition metal groups disposed at ligation sites and activating the transition metals to form an electrocatalyst which can be used in a fuel cell. Electrocatalysts prepared by this method are also provided. A fuel cell which includes the electrocatalyst is also provided.

  20. Electrocatalysts using porous polymers and method of preparation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Di-Jia; Yuan, Shengwen; Goenaga, Gabriel A.

    2015-04-21

    A method of producing an electrocatalyst article using porous polymers. The method creates a porous polymer designed to receive transition metal groups disposed at ligation sites and activating the transition metals to form an electrocatalyst which can be used in a fuel cell. Electrocatalysts prepared by this method are also provided. A fuel cell which includes the electrocatalyst is also provided.

  1. A nonequilibrium model for reactive contaminant transport through fractured porous media: Model development and semianalytical solution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joshi, Nitin; Ojha, C. S. P.; Sharma, P. K.

    2012-10-01

    In this study a conceptual model that accounts for the effects of nonequilibrium contaminant transport in a fractured porous media is developed. Present model accounts for both physical and sorption nonequilibrium. Analytical solution was developed using the Laplace transform technique, which was then numerically inverted to obtain solute concentration in the fracture matrix system. The semianalytical solution developed here can incorporate both semi-infinite and finite fracture matrix extent. In addition, the model can account for flexible boundary conditions and nonzero initial condition in the fracture matrix system. The present semianalytical solution was validated against the existing analytical solutions for the fracture matrix system. In order to differentiate between various sorption/transport mechanism different cases of sorption and mass transfer were analyzed by comparing the breakthrough curves and temporal moments. It was found that significant differences in the signature of sorption and mass transfer exists. Applicability of the developed model was evaluated by simulating the published experimental data of Calcium and Strontium transport in a single fracture. The present model simulated the experimental data reasonably well in comparison to the model based on equilibrium sorption assumption in fracture matrix system, and multi rate mass transfer model.

  2. Metallizing porous scaffolds as an alternative fabrication method for solid oxide fuel cell anodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruiz-Trejo, Enrique; Atkinson, Alan; Brandon, Nigel P.

    2015-04-01

    A combination of electroless and electrolytic techniques is used to incorporate nickel into a porous Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.90 scaffold. First a porous backbone was screen printed into a YSZ electrolyte using an ink that contains sacrificial pore formers. Once sintered, the scaffold was coated with silver using Tollens' reaction followed by electrodeposition of nickel in a Watts bath. At high temperatures the silver forms droplets enabling direct contact between the gadolinia-doped ceria and nickel. Using impedance spectroscopy analysis in a symmetrical cell a total area specific resistance of 1 Ωcm2 at 700 °C in 97% H2 with 3% H2O was found, indicating the potential of this fabrication method for scaling up.

  3. Fabrication of honeycomb-structured poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(lactic acid) porous films and biomedical applications for cell growth

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yao, Bingjian [Key Laboratory of Special Functional Aggregated Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250199 (China); College of chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014 (China); Zhu, Qingzeng, E-mail: qzzhu@sdu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Special Functional Aggregated Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250199 (China); Yao, Linli [Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Experimental Teratology, Department of Histology and Embryology, Shandong University School of Medicine, 250012 Jinan (China); Hao, Jingcheng [Key Laboratory of Special Functional Aggregated Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250199 (China)

    2015-03-30

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Honeycomb-structured PEG-PLA porous films were fabricated. • The organization of pores depends on molecular weight ratio of PEG-to-PLA block. • The pores in the film were internally decorated with a layer of PEG. • The honeycomb-structured PEG-PLA film was suitable as a substrate for cell growth. - Abstract: A series of poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(lactic acid) (PEG-PLA) copolymers with a hydrophobic PLA block of different molecular weights and a fixed length hydrophilic PEG were synthesized successfully and characterized. These amphiphilic block copolymers were used to fabricate honeycomb-structured porous films using the breath figure (BF) templating technique. The surface topology and composition of the highly ordered pattern film were further characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and fluorescence microscopy. The results indicated that the PEG-to-PLA block molecular weight ratio influenced the BF film surface topology. The film with the best ordered pores was obtained with a PEG-to-PLA ratio of 2.0 × 10{sup 3}:3.0 × 10{sup 4}. The self-organization of the hydrophilic PEG chains within the pores was confirmed by XPS and fluorescence labeled PEG. A model is proposed to elucidate the stabilization process of the amphiphilic PEG-PLA aggregated architecture on the water droplet-based templates. In addition, GFP-U87 cell viability has been investigated by MTS test and the cell morphology on the honeycomb-structured PEG-PLA porous film has been evaluated using phase-contrast microscope. This porous film is shown to be suitable as a matrix for cell growth.

  4. Fabrication of honeycomb-structured poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(lactic acid) porous films and biomedical applications for cell growth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yao, Bingjian; Zhu, Qingzeng; Yao, Linli; Hao, Jingcheng

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Honeycomb-structured PEG-PLA porous films were fabricated. • The organization of pores depends on molecular weight ratio of PEG-to-PLA block. • The pores in the film were internally decorated with a layer of PEG. • The honeycomb-structured PEG-PLA film was suitable as a substrate for cell growth. - Abstract: A series of poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(lactic acid) (PEG-PLA) copolymers with a hydrophobic PLA block of different molecular weights and a fixed length hydrophilic PEG were synthesized successfully and characterized. These amphiphilic block copolymers were used to fabricate honeycomb-structured porous films using the breath figure (BF) templating technique. The surface topology and composition of the highly ordered pattern film were further characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and fluorescence microscopy. The results indicated that the PEG-to-PLA block molecular weight ratio influenced the BF film surface topology. The film with the best ordered pores was obtained with a PEG-to-PLA ratio of 2.0 × 10 3 :3.0 × 10 4 . The self-organization of the hydrophilic PEG chains within the pores was confirmed by XPS and fluorescence labeled PEG. A model is proposed to elucidate the stabilization process of the amphiphilic PEG-PLA aggregated architecture on the water droplet-based templates. In addition, GFP-U87 cell viability has been investigated by MTS test and the cell morphology on the honeycomb-structured PEG-PLA porous film has been evaluated using phase-contrast microscope. This porous film is shown to be suitable as a matrix for cell growth

  5. Anti-inflammatory effects of sodium alginate/gelatine porous scaffolds merged with fucoidan in murine microglial BV2 cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Van-Tinh; Ko, Seok-Chun; Oh, Gun-Woo; Heo, Seong-Yeong; Jeon, You-Jin; Park, Won Sun; Choi, Il-Whan; Choi, Sung-Wook; Jung, Won-Kyo

    2016-12-01

    Microglia are the immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS). Overexpression of inflammatory mediators by microglia can induce several neurological diseases. Thus, the underlying basic requirement for neural tissue engineering is to develop materials that exhibit little or no neuro-inflammatory effects. In this study, we have developed a method to create porous scaffolds by adding fucoidan (Fu) into porous sodium alginate (Sa)/gelatine (G) (SaGFu). For mechanical characterization, in vitro degradation, stress/strain, swelling, and pore size were measured. Furthermore, the biocompatibility was evaluated by assessing the adhesion and proliferation of BV2 microglial cells on the SaGFu porous scaffolds using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, respectively. Moreover, we studied the neuro-inflammatory effects of SaGFu on BV2 microglial cells. The effect of gelatine and fucoidan content on the various properties of the scaffold was investigated and the results showed that mechanical properties increased porosity and swelling ratio with an increase in the gelatine and fucoidan, while the in vitro biodegradability decreased. The average SaGFu diameter attained by fabrication of SaGFu ranged from 60 to 120μm with high porosity (74.44%-88.30%). Cell culture using gelatine 2.0% (SaG2Fu) and 4.0% (SaG4Fu), showed good cell proliferation; more than 60-80% that with Sa alone. Following stimulation with 0.5μg/mL LPS, microglia cultured in porous SaGFu decreased their expression of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and reactive oxygen species (ROS). SaG2Fu and SaG4Fu also inhibited the activation and translocation of p65 NF-κB protein levels, resulting in reduction of NO, ROS, and PGE2 production. These results provide insights into the diverse biological effects and opens new avenues for the applications of SaGFu in neuroscience. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Porous silicon advances in drug delivery and immunotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savage, David J; Liu, Xuewu; Curley, Steven A; Ferrari, Mauro; Serda, Rita E

    2013-10-01

    Biomedical applications of porous silicon include drug delivery, imaging, diagnostics and immunotherapy. This review summarizes new silicon particle fabrication techniques, dynamics of cellular transport, advances in the multistage vector approach to drug delivery, and the use of porous silicon as immune adjuvants. Recent findings support superior therapeutic efficacy of the multistage vector approach over single particle drug delivery systems in mouse models of ovarian and breast cancer. With respect to vaccine development, multivalent presentation of pathogen-associated molecular patterns on the particle surface creates powerful platforms for immunotherapy, with the porous matrix able to carry both antigens and immune modulators. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Lattice Boltzmann simulation of flow and heat transfer in random porous media constructed by simulated annealing algorithm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Minghua; Shi, Yong; Yan, Jiashu; Yan, Yuying

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • A numerical capability combining the lattice Boltzmann method with simulated annealing algorithm is developed. • Digitized representations of random porous media are constructed using limited but meaningful statistical descriptors. • Pore-scale flow and heat transfer information in random porous media is obtained by the lattice Boltzmann simulation. • The effective properties at the representative elementary volume scale are well specified using appropriate upscale averaging. - Abstract: In this article, the lattice Boltzmann (LB) method for transport phenomena is combined with the simulated annealing (SA) algorithm for digitized porous-medium construction to study flow and heat transfer in random porous media. Importantly, in contrast to previous studies which simplify porous media as arrays of regularly shaped objects or effective pore networks, the LB + SA method in this article can model statistically meaningful random porous structures in irregular morphology, and simulate pore-scale transport processes inside them. Pore-scale isothermal flow and heat conduction in a set of constructed random porous media characterized by statistical descriptors were then simulated through use of the LB + SA method. The corresponding averages over the computational volumes and the related effective transport properties were also computed based on these pore scale numerical results. Good agreement between the numerical results and theoretical predictions or experimental data on the representative elementary volume scale was found. The numerical simulations in this article demonstrate combination of the LB method with the SA algorithm is a viable and powerful numerical strategy for simulating transport phenomena in random porous media in complex geometries.

  8. A novel ethanol/oxygen microfluidic fuel cell with enzymes immobilized onto cantilevered porous electrodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desmaële, D.; Nguyen-Boisse, T. T.; Renaud, L.; Tingry, S.

    2016-11-01

    This paper introduces a novel design of membraneless microfluidic biofuel cell that incorporates three-dimensional porous electrodes containing immobilized enzymes to catalyze redox reactions occurring in the presence of ethanol/O2 co-laminar flows. In order to maximize the penetration depth of the reactants inside the porous medium, we report on the preliminary evaluation of cantilevered bioelectrodes, namely the fibrous electrodes protrude along the internal walls of the miniature electrochemical chamber. As a first proof-of-concept, we demonstrate the integration of a bioanode and a biocathode into a lamination-based microfluidic cell fabricated via rapid prototyping. With enzymes deposited into the fibrous structure of 25 mm long, 1 mm wide and 0.11 mm thick carbon paper electrodes, the volumetric power density reached 1.25 mW cm-3 at 0.43 V under a flow rate of 50 μL min-1. An advantage of the presented microfluidic biofuel cell is that it can be adapted to include a larger active electrode volume via the vertical stacking of multiple thin bioelectrodes. We therefore envision that our design would be amenable to reach the level of net power required to supply energy to a plurality of low-consumption electronic devices.

  9. Preparation of porous titania film and its application in solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Tianhui; Zhao, Suling; Piao, Lingyu; Xu, Zheng; Liu, Xiaodong; Kong, Chao; Xu, Xurong

    2011-11-01

    Polymer/nanocrystal bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cells have attracted substantial interest because the hybrid active layer combines the advantages of inorganic materials and polymers. In this work, a porous TiO2 was prepared via the sol-gel method with a polyethylene glycol 2000 (PEG2000) template. A kind of polymer/inorganic solar cell based on poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)/TiO2 was fabricated on the indium-tin-oxide (ITO) glass substrate and the structure of device was ITO/TiO2/P3HT/Au. The device showed the performance with a short circuit current (J(SC)) of 1.29 mA/cm2, an open circuit voltage (V(OC)) of 0.55 V and a fill factor (FF) of 28.7%.

  10. Photo-patterning of porous hydrogels for tissue engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bryant, Stephanie J; Cuy, Janet L; Hauch, Kip D; Ratner, Buddy D

    2007-07-01

    Since pore size and geometry strongly impact cell behavior and in vivo reaction, the ability to create scaffolds with a wide range of pore geometries that can be tailored to suit a particular cell type addresses a key need in tissue engineering. In this contribution, we describe a novel and simple technique to design porous, degradable poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) hydrogel scaffolds with well-defined architectures using a unique photolithography process and optimized polymer chemistry. A sphere-template was used to produce a highly uniform, monodisperse porous structure. To create a patterned and porous hydrogel scaffold, a photomask and initiating light were employed. Open, vertical channels ranging in size from 360+/-25 to 730+/-70 microm were patterned into approximately 700 microm thick hydrogels with pore diameters of 62+/-8 or 147+/-15 microm. Collagen type I was immobilized onto the scaffolds to facilitate cell adhesion. To assess the potential of these novel scaffolds for tissue engineering, a skeletal myoblast cell line (C2C12) was seeded onto scaffolds with 147 microm pores and 730 microm diameter channels, and analyzed by histology and digital volumetric imaging. Cell elongation, cell spreading and fibrillar formation were observed on these novel scaffolds. In summary, 3D architectures can be patterned into porous hydrogels in one step to create a wide range of tissue engineering scaffolds that may be tailored for specific applications.

  11. Catalyst containing oxygen transport membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christie, Gervase Maxwell; Wilson, Jamie Robyn; van Hassel, Bart Antonie

    2012-12-04

    A composite oxygen transport membrane having a dense layer, a porous support layer and an intermediate porous layer located between the dense layer and the porous support layer. Both the dense layer and the intermediate porous layer are formed from an ionic conductive material to conduct oxygen ions and an electrically conductive material to conduct electrons. The porous support layer has a high permeability, high porosity, and a high average pore diameter and the intermediate porous layer has a lower permeability and lower pore diameter than the porous support layer. Catalyst particles selected to promote oxidation of a combustible substance are located in the intermediate porous layer and in the porous support adjacent to the intermediate porous layer. The catalyst particles can be formed by wicking a solution of catalyst precursors through the porous support toward the intermediate porous layer.

  12. Macroscale porous carbonized polydopamine-modified cotton textile for application as electrode in microbial fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Lizhen; Zhao, Shaofei; He, Miao

    2018-02-01

    The anode material is a crucial factor that significantly affects the cost and performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In this study, a novel macroscale porous, biocompatible, highly conductive and low cost electrode, carbonized polydopamine-modified cotton textile (NC@CCT), is fabricated by using normal cheap waste cotton textiles as raw material via a simple in situ polymerization and carbonization treatment as anode of MFCs. The physical and chemical characterizations show that the macroscale porous and biocompatible NC@CCT electrode is coated by nitrogen-doped carbon nanoparticles and offers a large specific surface area (888.67 m2 g-1) for bacterial cells growth, accordingly greatly increases the loading amount of bacterial cells and facilitates extracellular electron transfer (EET). As a result, the MFC equipped with the NC@CCT anode achieves a maximum power density of 931 ± 61 mW m-2, which is 80.5% higher than that of commercial carbon felt (516 ± 27 mW m-2) anode. Moreover, making full use of the normal cheap waste cotton textiles can greatly reduce the cost of MFCs and the environmental pollution problem.

  13. Retention and transport of an anaerobic trichloroethene dechlorinating microbial culture in anaerobic porous media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Huixin; Ulrich, Ania C; Liu, Yang

    2015-06-01

    The influence of solution chemistry on microbial transport was examined using the strictly anaerobic trichloroethene (TCE) bioaugmentation culture KB-1(®). A column was employed to determine transport behaviors and deposition kinetics of three distinct functional species in KB-1(®), Dehalococcoides, Geobacter, and Methanomethylovorans, over a range of ionic strengths under a well-controlled anaerobic condition. A quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was utilized to enumerate cell concentration and complementary techniques were implemented to evaluate cell surface electrokinetic potentials. Solution chemistry was found to positively affect the deposition rates, which was consistent with calculated Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) interaction energies. Retained microbial profiles showed spatially constant colloid deposition rate coefficients, in agreement with classical colloid filtration theory (CFT). It was interesting to note that the three KB-1(®) species displayed similar transport and retention behaviors under the defined experimental conditions despite their different cell electrokinetic properties. A deeper analysis of cell characteristics showed that factors, such as cell size and shape, concentration, and motility were involved in determining adhesion behavior. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Failure mechanisms of additively manufactured porous biomaterials: Effects of porosity and type of unit cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kadkhodapour, J; Montazerian, H; Darabi, A Ch; Anaraki, A P; Ahmadi, S M; Zadpoor, A A; Schmauder, S

    2015-10-01

    Since the advent of additive manufacturing techniques, regular porous biomaterials have emerged as promising candidates for tissue engineering scaffolds owing to their controllable pore architecture and feasibility in producing scaffolds from a variety of biomaterials. The architecture of scaffolds could be designed to achieve similar mechanical properties as in the host bone tissue, thereby avoiding issues such as stress shielding in bone replacement procedure. In this paper, the deformation and failure mechanisms of porous titanium (Ti6Al4V) biomaterials manufactured by selective laser melting from two different types of repeating unit cells, namely cubic and diamond lattice structures, with four different porosities are studied. The mechanical behavior of the above-mentioned porous biomaterials was studied using finite element models. The computational results were compared with the experimental findings from a previous study of ours. The Johnson-Cook plasticity and damage model was implemented in the finite element models to simulate the failure of the additively manufactured scaffolds under compression. The computationally predicted stress-strain curves were compared with the experimental ones. The computational models incorporating the Johnson-Cook damage model could predict the plateau stress and maximum stress at the first peak with less than 18% error. Moreover, the computationally predicted deformation modes were in good agreement with the results of scaling law analysis. A layer-by-layer failure mechanism was found for the stretch-dominated structures, i.e. structures made from the cubic unit cell, while the failure of the bending-dominated structures, i.e. structures made from the diamond unit cells, was accompanied by the shearing bands of 45°. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Bacterial Transport in Heterogeneous Porous Media: Laboratory and Field Experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fuller, M. E.

    2001-12-01

    A fully instrumented research site for examining field-scale bacterial transport has been established on the eastern shore of Virginia. Studies employing intact sediment cores from the South Oyster site have been performed to examine the effects of physical and chemical heterogeneity, to derive transport parameters, and to aid in the selection of bacterial strains for use in field experiments. A variety of innovative methods for tracking bacteria were developed and evaluated under both laboratory and field conditions, providing the tools to detect target cell concentrations in groundwater down to effects of physical and chemical heterogeneity on field-scale bacterial transport. The results of this research not only contribute to the development of more effective bioremediation strategies, but also have implications for a better understanding of bacterial movement in the subsurface as it relates to public health microbiology and general microbial ecology.

  16. Final Report - Montana State University - Microbial Activity and Precipitation at Solution-Solution Mixing Zones in Porous Media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gerlach, Robin [Montana State University

    2014-10-31

    Background. The use of biological and chemical processes that degrade or immobilize contaminants in subsurface environments is a cornerstone of remediation technology. The enhancement of biological and chemical processes in situ, involves the transport, displacement, distribution and mixing of one or more reactive agents. Biological and chemical reactions all require diffusive transport of solutes to reaction sites at the molecular scale and accordingly, the success of processes at the meter-scale and larger is dictated by the success of phenomena that occur at the micron-scale. However, current understanding of scaling effects on the mixing and delivery of nutrients in biogeochemically dynamic porous media systems is limited, despite the limitations this imposes on the efficiency and effectiveness of the remediation challenges at hand. Objectives. We therefore proposed to experimentally characterize and computationally describe the growth, evolution, and distribution of microbial activity and mineral formation as well as changes in transport processes in porous media that receive two or more reactive amendments. The model system chosen for this project was based on a method for immobilizing 90Sr, which involves stimulating microbial urea hydrolysis with ensuing mineral precipitation (CaCO3), and co-precipitation of Sr. Studies at different laboratory scales were used to visualize and quantitatively describe the spatial relationships between amendment transport and consumption that stimulate the production of biomass and mineral phases that subsequently modify the permeability and heterogeneity of porous media. Biomass growth, activity, and mass deposition in mixing zones was investigated using two-dimensional micro-model flow cells as well as flow cells that could be analyzed using synchrotron-based x-ray tomography. Larger-scale flow-cell experiments were conducted where the spatial distribution of media properties, flow, segregation of biological activity and

  17. Novel porous fiber based on dual-asymmetry for low-loss polarization maintaining THz wave guidance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Islam, Raonaqul; Habib, Selim; Hasanuzzaman, G.K.M.

