Dynamic characterization of partially saturated engineered porous media and gas diffusion layers using hydraulic admittance

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Perry; Fairweather, Joseph D.; Schwartz, Daniel T.

2012-09-01

Simple laboratory methods for determining liquid water distribution in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell gas diffusion layers (GDLs) are needed to engineer better GDL materials. Capillary pressure vs. liquid saturation measurements are attractive, but lack the ability to probe the hydraulic interconnectivity and distribution within the pore structure. Hydraulic admittance measurements of simple capillary bundles have recently been shown to nicely measure characteristics of the free-interfaces and hydraulic path. Here we examine the use of hydraulic admittance with a succession of increasingly complex porous media, starting with a laser-drilled sample with 154 asymmetric pores and progress to the behavior of Toray TGP-H090 carbon papers. The asymmetric laser-drilled sample clearly shows hydraulic admittance measurements are sensitive to sample orientation, especially when examined as a function of saturation state. Finite element modeling of the hydraulic admittance is consistent with experimental measurements. The hydraulic admittance spectra from GDL samples are complex, so we examine trends in the spectra as a function of wet proofing (0% and 40% Teflon loadings) as well as saturation state of the GDL. The presence of clear peaks in the admittance spectra for both GDL samples suggests a few pore types are largely responsible for transporting liquid water.

Mathematical Modeling of Partial-Porous Circular Cylinders with Water Waves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min-Su Park

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The interaction of water waves with partially porous-surfaced circular cylinders was investigated. A three-dimensional numerical modeling was developed based on the complete mathematical formulation of the eigenfunction expansion method in the potential flow. Darcy’s law was applied to describe the porous boundary. The partial-porous cylinder is composed of a porous-surfaced body near the free surface, and an impermeable-surfaced body with an end-capped rigid bottom below the porous region. The optimal ratio of the porous portion to the impermeable portion can be adopted to design an effective ocean structure with minimal hydrodynamic impact. To scrutinize the hydrodynamic interactions in N partial-porous circular cylinders, the computational fluid domain is divided into three regions: an exterior region, N inner porous body regions, and N regions beneath the body. Wave excitation forces and wave run-up on multibodied partial-porous cylinders are calculated and compared for various porous-portion ratios and wave conditions, all of which significantly influence the hydrodynamic property.

Impact of small-scale saline tracer heterogeneity on electrical resistivity monitoring in fully and partially saturated porous media: Insights from geoelectrical milli-fluidic experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Jougnot, Damien; Jiménez-Martínez, Joaquín; Legendre, Raphaël; Le Borgne, Tanguy; Méheust, Yves; Linde, Niklas

2018-03-01

Time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is a geophysical method widely used to remotely monitor the migration of electrically-conductive tracers and contaminant plumes in the subsurface. Interpretations of time-lapse ERT inversion results are generally based on the assumption of a homogeneous solute concentration below the resolution limits of the tomogram depicting inferred electrical conductivity variations. We suggest that ignoring small-scale solute concentration variability (i.e., at the sub-resolution scale) is a major reason for the often-observed apparent loss of solute mass in ERT tracer studies. To demonstrate this, we developed a geoelectrical milli-fluidic setup where the bulk electric conductivity of a 2D analogous porous medium, consisting of cylindrical grains positioned randomly inside a Hele-Shaw cell, is monitored continuously in time while saline tracer tests are performed through the medium under fully and partially saturated conditions. High resolution images of the porous medium are recorded with a camera at regular time intervals, and provide both the spatial distribution of the fluid phases (aqueous solution and air), and the saline solute concentration field (where the solute consists of a mixture of salt and fluorescein, the latter being used as a proxy for the salt concentration). Effective bulk electrical conductivities computed numerically from the measured solute concentration field and the spatial distributions of fluid phases agree well with the measured bulk conductivities. We find that the effective bulk electrical conductivity is highly influenced by the connectivity of high electrical conductivity regions. The spatial distribution of air, saline tracer fingering, and mixing phenomena drive temporal changes in the effective bulk electrical conductivity by creating preferential paths or barriers for electrical current at the pore-scale. The resulting heterogeneities in the solute concentrations lead to strong anisotropy

A coupled deformation-diffusion theory for fluid-saturated porous solids

Science.gov (United States)

Henann, David; Kamrin, Ken; Anand, Lallit

2012-02-01

Fluid-saturated porous materials are important in several familiar applications, such as the response of soils in geomechanics, food processing, pharmaceuticals, and the biomechanics of living bone tissue. An appropriate constitutive theory describing the coupling of the mechanical behavior of the porous solid with the transport of the fluid is a crucial ingredient towards understanding the material behavior in these varied applications. In this work, we formulate and numerically implement in a finite-element framework a large-deformation theory for coupled deformation-diffusion in isotropic, fluid-saturated porous solids. The theory synthesizes the classical Biot theory of linear poroelasticity and the more-recent Coussy theory of poroplasticity in a large deformation framework. In this talk, we highlight several salient features of our theory and discuss representative examples of the application of our numerical simulation capability to problems of consolidation as well as deformation localization in granular materials.

Transient response of a cylindrical cavity in viscoelastic saturated porous medium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LIU Tao

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The study on dynamic characteristics for fluid-solid coupling system in saturated porous medium is of significant academic value and potential application foreground.In this paper,the transient response of a cylindrical cavity in infinite viscoelastic saturated porous medium with the circular lining is studied,and the corresponding results can be used in the design of foundation engineering,such as the tunnel analyses in saturated soil,the nuclear waste disposal engineering,and the exploitation and utilization of geothermal reservoirs and so on.Firstly,based on the porous media theory,the governing equations of coupled system are presented,and the corresponding boundary conditions,initial conditions as well as the joint conditions are derived.Then,the differential quadrature element method and the second-order backward difference scheme are applied to discretize the governing differential equations of the coupled system on the spatial and temporal domains,respectively.Finally,the Newton-Raphson method is adopted to solve the discretization equations with the initial conditions,the transient responses of the coupled system are analyzed,the effects of the parameters are considered,and the validity of the numerical method is verified.

Freezing heat transfer within water-saturated porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasaki, Akira; Aiba, Shinya; Fukusako, Shoichiro.

1990-01-01

In the present study, analytical and experimental investigations were performed so as to clarify the characteristics of freezing heat transfer in porous media saturated with water in a vertical rectangular cavity. In order to establish the momentum equation, the law of conservation of momentum was applied to the fluid in our control volume, and the equation took into account Forchheimer's extension as the resistance to flow in the porous media. Three different sizes of glass, iron and copper beads were used as the porous media in this study. The temperature of the cold wall was kept at -10degC, while that of the hot wall was varied from 2degC to 22 degC. Comparisons between the analytical results and the experimental ones show good agreement with the exception of the copper bead results. (author)

Application of infrared thermography for temperature distributions in fluid-saturated porous media

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Imran, Muhammad; Nick, Hamid; Schotting, Ruud J.

2016-01-01

is achieved with a combination of invasive sensors which are inserted into the medium and non-invasive thermal sensors in which sensors are not inserted to measure temperatures but it works through the detection of infrared radiation emitted from the surface. Thermocouples of relatively thin diameter are used......Infrared thermography has increasingly gained importance because of environmental and technological advancements of this method and is applied in a variety of disciplines related to non-isothermal flow. However, it has not been used so far for quantitative thermal analysis in saturated porous media....... This article suggests infrared thermographic approach to obtain the entire surface temperature distribution(s) in water-saturated porous media. For this purpose, infrared thermal analysis is applied with in situ calibration for a better understanding of the heat transfer processes in porous media. Calibration...

Effect of the Wavy permeable Interface on Double Diffusive Natural Convection in a Partially Porous Cavity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R Mehdaoui

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Two-dimensional, double diffusion, natural convection in a partially porous cavity satured with a binary fluid is investigated numerically. Multiple motions are driven by the external temperature and concentration differences imposed across vertical walls. The wavy interface between fluid and porous layer is horizontal. The equations which describe the fluid flow and heat and mass transfer are described by the Navier-Stokes equations (fluid region, Darcy-Brinkman equation (porous region and energy and mass equations. The finite element method was applied to solve the governing equations. The fluid flow and heat and mass transfer has been investigated for different values of the amplitude and the wave number of the interface and the buoyancy ratio. The results obtained in the form of isotherms, stream lines, isoconcentrations and the Nusselt and Sherwood numbers; show that the wavy interface has a significant effect on the flow and heat and mass transfer.

Mobility Effect on Poroelastic Seismic Signatures in Partially Saturated Rocks With Applications in Time-Lapse Monitoring of a Heavy Oil Reservoir

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Luanxiao; Yuan, Hemin; Yang, Jingkang; Han, De-hua; Geng, Jianhua; Zhou, Rui; Li, Hui; Yao, Qiuliang

2017-11-01

Conventional seismic analysis in partially saturated rocks normally lays emphasis on estimating pore fluid content and saturation, typically ignoring the effect of mobility, which decides the ability of fluids moving in the porous rocks. Deformation resulting from a seismic wave in heterogeneous partially saturated media can cause pore fluid pressure relaxation at mesoscopic scale, thereby making the fluid mobility inherently associated with poroelastic reflectivity. For two typical gas-brine reservoir models, with the given rock and fluid properties, the numerical analysis suggests that variations of patchy fluid saturation, fluid compressibility contrast, and acoustic stiffness of rock frame collectively affect the seismic reflection dependence on mobility. In particular, the realistic compressibility contrast of fluid patches in shallow and deep reservoir environments plays an important role in determining the reflection sensitivity to mobility. We also use a time-lapse seismic data set from a Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage producing heavy oil reservoir to demonstrate that mobility change coupled with patchy saturation possibly leads to seismic spectral energy shifting from the baseline to monitor line. Our workflow starts from performing seismic spectral analysis on the targeted reflectivity interface. Then, on the basis of mesoscopic fluid pressure diffusion between patches of steam and heavy oil, poroelastic reflectivity modeling is conducted to understand the shift of the central frequency toward low frequencies after the steam injection. The presented results open the possibility of monitoring mobility change of a partially saturated geological formation from dissipation-related seismic attributes.

Numerical studies of fluid and heat flow near high-level nuclear waste packages emplaced in partially saturated fractured tuff

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pruess, K.; Tsang, Y.W.; Wang, J.S.Y.

1984-11-01

We have performed modeling studies on the simultaneous transport of heat, liquid water, vapor, and air in partially saturated fractured porous rock. Formation parameters were chosen as representative of the potential repository horizon in the Topopah Spring Unit of the Yucca Mountain tuffs. The presence of fractures makes the transport problem very complex, both in terms of flow geometry and physics. The numerical simulator ''TOUGH'' used for our flow calculations takes into account most of the physical effects which are important in multi-phase fluid and heat flow. It has provisions for handling the extreme non-linearities which arise in phase transitions, component disappearances, and capillary discontinuities at fracture faces. We model a region around an infinite linear string of nuclear waste canisters, taking into account both the discrete fractures and the porous matrix. From an analysis of the results obtained with explicit fractures, we develop equivalent continuum models which can reproduce the temperature, saturation, and pressure variation, and gas and liquid flow rates of the discrete fracture-porous matrix calculations. The equivalent continuum approach makes use of a generalized relative permeability concept to take into account the fracture effects. This results in a substantial simplification of the flow problem which makes larger scale modeling of complicated unsaturated fractured porous systems feasible. Potential applications for regional scale simulations and limitations of the continuum approach are discussed. 35 refs., 14 figs., 4 tabs

Modelling critical degrees of saturation of porous building materials subjected to freezing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Ernst Jan De Place

1996-01-01

of SCR based on fracture mechanics and phase geometry of two-phase materials has been developed.The degradation is modelled as being caused by different eigenstrains of the pore phase and the solid phase when freezing, leading to stress concentrations and crack propagation. Simplifications are made......Frost resistance of porous materials can be characterized by the critical degree of saturation, SCR, and the actual degree of saturation, SACT. An experimental determination of SCR is very laborious and therefore only seldom used when testing frost resistance. A theoretical model for prediction...... to describe the development of stresses and the pore structure, because a mathematical description of the physical theories explaining the process of freezing of water in porous materials is lacking.Calculations are based on porosity, modulus of elasticity and tensile strength, and parameters characterizing...

On natural convection in enclosures filled with fluid-saturated porous media including viscous dissipation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Costa, V.A.F. [Departamento de Engenharia Mecanica, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitario de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro (Portugal)

2006-07-15

Care needs to be taken when considering the viscous dissipation in the energy conservation formulation of the natural convection problem in fluid-saturated porous media. The unique energy formulation compatible with the First Law of Thermodynamics informs us that if the viscous dissipation term is taken into account, also the work of pressure forces term needs to be taken into account. In integral terms, the work of pressure forces must equal the energy dissipated by viscous effects, and the net energy generation in the overall domain must be zero. If only the (positive) viscous dissipation term is considered in the energy conservation equation, the domain behaves as a heat multiplier, with an heat output greater than the heat input. Only the energy formulation consistent with the First Law of Thermodynamics leads to the correct flow and temperature fields, as well as of the heat transfer parameters characterizing the involved porous device. Attention is given to the natural convection problem in a square enclosure filled with a fluid-saturated porous medium, using the Darcy Law to describe the fluid flow, but the main ideas and conclusions apply equally for any general natural or mixed convection heat transfer problem. It is also analyzed the validity of the Oberbeck-Boussinesq approximation when applied to natural convection problems in fluid-saturated porous media. (author)

CCC, Heat Flow and Mass Flow in Liquid Saturated Porous Media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mangold, D.C.; Lippmann, M.J.; Bodvarsson, G.S.

1982-01-01

1 - Description of problem or function: The numerical model CCC (conduction-convection-consolidation) solves the heat and mass flow equations for a fully, liquid-saturated, anisotropic porous medium and computes one-dimensional (vertical) consolidation of the simulated systems. The model has been applied to problems in the fields of geothermal reservoir engineering, aquifer thermal energy storage, well testing, radioactive waste isolation, and in situ coal combustion. The code has been validated against analytic solutions for fluid and heat flow, and against a field experiment for underground storage of hot water. 2 - Method of solution: The model employs the Integrated Finite Difference Method (IFDM) in discretizing the saturated porous medium and formulating the governing equations. The sets of equations are sol- ved by an iterative solution technique. The vertical deformation of the medium is calculated using the one-dimensional consolidation theory of Terzaghi. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: Maximum of 12 materials. It is assumed that: (a) Darcy's law adequately describes fluid movement through fractured and porous media. (b) The rock and fluid are in thermal equilibrium at any given time. (c) Energy changes due to the fluid compressibility, acceleration and viscous dissipation are neglected. (d) One-dimensional consolidation theory adequately describes the vertical deformation of the medium

Microstructural effects on the overall poroelastic properties of saturated porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouhlel, M; Jamei, M; Geindreau, C

2010-01-01

At the macroscopic scale, the quasi-static deformation of an elastic porous medium saturated by an incompressible Newtonian fluid is described by the well-known Biot's model, which involves four effective parameters. In this work, the three effective poroelastic properties and the permeability of two periodic microstructures of saturated cohesive granular media, i.e. simple cubic (SC) and body-centered cubic (BCC) arrays of overlapping spheres, are computed by solving, over the representative elementary volume, boundary-value problems arising from the homogenization process. The influence of microstructure properties, i.e. solid volume fraction, arrangement of spheres, number of contacts as well as the intrinsic properties of the solid phase on the overall properties, is highlighted. Numerical results are then compared with rigorous bounds, self-consistent estimations, exact expansions and experimental results on ceramics and metals available in the literature. Finally, the capability of the obtained results on such periodic microstructures to describe the poroelastic properties of real porous media is discussed

Analytical solution for the transient response of a fluid/saturated porous medium halfspace system subjected to an impulsive line source

Science.gov (United States)

Shan, Zhendong; Ling, Daosheng; Jing, Liping; Li, Yongqiang

2018-05-01

In this paper, transient wave propagation is investigated within a fluid/saturated porous medium halfspace system with a planar interface that is subjected to a cylindrical P-wave line source. Assuming the permeability coefficient is sufficiently large, analytical solutions for the transient response of the fluid/saturated porous medium halfspace system are developed. Moreover, the analytical solutions are presented in simple closed forms wherein each term represents a transient physical wave, especially the expressions for head waves. The methodology utilised to determine where the head wave can emerge within the system is also given. The wave fields within the fluid and porous medium are first defined considering the behaviour of two compressional waves and one tangential wave in the saturated porous medium and one compressional wave in the fluid. Substituting these wave fields into the interface continuity conditions, the analytical solutions in the Laplace domain are then derived. To transform the solutions into the time domain, a suitable distortion of the contour is provided to change the integration path of the solution, after which the analytical solutions in the Laplace domain are transformed into the time domain by employing Cagniard's method. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate some interesting features of the fluid/saturated porous medium halfspace system. In particular, the interface wave and head waves that propagate along the interface between the fluid and saturated porous medium can be observed.

A Partially Saturated Constitutive Theory for Compacted Fills

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Berney, Ernest

2004-01-01

... variables present within the soil. From a thermodynamic viewpoint, a partially saturated soil can be best described by the free energy associated with each component of the soil and water mixture...

Effect of partial saturation of bonded neo magnet on the automotive accessory motor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nimitkumar K. Sheth

2017-05-01

Full Text Available In this paper the effects of using a partially magnetized bonded neo (NdFeB magnet in an automotive accessory motor are presented. The potential reason for partial saturation of the bonded neo magnet is explained and a simple method to ensure saturation of the magnet is discussed. A magnetizing fixture design using the 2-D Finite element analysis (FEA is presented. The motor performance at various magnet saturation levels has been estimated using the 2-D FEA. Details of the thermal demagnetization test adopted by the automotive industry is also discussed and results of the motor performance for four saturation levels are detailed. These results indicate that the effect of demagnetization is more adverse in a motor with partially saturated magnets.

Effect of partial saturation of bonded neo magnet on the automotive accessory motor

Science.gov (United States)

Sheth, Nimitkumar K.; Angara, Raghu C. S. Babu

2017-05-01

In this paper the effects of using a partially magnetized bonded neo (NdFeB) magnet in an automotive accessory motor are presented. The potential reason for partial saturation of the bonded neo magnet is explained and a simple method to ensure saturation of the magnet is discussed. A magnetizing fixture design using the 2-D Finite element analysis (FEA) is presented. The motor performance at various magnet saturation levels has been estimated using the 2-D FEA. Details of the thermal demagnetization test adopted by the automotive industry is also discussed and results of the motor performance for four saturation levels are detailed. These results indicate that the effect of demagnetization is more adverse in a motor with partially saturated magnets.