    2016-01-01

    In this Letter, we suggest a novel kind of porous-core photonic crystal fiber (PCF) (to the best of our knowledge) for efficient transportation of polarization maintaining (PM) terahertz (THz) waves. We introduce an asymmetry in both the porous-core and the porous-cladding of the structure to ach...

  18. A study on the formation and transport of radioactive colloids in porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chung, Jin Yop

    1992-02-01

    Colloid particles, which may be supplied naturally by groundwater, are shown to be important potential vehicles for the transport of radionuclides in geologic media. Colloid particles have also large available sites for adsorption because small particles have high surface areas per unit mass. This possibility leads us to investigate the controlling factors of colloids in groundwater to simulate the radionuclide behavior at the repository. Analytical models that can be generalized for the purpose, however, are not available yet. Therefore, in this study the mechanisms that affect the colloid transport were reviewed carefully and, also in order to evaluate the extent of their effects, general and analytical model combined with modified filtration equation was developed. This modified filtration equation including colloidal particle size effect was solved as a function of colloidal particle size, which is a important factor affecting the colloidal transport, grain diameter of porous media, groundwater velocity, distance, and time. Also, as another measure to estimate colloidal particle size effect, analytical method to calculate the adsorption of radionuclides on the colloid, concepts of transport velocity and migration distance were introduced. To evaluate the relative contribution of colloid to the radionuclide transport quatitatively, colloidal transport was compared with the corresponding solute transport under same conditions. Finally, the three phase analysis was proposed to treat the radionuclide transport more practically. A good agreement was obtained between the predicted result by modified filtration equation and the corresponding published experimental data. As the colloidal size is increased, the effect of diffusional velocity on the mobility decreases and that of gravitational settling increases, respectively, whereas the mobility reduction due to filtration increases when interception and gravitational settling dominate. Results of case studies about

  19. A 3D FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF INCOMPRESSIBLE FLUID FLOW AND CONTAMINANT TRANSPORT THROUGH A POROUS LANDFILL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ADEGUN, I. K.

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available The paper investigated the flow of incompressible fluid and contaminant transport through a Porous Landfill using a numerical technique. A threedimensional finite element analysis technique was adopted for the solution. The problem was based on the Darcy’s Law and the Advection-Dispersion equation. The solutions of the Darcy’s and Advection-Dispersion equations were generated using Finite Element Analysis Software known as COMSOL Multiphysics. This simulation tool tracked the contaminant transport in the Landfill for 360 days at 10 days interval. It first modeled steady-state fluid flow by employing the Darcy’s Law Application Mode and then followed up with a transient solute-transport simulation by employing the Solute-Transport Application Mode from the Earth Science Module of COMSOL. The solution results obtained from this model were found to be in close agreement with reallife data obtained at the 130- million ton Bukit Tagar Mega Sanitary Landfill site, Selangor near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This showed that the model can effectively predict the trends in the distributions of pollutants from a Municipal Solid Waste Landfill into nearby land and water sources. The model is thus applicable to the issues of environmental protection and safety of groundwater.

  20. Time resolved analysis of water drainage in porous asphalt concrete using neutron radiography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poulikakos, L D; Sedighi Gilani, M; Derome, D; Jerjen, I; Vontobel, P

    2013-07-01

    Porous asphalt as a road surface layer controls aquaplaning as rain water can drain through its highly porous structure. The process of water drainage through this permeable layer is studied using neutron radiography. Time-resolved water configuration and distribution within the porous structure are reported. It is shown that radiography depicts the process of liquid water transport within the complex geometry of porous asphalt, capturing water films, filled dead end pores and water islands. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Fuel cell water transport

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanderborgh, Nicholas E.; Hedstrom, James C.

    1990-01-01

    The moisture content and temperature of hydrogen and oxygen gases is regulated throughout traverse of the gases in a fuel cell incorporating a solid polymer membrane. At least one of the gases traverses a first flow field adjacent the solid polymer membrane, where chemical reactions occur to generate an electrical current. A second flow field is located sequential with the first flow field and incorporates a membrane for effective water transport. A control fluid is then circulated adjacent the second membrane on the face opposite the fuel cell gas wherein moisture is either transported from the control fluid to humidify a fuel gas, e.g., hydrogen, or to the control fluid to prevent excess water buildup in the oxidizer gas, e.g., oxygen. Evaporation of water into the control gas and the control gas temperature act to control the fuel cell gas temperatures throughout the traverse of the fuel cell by the gases.

  2. The International intraval project. Phase 1, test case 13: Experimental study of brine transport in porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glasbergen, P.

    1992-01-01

    INTRAVAL is an international coordinated research program for predicting the potential radionuclide migration in the geosphere with the use of mathematical models. Such models are used to help assess the long-term safety of radioactive waste disposal systems. This report describes the findings of the project teams involved in test case 13 of INTRAVAL Phase 1. The test case is based on laboratory experiments dealing with flow and dispersion of brine in a porous medium. The purpose of these experiments was twofold : (i) to investigate some of the relevant processes in brine transport in porous media, and (ii) to provide sets of data to be used for (partial) validation of transport models. The experiments were carried out in a column packed with glass beads of diameter 0.40 to 0.52 mm. Salt water was injected through nine holes at the bottom and withdrawn through nine holes at the top. Initially a low salt concentration was used which was then displaced with higher concentrated salt water. The salt mass-fraction was detected using an array of electrodes such that breakthrough curves were obtained at five different levels in the column. The report reviews a number of conceptual models and the corresponding numerical codes employed by different modelling teams. The experiments on one- and two-dimensional flow and transport were simulated by various groups. The question underlying the experiments, namely the applicability of Fick's laws over the whole range of salt concentration, could be addressed satisfactorily. All models could simulate low-concentration experiment using a dispersivity value of 0.8 mm to 1.00 mm. However, using the same dispersivity value, it was not possible to simulate high concentration experiments. Another question intended to be studied by the experiments was the validity of Darcy's law at high concentrations. Two-dimensional experiments were carried out for this purpose. In practice, calculations were hampered by extremely high demand on

  3. Reactive transport modeling in variably saturated porous media with OGS-IPhreeqc

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, W.; Beyer, C.; Fleckenstein, J. H.; Jang, E.; Kalbacher, T.; Shao, H.; Wang, W.; Kolditz, O.

    2014-12-01

    Worldwide, sustainable water resource management becomes an increasingly challenging task due to the growth of population and extensive applications of fertilizer in agriculture. Moreover, climate change causes further stresses to both water quantity and quality. Reactive transport modeling in the coupled soil-aquifer system is a viable approach to assess the impacts of different land use and groundwater exploitation scenarios on the water resources. However, the application of this approach is usually limited in spatial scale and to simplified geochemical systems due to the huge computational expense involved. Such computational expense is not only caused by solving the high non-linearity of the initial boundary value problems of water flow in the unsaturated zone numerically with rather fine spatial and temporal discretization for the correct mass balance and numerical stability, but also by the intensive computational task of quantifying geochemical reactions. In the present study, a flexible and efficient tool for large scale reactive transport modeling in variably saturated porous media and its applications are presented. The open source scientific software OpenGeoSys (OGS) is coupled with the IPhreeqc module of the geochemical solver PHREEQC. The new coupling approach makes full use of advantages from both codes: OGS provides a flexible choice of different numerical approaches for simulation of water flow in the vadose zone such as the pressure-based or mixed forms of Richards equation; whereas the IPhreeqc module leads to a simplification of data storage and its communication with OGS, which greatly facilitates the coupling and code updating. Moreover, a parallelization scheme with MPI (Message Passing Interface) is applied, in which the computational task of water flow and mass transport is partitioned through domain decomposition, whereas the efficient parallelization of geochemical reactions is achieved by smart allocation of computational workload over

  4. Magnetic micro-manipulations to probe the local physical properties of porous scaffolds and to confine stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robert, Damien; Fayol, Delphine; Le Visage, Catherine; Frasca, Guillaume; Brulé, Séverine; Ménager, Christine; Gazeau, Florence; Letourneur, Didier; Wilhelm, Claire

    2010-03-01

    The in vitro generation of engineered tissue constructs involves the seeding of cells into porous scaffolds. Ongoing challenges are to design scaffolds to meet biochemical and mechanical requirements and to optimize cell seeding in the constructs. In this context, we have developed a simple method based on a magnetic tweezer set-up to manipulate, probe, and position magnetic objects inside a porous scaffold. The magnetic force acting on magnetic objects of various sizes serves as a control parameter to retrieve the local viscosity of the scaffolds internal channels as well as the stiffness of the scaffolds pores. Labeling of human stem cells with iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles makes it possible to perform the same type of measurement with cells as probes and evaluate their own microenvironment. For 18 microm diameter magnetic beads or magnetically labeled stem cells of similar diameter, the viscosity was equivalently equal to 20 mPa s in average. This apparent viscosity was then found to increase with the magnetic probes sizes. The stiffness probed with 100 microm magnetic beads was found in the 50 Pa range, and was lowered by a factor 5 when probed with cells aggregates. The magnetic forces were also successfully applied to the stem cells to enhance the cell seeding process and impose a well defined spatial organization into the scaffold. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Transport study of self-supporting porous silicon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fejfar, A.; Pelant, I.; Šípek, E.; Kočka, J.; Juška, G.; Matsumoto, T.; Kanemitsu, Y.

    1995-02-01

    We have measured dark DC conductivity and time-of-flight (TOF) of carriers in self-supporting porous silicon films in the temperature range 298-480 K. The dark I-V curves show superlinear behavior with activation energies of 0.38-0.67 eV. The TOF measurements allowed us to evaluate the drift-length of non-equilibrium carriers and revealed a significant decrease of the collected charge with increasing delay (tdel≥1 ms) of the exciting 3 ns laser pulse after the voltage application, probably due to field redistribution in the Si crystallites.

  6. Particle and solute migration in porous media. Modeling of simultaneous transport of clay particles and radionuclides in a salinity gradient; Migration de particules et de solutes en milieu poreux. Modelisation du transport simultane de particules argileuses et de radionucleides sous l`effet d`un gradient de salinite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Faure, M H

    1994-03-01

    Understanding the mechanisms which control the transient transport of particles and radionuclides in natural and artificial porous media is a key problem for the assessment of safety of radioactive waste disposals. An experimental study has been performed to characterize the clayey particle mobility in porous media: a laboratory- made column, packed with an unconsolidated sand bentonite (5% weight) sample, is flushed with a salt solution. An original method of salinity gradient allowed us to show and to quantify some typical behaviours of this system: threshold effects in the peptization of particles, creation of preferential pathways, formation of immobile water zones induce solute-transfer limitation. The mathematical modelling accounts for a phenomenological law, where the distribution of particles between the stagnant water zone and the porous medium is a function of sodium chloride concentration. This distribution function is associated with a radionuclide adsorption model, and is included in a convective dispersive transport model with stagnant water zones. It allowed us to simulate the particle and solute transport when the salt environment is modified. The complete model has been validated with experiments involving cesium, calcium and neptunium in a sodium chloride gradient. (author). refs., figs., tabs.

  7. Direct observation and determination of the mechanisms governing mobility of asbestos in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seiphoori, A.; Ortiz, C. P.; Jerolmack, D. J.

    2017-12-01

    Transport of asbestos through soil by groundwater is typically considered to be negligible. There are indications, however, that under some conditions of pore-water/soil chemistry asbestos may become mobile, implying that buried contaminants could migrate from a disposal site and surface elsewhere. Shape, size and surface charge may influence the physical and chemical interactions of colloids with the soil matrix, and asbestos consists of elongated particles with different size and unique surface charge properties. Although chemical factors such as pH and ionic strength of pore water may affect the transport properties, the presence of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) has been identified to remarkably enhance the mobility of colloids including asbestos. To date, there is no explanation for how the presence of DOC may facilitate the mobilization of asbestos in soil - mainly because the soil medium has been treated as a black box without the possibility of observing particles within the matrix. Here, we investigated the mobility of chrysotile asbestos particles ( 10 um long) in porous media by developing a flow cell with an optically-transparent porous medium composed of granules of a refractive-index matched material. This enabled us to observe and track the particles within the water-saturated porous medium using in situ microscopy. The aqueous suspension of asbestos fibers was passed through this artificial soil, while the physical and chemical interaction of asbestos particles with the medium and their pore-scale distribution were analyzed. We studied the effects of changing solution chemistry (e.g., ionic strength, pH, and DOC content) on transport, attachment and aggregation of chrysotile particles. Experiments revealed a novel mechanism where the DOC-associated nanoparticles attach to chrysotile fibers by an electrostatic attraction, which facilitates their mobilization through the porous medium while modulating aggregation among fibers. Although pH and ionic

  8. Transport and Retention of TiO2 Rutile Nanoparticles in Saturated Porous Media: Influence of Solution pH, Ionic Strength, and the Presence of Humic Acid

    Science.gov (United States)

    The influence of solution pH, ionic strength, and varying concentrations of the Suwannee River Humic Acid (SRHA) on the transport of titanium dioxide (TiO2, rutile) nanoparticle aggregates (nTiO2) in saturated porous media was investigated through systematically examining the tra...

  9. Inclusion of gold nanoparticles in meso-porous silicon for the SERS analysis of cell adhesion on nano-structured surfaces

    KAUST Repository

    Coluccio, M.L.

    2016-03-25

    The study and the comprehension of the mechanism of cell adhesion and cell interaction with a substrate is a key point when biology and medicine meet engineering. This is the case of several biomedical applications, from regenerative medicine and tissue engineering to lab on chip and many others, in which the realization of the appropriate artificial surface allows the control of cell adhesion and proliferation. In this context, we aimed to design and develop a fabrication method of mesoporous (MeP) silicon substrates, doped with gold nanoparticles, in which we combine the capability of porous surfaces to support cell adhesion with the SERS capabilities of gold nanoparticles, to understand the chemical mechanisms of cell/surface interaction. MeP Si surfaces were realized by anodization of a Si wafer, creating the device for cell adhesion and growth. Gold nanoparticles were deposited on porous silicon by an electroless technique. We thus obtained devices with superior SERS capabilities, whereby cell activity may be controlled using Raman spectroscopy. MCF-7 breast cancer cells were cultured on the described substrates and SERS maps revealing the different expression and distribution of adhesion molecules were obtained by Raman spectroscopic analyses.

  10. Effect of capillary condensation on gas transport properties in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshimoto, Yuta; Hori, Takuma; Kinefuchi, Ikuya; Takagi, Shu

    2017-10-01

    We investigate the effect of capillary condensation on gas diffusivity in porous media composed of randomly packed spheres with moderate wettability. To simulate capillary phenomena at the pore scale while retaining complex pore networks of the porous media, we employ density functional theory (DFT) for coarse-grained lattice gas models. The lattice DFT simulations reveal that capillary condensations preferentially occur at confined pores surrounded by solid walls, leading to the occlusion of narrow pores. Consequently, the characteristic lengths of the partially wet structures are larger than those of the corresponding dry structures with the same porosities. Subsequent gas diffusion simulations exploiting the mean-square displacement method indicate that while the effective diffusion coefficients significantly decrease in the presence of partially condensed liquids, they are larger than those in the dry structures with the same porosities. Moreover, we find that the ratio of the porosity to the tortuosity factor, which is a crucial parameter that determines an effective diffusion coefficient, can be reasonably related to the porosity even for the partially wet porous media.

  11. Cell Membrane Transport Mechanisms: Ion Channels and Electrical Properties of Cell Membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulbacka, Julita; Choromańska, Anna; Rossowska, Joanna; Weżgowiec, Joanna; Saczko, Jolanta; Rols, Marie-Pierre

    2017-01-01

    Cellular life strongly depends on the membrane ability to precisely control exchange of solutes between the internal and external (environmental) compartments. This barrier regulates which types of solutes can enter and leave the cell. Transmembrane transport involves complex mechanisms responsible for passive and active carriage of ions and small- and medium-size molecules. Transport mechanisms existing in the biological membranes highly determine proper cellular functions and contribute to drug transport. The present chapter deals with features and electrical properties of the cell membrane and addresses the questions how the cell membrane accomplishes transport functions and how transmembrane transport can be affected. Since dysfunctions of plasma membrane transporters very often are the cause of human diseases, we also report how specific transport mechanisms can be modulated or inhibited in order to enhance the therapeutic effect.

  12. Porous SiO_2 nanofiber grafted novel bioactive glass–ceramic coating: A structural scaffold for uniform apatite precipitation and oriented cell proliferation on inert implant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Das, Indranee; De, Goutam; Hupa, Leena; Vallittu, Pekka K.

    2016-01-01

    A composite bioactive glass–ceramic coating grafted with porous silica nanofibers was fabricated on inert glass to provide a structural scaffold favoring uniform apatite precipitation and oriented cell proliferation. The coating surfaces were investigated thoroughly before and after immersion in simulated body fluid. In addition, the proliferation behavior of fibroblast cells on the surface was observed for several culture times. The nanofibrous exterior of this composite bioactive coating facilitated homogeneous growth of flake-like carbonated hydroxyapatite layer within a short period of immersion. Moreover, the embedded porous silica nanofibers enhanced hydrophilicity which is required for proper cell adhesion on the surface. The cells proliferated well following a particular orientation on the entire coating by the assistance of nanofibrous scaffold-like structural matrix. This newly engineered composite coating was effective in creating a biological structural matrix favorable for homogeneous precipitation of calcium phosphate, and organized cell growth on the inert glass surface. - Highlights: • Fabricated porous SiO_2 nanofibers grafted composite bioactive glass–ceramic coating on inert glass. • The newly engineered coating facilitates uniformly dense apatite precipitation. • Embedded porous silica nanofibers enhance hydrophilicity of the coated surface. • Cells proliferate well on the entire coating following a particular orientation by the assistance of nanofibers. • The coatings have potential to be used as biological scaffold on the surface of implants.

  13. Modeling and Simulation of Nanoparticle Transport in Multiphase Flows in Porous Media: CO2 Sequestration

    KAUST Repository

    El-Amin, Mohamed

    2012-09-03

    Geological storage of anthropogenic CO2 emissions in deep saline aquifers has recently received tremendous attention in the scientific literature. Injected CO2 plume buoyantly accumulates at the top part of the deep aquifer under a sealing cap rock, and some concern that the high-pressure CO2 could breach the seal rock. However, CO2 will diffuse into the brine underneath and generate a slightly denser fluid that may induce instability and convective mixing. Onset times of instability and convective mixing performance depend on the physical properties of the rock and fluids, such as permeability and density contrast. The novel idea is to adding nanoparticles to the injected CO2 to increase density contrast between the CO2-rich brine and the underlying resident brine and, consequently, decrease onset time of instability and increase convective mixing. As far as it goes, only few works address the issues related to mathematical and numerical modeling aspects of the nanoparticles transport phenomena in CO2 storages. In the current work, we will present mathematical models to describe the nanoparticles transport carried by injected CO2 in porous media. Buoyancy and capillary forces as well as Brownian diffusion are important to be considered in the model. IMplicit Pressure Explicit Saturation-Concentration (IMPESC) scheme is used and a numerical simulator is developed to simulate the nanoparticles transport in CO2 storages.

  14. Hydraulical and acoustical properties of porous sintered glass bead systems: experiments, theory, & simulations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Güven, Ibrahim

    2016-01-01

    Wave and transport phenomena through porous media are of great importance in science and industrial applications, because they involve the interaction of various physical mechanisms and can provide useful informations of the structure of the porous medium. Despite the extensive application in modern

  15. Hierarchically porous carbon with high-speed ion transport channels for high performance supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Haoyuan; Li, Qingwei; Guo, Jianhui; Song, Aixin; Gong, Chunhong; Zhang, Jiwei; Zhang, Jingwei

    2018-01-01

    Hierarchically porous carbons (HPC) are considered as promising electrode materials for supercapacitors, due to their outstanding charge/discharge cycling stabilities and high power densities. However, HPC possess a relatively low ion diffusion rate inside the materials, which challenges their application for high performance supercapacitor. Thus tunnel-shaped carbon pores with a size of tens of nanometers were constructed by inducing the self-assembly of lithocholic acid with ammonium chloride, thereby providing high-speed channels for internal ion diffusion. The as-formed one-dimensional pores are beneficial to the activation process by KOH, providing a large specific surface area, and then facilitate rapid transport of electrolyte ions from macropores to the microporous surfaces. Therefore, the HPC achieve an outstanding gravimetric capacitance of 284 F g-1 at a current density of 0.1 A g-1 and a remarkable capacity retention of 64.8% when the current density increases by 1000 times to 100 A g-1.

  16. Salinization effects on the water sorption of porous building materials

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brocken, H.J.P.; Rook, W.; Adan, O.C.G.

    1999-01-01

    The interaction of salt transport and moisture transport plays a crucial role in some deterioration mechanisms of porous building materials. For this reason it has been an important research subject for mant' years. Yet most research was still complicated by the lack of experimental techniques

  17. Intracellular transport of cholesterol in mammalian cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brasaemle, D.L.

    1989-01-01

    The erythrocyte was selected as a simple cell for the study of transbilayer movement of cholesterol. Cholesterol oxidase was used to measure the distribution of [ 3 H]cholesterol across the erythrocyte membrane. Cholesterol oxidase was also used to estimate the rate of transport of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol to the plasma membrane of cultured Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) fibroblasts; the half-time of this process was 42 minutes. The rate of transport of LDL cholesterol to the plasma membrane was confirmed by a second procedure using amphotericin B. Amphotericin B was also used to estimate the rate of transport of endogenously synthesized cholesterol to the plasma membrane of CHO cells. New methodology was developed including improvements of the previously published cholesterol oxidase assay for plasma membrane cholesterol. A new method for detecting transport of cholesterol to the plasma membrane in cultured cells was developed using amphotericin B. Preliminary studies investigated the use of fluorescent polyenes, pimaricin and etruscomycin, as probes for plasma membrane cholesterol in transport studies. Finally, a modification of a previously published cell staining protocol yielded a simple, quantitative assay for cell growth

  18. Evaluation of co-immobilized lactobacillus delbrueckii with porous particles for lactic acid production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, H.; Seki, M.; Furusaki, S. [The University of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan)

    1996-02-01

    Lactic acid production using co-immobilized L.defbrveckii with porous particles has been studied. The effect of co-immobilization with porous particles was verified by measuring the variations of both overall production rate of lactic acid and effective diffusion coefficient in the co-immobilized gel. The effective diffusion coefficient decreased with increasing cell concentration in the co-immobilized gel. However, in the high cell density regimes, the effective diffusion coefficient in co-immobilized gel was higher than that without co-immobilized porous particles. The optimal volume fraction of porous particles in the co-immobilizing gel beads leas estimated experimentally at about 10%(v/v). An approximately 30% increase of the overall production rate was obtained compared to the control culture. Mathematical analysis showed that by co-immobilizing cells with porous particles, the steady-state concentration profiles of proton and undissociated lactic acid changed favorably inside the gel beads. The result indicates that co-immobilization with porous particles is a useful method to improve fermentation efficiency in processes using immobilized cells. 19 refs., 8 figs.

  19. Numerical Simulation of Density-Driven Flow and Heat Transport Processes in Porous Media Using the Network Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel Cánovas

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Density-driven flow and heat transport processes in 2-D porous media scenarios are governed by coupled, non-linear, partial differential equations that normally have to be solved numerically. In the present work, a model based on the network method simulation is designed and applied to simulate these processes, providing steady state patterns that demonstrate its computational power and reliability. The design is relatively simple and needs very few rules. Two applications in which heat is transported by natural convection in confined and saturated media are studied: slender boxes heated from below (a kind of Bénard problem and partially heated horizontal plates in rectangular domains (the Elder problem. The streamfunction and temperature patterns show that the results are coherent with those of other authors: steady state patterns and heat transfer depend both on the Rayleigh number and on the characteristic Darcy velocity derived from the values of the hydrological, thermal and geometrical parameters of the problems.

  20. Optimization of Ferritic Steel Porous Supports for Protonic Fuel Cells Working at 600°C

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Molin, Sebastian; Chen, Ming; Bonanos, Nikolaos

    2014-01-01

    oxide fuel cell. In this work corrosion properties of a Fe22Cr0.4Mn alloy in porous form are evaluated in humidified hydrogen at 600°C and a method to improve its corrosion resistance is reported. Supports in the not modified state corrode rapidly by formation of dual phase oxides whereas after...

  1. Transport of lipoprotein lipase across endothelial cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saxena, U.; Klein, M.G.; Goldberg, I.J.

    1991-01-01

    Lipoprotein lipase (LPL), synthesized in muscle and fat, hydrolyzes plasma triglycerides primarily while bound to luminal endothelial cell surfaces. To obtain information about the movement of LPL from the basal to the luminal endothelial cell surface, the authors studied the transport of purified bovine milk LPL across bovine aortic endothelial cell monolayers. 125 I-labeled LPL ( 125 I-LPL) added to the basal surface of the monolayers was detected on the apical side of the cells in two compartments: (1) in the medium of the upper chamber, and (2) bound to the apical cell surface. The amount of 125 I-LPL on the cell surface, but not in the medium, reached saturation with time and LPL dose. Catalytically active LPL was transported to the apical surface but very little LPL activity appeared in the medium. Heparinase treatment of the basal cell surface and addition of dextran sulfate to the lower chamber decreased the amount of 125 I-LPL appearing on the apical surface. Similarly, the presence of increasing molar ratios of oleic acid/bovine serum albumin at the basal surface decreased the transport of active LPL across the monolayer. Thus, a saturable transport system, which requires haparan sulfate proteoglycans and is inhibited by high concentrations of free fatty acids on the basal side of the cells, appears to exist for passage of enzymatically active LPL across endothelial cells. They postulate that regulation of LPL transport to the endothelial luminal surface modulates the physiologically active pool of LPL in vivo

  2. Quantum confinement and disorder in porous silicon: effects on the optical and transport properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amato, G.; Boarino, L.; Brunetto, N.; Rossi, A.M.

    1996-01-01

    In this report the authors report new optical data showing that disorder in porous silicon leads to strong carrier localisation. Light emission in PS (porous silicon) is suggested to occur through transitions involving localized states

  3. Contaminant flow and transport simulation in cracked porous media using locally conservative schemes

    KAUST Repository

    Song, Pu

    2012-10-25

    The purpose of this paper is to analyze some features of contaminant flow passing through cracked porous medium, such as the influence of fracture network on the advection and diffusion of contaminant species, the impact of adsorption on the overall transport of contaminant wastes. In order to precisely describe the whole process, we firstly build the mathematical model to simulate this problem numerically. Taking into consideration of the characteristics of contaminant flow, we employ two partial differential equations to formulate the whole problem. One is flow equation; the other is reactive transport equation. The first equation is used to describe the total flow of contaminant wastes, which is based on Darcy law. The second one will characterize the adsorption, diffusion and convection behavior of contaminant species, which describes most features of contaminant flow we are interested in. After the construction of numerical model, we apply locally conservative and compatible algorithms to solve this mathematical model. Specifically, we apply Mixed Finite Element (MFE) method to the flow equation and Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method for the transport equation. MFE has a good convergence rate and numerical accuracy for Darcy velocity. DG is more flexible and can be used to deal with irregular meshes, as well as little numerical diffusion. With these two numerical means, we investigate the sensitivity analysis of different features of contaminant flow in our model, such as diffusion, permeability and fracture density. In particular, we study K d values which represent the distribution of contaminant wastes between the solid and liquid phases. We also make omparisons of two different schemes and discuss the advantages of both methods. © 2012 Global Science Press.

  4. Mass Transfer and Porous Media (MTPM)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rotenberg, B.; Marry, V.; Malikova, N.; Vuilleumier, R.; Giffaut, E.; Turq, P.; Robinet, J.C.; Diaz, N.; Sardini, P.; Goutelard, F.; Menut, D.; Parneix, J.C.; Sammartino, S.; Pret, D.; Coelho, D.; Jougnot, D.; Revil, A.; Boulin, P.F.; Angulo-Jaramillo, R.; Daian, J.F.; Talandier, J.; Berne, P.; Cochepin, B.; Trotignon, L.; Bildstein, O.; Steefel, C.; Lagneau, V.; Van der Lee, J.; Birchall, D.J.; Harrington, J.F.; Noy, D.J.; Sellin, P.; Bildstein, O.; Piault, E.; Trotignon, L.; Montarnal, P.; Deville, E.; Genty, A.; Le Potier, C.; Imbert, C.; Semete, P.; Desgree, P.; Fevrier, B.; Courtois, A.; Touze, G.; Sboui, A.; Roberts, J.E.; Jaffre, J.; Glaus, M.A.; Rosse, R.; Van Loon, L.R.; Matray, J.M.; Parneix, J.C.; Tinseau, E.; Pret, D.; Mayor, J.C.; Ohkubo, T.; Kikuchi, H.; Yamaguchi, M.; Alonso, U.; Missana, T.; Garcia-Gutierrez, M.; Patelli, A.; Siitari-Kauppi, M.; Leskinen, A.; Rigato, V.; Samper, J.; Dewonck, S.; Zheng, L.; Yang, Q.; Naves, A.; Dai, Z.; Samper, J.; Wolfsberg, A.; Levitt, D.; Cormenzana, J.L.; Missana, T.; Mingarro, M.; Schampera, B.; Dultz, S.; Riebe, B.; Samper, J.; Yang, Q.; Genty, A.; Perraud, D.; Poller, A.; Mayer, G.; Croise, J.; Marschall, P.; Krooss, B.; Matray, J.M.; Tanaka, T.; Vogel, P.; Lavanchy, J.M.; Enssle, C.P.; Cruchaudet, M.; Dewonck, S.; Descostes, M.; Blin, V.; Radwan, J.; Poinssot, C.; Mibus, J.; Sachs, S.; Devol-Brown, I.; Motellier, S.; Tinseau, E.; Thoby, D.; Marsal, F.; DeWindt, L.; Tinseau, E.; Pellegrini, D.; Bauer, A.; Fiehn, B.; Marquardt, Ch.; Romer, J.; Gortzen, A.; Kienzler, B

    2007-07-01

    This session gathers 48 articles (posters) dealing with: interlayer / micro-pore exchange of water and ions in clays: a molecular dynamics study; the multi-scale characterisation of mineral and textural spatial heterogeneities in Callovo-Oxfordian argilite and its consequence on solute species diffusion modelling; the diffusion of ions in unsaturated clay rocks: Theory and application to the Callovo- Oxfordian argillite; the porous media characterization with respect to gas transfer in Callovo Oxfordian argillite; the predictions on a 2-D cementation experiment in porous medium: intercomparison on the Comedie project; the large-scale gas injection test (LASGIT) at the Aespoe hard rock laboratory in Sweden; simulating the geochemical coupling between vitrified waste, canister and near-field on the alliances platform; toward radionuclide transport calculations on whole radioactive waste disposal with CAST3M platform; the experimental study of the water permeability of a partially saturated argillite; a mixed hexahedral finite elements for Darcy flow calculation in clay porous media; the diffusive properties of stainless steel filter discs before and after use in diffusion experiments with compacted clays; the structural organization of porosity in the Opalinus clay at the Mont Terri Rock Laboratory under saturated and unsaturated conditions; the evaluation of pore structure in compacted saturated Bentonite using NMR relaxometry; diffusion coefficients measurement in consolidated clays: a combination of micro-scale profiling and solid pore structure analyses; the numerical interpretation of in-situ DIR diffusion experiments on the Callovo- Oxfordian clay at the Meuse/Haute-Marne URL the identification of relative conductivity models for water flow and solute transport in unsaturated compacted Bentonite; diffusion experiments in Callovo- Oxfordian clay from the Meuse/Haute-Marne URL, France: experimental setup and data analyses; the transport in organo

  5. Air bio-battery with a gas/liquid porous diaphragm cell for medical and health care devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arakawa, Takahiro; Xie, Rui; Seshima, Fumiya; Toma, Koji; Mitsubayashi, Kohji

    2018-04-30

    Powering future generations of medical and health care devices mandates the transcutaneous transfer of energy or harvesting energy from the human body fluid. Glucose-driven bio fuel cells (bio-batteries) demonstrate promise as they produce electrical energy from glucose, which is a substrate presents in physiological fluids. Enzymatic biofuel cells can convert chemical energy into electrical energy using enzymes as catalysts. In this study, an air bio-battery was developed for healthcare and medical applications, consisting of a glucose-driven enzymatic biofuel cell using a direct gas-permeable membrane or a gas/liquid porous diaphragm. The power generation characteristics included a maximum current density of 285μA/cm 2 and maximum power density of 70.7μW/cm 2 in the presence of 5mmol/L of glucose in solution. In addition, high-performance, long-term-stabilized power generation was achieved using the gas/liquid porous diaphragm for the reactions between oxygen and enzyme. This system can be powered using 5mmol/L of glucose, the value of which is similar to that of the blood sugar range in humans. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Notes on HP1 a software package for simulating variably-saturated water flow, heat transport, solute transport, and biogeochemistry in porous media. HP1 Version 2.2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jacques, D.; Simunek, J.

    2010-01-15

    HP1 is a comprehensive modeling tool in terms of processes and reactions for simulating reactive transport and biogeochemical processes in variably-saturated porous media. HP1 results from coupling the water and solute transport model HYDRUS-1D (Simunek et al., 2009a) and PHREEQC-2 (Parkhurst and Appelo, 1999). This note provides an overview of how to set up and execute a HP1 project using version 2.2.002 of HP1 and version 4.13 of the graphical user interface (GUI) of HYDRUS-1D. A large part of this note are step-by-step instructions for selected examples involving mineral dissolution and precipitation, cation exchange, surface complexation and kinetic degradation networks. The implementation of variably-saturated flow conditions, changing boundary conditions, a layered soil profile or immobile water is also illustrated.

  7. Notes on HP1 a software package for simulating variably-saturated water flow, heat transport, solute transport, and biogeochemistry in porous media. HP1 Version 2.2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jacques, D.; Simunek, J.

    2010-01-01

    HP1 is a comprehensive modeling tool in terms of processes and reactions for simulating reactive transport and biogeochemical processes in variably-saturated porous media. HP1 results from coupling the water and solute transport model HYDRUS-1D (Simunek et al., 2009a) and PHREEQC-2 (Parkhurst and Appelo, 1999). This note provides an overview of how to set up and execute a HP1 project using version 2.2.002 of HP1 and version 4.13 of the graphical user interface (GUI) of HYDRUS-1D. A large part of this note are step-by-step instructions for selected examples involving mineral dissolution and precipitation, cation exchange, surface complexation and kinetic degradation networks. The implementation of variably-saturated flow conditions, changing boundary conditions, a layered soil profile or immobile water is also illustrated.

  8. [Osteogenic activity of porous calcium phosphate ceramics fabricated by rapid prototyping].

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Chenguang; Zhao, Li; Lin, Liulan; Gu, Huijie; Zhou, Heng; Cui, Lei

    2010-07-01

    Calcium phosphate bioceramics has a broad application prospect because of good biocompatibility, but porous scaffolds with complex shape can not be prepared by the traditional methods. To fabricate porous calcium phosphate ceramics by rapid prototyping and to investigate the in vitro osteogenic activities. The porous calcium phosphate ceramics was fabricated by rapid prototyping. The bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were isolated from bone marrow of Beagle canine, and the 3rd passage BMSCs were seeded onto the porous ceramics. The cell/ceramics composite cultured in osteogenic medium were taken as the experimental group (group A) and the cell/ceramics composite cultured in growth medium were taken as the control group (group B). Meanwhile, the cells seeded on the culture plate were cultured in osteogenic medium or growth medium respectively as positive control (group C) or negative control (group D). After 1, 3, and 7 days of culture, the cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation on the porous ceramics were evaluated by DNA quantitative analysis, histochemical staining and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. After DiO fluorescent dye, the cell adhesion, growth, and proliferation on the porous ceramics were also observed by confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). DNA quantitative analysis results showed that the number of BMSCs in all groups increased continuously with time. Plateau phase was not obvious in groups A and B, but it was clearly observed in groups C and D. The CLSM observation indicated that the activity of BMSCs was good and the cells spread extensively, showing good adhesion and proliferation on the porous calcium phosphate ceramics prepared by rapid prototyping. ALP quantitative analysis results showed that the stain of cells on the ceramics became deeper and deeper with time in groups A and B, the staining degree in group A were stronger than that in group B. There was no significant difference in the change of the ALP activity

  9. Porous Nb-Ti based alloy produced from plasma spheroidized powder

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Qijun; Zhang, Lin; Wei, Dongbin; Ren, Shubin; Qu, Xuanhui

    Spherical Nb-Ti based alloy powder was prepared by the combination of plasma spheroidization and mechanical alloying. Phase constituents, microstructure and surface state of the powder, and pore characteristics of the resulting porous alloy were investigated. The results show that the undissolved W and V in the mechanically alloyed powder is fully alloyed after spheroidization, and single β phase is achieved. Particle size of the spheroidized powder is in the range of 20-110 μm. With the decrease of particle size, a transformation from typical dendrite solidification structure to fine cell microstructure occurs. The surface of the spheroidized powder is coated by a layer of oxides consisting mainly of TiO2 and Nb2O5. Probabilities of sinter-neck formation and particle coalescence increases with increasing sintering temperature. Porous skeleton with relatively homogeneous pore distribution and open pore channel is formed after vacuum sintering at 1700 °C, and the porosity is 32%. The sintering kinetic analysis indicates that grain boundary diffusion is the primary mass transport mechanism during sintering process.

  10. Porous PEOT/PBT scaffolds for bone tissue engineering: preparation, characterization, and in vitro bone marrow cell culturing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Claase, M.B.; Grijpma, Dirk W.; Mendes, S.C.; Mendes, Sandra C.; de Bruijn, Joost Dick; Feijen, Jan

    2003-01-01

    The preparation, characterization, and in vitro bone marrow cell culturing on porous PEOT/PBT copolymer scaffolds are described. These scaffolds are meant for use in bone tissue engineering. Previous research has shown that PEOT/PBT copolymers showed in vivo degradation, calcification, and bone

  11. Human bone ingrowth into a porous tantalum acetabular cup

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gregory N. Haidemenopoulos

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Porous Tantalum is increasingly used as a structural scaffold in orthopaedic applications. Information on the mechanisms of human bone ingrowth into trabecular metal implants is rather limited. In this work we have studied, qualitatively, human bone ingrowth into a retrieved porous tantalum monoblock acetabular cup using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. According to the results and taking into account the short operational life (4 years of the implant, bone ingrowth on the acetabular cup took place in the first two-rows of porous tantalum cells to an estimated depth of 1.5 to 2 mm. The bone material, grown inside the first raw of cells, had almost identical composition with the attached bone on the cup surface, as verified by the same Ca:P ratio. Bone ingrowth has been a gradual process starting with Ca deposition on the tantalum struts, followed by bone formation into the tantalum cells, with gradual densification of the bone tissue into hydroxyapatite. A critical step in this process has been the attachment of bone material to the tantalum struts following the topology of the porous tantalum scaffold. These results provide insight to the human bone ingrowth process into porous tantalum implants.