Natural Convection Heat Transfer in Concentric Horizontal Annuli Containing a Saturated Porous Medi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed F. Alfahaid, R.Y. Sakr

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Natural convection in horizontal annular porous media has become a subject receiving increasing attention due to its practical importance in the problem of insulators, such as ducting system in high temperature gas-cooled reactors, heating systems, thermal energy storage systems, under ground cable systems, etc. This paper presents a numerical study for steady state thermal convection in a fully saturated porous media bounded by two horizontal concentric cylinders, the cylinders are impermeable to fluid motion and maintained at different, uniform temperatures.  The solution scheme is based on two-dimensional model, which is governed by Darcy-Oberbeck-Boussinesq equations. The finite element method using Galerkin technique is developed and employed to solve the present problem. A numerical simulation is carried out to examine the parametric effects of Rayleigh number and radius ratio on the role played by natural convection heat transfer in the porous annuli. The numerical results obtained from the present model were compared with the available published results and good agreement is observed. The average Nusselt number at the heating surface of the inner cylinder is correlated to Rayleigh number and radius ratio.Keywords: Natural convection, numerical investigation, saturated porous media, finite element method, concentric horizontal annuli.

Effective stress principle for partially saturated media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McTigue, D.F.; Wilson, R.K.; Nunziato, J.W.

1984-04-01

In support of the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigation (NNWSI) Project, we have undertaken a fundamental study of water migration in partially saturated media. One aspect of that study, on which we report here, has been to use the continuum theory of mixtures to extend the classical notion of effective stress to partially saturated media. Our analysis recovers previously proposed phenomenological representations for the effective stress in terms of the capillary pressure. The theory is illustrated by specializing to the case of linear poroelasticity, for which we calculate the deformation due to the fluid pressure in a static capillary fringe. We then examine the transient consolidation associated with liquid flow induced by an applied surface load. Settlement accompanies this flow as the liquid is redistributed by a nonlinear diffusion process. For material properties characteristic of tuff from the Nevada Test Site, these effects are found to be vanishingly small. 14 references, 7 figures, 1 table

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...

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.

A simplified transfer function for estimating saturated hydraulic conductivity of porous drainage filters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Canga, Eriona; Iversen, Bo Vangsø; Kjærgaard, Charlotte

2013-01-01

Knowledge of the saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) of porous filters used in water treatment technologies is important for optimizing the retention of nutrients and pollutants. This parameter determines the hydraulic capacity, which together with the Chemical properties of the filter media...

Simulation of consolidation in partially saturated soil materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narasimhan, T.N.

1982-03-01

Partially saturated soil materials undergo consolidation, heave, collapse and failure due to changes in pore fluid pressure. The precise nature of the mechanics of such deformations is only poorly understood at present. Experimental evidence has shown that the volume change behavior of unsaturated soils cannot be adequately explained through changes in effective stress, even when a saturation dependent parameter is incorporated into the definition of effective stress. Two independent stress-state variables, involving combinations of total stress, pore air pressure and pore water pressure, are required to characterize volume changes and saturation changes in the partially saturated state. In general, two coupled conservation equations, one for the water-phase and the other for the air-phase need to be solved in order to predict the deformation behavior of unsaturated soils. If directional displacements and changes in the stress-field are required, then the conservation equations are to be integrated with an additional set of multi-dimensional force balance equations. For lack of a sufficient understanding of elastic constants such as Poisson's Ratio and Lame's constants as applied to unsaturated soils, little has been achieved so far in integrating the conservation equations and the force balance equations. For the long-term modeling of consolidation with respect to uranium mill tailings, it may be acceptable and economical to solve a single conservation equation for water, assuming that the air-phase is continuous and is at atmospheric pressure everywhere in the soil. The greatest challenge to modeling consolidation in the unsaturated zone at the presnt time is to develop enough experimental data defining the variation of void ratio and saturation with reference to the two chosen stress-state variables

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.

Characterization of thermal, hydraulic, and gas diffusion properties in variably saturated sand grades

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deepagoda Thuduwe Kankanamge Kelum, Chamindu; Smits, Kathleen; Ramirez, Jamie

2016-01-01

porous media transport properties, key transport parameters such as thermal conductivity and gas diffusivity are particularly important to describe temperature-induced heat transport and diffusion-controlled gas transport processes, respectively. Despite many experimental and numerical studies focusing...... transport models (thermal conductivity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and gas diffusivity). An existing thermal conductivity model was improved to describe the distinct three-region behavior in observed thermal conductivity–water saturation relations. Applying widely used parametric models for saturated......Detailed characterization of partially saturated porous media is important for understanding and predicting vadose zone transport processes. While basic properties (e.g., particle- and pore-size distributions and soil-water retention) are, in general, essential prerequisites for characterizing most...

Benchmarking variable-density flow in saturated and unsaturated porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Guevara Morel, Carlos Roberto; Cremer, Clemens; Graf, Thomas

2015-04-01

In natural environments, fluid density and viscosity can be affected by spatial and temporal variations of solute concentration and/or temperature. These variations can occur, for example, due to salt water intrusion in coastal aquifers, leachate infiltration from waste disposal sites and upconing of saline water from deep aquifers. As a consequence, potentially unstable situations may exist in which a dense fluid overlies a less dense fluid. This situation can produce instabilities that manifest as dense plume fingers that move vertically downwards counterbalanced by vertical upwards flow of the less dense fluid. Resulting free convection increases solute transport rates over large distances and times relative to constant-density flow. Therefore, the understanding of free convection is relevant for the protection of freshwater aquifer systems. The results from a laboratory experiment of saturated and unsaturated variable-density flow and solute transport (Simmons et al., Transp. Porous Medium, 2002) are used as the physical basis to define a mathematical benchmark. The HydroGeoSphere code coupled with PEST are used to estimate the optimal parameter set capable of reproducing the physical model. A grid convergency analysis (in space and time) is also undertaken in order to obtain the adequate spatial and temporal discretizations. The new mathematical benchmark is useful for model comparison and testing of variable-density variably saturated flow in porous media.

Effect of partial heating at mid of vertical plate adjacent to porous medium

Science.gov (United States)

Mulla, Mohammed Fahimuddin; Pallan, Khalid. M.; Al-Rashed, A. A. A. A.

2018-05-01

Heat and mass transfer in porous medium due to heating of vertical plate at mid-section is analyzed for various physical parameters. The heat and mass transfer in porous medium is modeled with the help of momentum, energy and concentration equations in terms of non-dimensional partial differential equations. The partial differential equations are converted into simpler form of algebraic equations with the help of finite element method. A computer code is developed to assemble the matrix form of algebraic equations into global matrices and then to solve them in an iterative manner to obtain the temperature, concentration and streamline distribution inside the porous medium. It is found that the heat transfer behavior of porous medium heated at middle section is considerably different from other cases.

Electric conductivity for laboratory and field monitoring of induced partial saturation (IPS) in sands

Science.gov (United States)

Kazemiroodsari, Hadi

Liquefaction is loss of shear strength in fully saturated loose sands caused by build-up of excess pore water pressure, during moderate to large earthquakes, leading to catastrophic failures of structures. Currently used liquefaction mitigation measures are often costly and cannot be applied at sites with existing structures. An innovative, practical, and cost effective liquefaction mitigation technique titled "Induced Partial Saturation" (IPS) was developed by researchers at Northeastern University. The IPS technique is based on injection of sodium percarbonate solution into fully saturated liquefaction susceptible sand. Sodium percarbonate dissolves in water and breaks down into sodium and carbonate ions and hydrogen peroxide which generates oxygen gas bubbles. Oxygen gas bubbles become trapped in sand pores and therefore decrease the degree of saturation of the sand, increase the compressibility of the soil, thus reduce its potential for liquefaction. The implementation of IPS required the development and validation of a monitoring and evaluation technique that would help ensure that the sands are indeed partially saturated. This dissertation focuses on this aspect of the IPS research. The monitoring system developed was based on using electric conductivity fundamentals and probes to detect the transport of chemical solution, calculate degree of saturation of sand, and determine the final zone of partial saturation created by IPS. To understand the fundamentals of electric conductivity, laboratory bench-top tests were conducted using electric conductivity probes and small specimens of Ottawa sand. Bench-top tests were used to study rate of generation of gas bubbles due to reaction of sodium percarbonate solution in sand, and to confirm a theory based on which degree of saturation were calculated. In addition to bench-top tests, electric conductivity probes were used in a relatively large sand specimen prepared in a specially manufactured glass tank. IPS was

Scaling behavior of microbubbles rising in water-saturated porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, X.; Ma, Y.; Scheuermann, A.; Bringemeier, D.; Galindo-Torres, S. A.; Saar, M. O.; Li, L.

2015-12-01

Gas transport in the form of discrete microbubbles in saturated porous media is of importance in a number of processes relevant to many geo-environmental and engineering systems such as bubbling of greenhouse gases in river and sea beds, hydrocarbon gas migration in coal cleats and rock fractures, and air sparging for remediation of soil contaminated with volatile organic compounds. Under the assumption of no or minor volume expansion during gravity-driven migration, the transport of a single microbubble can be well described using various drag force models. However, not enough attention has been paid to the collective behavior of microbubbles during their ascend as a plume through the saturated porous medium, involving dynamic interactions between individual bubbles, bubbles and the ambient fluid, as well as bubbles and the solid matrix. With our quasi-2D, lab-scale microbubble migration experiments, where bubbles are continuously released from a diffuser at the bottom of a porous bed of hydrated gel beads, we establish a scaling relationship between the gas (bubble) release rate and various characteristic parameters of the bubble plume, such as plume tip velocity, plume width, and breakthrough time of the plume front. We find that the characteristic width of the bubble plume varies as a power of both the gas release rate and the bed thickness, with exponents of 0.2 and 0.4, respectively. Moreover, the characteristic breakthrough time also scales with both the gas release rate and the bed thickness with power-law exponents of -0.4 and 1.2, respectively. The mean pore-water velocity of the circulating ambient water also follows a power-law relationship with the gas release rate being an exponent of 0.6 of the gas release rate. This can be quantitatively proven using a simplified momentum exchange model together with the above power-law exponents for the bubble plume. These analyses on the experimental results are carried out on the basis of non

Existence and Uniqueness of Solutions to the Stochastic Porous Media Equations of Saturated Flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ciotir, Ioana

2010-01-01

This paper proves the existence and uniqueness of nonnegative solutions for the stochastic porous media equations with multiplicative noise, infinite jump and discontinuous diffusivity function relevant in description of saturation processes in underground water infiltration in a bounded domain of R 3 .

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...

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.

Radiative properties effects on unsteady natural convection inside a saturated porous medium. Application for porous heat exchangers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdesslem, Jbara; Khalifa, Slimi; Abdelaziz, Nasr; Abdallah, Mhimid

2013-01-01

The present article deals with a numerical study of coupled fluid flow and heat transfer by transient natural convection and thermal radiation in a porous bed confined between two-vertical hot plates and saturated by a homogeneous and isotropic fluid phase. The main objective is to study the effects of radiative properties on fluid flow and heat transfer behavior inside the porous material. The numerical results show that the temperature, the axial velocity, the volumetric flow rate and the convective heat flux exchanged at the channel's exit are found to be increased when the particle emissivity (ε) and/or the absorption coefficient (κ) increase or when the scattering coefficient (σ s ) and/or the single scattering albedo (ω) decrease. Furthermore, the amount of heat (Q c ) transferred to fluid and the energetic efficiency E c are found to be increased when there is a raise in the particle emissivity values. In order to improve the performance of heat exchanger, we proposed the model of a porous heat exchanger which includes a porous bed of large spherical particles with high emissivity as a practical application of the current study. - Highlights: • The temperature increases with the particle emissivity ε. • The volumetric flow rate and the convective heat flux exchanged increase with the particle emissivity ε. • The amount of heat transferred to fluid and the energetic efficiency increase with the particle emissivity ε. • A heat exchanger including a porous bed of spherical particles with high emissivity is proposed like a practical application

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.

Experimental and numerical study on thermal conductivity of partially saturated unconsolidated sands

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Youngmin; Keehm, Youngseuk; Kim, Seong-Kyun; Shin, Sang Ho

2016-04-01

A class of problems in heat flow applications requires an understanding of how water saturation affects thermal conductivity in the shallow subsurface. We conducted a series of experiments using a sand box to evaluate thermal conductivity (TC) of partially saturated unconsolidated sands under varying water saturation (Sw). We first saturated sands fully with water and varied water saturation by drainage through the bottom of the sand box. Five water-content sensors were integrated vertically into the sand box to monitor water saturation changes and a needle probe was embedded to measure thermal conductivity of partially saturated sands. The experimental result showed that thermal conductivity decreases from 2.5 W/mK for fully saturated sands to 0.7 W/mK when water saturation is 5%. We found that the decreasing trend is quite non-linear: highly sensitive at very high and low water saturations. However, the boundary effects on the top and the bottom of the sand box seemed to be responsible for this high nonlinearity. We also found that the determination of water saturation is quite important: the saturation by averaging values from all five sensors and that from the sensor at the center position, showed quite different trends in the TC-Sw domain. In parallel, we conducted a pore-scale numerical modeling, which consists of the steady-state two-phase Lattice-Boltzmann simulator and FEM thermal conduction simulator on digital pore geometry of sand aggregation. The simulation results showed a monotonous decreasing trend, and are reasonably well matched with experimental data when using average water saturations. We concluded that thermal conductivity would decrease smoothly as water saturation decreases if we can exclude boundary effects. However, in dynamic conditions, i.e. imbibition or drainage, the thermal conductivity might show hysteresis, which can be investigated with pore-scale numerical modeling with unsteady-state two-phase flow simulators in our future work.

A multi-scale computational scheme for anisotropic hydro-mechanical couplings in saturated heterogeneous porous media

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mercatoris, B.C.N.; Massart, T.J.; Sluys, L.J.

2013-01-01

This contribution discusses a coupled two-scale framework for hydro-mechanical problems in saturated heterogeneous porous geomaterials. The heterogeneous nature of such materials can lead to an anisotropy of the hydro-mechanical couplings and non-linear effects. Based on an assumed model of the

Experimental study and modeling of gas diffusion through partially water saturated porous media. Application to Vycor glasses, geo-polymers and CEM V cement pastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boher, C.

2012-01-01

This work documents the relationship that exists between the transfer properties of a material (pore size distribution, total porosity accessible to water, water saturation degree), and its diffusion coefficient. For this sake, materials having a quasi mono modal porosity are used: Vycor glasses and geo-polymers. We also use materials having a complex porosity: CEM V cement pastes. The use of Vycor glasses and geo-polymers allows quantifying the gas diffusion coefficient through materials having known pores size, as a function of their water saturation degree. The use of cement pastes allows checking if it is possible to decompose the diffusion coefficient of a complex porosity material, in an assembling of diffusion coefficients of quasi mono modal porosity materials. For this sake, the impact of pore network arrangement on the diffusion coefficient is studied in great details. This study is divided into three parts:1)Measurement of the geometric characteristics of materials porous network by means of the mercury intrusion porosimetry, water porosimetry, isotherms of nitrogen sorption / desorption, and water desorption tests. 2) Measurement of the materials diffusion coefficient, as a function of their relative humidity storage, and their water saturation degree. 3) Modeling the diffusion coefficient of the materials, and study the impact of the pore network (tortuosity, pores connection). (author) [fr

Graphene Oxide Affects Mobility and Antibacterial Ability of Levofloxacin and Ciprofloxacin in Saturated and Unsaturated Porous Media

Science.gov (United States)

Kaixuan, S.

2017-12-01

Understand the fate and impact of fluoroquinolone antibiotics (FQs) in soil and groundwater systems is critical to the safety of ecosystem and public health. In this work, laboratory batch sorption, column transport, and bacterial growth experiments were conducted to improve current understanding of the interactions between two typical FQs (levofloxacin (LEV) and ciprofloxacin (CIP)) and graphene oxide (GO) in quartz sand media under various conditions. Studies showed that both GO and quartz sand adsorbed LEV and CIP in aqueous solutions and sand was capable to compete with GO for the antibiotics. While GO showed much larger sorption capacity, the sand had stronger sorption affinity to the two antibiotics. As a result, neither LEV nor CIP showed any signs of breakthrough in saturated or unsaturated porous media. When the two antibiotics were premixed with GO, their mobility in porous media increased for both saturate and unsaturated conditions and the amount of LEV or CIP in the effluents increased with the increasing of initial GO concentration. During their transport in saturated porous media, some of the GO-bound antibiotics, especially those sorbed via relatively weak interactions, transferred from GO to the quartz sand. Under unsaturated conditions, GO-bound LEV might also transfer from GO to the air-water interface due to the strong affiliation between LEV and air-water interface. Sorption onto GO reduced the antibacterial ability of LEV and CIP, however, the GO-bound antibiotics still effectively inhibited the growth of E coli. Findings from this work indicated that mobile GO affected not only the mobility but also the ecotoxicity of LEV and CIP in porous media.

Simulation of uncompressible fluid flow through a porous media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramirez, A. [Instituto Politecnico Nacional (SEPI-ESIQIE-IPN), Unidad Profesional Zacatenco, Laboratorio de Analisis Met. (Edif. ' Z' y Edif. ' 6' P.B.), Mexico City (Mexico)], E-mail: adaramil@yahoo.com.mx; Gonzalez, J.L. [Instituto Politecnico Nacional (SEPI-ESIQIE-IPN), Unidad Profesional Zacatenco, Laboratorio de Analisis Met. (Edif. ' Z' y Edif. ' 6' P.B.), Mexico City (Mexico); Carrillo, F. [Instituto Politecnico Nacional (SEPI-CICATA-IPN), Unidad Altamira Tamaulipas, Mexico (Mexico); Lopez, S. [Instituto Mexicano del Petroleo (I.M.P.-D.F.), Mexico (Mexico)

2009-02-28

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.

Evaluation of Nd:YAG laser on partial oxygen saturation of pulpal blood in anterior hypersensitive teeth.