  12. Pore-scale investigation of mass transport and electrochemistry in a solid oxide fuel cell anode

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grew, Kyle N.; Joshi, Abhijit S.; Peracchio, Aldo A.; Chiu, Wilson K.S. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut, 191 Auditorium Road, Storrs, CT 06269-3139 (United States)

    2010-04-15

    The development and validation of a model for the study of pore-scale transport phenomena and electrochemistry in a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) anode are presented in this work. This model couples mass transport processes with a detailed reaction mechanism, which is used to model the electrochemical oxidation kinetics. Detailed electrochemical oxidation reaction kinetics, which is known to occur in the vicinity of the three-phase boundary (TPB) interfaces, is discretely considered in this work. The TPB regions connect percolating regions of electronic and ionic conducting phases of the anode, nickel (Ni) and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), respectively; with porous regions supporting mass transport of the fuel and product. A two-dimensional (2D), multi-species lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is used to describe the diffusion process in complex pore structures that are representative of the SOFC anode. This diffusion model is discretely coupled to a kinetic electrochemical oxidation mechanism using localized flux boundary conditions. The details of the oxidation kinetics are prescribed as a function of applied activation overpotential and the localized hydrogen and water mole fractions. This development effort is aimed at understanding the effects of the anode microstructure within TPB regions. This work describes the methods used so that future studies can consider the details of SOFC anode microstructure. (author)

  13. CFD analysis of a solid oxide fuel cell with internal reforming: Coupled interactions of transport, heterogeneous catalysis and electrochemical processes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Janardhanan, Vinod M.; Deutschmann, Olaf [Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry, Engesserstr. 20, D-76131 Karlsruhe, University of Karlsruhe (TH) (Germany)

    2006-11-22

    Direct internal reforming in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) results in increased overall efficiency of the system. Present study focus on the chemical and electrochemical process in an internally reforming anode supported SOFC button cell running on humidified CH{sub 4} (3% H{sub 2} O). The computational approach employs a detailed multi-step model for heterogeneous chemistry in the anode, modified Butler-Volmer formalism for the electrochemistry and Dusty Gas Model (DGM) for the porous media transport. Two-dimensional elliptic model equations are solved for a button cell configuration. The electrochemical model assumes hydrogen as the only electrochemically active species. The predicted cell performances are compared with experimental reports. The results show that model predictions are in good agreement with experimental observation except the open circuit potentials. Furthermore, the steam content in the anode feed stream is found to have remarkable effect on the resulting overpotential losses and surface coverages of various species at the three-phase boundary. (author)

  14. CFD analysis of a solid oxide fuel cell with internal reforming: Coupled interactions of transport, heterogeneous catalysis and electrochemical processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janardhanan, Vinod M.; Deutschmann, Olaf

    Direct internal reforming in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) results in increased overall efficiency of the system. Present study focus on the chemical and electrochemical process in an internally reforming anode supported SOFC button cell running on humidified CH 4 (3% H 2 O). The computational approach employs a detailed multi-step model for heterogeneous chemistry in the anode, modified Butler-Volmer formalism for the electrochemistry and Dusty Gas Model (DGM) for the porous media transport. Two-dimensional elliptic model equations are solved for a button cell configuration. The electrochemical model assumes hydrogen as the only electrochemically active species. The predicted cell performances are compared with experimental reports. The results show that model predictions are in good agreement with experimental observation except the open circuit potentials. Furthermore, the steam content in the anode feed stream is found to have remarkable effect on the resulting overpotential losses and surface coverages of various species at the three-phase boundary.

  15. Charge transport in dye-sensibilized porous zinc oxide films; Ladungstransport in farbstoffsensibilisierten poroesen Zinkoxidfilmen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reemts, J.

    2006-05-18

    During the last decades, zinc oxide has attracted a lot of attention as an important material in various electrical, chemical, and optical applications. In the present work results are discussed gained from investigations of highly porous electrochemically deposited zinc oxide, which is a promising electrode material both in the area of solar energy conversion and sensor technology. The films were prepared by adding detergents during the electrodeposition process. The detergents have a structure-directing influence during the film deposition and, therefore, on the morphology of the films. The obtained electrodes can easily be sensitized for light or different chemicals by a simple adsorption of different molecules. In the present work I discuss the fundamental charge transport properties of electrochemically deposited zinc oxide films. Temperature-dependent measurements of the current-voltage characteristics are carried out and the spectral response of the photoconductivity is investigated. In order to understand the charge transport properties of this highly porous material, it is necessary to get a deeper insight in the electrode morphology. Therefore, different optical and scanning probe microscopy methods are used to characterize the inner structure of the electrodes. The electrical conductivity of the zinc oxide films can be seen as a thermally activated process, which can be explained by electronic transitions from the valence band of the zinc oxide to two shallow impurity levels. The current-voltage characteristic unveils a nonlinear behavior which can be explained by a space-charge-limited current model with traps distributed in energy. Upon excitation with different wavelengths, the conductivity of the zinc oxide increases already under sub-band gap illumination due to widely distributed trap states within the band gap. The transients of the photoconductivity follow a stretched exponential law with time scales in the range of several hours, either if the

  16. Real-time sensing of epithelial cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions by impedance spectroscopy on porous substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mondal, D.; RoyChaudhuri, C., E-mail: chirosreepram@yahoo.com [Department of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering, Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur, Howrah 711103 (India); Pal, D. [Department of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur, Howrah 711103 (India)

    2015-07-28

    Oxidized porous silicon (PS) is a common topographical biocompatible substrate that potentially provides a distinct in vitro environment for better understanding of in vivo behavior. But in the reported studies on oxidized PS, cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions have been detected only by fluorescent labeling. This paper is the first attempt to investigate real-time sensing of these interactions on HaCaT cells by label-free impedance spectroscopy on oxidized PS of two pore diameters (50 and 500 nm). One of the major requirements for successful impedance spectroscopy measurement is to restrict the channeling of electric field lines through the pores. To satisfy this criterion, we have designed the pore depths after analyzing the penetration of the medium by using computational fluid dynamics simulation. A distributed electrical model was also developed for estimating the various cellular attributes by considering a pseudorandom distribution of pores. It is observed from the impedance measurements and from the model that the proliferation rate increases for 50 nm pores but decreases for 500 nm pores compared to that for planar substrates. The rate of decrease in cell substrate separation (h) in the initial stage is more than the rate of increase in cell-cell junction resistance (R{sub b}) corresponding to the initial adhesion phase of cells. It is observed that R{sub b} and h are higher for 50 nm pores than those for planar substrates, corresponding to the fact that substrates more conducive toward cell adhesion encourage cell-cell interactions than direct cell-substrate interactions. Thus, the impedance spectroscopy coupled with the proposed theoretical framework for PS substrates can sense and quantify the cellular interactions.

  17. Real-time sensing of epithelial cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions by impedance spectroscopy on porous substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mondal, D.; RoyChaudhuri, C.; Pal, D.

    2015-01-01

    Oxidized porous silicon (PS) is a common topographical biocompatible substrate that potentially provides a distinct in vitro environment for better understanding of in vivo behavior. But in the reported studies on oxidized PS, cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions have been detected only by fluorescent labeling. This paper is the first attempt to investigate real-time sensing of these interactions on HaCaT cells by label-free impedance spectroscopy on oxidized PS of two pore diameters (50 and 500 nm). One of the major requirements for successful impedance spectroscopy measurement is to restrict the channeling of electric field lines through the pores. To satisfy this criterion, we have designed the pore depths after analyzing the penetration of the medium by using computational fluid dynamics simulation. A distributed electrical model was also developed for estimating the various cellular attributes by considering a pseudorandom distribution of pores. It is observed from the impedance measurements and from the model that the proliferation rate increases for 50 nm pores but decreases for 500 nm pores compared to that for planar substrates. The rate of decrease in cell substrate separation (h) in the initial stage is more than the rate of increase in cell-cell junction resistance (R b ) corresponding to the initial adhesion phase of cells. It is observed that R b and h are higher for 50 nm pores than those for planar substrates, corresponding to the fact that substrates more conducive toward cell adhesion encourage cell-cell interactions than direct cell-substrate interactions. Thus, the impedance spectroscopy coupled with the proposed theoretical framework for PS substrates can sense and quantify the cellular interactions

  18. Correlated receptor transport processes buffer single-cell heterogeneity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefan M Kallenberger

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Cells typically vary in their response to extracellular ligands. Receptor transport processes modulate ligand-receptor induced signal transduction and impact the variability in cellular responses. Here, we quantitatively characterized cellular variability in erythropoietin receptor (EpoR trafficking at the single-cell level based on live-cell imaging and mathematical modeling. Using ensembles of single-cell mathematical models reduced parameter uncertainties and showed that rapid EpoR turnover, transport of internalized EpoR back to the plasma membrane, and degradation of Epo-EpoR complexes were essential for receptor trafficking. EpoR trafficking dynamics in adherent H838 lung cancer cells closely resembled the dynamics previously characterized by mathematical modeling in suspension cells, indicating that dynamic properties of the EpoR system are widely conserved. Receptor transport processes differed by one order of magnitude between individual cells. However, the concentration of activated Epo-EpoR complexes was less variable due to the correlated kinetics of opposing transport processes acting as a buffering system.

  19. Porous and Nanoporous Semiconductors and Emerging Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helmut Föll

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Pores in single-crystalline semiconductors can be produced in a wide range of geometries and morphologies, including the “nanometer” regime. Porous semiconductors may have properties completely different from the bulk, and metamaterials with, for example, optical properties not encountered in natural materials are emerging. Possible applications of porous semiconductors include various novel sensors, but also more “exotic” uses as, for example, high explosives or electrodes for micro-fuel cells. The paper briefly reviews pore formation (including more applied aspects of large area etching, properties of porous semiconductors, and emerging applications.

  20. Porous SiO{sub 2} nanofiber grafted novel bioactive glass–ceramic coating: A structural scaffold for uniform apatite precipitation and oriented cell proliferation on inert implant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Das, Indranee [Nano-Structured Materials Division, CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, Kolkata 700032 (India); De, Goutam, E-mail: gde@cgcri.res.in [Nano-Structured Materials Division, CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, Kolkata 700032 (India); Hupa, Leena [Johan Gadolin Process Chemistry Centre, Åbo Akademi University, FI-20500 Åbo (Finland); Vallittu, Pekka K. [Turku Clinical Biomaterials Centre—TCBC, University of Turku, FI-20520 Turku (Finland); Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Department of Biomaterials Science and City of Turku, Welfare Division, Turku (Finland)

    2016-05-01

    A composite bioactive glass–ceramic coating grafted with porous silica nanofibers was fabricated on inert glass to provide a structural scaffold favoring uniform apatite precipitation and oriented cell proliferation. The coating surfaces were investigated thoroughly before and after immersion in simulated body fluid. In addition, the proliferation behavior of fibroblast cells on the surface was observed for several culture times. The nanofibrous exterior of this composite bioactive coating facilitated homogeneous growth of flake-like carbonated hydroxyapatite layer within a short period of immersion. Moreover, the embedded porous silica nanofibers enhanced hydrophilicity which is required for proper cell adhesion on the surface. The cells proliferated well following a particular orientation on the entire coating by the assistance of nanofibrous scaffold-like structural matrix. This newly engineered composite coating was effective in creating a biological structural matrix favorable for homogeneous precipitation of calcium phosphate, and organized cell growth on the inert glass surface. - Highlights: • Fabricated porous SiO{sub 2} nanofibers grafted composite bioactive glass–ceramic coating on inert glass. • The newly engineered coating facilitates uniformly dense apatite precipitation. • Embedded porous silica nanofibers enhance hydrophilicity of the coated surface. • Cells proliferate well on the entire coating following a particular orientation by the assistance of nanofibers. • The coatings have potential to be used as biological scaffold on the surface of implants.

  1. Transport of water and ions in partially water-saturated porous media. Part 2. Filtration effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Revil, A.

    2017-05-01

    A new set of constitutive equations describing the transport of the ions and water through charged porous media and considering the effect of ion filtration is applied to the problem of reverse osmosis and diffusion of a salt. Starting with the constitutive equations derived in Paper 1, I first determine specific formula for the osmotic coefficient and effective diffusion coefficient of a binary symmetric 1:1 salt (such as KCl or NaCl) as a function of a dimensionless number Θ corresponding to the ratio between the cation exchange capacity (CEC) and the salinity. The modeling is first carried with the Donnan model used to describe the concentrations of the charge carriers in the pore water phase. Then a new model is developed in the thin double layer approximation to determine these concentrations. These models provide explicit relationships between the concentration of the ionic species in the pore space and those in a neutral reservoir in local equilibrium with the pore space and the CEC. The case of reverse osmosis and diffusion coefficient are analyzed in details for the case of saturated and partially saturated porous materials. Comparisons are done with experimental data from the literature obtained on bentonite. The model predicts correctly the influence of salinity (including membrane behavior at high salinities), porosity, cation type (K+ versus Na+), and water saturation on the osmotic coefficient. It also correctly predicts the dependence of the diffusion coefficient of the salt with the salinity.

  2. PEM fuel cell bipolar plate material requirements for transportation applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borup, R.L.; Stroh, K.R.; Vanderborgh, N.E. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)] [and others

    1996-04-01

    Cost effective bipolar plates are currently under development to help make proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells commercially viable. Bipolar plates separate individual cells of the fuel cell stack, and thus must supply strength, be electrically conductive, provide for thermal control of the fuel stack, be a non-porous materials separating hydrogen and oxygen feed streams, be corrosion resistant, provide gas distribution for the feed streams and meet fuel stack cost targets. Candidate materials include conductive polymers and metal plates with corrosion resistant coatings. Possible metals include aluminium, titanium, iron/stainless steel and nickel.

  3. Creep behaviour of porous metal supports for solid oxide fuel cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boccaccini, Dino; Frandsen, Henrik Lund; Sudireddy, Bhaskar Reddy

    2014-01-01

    The creep behaviour of porous ironechromium alloy used as solid oxide fuel cell support was investigated, and the creep parameters are compared with those of dense strips of similar composition under different testing conditions. The creep parameters were determined using a thermo......-mechanical analyser with applied stresses in the range from 1 to 15 MPa and temperatures between 650 and 800 _C. The GibsoneAshby and Mueller models developed for uniaxial creep of open-cell foams were used to analyse the results. The influence of scale formation on creep behaviour was assessed by comparing the creep...... data for the samples tested in reducing and oxidising atmospheres. The influence of preoxidation on creep behaviour was also investigated. In-situ oxidation during creep experiments increases the strain rate while pre-oxidation of samples reduces it. Debonding of scales at high stress regime plays...

  4. An implicit numerical model for multicomponent compressible two-phase flow in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zidane, Ali; Firoozabadi, Abbas

    2015-11-01

    We introduce a new implicit approach to model multicomponent compressible two-phase flow in porous media with species transfer between the phases. In the implicit discretization of the species transport equation in our formulation we calculate for the first time the derivative of the molar concentration of component i in phase α (cα, i) with respect to the total molar concentration (ci) under the conditions of a constant volume V and temperature T. The species transport equation is discretized by the finite volume (FV) method. The fluxes are calculated based on powerful features of the mixed finite element (MFE) method which provides the pressure at grid-cell interfaces in addition to the pressure at the grid-cell center. The efficiency of the proposed model is demonstrated by comparing our results with three existing implicit compositional models. Our algorithm has low numerical dispersion despite the fact it is based on first-order space discretization. The proposed algorithm is very robust.

  5. [Construction of porous hydroxyapatite (HA) block loaded with cultured chondrocytes].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, M; Dang, G

    1999-07-01

    To construct a kind of bone healing enhancing implant with cultured chondrocytes bound to hydroxyapatite (HA). Chondrocytes were obtained from the costicartilage of rat and were cultured on the porous HA blocks, 3 mm x 3 mm x 4 mm size, for three and seven days. Scanning electron micrograph was taken to show whether the cells grew outside and inside the pore of HA block. The cells cultured on tiny glass sheet for 2 days were used to prove where the cells come from by in situ hybridization technique with alpha1 (II) cDNA probe. Scanning electron micrographs showed that the pores of the HA surface and inside of the blocks are filled with cultured cells, especially the longer cultured block. The cells were chondrocytes confirmed by in situ hybridization. The porous HA can be used as cell cultured substrate and chondrocyte can adhere and proliferate inside the porous HA block.

  6. The Compatibility of Hepatocytes with Chemically Modified Porous Silicon with Reference to In Vitro Biosensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvarez, Sara D.; Derfus, Austin M.; Schwartz, Michael P.; Bhatia, Sangeeta N.; Sailor, Michael J.

    2008-01-01

    Porous Si is a nanostructured material that is of interest for molecular and cell-based biosensing, drug delivery, and tissue engineering applications. Surface chemistry is an important factor determining the stability of porous Si in aqueous media, its affinity for various biomolecular species, and its compatibility with tissues. In this study, the attachment and viability of a primary cell type to porous Si samples containing various surface chemistries is reported, and the ability of the porous Si films to retain their optical reflectivity properties relevant to molecular biosensing is assessed. Four chemical species grafted to the porous Si surface are studied: silicon oxide (via ozone oxidation), dodecyl (via hydrosilylation with dodecene), undecanoic acid (via hydrosilylation with undecylenic acid), and oligo(ethylene) glycol (via hydrosilylation with undecylenic acid followed by an oligo(ethylene) glycol coupling reaction). Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and contact angle measurements are used to characterize the surface. Adhesion and short-term viability of primary rat hepatocytes on these surfaces, with and without pre-adsorption of collagen type I, are assessed using vital dyes (calcein-AM and ethidium homodimer I). Cell viability on undecanoic acid-terminated porous Si, oxide-terminated porous Si, and oxide-terminated flat (non-porous) Si are monitored by quantification of albumin production over the course of 8 days. The stability of porous Si thin films after 8 days in cell culture is probed by measuring the optical interferometric reflectance spectra. Results show that hepatocytes adhere better to surfaces coated with collagen, and that chemical modification does not exert a deleterious effect on primary rat hepatocytes. The hydrosilylation chemistry greatly improves the stability of porous Si in contact with cultured primary cells while allowing cell coverage levels comparable to standard culture preparations on tissue culture

  7. Strategy for Predicting Effective Transport Properties of Complex Porous Structures

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Salejová, G.; Grof, Z.; Šolcová, Olga; Schneider, Petr; Kosek, J.

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 35, č. 2 (2011), s. 200-211 ISSN 0098-1354 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40720504 Keywords : porous media * pore space reconstruction * effective diffusivity Subject RIV: CI - Industrial Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Impact factor: 2.320, year: 2011

  8. A Comprehensive Review on Measurement and Correlation Development of Capillary Pressure for Two-Phase Modeling of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chao Si

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Water transport and the corresponding water management strategy in proton exchange membrane (PEM fuel cells are quite critical for the improvement of the cell performance. Accuracy modeling of water transport in porous electrodes strongly depends on the appropriate constitutive relationship for capillary pressure which is referred to as pc-s correlation, where pc is the capillary pressure and s is the fraction of saturation in the pores. In the present PEM fuel cell two-phase models, the Leverett-Udell pc-s correlation is widely utilized which is proposed based on fitting the experimental data for packed sands. However, the size and structure of pores for the commercial porous electrodes used in PEM fuel cells differ from those for the packed sands significantly. As a result, the Leverett-Udell correlation should be improper to characterize the two-phase transport in the porous electrodes. In the recent decade, many efforts were devoted to measuring the capillary pressure data and developing new pc-s correlations. The objective of this review is to review the most significant developments in recent years concerning the capillary pressure measurements and the developed pc-s correlations. It is expected that this review will be beneficial to develop the improved PEM fuel cell two-phase model.

  9. Experimental Evidence of Helical Flow in Porous Media

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ye, Yu; Chiogna, Gabriele; Cirpka, Olaf A.

    2015-01-01

    Helical flow leads to deformation of solute plumes and enhances transverse mixing in porous media. We present experiments in which macroscopic helical flow is created by arranging different materials to obtain an anisotropic macroscopic permeability tensor with spatially variable orientation....... The resulting helical flow entails twisting streamlines which cause a significant increase in lateral mass exchange and thus a large enhancement of plume dilution (up to 235%) compared to transport in homogenous media. The setup may be used to effectively mix solutes in parallel streams similarly to static...... mixers, but in porous media....