Science.gov (United States)

Birang, Reza; Kaviani, Naser; Mohammadpour, Mehdi; Abed, Ahmad Moghareh; Gutknecht, Norbert; Mir, Maziar

2008-07-01

Dentine hypersensitivity has of long been known to be a common clinical problem in dental practices. Lasers have recently come to play a prominent role in the treatment of this disorder. They might, however, cause dental pulp damage. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Nd:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG) laser on partial oxygen saturation of pulpal blood in sensitive anterior teeth. In this clinical trial, 65 hypersensitive teeth were selected and randomly allocated to two groups. The study group involved Nd:YAG laser treatment, while no treatment was employed for the control group. Using a pulse oximetry system, evaluations were preformed of the partial oxygen saturation in the pulpal blood before, immediately after, 1 week after, and 1 month after the treatment. The results were analyzed using the SPSS software and repeated-measures analysis of variance and paired-samples t tests. The mean partial oxygen saturation of the blood was found to be 85.4% in the study group, which was not significantly different from that of the control group. No significant differences were observed in the control group between the means obtained from pretreatment and post-treatment intervals (P > 0.05). The Post-treatment partial oxygen saturation mean rose to 89.3% (P = 0.001) and remained constant throughout the following week after it. However, no significant differences were found between the pretreatment partial oxygen saturation mean and the same measurement 1 month after treatment (P = 0.702). Nd:YAG laser therapy for dentine desensitization of anterior teeth caused no persistent changes in the partial oxygen saturation of pulpal blood. It may, therefore, be concluded that the diffusion of heat induced by the Nd:YAG laser into the pulp within the limit of the desensitization parameters cause no irreversible damages in the dental pulp.

An agent-based method for simulating porous fluid-saturated structures with indistinguishable components

Science.gov (United States)

Kashani, Jamal; Pettet, Graeme John; Gu, YuanTong; Zhang, Lihai; Oloyede, Adekunle

2017-10-01

Single-phase porous materials contain multiple components that intermingle up to the ultramicroscopic level. Although the structures of the porous materials have been simulated with agent-based methods, the results of the available methods continue to provide patterns of distinguishable solid and fluid agents which do not represent materials with indistinguishable phases. This paper introduces a new agent (hybrid agent) and category of rules (intra-agent rule) that can be used to create emergent structures that would more accurately represent single-phase structures and materials. The novel hybrid agent carries the characteristics of system's elements and it is capable of changing within itself, while also responding to its neighbours as they also change. As an example, the hybrid agent under one-dimensional cellular automata formalism in a two-dimensional domain is used to generate patterns that demonstrate the striking morphological and characteristic similarities with the porous saturated single-phase structures where each agent of the ;structure; carries semi-permeability property and consists of both fluid and solid in space and at all times. We conclude that the ability of the hybrid agent to change locally provides an enhanced protocol to simulate complex porous structures such as biological tissues which could facilitate models for agent-based techniques and numerical methods.

Analytical solution to the diffusion, sorption and decay chain equation in a saturated porous medium between two reservoirs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guzman, Juan; Maximov, Serguei; Escarela-Perez, Rafael; López-García, Irvin; Moranchel, Mario

2015-01-01

The diffusion and distribution coefficients are important parameters in the design of barrier systems used in radioactive repositories. These coefficients can be determined using a two-reservoir configuration, where a saturated porous medium is allocated between two reservoirs filled by stagnant water. One of the reservoirs contains a high concentration of radioisotopes. The goal of this work is to obtain an analytical solution for the concentration of all radioisotopes in the decay chain of a two-reservoir configuration. The analytical solution must be obtained by taking into account the diffusion and sorption processes. Concepts such as overvalued concentration, diffusion and decay factors are employed to this end. It is analytically proven that a factor of the solution is identical for all chains (considering a time scaling factor), if certain parameters do not change. In addition, it is proven that the concentration sensitivity, due to the distribution coefficient variation, depends of the porous medium thickness, which is practically insensitive for small porous medium thicknesses. The analytical solution for the radioisotope concentration is compared with experimental and numerical results available in literature. - Highlights: • Saturated porous media allocated between two reservoirs. • Analytical solution of the isotope transport equation. • Transport considers diffusion, sorption and decay chain

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...

Acoustic emission in a fluid saturated heterogeneous porous layer with application to hydraulic fracture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nelson, J.T. (California Univ., Berkeley, CA (USA). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA))

1988-11-01

A theoretical model for acoustic emission in a vertically heterogeneous porous layer bounded by semi-infinite solid regions is developed using linearized equations of motion for a fluid/solid mixture and a reflectivity method. Green's functions are derived for both point loads and moments. Numerically integrated propagators represent solutions for intermediate heterogeneous layers in the porous region. These are substituted into a global matrix for solution by Gaussian elimination and back-substitution. Fluid partial stress and seismic responses to dislocations associated with fracturing of a layer of rock with a hydraulically conductive fracture network are computed with the model. A constitutive model is developed for representing the fractured rock layer as a porous material, using commonly accepted relationships for moduli. Derivations of density, tortuosity, and sinuosity are provided. The main results of the model application are the prediction of a substantial fluid partial stress response related to a second mode wave for the porous material. The response is observable for relatively large distances, on the order of several tens of meters. The visco-dynamic transition frequency associated with parabolic versus planar fluid velocity distributions across micro-crack apertures is in the low audio or seismic range, in contrast to materials with small pore size, such as porous rocks, for which the transition frequency is ultrasonic. Seismic responses are predicted for receiver locations both in the layer and in the outlying solid regions. In the porous region, the seismic response includes both shear and dilatational wave arrivals and a second-mode arrival. The second-mode arrival is not observable outside of the layer because of its low velocity relative to the dilatational and shear wave propagation velocities of the solid region.

Fabrication of Graded Porous and Skin-Core Structure RDX-Based Propellants via Supercritical CO2 Concentration Profile

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Weitao; Li, Yuxiang; Ying, Sanjiu

2015-04-01

A fabrication process to produce graded porous and skin-core structure propellants via supercritical CO2 concentration profile is reported in this article. It utilizes a partial gas saturation technique to obtain nonequilibrium gas concentration profiles in propellants. Once foamed, the propellant obtains a graded porous or skin-pore structure. This fabrication method was studied with RDX(Hexogen)-based propellant under an SC-CO2 saturation condition. The principle was analyzed and the one-dimensional diffusion model was employed to estimate the gas diffusion coefficient and to predict the gas concentration profiles inside the propellant. Scanning electron microscopy images were used to analyze the effects of partial saturation on the inner structure. The results also suggested that the sorption time and desorption time played an important role in gas profile generation and controlled the inner structure of propellants.

Thermosolutal convection in saturated porous enclosure with concentrated energy and solute sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Di; Zhao, Fu-Yun; Tang, Guang-Fa [College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha (China)

2008-01-15

Double diffusive natural convection within a vertical porous enclosure with localized heating and salting from one side is numerically studied by the finite element based finite volume method. In the formulation of the problem, use is made of the Darcy model, which allows the slip boundary condition on a solid wall to be satisfied. Comparisons with benchmark solutions for natural convection in fluid saturated porous enclosures are first presented to validate the code. Following that, an extensive series of numerical simulations is conducted in the range of -55 {<=} N {<=} + 55 and 0.125 {<=} L {<=} 0.875, where N and L are the buoyancy ratio and the element location, respectively. Streamlines, heatlines, masslines, isotherms and iso-concentrations in the system are produced to illustrate the flow structure transition from solutal dominated opposing to thermal dominated and solutal dominated aiding flows, respectively. The computed average Nusselt and Sherwood numbers provide guidance for locating the heating and salting element. (author)

Thermosolutal convection in saturated porous enclosure with concentrated energy and solute sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu Di [College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha (China)], E-mail: liudi66@163.com; Zhao Fuyun [College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha (China)], E-mail: zfycfdnet@163.com; Tang Guangfa [College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha (China)], E-mail: gftangcfd@163.com

2008-01-15

Double diffusive natural convection within a vertical porous enclosure with localized heating and salting from one side is numerically studied by the finite element based finite volume method. In the formulation of the problem, use is made of the Darcy model, which allows the slip boundary condition on a solid wall to be satisfied. Comparisons with benchmark solutions for natural convection in fluid saturated porous enclosures are first presented to validate the code. Following that, an extensive series of numerical simulations is conducted in the range of -55 {<=} N {<=} + 55 and 0.125 {<=} L {<=} 0.875, where N and L are the buoyancy ratio and the element location, respectively. Streamlines, heatlines, masslines, isotherms and iso-concentrations in the system are produced to illustrate the flow structure transition from solutal dominated opposing to thermal dominated and solutal dominated aiding flows, respectively. The computed average Nusselt and Sherwood numbers provide guidance for locating the heating and salting element.

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.

Full-field dye concentration measurement within saturated/unsaturated thin slabs of porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norton, D.L.; Glass, R.J.