  10. Cell cycle-dependent microtubule-based dynamic transport of cytoplasmic dynein in mammalian cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takuya Kobayashi

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Cytoplasmic dynein complex is a large multi-subunit microtubule (MT-associated molecular motor involved in various cellular functions including organelle positioning, vesicle transport and cell division. However, regulatory mechanism of the cell-cycle dependent distribution of dynein has not fully been understood. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we report live-cell imaging of cytoplasmic dynein in HeLa cells, by expressing multifunctional green fluorescent protein (mfGFP-tagged 74-kDa intermediate chain (IC74. IC74-mfGFP was successfully incorporated into functional dynein complex. In interphase, dynein moved bi-directionally along with MTs, which might carry cargos such as transport vesicles. A substantial fraction of dynein moved toward cell periphery together with EB1, a member of MT plus end-tracking proteins (+TIPs, suggesting +TIPs-mediated transport of dynein. In late-interphase and prophase, dynein was localized at the centrosomes and the radial MT array. In prometaphase and metaphase, dynein was localized at spindle MTs where it frequently moved from spindle poles toward chromosomes or cell cortex. +TIPs may be involved in the transport of spindle dyneins. Possible kinetochore and cortical dyneins were also observed. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: These findings suggest that cytoplasmic dynein is transported to the site of action in preparation for the following cellular events, primarily by the MT-based transport. The MT-based transport may have greater advantage than simple diffusion of soluble dynein in rapid and efficient transport of the limited concentration of the protein.

  11. The non-Newtonian heat and mass transport of He 2 in porous media used for vapor-liquid phase separation. Ph.D. Thesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, S. W. K.

    1985-01-01

    This investigation of vapor-liquid phase separation (VLPS) of He 2 is related to long-term storage of cryogenic liquid. The VLPS system utilizes porous plugs in order to generate thermomechanical (thermo-osmotic) force which in turn prevents liquid from flowing out of the cryo-vessel (e.g., Infrared Astronomical Satellite). An apparatus was built and VLPS data were collected for a 2 and a 10 micrometer sintered stainless steel plug and a 5 to 15 micrometer sintered bronze plug. The VLPS data obtained at high temperature were in the nonlinear turbulent regime. At low temperature, the Stokes regime was approached. A turbulent flow model was developed, which provides a phenomenological description of the VLPS data. According to the model, most of the phase separation data are in the turbulent regime. The model is based on concepts of the Gorter-Mellink transport involving the mutual friction known from the zero net mass flow (ZNMF) studies. The latter had to be modified to obtain agreement with the present experimental VLPS evidence. In contrast to the well-known ZNMF mode, the VLPS results require a geometry dependent constant (Gorter-Mellink constant). A theoretical interpretation of the phenomenological equation for the VLPS data obtained, is based on modelling of the dynamics of quantized vortices proposed by Vinen. In extending Vinen's model to the VLPS transport of He 2 in porous media, a correlation between the K*(GM) and K(p) was obtained which permits an interpretation of the present findings. As K(p) is crucial, various methods were introduced to measure the permeability of the porous media at low temperatures. Good agreement was found between the room temperature and the low temperature K(p)-value of the plugs.

  12. Erbium doped stain etched porous silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gonzalez-Diaz, B.; Diaz-Herrera, B.; Guerrero-Lemus, R.; Mendez-Ramos, J.; Rodriguez, V.D.; Hernandez-Rodriguez, C.; Martinez-Duart, J.M.

    2008-01-01

    In this work a simple erbium doping process applied to stain etched porous silicon layers (PSLs) is proposed. This doping process has been developed for application in porous silicon solar cells, where conventional erbium doping processes are not affordable because of the high processing cost and technical difficulties. The PSLs were formed by immersion in a HF/HNO 3 solution to properly adjust the porosity and pore thickness to an optimal doping of the porous structure. After the formation of the porous structure, the PSLs were analyzed by means of nitrogen BET (Brunauer, Emmett and Teller) area measurements and scanning electron microscopy. Subsequently, the PSLs were immersed in a saturated erbium nitrate solution in order to cover the porous surface. Then, the samples were subjected to a thermal process to activate the Er 3+ ions. Different temperatures and annealing times were used in this process. The photoluminescence of the PSLs was evaluated before and after the doping processes and the composition was analyzed by Fourier transform IR spectroscopy

  13. Examining porous bio-active glass as a potential osteo-odonto-keratoprosthetic skirt material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huhtinen, Reeta; Sandeman, Susan; Rose, Susanna; Fok, Elsie; Howell, Carol; Fröberg, Linda; Moritz, Niko; Hupa, Leena; Lloyd, Andrew

    2013-05-01

    Bio-active glass has been developed for use as a bone substitute with strong osteo-inductive capacity and the ability to form strong bonds with soft and hard tissue. The ability of this material to enhance tissue in-growth suggests its potential use as a substitute for the dental laminate of an osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis. A preliminary in vitro investigation of porous bio-active glass as an OOKP skirt material was carried out. Porous glass structures were manufactured from bio-active glasses 1-98 and 28-04 containing varying oxide formulation (1-98, 28-04) and particle size range (250-315 μm for 1-98 and 28-04a, 315-500 μm for 28-04b). Dissolution of the porous glass structure and its effect on pH was measured. Structural 2D and 3D analysis of porous structures were performed. Cell culture experiments were carried out to study keratocyte adhesion and the inflammatory response induced by the porous glass materials. The dissolution results suggested that the porous structure made out of 1-98 dissolves faster than the structures made from glass 28-04. pH experiments showed that the dissolution of the porous glass increased the pH of the surrounding solution. The cell culture results showed that keratocytes adhered onto the surface of each of the porous glass structures, but cell adhesion and spreading was greatest for the 98a bio-glass. Cytokine production by all porous glass samples was similar to that of the negative control indicating that the glasses do not induce a cytokine driven inflammatory response. Cell culture results support the potential use of synthetic porous bio-glass as an OOKP skirt material in terms of limited inflammatory potential and capacity to induce and support tissue ingrowth.

  14. A finite difference, multipoint flux numerical approach to flow in porous media: Numerical examples

    KAUST Repository

    Osman, Hossam Omar; Salama, Amgad; Sun, Shuyu; Bao, Kai

    2012-01-01

    It is clear that none of the current available numerical schemes which may be adopted to solve transport phenomena in porous media fulfill all the required robustness conditions. That is while the finite difference methods are the simplest of all, they face several difficulties in complex geometries and anisotropic media. On the other hand, while finite element methods are well suited to complex geometries and can deal with anisotropic media, they are more involved in coding and usually require more execution time. Therefore, in this work we try to combine some features of the finite element technique, namely its ability to work with anisotropic media with the finite difference approach. We reduce the multipoint flux, mixed finite element technique through some quadrature rules to an equivalent cell-centered finite difference approximation. We show examples on using this technique to single-phase flow in anisotropic porous media.

  15. A finite difference, multipoint flux numerical approach to flow in porous media: Numerical examples

    KAUST Repository

    Osman, Hossam Omar

    2012-06-17

    It is clear that none of the current available numerical schemes which may be adopted to solve transport phenomena in porous media fulfill all the required robustness conditions. That is while the finite difference methods are the simplest of all, they face several difficulties in complex geometries and anisotropic media. On the other hand, while finite element methods are well suited to complex geometries and can deal with anisotropic media, they are more involved in coding and usually require more execution time. Therefore, in this work we try to combine some features of the finite element technique, namely its ability to work with anisotropic media with the finite difference approach. We reduce the multipoint flux, mixed finite element technique through some quadrature rules to an equivalent cell-centered finite difference approximation. We show examples on using this technique to single-phase flow in anisotropic porous media.

  16. Self-ordered Porous Alumina Fabricated via Phosphonic Acid Anodizing

    OpenAIRE

    Akiya, Shunta; Kikuchi, Tatsuya; Natsui, Shungo; Sakaguchi, Norihito; Suzuki, Ryosuke O.

    2016-01-01

    Self-ordered periodic porous alumina with an undiscovered cell diameter was fabricated via electrochemical anodizing in a new electrolyte, phosphonic acid (H3PO3). High-purity aluminum plates were anodized in phosphonic acid solution under various operating conditions of voltage, temperature, concentration, and anodizing time. Phosphonic acid anodizing at 150-180 V caused the self-ordering behavior of porous alumina, and an ideal honeycomb nanostructure measuring 370-440 nm in cell diameter w...

  17. Real rock-microfluidic flow cell: A test bed for real-time in situ analysis of flow, transport, and reaction in a subsurface reactive transport environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Rajveer; Sivaguru, Mayandi; Fried, Glenn A; Fouke, Bruce W; Sanford, Robert A; Carrera, Martin; Werth, Charles J

    2017-09-01

    Physical, chemical, and biological interactions between groundwater and sedimentary rock directly control the fundamental subsurface properties such as porosity, permeability, and flow. This is true for a variety of subsurface scenarios, ranging from shallow groundwater aquifers to deeply buried hydrocarbon reservoirs. Microfluidic flow cells are now commonly being used to study these processes at the pore scale in simplified pore structures meant to mimic subsurface reservoirs. However, these micromodels are typically fabricated from glass, silicon, or polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and are therefore incapable of replicating the geochemical reactivity and complex three-dimensional pore networks present in subsurface lithologies. To address these limitations, we developed a new microfluidic experimental test bed, herein called the Real Rock-Microfluidic Flow Cell (RR-MFC). A porous 500μm-thick real rock sample of the Clair Group sandstone from a subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir of the North Sea was prepared and mounted inside a PDMS microfluidic channel, creating a dynamic flow-through experimental platform for real-time tracking of subsurface reactive transport. Transmitted and reflected microscopy, cathodoluminescence microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and confocal laser microscopy techniques were used to (1) determine the mineralogy, geochemistry, and pore networks within the sandstone inserted in the RR-MFC, (2) analyze non-reactive tracer breakthrough in two- and (depth-limited) three-dimensions, and (3) characterize multiphase flow. The RR-MFC is the first microfluidic experimental platform that allows direct visualization of flow and transport in the pore space of a real subsurface reservoir rock sample, and holds potential to advance our understandings of reactive transport and other subsurface processes relevant to pollutant transport and cleanup in groundwater, as well as energy recovery. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Porous siliconformation and etching process for use in silicon micromachining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guilinger, Terry R.; Kelly, Michael J.; Martin, Jr., Samuel B.; Stevenson, Joel O.; Tsao, Sylvia S.

    1991-01-01

    A reproducible process for uniformly etching silicon from a series of micromechanical structures used in electrical devices and the like includes providing a micromechanical structure having a silicon layer with defined areas for removal thereon and an electrochemical cell containing an aqueous hydrofluoric acid electrolyte. The micromechanical structure is submerged in the electrochemical cell and the defined areas of the silicon layer thereon are anodically biased by passing a current through the electrochemical cell for a time period sufficient to cause the defined areas of the silicon layer to become porous. The formation of the depth of the porous silicon is regulated by controlling the amount of current passing through the electrochemical cell. The micromechanical structure is then removed from the electrochemical cell and submerged in a hydroxide solution to remove the porous silicon. The process is subsequently repeated for each of the series of micromechanical structures to achieve a reproducibility better than 0.3%.

  19. Porous silicon technology for integrated microsystems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallner, Jin Zheng

    With the development of micro systems, there is an increasing demand for integrable porous materials. In addition to those conventional applications, such as filtration, wicking, and insulating, many new micro devices, including micro reactors, sensors, actuators, and optical components, can benefit from porous materials. Conventional porous materials, such as ceramics and polymers, however, cannot meet the challenges posed by micro systems, due to their incompatibility with standard micro-fabrication processes. In an effort to produce porous materials that can be used in micro systems, porous silicon (PS) generated by anodization of single crystalline silicon has been investigated. In this work, the PS formation process has been extensively studied and characterized as a function of substrate type, crystal orientation, doping concentration, current density and surfactant concentration and type. Anodization conditions have been optimized for producing very thick porous silicon layers with uniform pore size, and for obtaining ideal pore morphologies. Three different types of porous silicon materials: meso porous silicon, macro porous silicon with straight pores, and macro porous silicon with tortuous pores, have been successfully produced. Regular pore arrays with controllable pore size in the range of 2mum to 6mum have been demonstrated as well. Localized PS formation has been achieved by using oxide/nitride/polysilicon stack as masking materials, which can withstand anodization in hydrofluoric acid up to twenty hours. A special etching cell with electrolytic liquid backside contact along with two process flows has been developed to enable the fabrication of thick macro porous silicon membranes with though wafer pores. For device assembly, Si-Au and In-Au bonding technologies have been developed. Very low bonding temperature (˜200°C) and thick/soft bonding layers (˜6mum) have been achieved by In-Au bonding technology, which is able to compensate the potentially

  20. MAGNUM-2D, Heat Transport and Groundwater Flow in Fractured Porous Media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langford, D.W.; Baca, R.G.

    2001-01-01

    1 - Description of program or function: MAGNUM2D was developed to analyze thermally driven fluid motion in the deep basalts below the Paco Basin at the Westinghouse Hanford Site. Has been used in the Basalt Waste Isolation Project to simulate nonisothermal groundwater flow in a heterogeneous anisotropic medium and heat transport in a water-rock system near a high level nuclear waste repository. Allows three representations of the hydrogeologic system: an equivalent porous continuum, a system of discrete, unfilled, and inter- connecting fractures separated by impervious rock mass, and a low permeability porous continuum with several discrete, unfilled fractures traversing the medium. The calculations assume local thermodynamic equilibrium between the rock and groundwater, non- isothermal Darcy flow in the continuum portions of the rock, and nonisothermal Poiseuille flow in discrete unfilled fractures. In addition, the code accounts for thermal loading within the elements, zero normal gradient and fixed boundary conditions for both temperature and hydraulic head, and simulation of the temperature and flow independently. The Q2DGEOM preprocessor was developed to generate, modify, plot and verify quadratic two dimensional finite element geometries. The BCGEN preprocessor generates the boundary conditions for head and temperature and ICGEN generates the initial conditions. The GRIDDER post-processor interpolates non-regularly spaced nodal flow and temperature data onto a regular rectangular grid. CONTOUR plots and labels contour lines for a function of two variables and PARAM plots cross sections and time histories for a function of time and one or two spatial variables. NPRINT generates data tables that display the data along horizontal or vertical cross sections. VELPLT differentiates the hydraulic head and buoyancy data and plots the velocity vectors. The PATH post-processor plots flow paths and computes the corresponding travel times. 2 - Method of solution: MAGNUM2

  1. Low cost porous MgO substrates for oxygen transport membranes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kothanda Ramachandran, Dhavanesan; Søgaard, Martin; Clemens, F.

    2016-01-01

    This paper delineates the fabrication of porous magnesium oxide (MgO) ceramics with high porosity and gas permeability by warm pressing using pre-calcined MgO powder and fugitive pore former (combination of graphite and polymethyl methacrylate). Effect of pore former on the microstructure...

  2. DOE perspective on fuel cells in transportation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kost, R.

    1996-04-01

    Fuel cells are one of the most promising technologies for meeting the rapidly growing demand for transportation services while minimizing adverse energy and environmental impacts. This paper reviews the benefits of introducing fuel cells into the transportation sector; in addition to dramatically reduced vehicle emissions, fuel cells offer the flexibility than use petroleum-based or alternative fuels, have significantly greater energy efficiency than internal combustion engines, and greatly reduce noise levels during operation. The rationale leading to the emphasis on proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells for transportation applications is reviewed as are the development issues requiring resolution to achieve adequate performance, packaging, and cost for use in automobiles. Technical targets for power density, specific power, platinum loading on the electrodes, cost, and other factors that become increasingly more demanding over time have been established. Fuel choice issues and pathways to reduced costs and to a renewable energy future are explored. One such path initially introduces fuel cell vehicles using reformed gasoline while-on-board hydrogen storage technology is developed to the point of allowing adequate range (350 miles) and refueling convenience. This scenario also allows time for renewable hydrogen production technologies and the required supply infrastructure to develop. Finally, the DOE Fuel Cells in Transportation program is described. The program, whose goal is to establish the technology for fuel cell vehicles as rapidly as possible, is being implemented by means of the United States Fuel Cell Alliance, a Government-industry alliance that includes Detroit`s Big Three automakers, fuel cell and other component suppliers, the national laboratories, and universities.

  3. Laboratory and numerical investigations of kinetic interface sensitive tracers transport for immiscible two-phase flow porous media systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tatomir, Alexandru Bogdan A. C.; Sauter, Martin

    2017-04-01

    A number of theoretical approaches estimating the interfacial area between two fluid phases are available (Schaffer et al.,2013). Kinetic interface sensitive (KIS) tracers are used to describe the evolution of fluid-fluid interfaces advancing in two phase porous media systems (Tatomir et al., 2015). Initially developed to offer answers about the supercritical (sc)CO2 plume movement and the efficiency of trapping in geological carbon storage reservoirs, KIS tracers are tested in dynamic controlled laboratory conditions. N-octane and water, analogue to a scCO2 - brine system, are used. The KIS tracer is dissolved in n-octane, which is injected as the non-wetting phase in a fully water saturated porous media column. The porous system is made up of spherical glass beads with sizes of 100-250 μm. Subsequently, the KIS tracer follows a hydrolysis reaction over the n-octane - water interface resulting in an acid and phenol which are both water soluble. The fluid-fluid interfacial area is described numerically with the help of constitutive-relationships derived from the Brooks-Corey model. The specific interfacial area is determined numerically from pore scale calculations, or from different literature sources making use of pore network model calculations (Joekar-Niasar et al., 2008). This research describes the design of the laboratory setup and compares the break-through curves obtained with the forward model and in the laboratory experiment. Furthermore, first results are shown in the attempt to validate the immiscible two phase flow reactive transport numerical model with dynamic laboratory column experiments. Keywords: Fluid-fluid interfacial area, KIS tracers, model validation, CCS, geological storage of CO2

  4. Effects of macropores on groundwater flow and transport of radionuclides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huff, D.D.; DeAngelis, D.L.; Yeh, G.T.

    1983-01-01

    In humid environments, recent findings have shown that an important component of runoff and associated solute moves rapidly through large continuous voids. Thus, consideration of radionuclide transport in subsurface flow is incomplete without explicit treatment of continuous macropores and interaction between macropore flow and the soil matrix. A computer model, FRACPORT, that simulates the transport of a solute through a fractured porous matrix has been developed. The model employs the Integrated Compartment Method and uses the approach of dividing the porous media into compartments comprising fractures or porous material. The fracture region and a small portion of the porous matrix are simulated using a shorter time step than for the remaining porous matrix. This allows substantial savings in computational time. The model should be useful for analyses of generic problems associated with water and radionuclide transport in macropore systems at shallow-land disposal sites in humid environments. 14 references, 6 figures, 1 table

  5. Effect of radiation and magnetic field on peristaltic transport of nanofluids through a porous space in a tapered asymmetric channel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kothandapani, M., E-mail: mkothandapani@gmail.com [Department of Mathematics, University College of Engineering Arni, (A Constituent College of Anna University Chennai), Arni 632326, Tamil Nadu (India); Prakash, J., E-mail: prakashjayavel@yahoo.co.in [Department of Mathematics, Arulmigu Meenakshi Amman College of Engineering, Vadamavandal 604410, Tamil Nadu (India)

    2015-03-15

    Theoretical analyses on the effect of radiation and MHD on the peristaltic flow of a nanofluid through a porous medium in a two dimensional tapered asymmetric channel has been made. The nanofluid is assumed to be electrically conducting in the presence of a uniform magnetic field. The transport equation accounts the both Brownian motion and thermophoresis along with the radiation reaction. The problem has been further simplified with the authentic assumptions of long wavelength and small Reynolds number. The analytical expressions obtained for the axial velocity, stream function, temperature field, nanoparticle fraction field and pressure gradient provide satisfactory explanation. Influence of various parameters on the flow characteristics have been discussed with the help of graphical results. The trapping phenomenon has also been discussed in detail. - Highlights: • Combine effect of thermal radiation and MHD on the peristaltic flow of a Newtonian nanofluid are discussed. • This work may be first attempt dealing the study of Newtonian nanofluid flow in the porous tapered asymmetric channel. • The velocity, stream function, temperature field and nanoparticle fraction field provide satisfactory explanation with help of graphs.