1993-01-01

This paper presents a full-field dye concentration measurement technique that extends our experimental capabilities to the measurement of transient dye concentration fields within steady state flow fields under unsaturated or saturated conditions. Simple light absorption theory provides a basis for translating images into high resolution dye concentration fields. A series of dye pulse experiments that demonstrate the combined use of the full-field saturation and dye concentration techniques was conducted at four different degrees of saturation. Each of these experimental sequences was evaluated with respect to mass balance, the results being within 5% of the known dye mass input. An image windowing technique allowed us to see increased dispersion due to decreasing moisture content, tailing of concentration at the rear of the dye pulse and slight velocity changes of the dispersive front due to changes in moisture content. The exceptional resolution of dye concentration in space and time provided by this laboratory technique allows systematic experimentation for examining basic processes affecting solute transport within saturated/unsaturated porous media. Future challenges for this work will be to use these techniques to analyze more complex systems involving heterogeneities, scaling laws, and detailed investigations of the relationship between transverse and longitudinal dispersion in unsaturated media

Experimental investigation of virus and clay particles cotransport in partially saturated columns packed with glass beads.

Science.gov (United States)

Syngouna, Vasiliki I; Chrysikopoulos, Constantinos V

2015-02-15

Suspended clay particles in groundwater can play a significant role as carriers of viruses, because, depending on the physicochemical conditions, clay particles may facilitate or hinder the mobility of viruses. This experimental study examines the effects of clay colloids on the transport of viruses in variably saturated porous media. All cotransport experiments were conducted in both saturated and partially saturated columns packed with glass beads, using bacteriophages MS2 and ΦX174 as model viruses, and kaolinite (KGa-1b) and montmorillonite (STx-1b) as model clay colloids. The various experimental collision efficiencies were determined using the classical colloid filtration theory. The experimental data indicated that the mass recovery of viruses and clay colloids decreased as the water saturation decreased. Temporal moments of the various breakthrough concentrations collected, suggested that the presence of clays significantly influenced virus transport and irreversible deposition onto glass beads. The mass recovery of both viruses, based on total effluent virus concentrations, was shown to reduce in the presence of suspended clay particles. Furthermore, the transport of suspended virus and clay-virus particles was retarded, compared to the conservative tracer. Under unsaturated conditions both clay particles facilitated the transport of ΦX174, while hindered the transport of MS2. Moreover, the surface properties of viruses, clays and glass beads were employed for the construction of classical DLVO and capillary potential energy profiles, and the results suggested that capillary forces play a significant role on colloid retention. It was estimated that the capillary potential energy of MS2 is lower than that of ΦX174, and the capillary potential energy of KGa-1b is lower than that of STx-1b, assuming that the protrusion distance through the water film is the same for each pair of particles. Moreover, the capillary potential energy is several orders of

An XFEM Model for Hydraulic Fracturing in Partially Saturated Rocks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salimzadeh Saeed

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Hydraulic fracturing is a complex multi-physics phenomenon. Numerous analytical and numerical models of hydraulic fracturing processes have been proposed. Analytical solutions commonly are able to model the growth of a single hydraulic fracture into an initially intact, homogeneous rock mass. Numerical models are able to analyse complex problems such as multiple hydraulic fractures and fracturing in heterogeneous media. However, majority of available models are restricted to single-phase flow through fracture and permeable porous rock. This is not compatible with actual field conditions where the injected fluid does not have similar properties as the host fluid. In this study we present a fully coupled hydro-poroelastic model which incorporates two fluids i.e. fracturing fluid and host fluid. Flow through fracture is defined based on lubrication assumption, while flow through matrix is defined as Darcy flow. The fracture discontinuity in the mechanical model is captured using eXtended Finite Element Method (XFEM while the fracture propagation criterion is defined through cohesive fracture model. The discontinuous matrix fluid velocity across fracture is modelled using leak-off loading which couples fracture flow and matrix flow. The proposed model has been discretised using standard Galerkin method, implemented in Matlab and verified against several published solutions. Multiple hydraulic fracturing simulations are performed to show the model robustness and to illustrate how problem parameters such as injection rate and rock permeability affect the hydraulic fracturing variables i.e. injection pressure, fracture aperture and fracture length. The results show the impact of partial saturation on leak-off and the fact that single-phase models may underestimate the leak-off.

Modelling and simulation of a natural convection flow in a saturated porous cavity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costa, M.L.M.; Sampaio, R.; Gama, R.M.S. da.

1991-09-01

The natural convection flow in a two-dimensional fluid-saturated porous cavity is modelled by means of a Theory of Mixtures viewpoint in which fluid and porous medium are regarded as continuous constituents of a binary mixture, coexisting superposed. A local description, that allows distinct temperature profiles for both fluid and solid constituents is obtained. The model, simplified by the Boussinesq approximation, is simulated with the help of the Control Volumes Method. The effect of some usual parameters like Rayleigh, Darcy and Prandtl numbers and of a new dimensionless number, relating coefficients associated to the heat exchange between fluid and solid constituents (due to its temperature difference) and coefficients of heat conduction for each constituent, is considered. Stream lines for the fluid constituent and isotherms for both fluid and solid constituents are presented for some cases. Qualitative agreement with results using the classical approach (Darcy's law and additional terms to account for boundary and inertia effects, used as momentum equation) was obtained. (author)

Hierarchical porous nitrogen-doped partial graphitized carbon monoliths for supercapacitor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Yifeng; Du, Juan; Liu, Lei; Wang, Guoxu; Zhang, Hongliang; Chen, Aibing, E-mail: chen-ab@163.com [Hebei University of Science and Technology, College of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Engineering (China)

2017-03-15

Porous carbon monoliths have attracted great interest in many fields due to their easy availability, large specific surface area, desirable electronic conductivity, and tunable pore structure. In this work, hierarchical porous nitrogen-doped partial graphitized carbon monoliths (N–MC–Fe) with ordered mesoporous have been successfully synthesized by using resorcinol-formaldehyde as precursors, iron salts as catalyst, and mixed triblock copolymers as templates via a one-step hydrothermal method. In the reactant system, hexamethylenetetramine (HMT) is used as nitrogen source and one of the carbon precursors under hydrothermal conditions instead of using toxic formaldehyde. The N–MC–Fe show hierarchically porous structures, with interconnected macroporous and ordered hexagonally arranged mesoporous. Nitrogen element is in situ doped into carbon through decomposition of HMT. Iron catalyst is helpful to improve the graphitization degree and pore volume of N–MC–Fe. The synthesis strategy is user-friendly, cost-effective, and can be easily scaled up for production. As supercapacitors, the N–MC–Fe show good capacity with high specific capacitance and good electrochemical stability.

Uniqueness of Specific Interfacial Area–Capillary Pressure–Saturation Relationship Under Non-Equilibrium Conditions in Two-Phase Porous Media Flow

KAUST Repository

Joekar-Niasar, Vahid

2012-02-23

The capillary pressure-saturation (P c-S w) relationship is one of the central constitutive relationships used in two-phase flow simulations. There are two major concerns regarding this relation. These concerns are partially studied in a hypothetical porous medium using a dynamic pore-network model called DYPOSIT, which has been employed and extended for this study: (a) P c-S w relationship is measured empirically under equilibrium conditions. It is then used in Darcy-based simulations for all dynamic conditions. This is only valid if there is a guarantee that this relationship is unique for a given flow process (drainage or imbibition) independent of dynamic conditions; (b) It is also known that P c-S w relationship is flow process dependent. Depending on drainage and imbibition, different curves can be achieved, which are referred to as "hysteresis". A thermodynamically derived theory (Hassanizadeh and Gray, Water Resour Res 29: 3389-3904, 1993a) suggests that, by introducing a new state variable, called the specific interfacial area (a nw, defined as the ratio of fluid-fluid interfacial area to the total volume of the domain), it is possible to define a unique relation between capillary pressure, saturation, and interfacial area. This study investigates these two aspects of capillary pressure-saturation relationship using a dynamic pore-network model. The simulation results imply that P c-S w relation not only depends on flow process (drainage and imbibition) but also on dynamic conditions for a given flow process. Moreover, this study attempts to obtain the first preliminary insights into the global functionality of capillary pressure-saturation-interfacial area relationship under equilibrium and non-equilibrium conditions and the uniqueness of P c-S w-a nw relationship. © 2012 The Author(s).

Dispersion of extensional waves in fluid-saturated porous cylinders at ultrasonic frequencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berryman, J.G.

1983-01-01

Ultrasonic dispersion of extensional waves in fluid-saturated porous cylinders is studied by analyzing generalized Pochhammer equations derived using Biot's theory. Cases with open-pore surface and closed-pore surface boundary conditions are considered. For both cases, the dispersion of the fast extensional wave does not differ much qualitatively from the dispersion expected for extensional waves in isotropic elastic cylinders. A slow extensional wave propagates in the case with a closed-pore surface but not in the case with an open-pore surface. The propagating slow wave has very weak dispersion and its speed is always lower than, but close to, the bulk slow wave speed

Concurrent freezing and sublimation of a liquid-saturated porous slab

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vaidyanathan, N.; Shamsundar, N.

1991-01-01

In this paper analytical models are formulated for describing heat and mass transport during concurrent freezing and sublimation of a one-dimensional liquid-saturated porous slab. The models are based on transient heat transfer in the frozen and wet regions, and quasi-steady heat and mass transfer in the dried region. The enthalpy method in conjunction with a fully implicit finite-difference scheme is employed to obtain the solution in the frozen and wet regions. A quasi-steady solution is used in the dried region. The governing equations are nondimensionalized and parametric studies are performed. The results indicate that the Luikov number, the ambient vapor pressure, and the heat transfer Biot number are important parameters. The results also confirm that the sublimation interface temperature may show significant variations, in contrast to earlier studies in which it was assumed constant

Relating oxygen partial pressure, saturation and content: the haemoglobin-oxygen dissociation curve.

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Julie-Ann; Rudenski, Aram; Gibson, John; Howard, Luke; O'Driscoll, Ronan

2015-09-01

The delivery of oxygen by arterial blood to the tissues of the body has a number of critical determinants including blood oxygen concentration (content), saturation (S O2 ) and partial pressure, haemoglobin concentration and cardiac output, including its distribution. The haemoglobin-oxygen dissociation curve, a graphical representation of the relationship between oxygen satur-ation and oxygen partial pressure helps us to understand some of the principles underpinning this process. Historically this curve was derived from very limited data based on blood samples from small numbers of healthy subjects which were manipulated in vitro and ultimately determined by equations such as those described by Severinghaus in 1979. In a study of 3524 clinical specimens, we found that this equation estimated the S O2 in blood from patients with normal pH and S O2 >70% with remarkable accuracy and, to our knowledge, this is the first large-scale validation of this equation using clinical samples. Oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry (S pO2 ) is nowadays the standard clinical method for assessing arterial oxygen saturation, providing a convenient, pain-free means of continuously assessing oxygenation, provided the interpreting clinician is aware of important limitations. The use of pulse oximetry reduces the need for arterial blood gas analysis (S aO2 ) as many patients who are not at risk of hypercapnic respiratory failure or metabolic acidosis and have acceptable S pO2 do not necessarily require blood gas analysis. While arterial sampling remains the gold-standard method of assessing ventilation and oxygenation, in those patients in whom blood gas analysis is indicated, arterialised capillary samples also have a valuable role in patient care. The clinical role of venous blood gases however remains less well defined.

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

Saturated poroelastic actuators generated by topology optimization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Casper Schousboe; Sigmund, Ole

2011-01-01

the coupling of internal fluid pressure and elastic shear stresses a slab of the optimized porous material deflects/deforms when a pressure is imposed and an actuator is created. Several phenomenologically based constraints are imposed in order to get a stable force transmitting actuator.......In this paper the fluid-structure interaction problem of a saturated porous media is considered. The pressure coupling properties of porous saturated materials change with the microstructure and this is utilized in the design of an actuator using a topology optimized porous material. By maximizing...

Standing torsional waves in a fully saturated, porous, circular cylinder

CERN Document Server

Solorza, S; 10.1111/j.1365-246X.2004.02198.x

2004-01-01

For dynamic measurement of the elastic moduli of a porous material saturated with viscous fluid using the resonance-bar technique, one also observes attenuation. In this article we have carried out the solution of the boundary-value problem associated with standing torsional oscillations of a finite, poroelastic, circular cylinder cast in the framework of volume-averaged theory of poroelasticity. Analysing this solution by eigenvalue perturbation approach we are able to develop expressions for torsional resonance and temporal attenuation frequencies in which the dependence upon the material properties are transparent. It shows how the attenuation is controlled by the permeability and the fluid properties, and how the resonance frequency drops over its value for the dry solid-frame due to the drag effect of fluid mass. Based upon this work we have a firm basis to determine solid-frame shear modulus, permeability, and tortuosity factor from torsional oscillation experiments.

Hydrogen isotopic substitution experiments in nanostructured porous silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palacios, W.D.; Koropecki, R.R.; Arce, R.D.; Busso, A.

2008-01-01

Nanostructured porous silicon is usually prepared by electrochemical anodization of monocrystalline silicon using a fluorine-rich electrolyte. As a result of this process, the silicon atoms conserve their original crystalline location, and many of the dangling bonds appearing on the surface of the nanostructure are saturated by hydrogen coming from the electrolyte. This work presents an IR study of the effects produced by partial substitution of water in the electrolytic solution by deuterium oxide. The isotopic effects on the IR spectra are analyzed for the as-prepared samples and for the samples subjected to partial thermal effusion of hydrogen and deuterium. We demonstrate that, although deuterium is chemically indistinguishable from hydrogen, it presents a singular behaviour when used in porous silicon preparation. We found that deuterium preferentially bonds forming Si-DH groups. A possible explanation of the phenomenon is presented, based on the different diffusivities of hydrogen and deuterium

Hydrogen isotopic substitution experiments in nanostructured porous silicon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palacios, W.D. [Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura - (UNNE), Avenida Libertad 5500, 3400 Corrientes (Argentina); Koropecki, R.R. [INTEC (CONICET-UNL), Gueemes 3450, 3000 Santa Fe (Argentina)], E-mail: rkoro@intec.ceride.gov.ar; Arce, R.D. [INTEC (CONICET-UNL), Gueemes 3450, 3000 Santa Fe (Argentina); Busso, A. [Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura - (UNNE), Avenida Libertad 5500, 3400 Corrientes (Argentina)

2008-04-30

Nanostructured porous silicon is usually prepared by electrochemical anodization of monocrystalline silicon using a fluorine-rich electrolyte. As a result of this process, the silicon atoms conserve their original crystalline location, and many of the dangling bonds appearing on the surface of the nanostructure are saturated by hydrogen coming from the electrolyte. This work presents an IR study of the effects produced by partial substitution of water in the electrolytic solution by deuterium oxide. The isotopic effects on the IR spectra are analyzed for the as-prepared samples and for the samples subjected to partial thermal effusion of hydrogen and deuterium. We demonstrate that, although deuterium is chemically indistinguishable from hydrogen, it presents a singular behaviour when used in porous silicon preparation. We found that deuterium preferentially bonds forming Si-DH groups. A possible explanation of the phenomenon is presented, based on the different diffusivities of hydrogen and deuterium.

Relating oxygen partial pressure, saturation and content: the haemoglobin–oxygen dissociation curve

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julie-Ann Collins

2015-09-01

The delivery of oxygen by arterial blood to the tissues of the body has a number of critical determinants including blood oxygen concentration (content, saturation (SO2 and partial pressure, haemoglobin concentration and cardiac output, including its distribution. The haemoglobin–oxygen dissociation curve, a graphical representation of the relationship between oxygen satur­ation and oxygen partial pressure helps us to understand some of the principles underpinning this process. Historically this curve was derived from very limited data based on blood samples from small numbers of healthy subjects which were manipulated in vitro and ultimately determined by equations such as those described by Severinghaus in 1979. In a study of 3524 clinical specimens, we found that this equation estimated the SO2 in blood from patients with normal pH and SO2 >70% with remarkable accuracy and, to our knowledge, this is the first large-scale validation of this equation using clinical samples. Oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry (SpO2 is nowadays the standard clinical method for assessing arterial oxygen saturation, providing a convenient, pain-free means of continuously assessing oxygenation, provided the interpreting clinician is aware of important limitations. The use of pulse oximetry reduces the need for arterial blood gas analysis (SaO2 as many patients who are not at risk of hypercapnic respiratory failure or metabolic acidosis and have acceptable SpO2 do not necessarily require blood gas analysis. While arterial sampling remains the gold-standard method of assessing ventilation and oxygenation, in those patients in whom blood gas analysis is indicated, arterialised capillary samples also have a valuable role in patient care. The clinical role of venous blood gases however remains less well defined.

Borehole guided waves in a non-Newtonian (Maxwell) fluid-saturated porous medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhi-Wen, Cui; Jin-Xia, Liu; Ke-Xie, Wang; Gui-Jin, Yao

2010-01-01

The property of acoustic guided waves generated in a fluid-filled borehole surrounded by a non-Newtonian (Maxwell) fluid-saturated porous formation with a permeable wall is investigated. The influence of non-Newtonian effects on acoustic guided waves such as Stoneley waves, pseudo-Rayleigh waves, flexural waves, and screw waves propagations in a fluid-filled borehole is demonstrated based on the generalized Biot–Tsiklauri model by calculating their velocity dispersion and attenuation coefficients. The corresponding acoustic waveforms illustrate their properties in time domain. The results are also compared with those based on generalized Biot's theory. The results show that the influence of non-Newtonian effect on acoustic guided wave, especially on the attenuation coefficient of guided wave propagation in borehole is noticeable. (classical areas of phenomenology)

Propagation des ondes acoustiques dans les milieux poreux saturés Propagation of Acoustic Waves in Saturated Porous Media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Coussy O.

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Ce travail comporte deux parties. La première partie concerne la théorie de la propagation des ondes acoustiques dans les milieux poreux saturés. Une revue des différentes méthodes existantes est faite et un développement critique de la théorie de Biot est exposé en détail. On examine en particulier les différents résultats auxquels cette théorie conduit et on regarde, dans quelles conditions et sur quels problèmes géophysiques, les phénomènes physiques mis en évidence peuvent jouer de manière notable. Dans la deuxième partie, on présente une vérification expérimentale due à Plona (1980 de la théorie de Biot. Après une introduction qualitative de l'expérience mise en place, on expose les résultats obtenus pour un grand nombre de matériaux de porosités différentes. La notion de tortuosité d'un milieu poreux est introduite théoriquement et discutée expérimentalement. This article is in two parts. The first part has to do with the theory of acoustic wave propagation in saturated porous media. Different existing methods are reviewed, and Biot's theory is critically developed in detail. In particular, the different results to which this theory leads are examined, and the conditions and geophysical problems on which the physical phenomena involved may have an appreciable effect are considered. The second part is devoted to the experimental check made by Plona (1980 of Biot's theory. After a qualitative introduction of the experimental procedure, the results obtained for many materials of different porosities are described. The concept of the tortuosity of a porous medium is introduced theoretically and discussed experimentally.