  6. Band structures in fractal grading porous phononic crystals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Kai; Liu, Ying; Liang, Tianshu; Wang, Bin

    2018-05-01

    In this paper, a new grading porous structure is introduced based on a Sierpinski triangle routine, and wave propagation in this fractal grading porous phononic crystal is investigated. The influences of fractal hierarchy and porosity on the band structures in fractal graidng porous phononic crystals are clarified. Vibration modes of unit cell at absolute band gap edges are given to manifest formation mechanism of absolute band gaps. The results show that absolute band gaps are easy to form in fractal structures comparatively to the normal ones with the same porosity. Structures with higher fractal hierarchies benefit multiple wider absolute band gaps. This work provides useful guidance in design of fractal porous phononic crystals.

  7. SGLT1-mediated transport in Caco-2 cells is highly dependent on cell bank origin

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Steffansen, B; Pedersen, Maria; Laghmoch, A M

    2017-01-01

    The Caco-2 cell line is a well-established in vitro model for studying transport phenomena for prediction of intestinal nutrient and drug absorption. However, for substances depending on transporters such predictions are complicated due to variable transporter expression and limited knowledge about...... transporter function during multiple cell passaging and cell thawings. In the case of SGLT1, a key transporter of oral absorption of D-glucose, one reason for compromised prediction could be inadequate expression of SGLT1 in Caco-2 cells and thereby limited sensitivity in the determination of SGLT1-mediated...... permeability (PSGLT1). Here, the objective was to characterize and compare SGLT1-mediated uptake in Caco-2 cells obtained from different cell banks. SGLT1-mediated uptake of the standard SGLT1 substrate, α-MDG, in Caco-2 cells was shown to be highly dependent on cell bank origin. The most robust and reliable...

  8. Explicit finite-difference solution of two-dimensional solute transport with periodic flow in homogenous porous media

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Djordjevich Alexandar

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The two-dimensional advection-diffusion equation with variable coefficients is solved by the explicit finitedifference method for the transport of solutes through a homogenous two-dimensional domain that is finite and porous. Retardation by adsorption, periodic seepage velocity, and a dispersion coefficient proportional to this velocity are permitted. The transport is from a pulse-type point source (that ceases after a period of activity. Included are the firstorder decay and zero-order production parameters proportional to the seepage velocity, and periodic boundary conditions at the origin and at the end of the domain. Results agree well with analytical solutions that were reported in the literature for special cases. It is shown that the solute concentration profile is influenced strongly by periodic velocity fluctuations. Solutions for a variety of combinations of unsteadiness of the coefficients in the advection-diffusion equation are obtainable as particular cases of the one demonstrated here. This further attests to the effectiveness of the explicit finite difference method for solving two-dimensional advection-diffusion equation with variable coefficients in finite media, which is especially important when arbitrary initial and boundary conditions are required.

  9. Influence of clay particles on Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles transport and retention through limestone porous media: measurements and mechanisms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bayat, Ali Esfandyari, E-mail: ali.esfandiari.bayat@gmail.com; Junin, Radzuan [Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Department of Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Petroleum and Renewable Energy Engineering (Malaysia); Mohsin, Rahmat [Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, UTM-MPRC Institute for Oil and Gas, N29A, Lengkuk Suria (Malaysia); Hokmabadi, Mehrdad [Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Department of Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Petroleum and Renewable Energy Engineering (Malaysia); Shamshirband, Shahaboddin [University of Malaya, Department of Computer System and Information Technology, Faculty of Computer System and Information Technology (Malaysia)

    2015-05-15

    Utilization of nanoparticles (NPs) for a broad range of applications has caused considerable quantities of these materials to be released into the environment. Issues of how and where the NPs are distributed into the subsurface aquatic environments are questions for those in environmental engineering. This study investigated the influence of three abundant clay minerals namely kaolinite, montmorillonite, and illite in the subsurface natural aquatic systems on the transport and retention of aluminum oxide (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, 40 nm) and titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}, 10–30 nm) NPs through saturated limestone porous media. The clay concentrations in porous media were set at 2 and 4 vol% of the holder capacity. Breakthrough curves in the columns outlets were measured using a UV–Vis spectrophotometer. It was found that the maximum NPs recoveries were obtained when there was no clay particle in the porous medium. On the other hand, increase in concentration of clay particles has resulted in the NPs recoveries being significantly declined. Due to fibrous structure of illite, it was found to be more effective for NPs retention in comparison to montmorillonite and kaolinite. Overall, the position of clay particles in the porous media pores and their morphologies were found to be two main reasons for increase of NPs retention in porous media.

  10. A repeatedly refuelable mediated biofuel cell based on a hierarchical porous carbon electrode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujita, Shuji; Yamanoi, Shun; Murata, Kenichi; Mita, Hiroki; Samukawa, Tsunetoshi; Nakagawa, Takaaki; Sakai, Hideki; Tokita, Yuichi

    2014-05-01

    Biofuel cells that generate electricity from renewable fuels, such as carbohydrates, must be reusable through repeated refuelling, should these devices be used in consumer electronics. We demonstrate the stable generation of electricity from a glucose-powered mediated biofuel cell through multiple refuelling cycles. This refuelability is achieved by immobilizing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), an electron-transfer mediator, and redox enzymes in high concentrations on porous carbon particles constituting an anode while maintaining their electrochemical and enzymatic activities after the immobilization. This bioanode can be refuelled continuously for more than 60 cycles at 1.5 mA cm-2 without significant potential drop. Cells assembled with these bioanodes and bilirubin-oxidase-based biocathodes can be repeatedly used to power a portable music player at 1 mW cm-3 through 10 refuelling cycles. This study suggests that the refuelability within consumer electronics should facilitate the development of long and repeated use of the mediated biofuel cells as well as of NAD-based biosensors, bioreactors, and clinical applications.

  11. Influence of pH on the transport of silver nanoparticles in saturated porous media: laboratory experiments and modeling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Flory, Jason; Kanel, Sushil R., E-mail: sushil.kanel.ctr@afit.edu; Racz, LeeAnn [Air Force Institute of Technology, Department of Systems and Engineering Management (United States); Impellitteri, Christopher A. [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (United States); Silva, Rendahandi G. [U.S. EPA Test and Evaluation Facility, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure (United States); Goltz, Mark N., E-mail: mark.goltz@afit.edu [Air Force Institute of Technology, Department of Systems and Engineering Management (United States)

    2013-03-15

    Given the ubiquity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and their potential for toxic effects on both humans and the environment, it is important to understand their environmental fate and transport. The purpose of this study is to gain information on the transport properties of commercial AgNP suspensions in a glass bead-packed column under saturated flow conditions at different solution pH levels. Commercial AgNPs were characterized using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray diffraction. Transport data were collected at different pH levels (4, 6.5, 9, and 11) at fixed ionic strength. Capture of AgNPs increased as the pH of the solution increased from 4 to 6.5. Further increase in pH to 9 and 11 decreased the attachment of AgNPs to the glass beads. AgNP concentration versus time breakthrough data were simulated using an advection-dispersion model incorporating both irreversible and reversible attachment. In particular, a reversible attachment model is required to simulate breakthrough curve tailing at near neutral pH, when attachment is most significant. The laboratory and modeling study reveals that for natural groundwaters, AgNP transport in porous media may be retarded due to capture; but ultimately, most of the mass may be slowly released over time.

  12. Gelatin functionalised porous titanium alloy implants for orthopaedic applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vanderleyden, E. [Polymer Chemistry and Biomaterials Research Group, Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Ghent, Krijgslaan 281 S4, 9000 Ghent (Belgium); Van Bael, S. [Prometheus, Division of Skeletal Tissue Engineering, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, O and N 1, Herestraat 49, Box 813, 3000 Leuven (Belgium); Department of Mechanical Engineering, Division of Production Engineering, Machine Design and Automation, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 300b, 3001 Leuven (Belgium); Department of Mechanical Engineering, Division of Biomechanics and Engineering Design, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 300c, Box 2419, 3001 Heverlee (Belgium); Chai, Y.C. [Prometheus, Division of Skeletal Tissue Engineering, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, O and N 1, Herestraat 49, Box 813, 3000 Leuven (Belgium); Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Skeletal Biology and Engineering Research Center, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, O and N 1, Herestraat 49, Box 813, 3000 Leuven (Belgium); Kruth, J.-P. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Division of Production Engineering, Machine Design and Automation, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 300b, 3001 Leuven (Belgium); Schrooten, J. [Prometheus, Division of Skeletal Tissue Engineering, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, O and N 1, Herestraat 49, Box 813, 3000 Leuven (Belgium); Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 44, Bus 2450, 3001 Leuven (Belgium); Dubruel, P., E-mail: pbmugent@gmail.com [Polymer Chemistry and Biomaterials Research Group, Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Ghent, Krijgslaan 281 S4, 9000 Ghent (Belgium)

    2014-09-01

    In the present work, we studied the immobilisation of the biopolymer gelatin onto the surface of three dimensional (3D) regular Ti6Al4V porous implants to improve their surface bio-activity. The successful immobilisation of the gelatin coating was made possible by a polydopamine interlayer, a polymer coating inspired by the adhesive nature of mussels. The presence of both coatings was first optimised on two dimensional titanium (2D Ti) substrates and confirmed by different techniques including X-ray photelectron spectroscopy, contact angle measurements, atomic force microscopy and fluorescence microscopy. Results showed homogeneous coatings that are stable for at least 24 h in phosphate buffer at 37 °C. In a next step, the coating procedure was successfully transferred to 3D Ti6Al4V porous implants, which indicates the versatility of the applied coating procedure with regard to complex surface morphologies. Furthermore, the bio-activity of these stable gelatin coatings was enhanced by applying a third and final coating using the cell-attractive protein fibronectin. The reproducible immobilisation process allowed for a controlled biomolecule presentation to the surrounding tissue. This newly developed coating procedure outperformed the previously reported silanisation procedure for immobilising gelatin. In vitro cell adhesion and culture studies with human periosteum-derived cells showed that the investigated coatings did not compromise the biocompatible nature of Ti6Al4V porous implants, but no distinct biological differences between the coatings were found. - Highlights: • Ti6Al4V porous implants were produced by selective laser melting. • A procedure to obtain a stable gelatin coating was developed. • Successful transfer of the coating procedure from 2D to 3D Ti6Al4V porous implants. • In vitro cell studies showed that the developed coatings supported cell growth.

  13. Review. Freeze-casting: Fabrication of highly porous and hierarchical ceramic supports for energy applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gaudillere, C.; Serra, J. M.

    2016-05-01

    The manufacture of structured ceramic porous support knows an important boom since more than a decade with the development of new shaping techniques. Among the most promising ones, the freeze-casting also called Ice-Tem plating allows the fabrication of ceramic parts exhibiting high porosity (>50%) and vertically aligned and hierarchically organized pores. Such structures were firstly conceived for biomedical applications like bone substitute and tissue engineering, but the distinctive features of freeze-cast structures have attracted the attention of diverse scientific fields, especially in high temperature ceramic-based energy production systems. Indeed, technologies like (a) Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) and Electrolyser Cell (SOEC), (b) gas separation (O{sub 2}, H{sub 2}) by asymmetric supported membranes based on mixed ionic and electronic conductors (MIEC) or hydrogen-permeable metals, and (c) Catalytic Membrane Reactor (CMR) systems present a porous component in their physical structure. This latest, presenting a tortuous pathway for gas access and as a consequence, a high transport limitation, is known to be a limiting component for the operation at high flow streams that would enable to reach industrial target. (Author)

  14. Diffusive–Dispersive and Reactive Fronts in Porous Media

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Haberer, Christina M.; Muniruzzaman, Muhammad; Grathwohl, Peter

    2015-01-01

    , across the unsaturated–saturated interface, under both conservative and reactive transport conditions. As reactive system we considered the abiotic oxidation of Fe2+ in the presence of O2. We studied the reaction kinetics in batch experiments and its coupling with diffusive and dispersive transport...... processes by means of one-dimensional columns and two-dimensional flow-through experiments, respectively. A noninvasive optode technique was used to track O2 transport into the initially anoxic porous medium at highly resolved spatial and temporal scales. The results show significant differences...

  15. Proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation of CD105-positive enriched rat synovium-derived mesenchymal stem cells in three-dimensional porous scaffolds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qi Jun; Chen Anmin; You Hongbo; Li Kunpeng; Zhang Di; Guo Fengjing

    2011-01-01

    Stem cell-based tissue engineering has provided an alternative strategy to treat cartilage lesions, and synovium-derived mesenchymal stem cells (SMSCs) are considered as a promising cell source for cartilage repair. In this study, the SMSCs were isolated from rat synovium, and CD105-positive (CD105 + ) cells were enriched using magnetic activated cell sorting. Sorted cells were subsequently seeded onto the chitosan-alginate composite three-dimensional (3D) porous scaffolds and cultured in chondrogenic culture medium in the presence of TGF-β 3 and BMP-2 for 2 weeks in vitro. After 2 weeks in culture, scanning electron microscopy results showed that cells attached and proliferated well on scaffolds, and secreted extracellular matrix were also observed. From day 7 to day 14, the total DNA and glucosaminoglycan content of the cells cultured in scaffolds were found to have increased significantly, and cell cycle analyses revealed that the percentage of cells in the S and G2/M phases increased and the percentage of cells in the G0/G1 phase decreased. Compared with non-sorted cells, the sorted cells cultured in scaffolds underwent more chondrogenic differentiation, as evidenced by higher expression of type II collagen and Sox9 at the protein and mRNA levels. The results suggest that CD105 + enriched SMSCs may be a potential cell source for cartilage tissue engineering, and the chitosan-alginate composite 3D porous scaffold could provide a favorable microenvironment for supporting proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation of cells.

  16. Mechanical transport in two-dimensional networks of fractures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Endo, H.K.

    1984-04-01

    The objectives of this research are to evaluate directional mechanical transport parameters for anisotropic fracture systems, and to determine if fracture systems behave like equivalent porous media. The tracer experiments used to measure directional tortuosity, longitudinal geometric dispersivity, and hydraulic effective porosity are conducted with a uniform flow field and measurements are made from the fluid flowing within a test section where linear length of travel is constant. Since fluid flow and mechanical transport are coupled processes, the directional variations of specific discharge and hydraulic effective porosity are measured in regions with constant hydraulic gradients to evaluate porous medium equivalence for the two processes, respectively. If the fracture region behaves like an equivalent porous medium, the system has the following stable properties: (1) specific discharge is uniform in any direction and can be predicted from a permeability tensor; and (2) hydraulic effective porosity is directionally stable. Fracture systems with two parallel sets of continuous fractures satisfy criterion 1. However, in these systems hydraulic effective porosity is directionally dependent, and thus, criterion 2 is violated. Thus, for some fracture systems, fluid flow can be predicted using porous media assumptions, but it may not be possible to predict transport using porous media assumptions. Two discontinuous fracture systems were studied which satisfied both criteria. Hydraulic effective porosity for both systems has a value between rock effective porosity and total porosity. A length-density analysis (LDS) of Canadian fracture data shows that porous media equivalence for fluid flow and transport is likely when systems have narrow aperture distributions. 54 references, 90 figures, 7 tables

  17. Atomic Layer Deposition on Porous Materials: Problems with Conventional Approaches to Catalyst and Fuel Cell Electrode Preparation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tzia Ming Onn

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Atomic layer deposition (ALD offers exciting possibilities for controlling the structure and composition of surfaces on the atomic scale in heterogeneous catalysts and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC electrodes. However, while ALD procedures and equipment are well developed for applications involving flat surfaces, the conditions required for ALD in porous materials with a large surface area need to be very different. The materials (e.g., rare earths and other functional oxides that are of interest for catalytic applications will also be different. For flat surfaces, rapid cycling, enabled by high carrier-gas flow rates, is necessary in order to rapidly grow thicker films. By contrast, ALD films in porous materials rarely need to be more than 1 nm thick. The elimination of diffusion gradients, efficient use of precursors, and ligand removal with less reactive precursors are the major factors that need to be controlled. In this review, criteria will be outlined for the successful use of ALD in porous materials. Examples of opportunities for using ALD to modify heterogeneous catalysts and SOFC electrodes will be given.

  18. Elasticity-based patterning of red blood cells on undulated lipid membranes supported on porous topographic substrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Sang-Wook; Jeong, Cherlhyun; Lee, Sin-Doo

    2009-03-26

    We describe elasticity-based patterning of human red blood cells (RBCs) into a microarray form on supported lipid membranes (SLMs) prepared on a solid substrate having two types of topographic patterns, porous and flat regions. The underlying concept is to precisely control the interplay between adhesion and the bending rigidity of the RBCs that interact with the SLMs. Attachment of the RBCs on highly undulated SLMs formed on the porous region is not energetically favorable, since membrane bending of the RBCs costs a high curvature elastic energy which exceeds adhesion. The RBCs are thus selectively confined within relatively flat regions of the SLMs without causing considerable elastic distortions. It was found that the population of the RBCs in a single corral is linearly proportional to the area of one element in our microarray.

  19. Influence of pH on the Transport of Silver Nanoparticles in Saturated Porous Media: Laboratory Experiments and Modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-03-01

    the potential toxic effects of AgNPs (USEPA 2010). Recent in vitro and in vivo studies using various cell lines, algae , zooplankton, fish, rats and... TiO2 in Saturated Porous Media: Effects of pH, Surfactants and Flow Velocity.” Water Research, 45(2), 839-851. He, F., Zhang, M., Qian, T., and Zhao...of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), the largest and fastest growing category of nanomaterials, and their potential for toxic effects to both humans

  20. CMT for transport in porous media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schwartz, L. [Schlumberger-Doll Research, Ridgefield, CT (United States)

    1997-02-01

    This session is comprised of an outline of uses for x-ray microtomography in the field of petroleum geology. Calculations, diagrams, and color photomicrographs depict the many applications of synchrotron x-ray microtomograpy in determining transport properties and fluid flow characteristics of reservoir rocks, micro-porosity in carbonates, and aspects of multi-phase transport.

  1. Ultrafine-grained porous titanium and porous titanium/magnesium composites fabricated by space holder-enabled severe plastic deformation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qi, Yuanshen, E-mail: yuanshen.qi@monash.edu [Centre for Advanced Hybrid Materials, Department of Materials Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800 (Australia); Contreras, Karla G. [Monash Institute of Medical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800 (Australia); Jung, Hyun-Do [Liquid Processing & Casting Technology R& D Group, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Incheon 406-840 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hyoun-Ee [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of); Advanced Institutes of Convergence Technology, Seoul National University, Gwanggyo, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 443-270 (Korea, Republic of); Lapovok, Rimma [Centre for Advanced Hybrid Materials, Department of Materials Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800 (Australia); Estrin, Yuri, E-mail: yuri.estrin@monash.edu [Centre for Advanced Hybrid Materials, Department of Materials Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800 (Australia); Laboratory of Hybrid Nanostructured Materials, NUST MISiS, Moscow 119490 (Russian Federation)

    2016-02-01

    Compaction of powders by equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) using a novel space holder method was employed to fabricate metallic scaffolds with tuneable porosity. Porous Ti and Ti/Mg composites with 60% and 50% percolating porosity were fabricated using powder blends with two kinds of sacrificial space holders. The high compressive strength and good ductility of porous Ti and porous Ti/Mg obtained in this way are believed to be associated with the ultrafine grain structure of the pore walls. To understand this, a detailed electron microscopy investigation was employed to analyse the interface between Ti/Ti and Ti/Mg particles, the grain structures in Ti particles and the topography of pore surfaces. It was found that using the proposed compaction method, high quality bonding between particles was obtained. Comparing with other powder metallurgy methods to fabricate Ti with an open porous structure, where thermal energy supplied by a laser beam or high temperature sintering is essential, the ECAP process conducted at a relatively low temperature of 400 °C was shown to produce unique properties. - Highlights: • Porous Ti and porous Ti/Mg composite scaffolds were fabricated successfully. • Space holder-enabled severe plastic deformation was first used in this application. • Silicon particles as sacrificial space holders were used for the first time. • Ultrafine-grained microstructure and good bonding between particles were obtained. • Good preosteoblast cell response to as-manufactured porous Ti was achieved.

  2. Micro-positron emission tomography for measuring sub-core scale single and multiphase transport parameters in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zahasky, Christopher; Benson, Sally M.

    2018-05-01

    Accurate descriptions of heterogeneity in porous media are important for understanding and modeling single phase (e.g. contaminant transport, saltwater intrusion) and multiphase (e.g. geologic carbon storage, enhanced oil recovery) transport problems. Application of medical imaging to experimentally quantify these processes has led to significant progress in material characterization and understanding fluid transport behavior at laboratory scales. While widely utilized in cancer diagnosis and management, cardiology, and neurology, positron emission tomography (PET) has had relatively limited applications in earth science. This study utilizes a small-bore micro-PET scanner to image and quantify the transport behavior of pulses of a conservative aqueous radiotracer injected during single and multiphase flow experiments in two heterogeneous Berea sandstone cores. The cores are discretized into axial-parallel streamtubes, and using the reconstructed micro-PET data, expressions are derived from spatial moment analysis for calculating sub-core tracer flux and pore water velocity. Using the flux and velocity measurements, it is possible to calculate porosity and saturation from volumetric flux balance, and calculate permeability and water relative permeability from Darcy's law. Second spatial moment analysis enables measurement of sub-core solute dispersion during both single phase and multiphase experiments. A numerical simulation model is developed to verify the assumptions of the streamtube dimension reduction technique. A variation of the reactor ratio is presented as a diagnostic metric to efficiently determine the validity of the streamtube approximation in core and column-scale experiments. This study introduces a new method to quantify sub-core permeability, relative permeability, and dispersion. These experimental and analytical methods provide a foundation for future work on experimental measurements of differences in transport behavior across scales.

  3. Development and optimization of radiographic and tomographic methods for characterization of water transport processes in PEM fuel cell materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Markoetter, Henning

    2013-01-01

    Water transport in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) was non-destructively studied during operation with synchrotron X-ray radiography and tomography. The focus was set on the influence of the three-dimensional morphology of the cell materials on the water distribution and transport. Water management is still one of the mayor issues in PEMFC research. If the fuel cell is too dry, the proton conductivity (of the membrane) decreases leading to a performance loss and, in the worst case, to an irreversible damage of the membrane. On the other hand, the presence of water hinders the gas supply and causes a decrease in the cell performance. For this reason, effective water transport is a prerequisite for successful fuel cell operation. In this work the three-dimensional water transport through the gas diffusion layer (GDL) and its correlated with the 3D morphology of the cell materials has been revealed for the first time. It was shown that water is transported preferably through only a few larger pores which form transport paths of low resistance. This effect is pronounced because of the hydrophobic properties of the employed materials. In addition, water transport was found to be bidirectional, i. e. at appropriate locations a back and forth transport between GDL and flow field channels was observed. Furthermore, liquid water in the GDL was found to agglomerate preferably at the ribs of the flow field. This can be explained by condensation due to a temperature gradient in the cell and by the position, which is sheltered from the gas flow. Larger water accumulations in the gas supply channels were mainly attached to the channel wall opposing the GDL. The gas flow can bypass these agglomerations allowing a continuous gas supply. Moreover, it was shown that randomly distributed cracks in the micro porous layers (MPL) play an important role for the agglomeration of liquid water as they form preferred low resistance transport paths. In this work also

  4. Modelling of radon transport in porous media

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Graaf, E.R.; de Meijer, R.J.; Katase, A; Shimo, M

    1998-01-01

    This paper aims to describe the state of the art of modelling radon transport in soil on basis of multiphase radon transport equations. Emphasis is given to methods to obtain a consistent set of input parameters needed For such models. Model-measurement comparisons with the KVI radon transport

  5. Boiling process in oil coolers on porous elements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Genbach Alexander A.

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Holography and high-speed filming were used to reveal movements and deformations of the capillary and porous material, allowing to calculate thermo-hydraulic characteristics of boiling liquid in the porous structures. These porous structures work at the joint action of capillary and mass forces, which are generalised in the form of dependences used in the calculation for oil coolers in thermal power plants (TPP. Furthermore, the mechanism of the boiling process in porous structures in the field of mass forces is explained. The development process of water steam formation in the mesh porous structures working at joint action of gravitational and capillary forces is investigated. Certain regularities pertained to the internal characteristics of boiling in cells of porous structure are revealed, by means of a holographic interferometry and high-speed filming. Formulas for calculation of specific thermal streams through thermo-hydraulic characteristics of water steam formation in mesh structures are obtained, in relation to heat engineering of thermal power plants. This is the first calculation of heat flow through the thermal-hydraulic characteristics of the boiling process in a reticulated porous structure obtained by a photo film and holographic observations.

  6. Transient, compressible heat and mass transfer in porous media using the strongly implicit iteration procedure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curry, D. M.; Cox, J. E.

    1972-01-01

    Coupled nonlinear partial differential equations describing heat and mass transfer in a porous matrix are solved in finite difference form with the aid of a new iterative technique (the strongly implicit procedure). Example numerical results demonstrate the characteristics of heat and mass transport in a porous matrix such as a charring ablator. It is emphasized that multidimensional flow must be considered when predicting the thermal response of a porous material subjected to nonuniform boundary conditions.

  7. Inclusion of gold nanoparticles in meso-porous silicon for the SERS analysis of cell adhesion on nano-structured surfaces

    KAUST Repository

    Coluccio, M.L.; De Vitis, S.; Strumbo, G.; Candeloro, P.; Perozziello, G.; Di Fabrizio, Enzo M.; Gentile, F.

    2016-01-01

    MeP Si surfaces were realized by anodization of a Si wafer, creating the device for cell adhesion and growth. Gold nanoparticles were deposited on porous silicon by an electroless technique. We thus obtained devices with superior SERS capabilities, whereby cell activity may be controlled using Raman spectroscopy. MCF-7 breast cancer cells were cultured on the described substrates and SERS maps revealing the different expression and distribution of adhesion molecules were obtained by Raman spectroscopic analyses.

  8. Porous titania surfaces on titanium with hierarchical macro- and mesoporosities for enhancing cell adhesion, proliferation and mineralization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, Guang; Müller, Werner E.G.; Wang, Xiaohong; Lilja, Louise; Shen, Zhijian

    2015-01-01

    Titanium received a macroporous titania surface layer by anodization, which contains open pores with average pore diameter around 5 μm. An additional mesoporous titania top layer following the contour of the macropores, of 100–200 nm thickness and with a pore diameter of 10 nm, was formed by using the evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) method with titanium (IV) tetraethoxide as the precursor. A coherent laminar titania surface layer was thus obtained, creating a hierarchical macro- and mesoporous surface that was characterized by high-resolution electron microscopy. The interfacial bonding between the surface layers and the titanium matrix was characterized by the scratch test that confirmed a stable and strong bonding of titania surface layers on titanium. The wettability to water and the effects on the osteosarcoma cell line (SaOS-2) proliferation and mineralization of the formed titania surface layers were studied systematically by cell culture and scanning electron microscopy. The results proved that the porous titania surface with hierarchical macro- and mesoporosities was hydrophilic that significantly promoted cell attachment and spreading. A synergistic role of the hierarchical macro- and mesoporosities was revealed in terms of enhancing cell adhesion, proliferation and mineralization, compared with the titania surface with solo scale topography. - Highlights: • We developed a hierarchical macro- and mesoporous surface layer on titanium. • New surface layer was strong enough to sustain on implant surface. • New surface owned better surface wettability. • New surface can promote SaOS-2 cell adhesion, proliferation and mineralization. • Synergistic effects on cell responses occur when two porous structures coexist

  9. Porous titania surfaces on titanium with hierarchical macro- and mesoporosities for enhancing cell adhesion, proliferation and mineralization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Han, Guang [Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm (Sweden); Müller, Werner E.G.; Wang, Xiaohong [ERC Advanced Grant Research Group at the Institute for Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, D-55128 Mainz (Germany); Lilja, Louise [Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm (Sweden); Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping (Sweden); Shen, Zhijian, E-mail: shen@mmk.su.se [Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm (Sweden)

    2015-02-01

    Titanium received a macroporous titania surface layer by anodization, which contains open pores with average pore diameter around 5 μm. An additional mesoporous titania top layer following the contour of the macropores, of 100–200 nm thickness and with a pore diameter of 10 nm, was formed by using the evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) method with titanium (IV) tetraethoxide as the precursor. A coherent laminar titania surface layer was thus obtained, creating a hierarchical macro- and mesoporous surface that was characterized by high-resolution electron microscopy. The interfacial bonding between the surface layers and the titanium matrix was characterized by the scratch test that confirmed a stable and strong bonding of titania surface layers on titanium. The wettability to water and the effects on the osteosarcoma cell line (SaOS-2) proliferation and mineralization of the formed titania surface layers were studied systematically by cell culture and scanning electron microscopy. The results proved that the porous titania surface with hierarchical macro- and mesoporosities was hydrophilic that significantly promoted cell attachment and spreading. A synergistic role of the hierarchical macro- and mesoporosities was revealed in terms of enhancing cell adhesion, proliferation and mineralization, compared with the titania surface with solo scale topography. - Highlights: • We developed a hierarchical macro- and mesoporous surface layer on titanium. • New surface layer was strong enough to sustain on implant surface. • New surface owned better surface wettability. • New surface can promote SaOS-2 cell adhesion, proliferation and mineralization. • Synergistic effects on cell responses occur when two porous structures coexist.

  10. Laboratory injection molder for the fabrication of polymeric porous poly-epsilon-caprolactone scaffolds for preliminary mesenchymal stem cells tissue engineering applications

    KAUST Repository

    Limongi, Tania

    2016-12-16

    This study presents a simple and rapid fabrication technique involving injection molding and particle leaching (IM/PL) to fabricate the porous scaffold for tissue engineering applications. Sodium chloride (NaCl) and Sucrose are separately mixed with the poly-epsilon-caprolactone (PCL) granules using a screwed thermo regulated extruder, than the biocompatible scaffolds are fabricated through injection molding. The micro/nano structure of the samples and their different grade of porosity were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and mercury intrusion porosimetry. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells are chose to cell culture and Hoechst 33342 staining was used to verify the biocompatibility of the polymeric porous surfaces. We concluded that, by using the same fast solvent free injection/leaching process, the use of Sucrose as porogen, instead of NaCl, allowed the obtainment of biocompatible scaffolds with a higher grade of porosity with suitable cell adhesion capacity for tissue engineering purpose.

  11. Fabrication of p-type porous GaN on silicon and epitaxial GaN

    OpenAIRE

    Bilousov, Oleksandr V.; Geaney, Hugh; Carvajal, Joan J.; Zubialevich, Vitaly Z.; Parbrook, Peter J.; Giguere, A.; Drouin, D.; Diaz, Francesc; Aguilo, Magdalena; O'Dwyer, Colm

    2013-01-01

    Porous GaN layers are grown on silicon from gold or platinum catalyst seed layers, and self-catalyzed on epitaxial GaN films on sapphire. Using a Mg-based precursor, we demonstrate p-type doping of the porous GaN. Electrical measurements for p-type GaN on Si show Ohmic and Schottky behavior from gold and platinum seeded GaN, respectively. Ohmicity is attributed to the formation of a Ga2Au intermetallic. Porous p-type GaN was also achieved on epitaxial n-GaN on sapphire, and transport measurem...

  12. A review of cell-scale multiphase flow modeling, including water management, in polymer electrolyte fuel cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andersson, M.; Beale, S.B.; Espinoza, M.; Wu, Z.; Lehnert, W.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • The transport expressions inside PEFC GDLs are developed to describe significantly different systems. • Insight into the fundamental processes of liquid water evolution and transport in the GDL and GC is still lacking. • One important feature is the possibility to track the front between the liquid and the gas phases. • The two phase micro channels pressure drop correlations may not be applicable for GCs since one wall being porous. - Abstract: The PEFC has emerged as the most viable fuel cell type for automotive and some portable applications, and also has potential back-up power unit applications due to its low operating temperature, comparative simplicity of construction, high power density, and ease of operation. In spite of tremendous scientific advances, as well as engineering progress over the last few decades, the commercialization of PEFCs remains unrealized, owing primarily to economic viability associated with the high prices of materials and components and technical problems relating primarily to water management. The difficulty in addressing the water management issues lies mostly in the two-phase multi-component flow involving phase-change in porous media, coupled heat and mass transfer, interactions between the porous layers and gas channel (GC) and the complex relationship between water content and cell performance. Due to the low temperature of operation, water generated by the electrochemical reactions often condenses into liquid form, potentially flooding the gas diffusion layer (GDL), GC or other components. Insight into the fundamental processes of liquid water evolution and transport is still lacking, preventing further enhanced PEFC development. The aim of this paper is to give a comprehensive introduction to PEFC modeling inside GCs and GDLs, with a focus on two-phase flow and related phase-change and transport processes. Relevant momentum, mass and heat transport processes are introduced and the microstructural effects

  13. Simulation of uncompressible fluid flow through a porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramirez, A.; Gonzalez, J.L.; Carrillo, F.; Lopez, S.

    2009-01-01

    Recently, a great interest has been focused for investigations about transport phenomena in disordered systems. One of the most treated topics is fluid flow through anisotropic materials due to the importance in many industrial processes like fluid flow in filters, membranes, walls, oil reservoirs, etc. In this work is described the formulation of a 2D mathematical model to simulate the fluid flow behavior through a porous media (PM) based on the solution of the continuity equation as a function of the Darcy's law for a percolation system; which was reproduced using computational techniques reproduced using a random distribution of the porous media properties (porosity, permeability and saturation). The model displays the filling of a partially saturated porous media with a new injected fluid showing the non-defined advance front and dispersion of fluids phenomena.

  14. Kinetics of Reactive Fronts in Porous Media: quantification through a laboratory experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Anna, P.; Jimenez-Martinez, J.; Turuban, R.; Tabuteau, H.; Derrien, M.; Le Borgne, T.; Meheust, Y.

    2013-12-01

    The kinetics of reaction fronts in heterogeneous flows is tightly linked to the mixing dynamics governed by the combined action of stretching, diffusion and dispersion. Focusing on porous media flows, with a new experimental setup we show that the invading solute is organized into stretched lamellae, whose deformation and coalescence control the effective reaction kinetics of the mixing limited bimolecular reaction A + B --> C. While the classic advection-dispersion theory predicts a scaling of the cumulative product mass of C as t^(0.5), we observe two distinct kinetics regimes, one characterized by the stretching and the other by the coalescence of the invading lamellae, in which the mass of C scales faster than t^(0.5). The proposed experimental set up allows for direct quantification of mixing and reactive transport in porous media with a high spatial resolution, at the pore scale. The analogous two dimensional porous medium consists in a Hele-Shaw cell containing a single layer of cylindrical solid grains built by soft lithography. On the one hand, the measurement of the local, intra-pore, conservative concentration field is done using a fluorescent tracer. On the other hand, considering a fast bimolecular advection-dispersion reaction A + B --> C occurring as A displaces B, we quantify the reaction kinetics from the spatially-resolved measurement of the pore scale reaction rate, using a chemiluminescent reaction.

  15. Nanoparticle Facilitated Extracellular Electron Transfer in Microbial Fuel Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-10-13

    harvestingelectrical power directly from waste and renewable biomass and thus represent a promising technology for sustainable energy production.1−5 Central...cell membrane (Figure 3e), serving as a porous semiconducting “ shell ” to facilitate the charge transport at bacteria/electrode or bacteria/bacteria

  16. One-dimensional spatially dependent solute transport in semi ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Initially porous domain is considered solute free and the input source condition is ... parameters for description of solute transport in porous media. ... flow assuming uniform initial concentration with first and third type boundary conditions. Aral.

  17. Hard tissue formation in a porous HA/TCP ceramic scaffold loaded with stromal cells derived from dental pulp and bone marrow.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zhang, W.; Walboomers, X.F.; Osch, G.J.V.M. van; Dolder, J. van den; Jansen, J.A.

    2008-01-01

    The aim of this study was to compare the ability of hard tissue regeneration of four types of stem cells or precursors under both in vitro and in vivo situations. Primary cultures of rat bone marrow, rat dental pulp, human bone marrow, and human dental pulp cells were seeded onto a porous ceramic

  18. The colloid hematite particle migration through the unsaturated porous bed at the presence of biosurfactants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pawlowska, Agnieszka; Sznajder, Izabela; Sadowski, Zygmunt

    2017-07-01

    Colloidal particles have an ability to sorb heavy metals, metalloids, and organic compounds (e.g. biosurfactants) present in soil and groundwater. The pH and ionic strength changes may promote release of such particles causing potential contaminant transport. Therefore, it is very important to know how a colloid particle-mineral particle and colloid-mineral-biosurfactant system behaves in the natural environment. They can have negative impact on the environment and human health. This study highlighted the influence of biosurfactants produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa on the transport of colloidal hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3 ) through porous bed (materials collected from the Szklary and Zloty Stok solid waste heaps from Lower Silesia, Poland). Experiments were conducted using column set in two variants: colloid solution with porous bed and porous bed with adsorbed biosurfactants, in the ionic strengths of 5 × 10 -4 and 5 × 10 -3  M KCl. The zeta potential of mineral materials and colloidal hematite, before and after adsorption of biosurfactant, was determined. Obtained results showed that reduction in ionic strength facilitates colloidal hematite transport through the porous bed. The mobility of colloidal hematite was higher when the rhamnolipid adsorbed on the surface of mineral grain.

  19. Proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation of CD105-positive enriched rat synovium-derived mesenchymal stem cells in three-dimensional porous scaffolds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qi Jun; Chen Anmin; You Hongbo; Li Kunpeng; Zhang Di; Guo Fengjing, E-mail: fjguo@tjh.tjmu.edu.cn [Department of Orthopedics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030 (China)

    2011-02-15

    Stem cell-based tissue engineering has provided an alternative strategy to treat cartilage lesions, and synovium-derived mesenchymal stem cells (SMSCs) are considered as a promising cell source for cartilage repair. In this study, the SMSCs were isolated from rat synovium, and CD105-positive (CD105{sup +}) cells were enriched using magnetic activated cell sorting. Sorted cells were subsequently seeded onto the chitosan-alginate composite three-dimensional (3D) porous scaffolds and cultured in chondrogenic culture medium in the presence of TGF-{beta}{sub 3} and BMP-2 for 2 weeks in vitro. After 2 weeks in culture, scanning electron microscopy results showed that cells attached and proliferated well on scaffolds, and secreted extracellular matrix were also observed. From day 7 to day 14, the total DNA and glucosaminoglycan content of the cells cultured in scaffolds were found to have increased significantly, and cell cycle analyses revealed that the percentage of cells in the S and G2/M phases increased and the percentage of cells in the G0/G1 phase decreased. Compared with non-sorted cells, the sorted cells cultured in scaffolds underwent more chondrogenic differentiation, as evidenced by higher expression of type II collagen and Sox9 at the protein and mRNA levels. The results suggest that CD105{sup +} enriched SMSCs may be a potential cell source for cartilage tissue engineering, and the chitosan-alginate composite 3D porous scaffold could provide a favorable microenvironment for supporting proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation of cells.

  20. Coupled processes in single fractures, double fractures and fractured porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsang, C.F.

    1986-12-01

    The emplacement of a nuclear waste repository in a fractured porous medium provides a heat source of large dimensions over an extended period of time. It also creates a large cavity in the rock mass, changing significantly the stress field. Such major changes induce various coupled thermohydraulic, hydromechanic and hydrochemical transport processes in the environment around a nuclear waste repository. The present paper gives, first, a general overview of the coupled processes involving thermal, mechanical, hydrological and chemical effects. Then investigations of a number of specific coupled processes are described in the context of fluid flow and transport in a single fracture, two intersecting fractures and a fractured porous medium near a nuclear waste repository. The results are presented and discussed

  1. Modelling transport-limited discharge capacity of lithium-sulfur cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Teng; Marinescu, Monica; Walus, Sylwia; Offer, Gregory J.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • We modelled the rate capability of a Li-S cell based on mass-transport limitation • The model predicts a discharged Li-S cell to regain capacity upon short relaxation • Modelled rate capability and capacity recovery effect validated with measurements - Abstract: Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery could bring a step-change in battery technology with a potential specific energy density of 500 - 600 Wh/kg. A key challenge for further improving the specific energy-density of Li-S cells is to understand the mechanisms behind reduced sulfur utilisation at low electrolyte loadings and high discharge currents. While several Li-S models have been developed to explore the discharge mechanisms of Li-S cells, they so far fail to capture the discharge profiles at high currents. In this study, we propose that the slow ionic transport in concentrated electrolyte is limiting the rate capability of Li-S cells. This transport-limitation mechanism is demonstrated through a one-dimensional Li-S model which qualitatively captures the discharge capacities of a sulfolane-based Li-S cell at different currents. Furthermore, our model predicts that a discharged Li-S cell is able regain some capacity with a short period of relaxation. This capacity recovery phenomenon is validated experimentally for different discharge currents and relaxation durations. The transport-limited discharge behavior of Li-S cells highlights the importance of optimizing the electrolyte loading and electrolyte transport property in Li-S cells.

  2. Live Cell Imaging of Alphaherpes Virus Anterograde Transport and Spread

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Matthew P.; Kratchmarov, Radomir; Enquist, Lynn W.

    2013-01-01

    Advances in live cell fluorescence microscopy techniques, as well as the construction of recombinant viral strains that express fluorescent fusion proteins have enabled real-time visualization of transport and spread of alphaherpes virus infection of neurons. The utility of novel fluorescent fusion proteins to viral membrane, tegument, and capsids, in conjunction with live cell imaging, identified viral particle assemblies undergoing transport within axons. Similar tools have been successfully employed for analyses of cell-cell spread of viral particles to quantify the number and diversity of virions transmitted between cells. Importantly, the techniques of live cell imaging of anterograde transport and spread produce a wealth of information including particle transport velocities, distributions of particles, and temporal analyses of protein localization. Alongside classical viral genetic techniques, these methodologies have provided critical insights into important mechanistic questions. In this article we describe in detail the imaging methods that were developed to answer basic questions of alphaherpes virus transport and spread. PMID:23978901

  3. Nanomembrane-Based, Thermal-Transport Biosensor for Living Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Elafandy, Rami T.; AbuElela, Ayman; Mishra, Pawan; Janjua, Bilal; Oubei, Hassan M.; Buttner, Ulrich; Majid, Mohammed Abdul; Ng, Tien Khee; Merzaban, Jasmeen; Ooi, Boon S.

    2016-01-01

    Knowledge of materials' thermal-transport properties, conductivity and diffusivity, is crucial for several applications within areas of biology, material science and engineering. Specifically, a microsized, flexible, biologically integrated thermal transport sensor is beneficial to a plethora of applications, ranging across plants physiological ecology and thermal imaging and treatment of cancerous cells, to thermal dissipation in flexible semiconductors and thermoelectrics. Living cells pose extra challenges, due to their small volumes and irregular curvilinear shapes. Here a novel approach of simultaneously measuring thermal conductivity and diffusivity of different materials and its applicability to single cells is demonstrated. This technique is based on increasing phonon-boundary-scattering rate in nanomembranes, having extremely low flexural rigidities, to induce a considerable spectral dependence of the bandgap-emission over excitation-laser intensity. It is demonstrated that once in contact with organic or inorganic materials, the nanomembranes' emission spectrally shift based on the material's thermal diffusivity and conductivity. This NM-based technique is further applied to differentiate between different types and subtypes of cancer cells, based on their thermal-transport properties. It is anticipated that this novel technique to enable an efficient single-cell thermal targeting, allow better modeling of cellular thermal distribution and enable novel diagnostic techniques based on variations of single-cell thermal-transport properties.

  4. Nanomembrane-Based, Thermal-Transport Biosensor for Living Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Elafandy, Rami T.

    2016-11-23

    Knowledge of materials\\' thermal-transport properties, conductivity and diffusivity, is crucial for several applications within areas of biology, material science and engineering. Specifically, a microsized, flexible, biologically integrated thermal transport sensor is beneficial to a plethora of applications, ranging across plants physiological ecology and thermal imaging and treatment of cancerous cells, to thermal dissipation in flexible semiconductors and thermoelectrics. Living cells pose extra challenges, due to their small volumes and irregular curvilinear shapes. Here a novel approach of simultaneously measuring thermal conductivity and diffusivity of different materials and its applicability to single cells is demonstrated. This technique is based on increasing phonon-boundary-scattering rate in nanomembranes, having extremely low flexural rigidities, to induce a considerable spectral dependence of the bandgap-emission over excitation-laser intensity. It is demonstrated that once in contact with organic or inorganic materials, the nanomembranes\\' emission spectrally shift based on the material\\'s thermal diffusivity and conductivity. This NM-based technique is further applied to differentiate between different types and subtypes of cancer cells, based on their thermal-transport properties. It is anticipated that this novel technique to enable an efficient single-cell thermal targeting, allow better modeling of cellular thermal distribution and enable novel diagnostic techniques based on variations of single-cell thermal-transport properties.

  5. Effect of low-level laser irradiation on osteoblast-like cells cultured on porous hydroxyapatite scaffolds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Serena Incerti Parenti

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of laser irradiation at a low dose on human osteoblastlike cells. Materials and methods: 32 porous hydroxyapatite scaffolds currently used for bone tissue engineering were seeded with MG63 cells and irradiated or not with a GaAlAs diode laser (wavelength 915 nm, dose 2 J/cm² using different power density and exposure duration. RESULTS: After 72-h incubation, cells showed well spread morphology and good adhesion on both laser-treated and untreated scaffolds. Laser irradiation did not interfere in cell viability and proliferation as compared with the non-irradiated controls. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that there is no effect of 915 nm laser irradiation at a dose of 2 J/cm² on the proliferation rate of MG63 cells. Future investigations are needed to compare different dose and wavelength regimens in order to determine the optimal set of laser parameters for maximum cell yield and safe clinical application.

  6. Intact plant MRI for the study of cell water relations, membrane permeability, cell-to-cell and long distance water transport

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    As, van H.

    2007-01-01

    Water content and hydraulic conductivity, including transport within cells, over membranes, cell-to-cell, and long-distance xylem and phloem transport, are strongly affected by plant water stress. By being able to measure these transport processes non-invasely in the intact plant situation in

  7. The expression and regulation of glucose transporters in tumor cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pengfei Zhao

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Glucose transporter proteins are involved in many physiological and biochemical processes. In particular, the high expressions of sodium-glucose cotransporter and glucose transporter proteins in tumor cells show that these two transporters play a key role in tumor cell metabolism. Studying the crystal structure and conformation of human glucose transporter proteins has enabled the development of drugs based on specific binding sites, opening up a new path towards more effective cancer treatments. This mini review serves to summarize our existing understanding of the metabolic pathways of tumor cells, focusing on the roles of glucose transporter proteins.

  8. Acoustic Wave Monitoring of Biofilm Development in Porous Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biofilm development in porous media can result in significant changes to the hydrogeological properties of subsurface systems with implications for fluid flow and contaminant transport. As such, a number of numerical models and simulations have been developed in an attempt to qua...

  9. Molecular mechanism of α-tocopheryl-phosphate transport across the cell membrane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Negis, Yesim; Meydani, Mohsen; Zingg, Jean-Marc; Azzi, Angelo

    2007-01-01

    α-Tocopheryl-phosphate (α-TP) is synthesized and hydrolyzed in animal cells and tissues where it modulates several functions. α-TP is more potent than α-T in inhibiting cell proliferation, down-regulating CD36 transcription, inhibiting atherosclerotic plaque formation. Administration of α-TP to cells or animals requires its transfer through membranes, via a transporter. We show here that α-TP is passing the plasma membrane via a system that is inhibited by glibenclamide and probenecid, inhibitors of a number of transporters. Glibenclamide and probenecid prevent dose-dependently α-TP inhibition of cell proliferation. The two inhibitors act on ATP binding cassette (ABC) and organic anion transporters (OAT). Since ABC transporters function to export solutes and α-TP is transported into cells, it may be concluded that α-TP transport may occur via an OAT family member. Due to the protection by glibenclamide and probenecid on the α-TP induced cell growth inhibition it appears that α-TP acts after its uptake inside cells

  10. Geometric and Hydrodynamic Characteristics of Three-dimensional Saturated Prefractal Porous Media Determined with Lattice Boltzmann Modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fractal and prefractal geometric models have substantial potential of contributing to the analysis of flow and transport in porous media such as soils and reservoir rocks. In this study, geometric and hydrodynamic parameters of saturated 3D mass and pore-solid prefractal porous media were characteri...

  11. In situ bioremediation: A network model of diffusion and flow in granular porous media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Griffiths, S.K.; Nilson, R.H.; Bradshaw, R.W.

    1997-04-01

    In situ bioremediation is a potentially expedient, permanent and cost- effective means of waste site decontamination. However, permeability reductions due to the transport and deposition of native fines or due to excessive microorganism populations may severely inhibit the injection of supplemental oxygen in the contamination zone. To help understand this phenomenon, we have developed a micro-mechanical network model of flow, diffusion and particle transport in granular porous materials. The model differs from most similar models in that the network is defined by particle positions in a numerically-generated particle array. The model is thus widely applicable to computing effective transport properties for both ordered and realistic random porous media. A laboratory-scale apparatus to measure permeability reductions has also been designed, built and tested.

  12. Mechanical grooving of oxidized porous silicon to reduce the reflectivity of monocrystalline silicon solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zarroug, A.; Dimassi, W.; Ouertani, R.; Ezzaouia, H. [Laboratoire de Photovoltaique, Centre des Recherches et des Technologies de l' Energie, BP. 95, Hammam-Lif 2050 (Tunisia)

    2012-10-15

    In this work, we are interested to use oxidized porous silicon (ox-PS) as a mask. So, we display the creating of a rough surface which enhances the absorption of incident light by solar cells and reduces the reflectivity of monocrystalline silicon (c-Si). It clearly can be seen that the mechanical grooving enables us to elaborate the texturing of monocrystalline silicon wafer. Results demonstrated that the application of a PS layer followed by a thermal treatment under O2 ambient easily gives us an oxide layer of uniform size which can vary from a nanometer to about ten microns. In addition, the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy investigations of the PS layer illustrates the possibility to realize oxide layer as a mask for porous silicon. We found also that this simple and low cost method decreases the total reflectivity (copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  13. Computing and Comparing Effective Properties for Flow and Transport in Computer-Generated Porous Media

    KAUST Repository

    Allen, Rebecca; Sun, Shuyu

    2017-01-01

    We compute effective properties (i.e., permeability, hydraulic tortuosity, and diffusive tortuosity) of three different digital porous media samples, including in-line array of uniform shapes, staggered-array of squares, and randomly distributed squares. The permeability and hydraulic tortuosity are computed by solving a set of rescaled Stokes equations obtained by homogenization, and the diffusive tortuosity is computed by solving a homogenization problem given for the effective diffusion coefficient that is inversely related to diffusive tortuosity. We find that hydraulic and diffusive tortuosity can be quantitatively different by up to a factor of ten in the same pore geometry, which indicates that these tortuosity terms cannot be used interchangeably. We also find that when a pore geometry is characterized by an anisotropic permeability, the diffusive tortuosity (and correspondingly the effective diffusion coefficient) can also be anisotropic. This finding has important implications for reservoir-scale modeling of flow and transport, as it is more realistic to account for the anisotropy of both the permeability and the effective diffusion coefficient.

  14. Computing and Comparing Effective Properties for Flow and Transport in Computer-Generated Porous Media

    KAUST Repository

    Allen, Rebecca

    2017-02-13

    We compute effective properties (i.e., permeability, hydraulic tortuosity, and diffusive tortuosity) of three different digital porous media samples, including in-line array of uniform shapes, staggered-array of squares, and randomly distributed squares. The permeability and hydraulic tortuosity are computed by solving a set of rescaled Stokes equations obtained by homogenization, and the diffusive tortuosity is computed by solving a homogenization problem given for the effective diffusion coefficient that is inversely related to diffusive tortuosity. We find that hydraulic and diffusive tortuosity can be quantitatively different by up to a factor of ten in the same pore geometry, which indicates that these tortuosity terms cannot be used interchangeably. We also find that when a pore geometry is characterized by an anisotropic permeability, the diffusive tortuosity (and correspondingly the effective diffusion coefficient) can also be anisotropic. This finding has important implications for reservoir-scale modeling of flow and transport, as it is more realistic to account for the anisotropy of both the permeability and the effective diffusion coefficient.

  15. A KDE-Based Random Walk Method for Modeling Reactive Transport With Complex Kinetics in Porous Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sole-Mari, Guillem; Fernà ndez-Garcia, Daniel; Rodríguez-Escales, Paula; Sanchez-Vila, Xavier

    2017-11-01

    In recent years, a large body of the literature has been devoted to study reactive transport of solutes in porous media based on pure Lagrangian formulations. Such approaches have also been extended to accommodate second-order bimolecular reactions, in which the reaction rate is proportional to the concentrations of the reactants. Rather, in some cases, chemical reactions involving two reactants follow more complicated rate laws. Some examples are (1) reaction rate laws written in terms of powers of concentrations, (2) redox reactions incorporating a limiting term (e.g., Michaelis-Menten), or (3) any reaction where the activity coefficients vary with the concentration of the reactants, just to name a few. We provide a methodology to account for complex kinetic bimolecular reactions in a fully Lagrangian framework where each particle represents a fraction of the total mass of a specific solute. The method, built as an extension to the second-order case, is based on the concept of optimal Kernel Density Estimator, which allows the concentrations to be written in terms of particle locations, hence transferring the concept of reaction rate to that of particle location distribution. By doing so, we can update the probability of particles reacting without the need to fully reconstruct the concentration maps. The performance and convergence of the method is tested for several illustrative examples that simulate the Advection-Dispersion-Reaction Equation in a 1-D homogeneous column. Finally, a 2-D application example is presented evaluating the need of fully describing non-bilinear chemical kinetics in a randomly heterogeneous porous medium.

  16. Glucose transporters are expressed in taste receptor cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merigo, Flavia; Benati, Donatella; Cristofoletti, Mirko; Osculati, Francesco; Sbarbati, Andrea

    2011-08-01

    In the intestine, changes of sugar concentration generated in the lumen during digestion induce adaptive responses of glucose transporters in the epithelium. A close matching between the intestinal expression of glucose transporters and the composition and amount of the diet has been provided by several experiments. Functional evidence has demonstrated that the regulation of glucose transporters into enterocytes is induced by the sensing of sugar of the enteroendocrine cells through activation of sweet taste receptors (T1R2 and T1R3) and their associated elements of G-protein-linked signaling pathways (e.g. α-gustducin, phospholipase C β type 2 and transient receptor potential channel M5), which are signaling molecules also involved in the perception of sweet substances in the taste receptor cells (TRCs) of the tongue. Considering this phenotypical similarity between the intestinal cells and TRCs, we evaluated whether the TRCs themselves possess proteins of the glucose transport mechanism. Therefore, we investigated the expression of the typical intestinal glucose transporters (i.e. GLUT2, GLUT5 and SGLT1) in rat circumvallate papillae, using immunohistochemistry, double-labeling immunofluorescence, immunoelectron microscopy and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis. The results showed that GLUT2, GLUT5 and SGLT1 are expressed in TRCs; their immunoreactivity was also observed in cells that displayed staining for α-gustducin and T1R3 receptor. The immunoelectron microscopic results confirmed that GLUT2, GLUT5 and SGLT1 were predominantly expressed in cells with ultrastructural characteristics of chemoreceptor cells. The presence of glucose transporters in TRCs adds a further link between chemosensory information and cellular responses to sweet stimuli that may have important roles in glucose homeostasis, contributing to a better understanding of the pathways implicated in glucose metabolism. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Anatomy © 2011

  17. PORFLO - a continuum model for fluid flow, heat transfer, and mass transport in porous media. Model theory, numerical methods, and computational tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Runchal, A.K.; Sagar, B.; Baca, R.G.; Kline, N.W.

    1985-09-01

    Postclosure performance assessment of the proposed high-level nuclear waste repository in flood basalts at Hanford requires that the processes of fluid flow, heat transfer, and mass transport be numerically modeled at appropriate space and time scales. A suite of computer models has been developed to meet this objective. The theory of one of these models, named PORFLO, is described in this report. Also presented are a discussion of the numerical techniques in the PORFLO computer code and a few computational test cases. Three two-dimensional equations, one each for fluid flow, heat transfer, and mass transport, are numerically solved in PORFLO. The governing equations are derived from the principle of conservation of mass, momentum, and energy in a stationary control volume that is assumed to contain a heterogeneous, anisotropic porous medium. Broad discrete features can be accommodated by specifying zones with distinct properties, or these can be included by defining an equivalent porous medium. The governing equations are parabolic differential equations that are coupled through time-varying parameters. Computational tests of the model are done by comparisons of simulation results with analytic solutions, with results from other independently developed numerical models, and with available laboratory and/or field data. In this report, in addition to the theory of the model, results from three test cases are discussed. A users' manual for the computer code resulting from this model has been prepared and is available as a separate document. 37 refs., 20 figs., 15 tabs

  18. Cellulose/poly-(m-phenylene isophthalamide) porous film as a tissue-engineered skin bioconstruct

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jae Woong; Han, Sung Soo; Zo, Sum Mi; Choi, Soon Mo

    2018-06-01

    Regarding the porous structure, coagulated cellulose may not provide sufficient voids for cell proliferation, resulting in tissue growth. For this reason, it was blended with poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide) (PMIA), which could produce a porous structure in the resulting construct. The aim of this study was to confirm the potential of a novel cellulose/PMIA porous film as a tissue-engineered bioconstruct for impaired skin. The films were fabricated by a coagulation process added with a peel-off method, and the structural, mechanical properties were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and capillary flow porometry. CRL-2310 human keratinocytes were used to determine the biocompatibility of the prepared films. The attachment and proliferation of cells were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, DAPI staining, and a cell viability assay. The results show that cellulose/PMIA porous films have potential use as wound matrices for skin tissue genesis.

  19. Activation of ion transport systems during cell volume regulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eveloff, J.L.; Warnock, D.G.

    1987-01-01

    This review discusses the activation of transport pathways during volume regulation, including their characteristics, the possible biochemical pathways that may mediate the activation of transport pathways, and the relations between volume regulation and transepithelial transport in renal cells. Many cells regulate their volume when exposed to an anisotonic medium. The changes in cell volume are caused by activation of ion transport pathways, plus the accompanying osmotically driven water movement such that cell volume returns toward normal levels. The swelling of hypertonically shrunken cells is termed regulatory volume increase (RVI) and involves an influx of NaCl into the cell via either activation of Na-Cl, Na-K-2Cl cotransport systems, or Na + -H + and Cl - -HCO 3 - exchangers. The reshrinking of hypotonically swollen cells is termed regulatory volume decrease (RVD) and involves an efflux of KCl and water from the cell by activation of either separate K + and Cl - conductances, a K-Cl cotransport system, or parallel K + -H + and Cl - -HCO 3 - exchangers. The biochemical mechanisms involved in the activation of transport systems are largely unknown, however, the phosphoinositide pathway may be implicated in RVI; phorbol esters, cGMP, and Ca 2+ affect the process of volume regulation. Renal tubular cells, as well as the blood cells that transverse the medulla, are subjected to increasing osmotic gradients from the corticomedullary junction to the papillary tip, as well as changing interstitial and tubule fluid osmolarity, depending on the diuretic state of the animal. Medullary cells from the loop of Henle and the papilla can volume regulate by activating Na-K-2Cl cotransport or Na + -H + and Cl - -HCO 3 - exchange systems

  20. Cross-Sectional Transport Imaging in a Multijunction Solar Cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haegel, Nancy M.; Ke, Chi-Wen; Taha, Hesham; Guthrey, Harvey; Fetzer, C. M.; King, Richard

    2015-06-14

    Combining highly localized electron-beam excitation at a point with the spatial resolution capability of optical near-field imaging, we have imaged carrier transport in a cross-sectioned multijunction (GaInP/GaInAs/Ge) solar cell. We image energy transport associated with carrier diffusion throughout the full width of the middle (GaInAs) cell and luminescent coupling from point excitation in the top cell GaInP to the middle cell. Supporting cathodoluminescence and near-field photoluminescence measurements demonstrate excitation-dependent Fermi level splitting effects that influence cross-sectioned spectroscopy results as well as transport limitations on the spatial resolution of cross-sectional measurements.