Growth of the microalgae Neochloris oleoabundans at high partial oxygen pressures and sub-saturating light intensity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sousa, C.A.; Winter, de L.; Janssen, M.G.J.; Vermue, M.H.; Wijffels, R.H.

2012-01-01

The effect of partial oxygen pressure on growth of Neochloris oleoabundans was studied at sub-saturating light intensity in a fully-controlled stirred tank photobioreactor. At the three partial oxygen pressures tested (PO2=0.24; 0.63; 0.84 bar), the specific growth rate was 1.38; 1.36 and 1.06

Natural convection in square cavity filled with ferrofluid saturated porous medium in the presence of uniform magnetic field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Javed, Tariq [Department of Mathematics and Statistics, FBAS, International Islamic University, Islamabad 44000 (Pakistan); Mehmood, Z., E-mail: rajaziafat@yahoo.com [Department of Mathematics and Statistics, FBAS, International Islamic University, Islamabad 44000 (Pakistan); Abbas, Z. [Department of Mathematics, The Islamia University, Bahawalpur (Pakistan)

2017-02-01

This article contains numerical results for free convection through square enclosure enclosing ferrofluid saturated porous medium when uniform magnetic field is applied upon the flow along x-axis. Heat is provided through bottom wall and a square blockage placed near left or right bottom corner of enclosure as a heat source. Left and right vertical boundaries of the cavity are considered insulated while upper wall is taken cold. The problem is modelled in terms of system of nonlinear partial differential equations. Finite element method has been adopted to compute numerical simulations of mathematical problem for wide range of pertinent flow parameters including Rayleigh number, Hartman number, Darcy number and Prandtl number. Analysis of results reveals that the strength of streamline circulation is an increasing function of Darcy and Prandtl number where convection heat transfer is dominant for large values of these parameters whereas increase in Hartman number has opposite effects on isotherms and streamline circulations. Thermal conductivity and hence local heat transfer rate of fluid gets increased when ferroparticles are introduced in the fluid. Average Nusselt number increases with increase in Darcy and Rayleigh numbers while it is decreases when Hartman number is increased.

Natural convection in square cavity filled with ferrofluid saturated porous medium in the presence of uniform magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Javed, Tariq; Mehmood, Z.; Abbas, Z.

2017-01-01

This article contains numerical results for free convection through square enclosure enclosing ferrofluid saturated porous medium when uniform magnetic field is applied upon the flow along x-axis. Heat is provided through bottom wall and a square blockage placed near left or right bottom corner of enclosure as a heat source. Left and right vertical boundaries of the cavity are considered insulated while upper wall is taken cold. The problem is modelled in terms of system of nonlinear partial differential equations. Finite element method has been adopted to compute numerical simulations of mathematical problem for wide range of pertinent flow parameters including Rayleigh number, Hartman number, Darcy number and Prandtl number. Analysis of results reveals that the strength of streamline circulation is an increasing function of Darcy and Prandtl number where convection heat transfer is dominant for large values of these parameters whereas increase in Hartman number has opposite effects on isotherms and streamline circulations. Thermal conductivity and hence local heat transfer rate of fluid gets increased when ferroparticles are introduced in the fluid. Average Nusselt number increases with increase in Darcy and Rayleigh numbers while it is decreases when Hartman number is increased.

Scattering by a spherical inhomogeneity in a fluid-saturated porous medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berryman, J.G.

1985-01-01

A fast compressional wave incident on an inhomogeneity in a fluid-saturated porous medium will produce three scattered elastic waves: a fast compressional wave, a slow compressional wave, and a shear wave. This problem is formulated as a multipole expansion using Biot's equations of poroelasticity. The solution for the first term (n = 0) in the multipole series involves a 4 x 4 system which is solved analytically in the long-wavelength limit. All higher-order terms (n > or = 1) require the solution of a 6 x 6 system. A procedure for solving these equations by splitting the problem into a 4 x 4 system and a 2 x 2 system and then iterating is introduced. The first iterate is just the solution of the elastic wave scattering problem in the absence of fluid effects. Higher iterates include the successive perturbation effects of fluid/solid interaction

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.

Determination of saturation functions and wettability for chalk based on measured fluid saturations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olsen, D.; Bech, N.; Moeller Nielsen, C.

1998-08-01

The end effect of displacement experiments on low permeable porous media is used for determination of relative permeability functions and capillary pressure functions. Saturation functions for a drainage process are determined from a primary drainage experiment. A reversal of the flooding direction creates an intrinsic imbibition process in the sample, which enables determination if imbibition saturation functions. The saturation functions are determined by a parameter estimation technique. Scanning effects are modelled by the method of Killough. Saturation profiles are determined by NMR. (au)

The transport behaviour of elemental mercury DNAPL in saturated porous media: analysis of field observations and two-phase flow modelling.

Science.gov (United States)

Sweijen, Thomas; Hartog, Niels; Marsman, Annemieke; Keijzer, Thomas J S

2014-06-01

Mercury is a contaminant of global concern. The use of elemental mercury in various (former) industrial processes, such as chlorine production at chlor-alkali plants, is known to have resulted in soil and groundwater contaminations worldwide. However, the subsurface transport behaviour of elemental mercury as an immiscible dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) in porous media has received minimal attention to date. Even though, such insight would aid in the remediation effort of mercury contaminated sites. Therefore, in this study a detailed field characterization of elemental mercury DNAPL distribution with depth was performed together with two-phase flow modelling, using STOMP. This is to evaluate the dynamics of mercury DNAPL migration and the controls on its distribution in saturated porous media. Using a CPT-probe mounted with a digital camera, in-situ mercury DNAPL depth distribution was obtained at a former chlor-alkali-plant, down to 9 m below ground surface. Images revealing the presence of silvery mercury DNAPL droplets were used to quantify its distribution, characteristics and saturation, using an image analysis method. These field-observations with depth were compared with results from a one-dimensional two-phase flow model simulation for the same transect. Considering the limitations of this approach, simulations reasonably reflected the variability and range of the mercury DNAPL distribution. To further explore the impact of mercury's physical properties in comparison with more common DNAPLs, the migration of mercury and PCE DNAPL in several typical hydrological scenarios was simulated. Comparison of the simulations suggest that mercury's higher density is the overall controlling factor in controlling its penetration in saturated porous media, despite its higher resistance to flow due to its higher viscosity. Based on these results the hazard of spilled mercury DNAPL to cause deep contamination of groundwater systems seems larger than for any other

Film condensation on a porous vertical surface in a porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebinuma, C.D.; Liu, C.Y.; Ismail, K.A.R.

1983-01-01

The problem of dry saturated steam film condensation by natural convection on a porous surface in a porous medium is presented. Through the classical Darcy law for flow in porous medium and the approximations considered in the Boundary layer theory, it is shown that the analytical solution exists only when the normal velocity to the porous wall is inversly proportional to the square root of the distance along the plate. (E.G.) [pt

HAM solutions on MHD squeezing axisymmetric flow of water nanofluid through saturated porous medium between two parallel disks

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, B. Siva Kumar; Rao, K. V. Surya Narayana; Vijaya, R. Bhuvana

2017-07-01

In this paper, we have considered the unsteady magnetohydrodynamic squeezing axi-symmetric flow of water-nanofluid through saturated porous medium between two parallel disks. The equations for the governing flow are solved by Galerkin optimal Homotopy asymptotic method. The effects of non-dimensional parameters on velocity, temperature and concentration have been discussed with the help of graphs. Also we obtained local Nusselt number and computationally discussed with reference to flow parameters.

Fluid dynamics and mass transfer in variably saturated porous media: formulation and applications of a mathematical model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, D.

1982-01-01

This paper presents the formulation and applications of a mathematical model designed to predict the fluid dynamics and associated mass transfers in variably saturated porous media. Novelties in the formulation are emphasized and demonstrated to provide several computational advantages. The numerical procedure employed is of the integrated finite-difference variety which employs a hybrid differencing scheme. This procedure, while solving the coupled governing equations in conservative form, permits accommodation of substantial heterogeneities and anisotropies in material properties of the porous media. Accordingly, it is capable of making reliable predictions of steeply varying moisture and chemical-specie concentration fronts. The paper provides several examples of application of the model to the solution of practical problems. It is demonstrated that economical solutions to highly non-linear problems associated with solid and liquid waste disposal practices can be obtained

Growth of the microalgae Neochloris oleoabundans at high partial oxygen pressures and sub-saturating light intensity.

Science.gov (United States)

Sousa, Cláudia; de Winter, Lenneke; Janssen, Marcel; Vermuë, Marian H; Wijffels, René H

2012-01-01

The effect of partial oxygen pressure on growth of Neochloris oleoabundans was studied at sub-saturating light intensity in a fully-controlled stirred tank photobioreactor. At the three partial oxygen pressures tested (P(O)₂= 0.24; 0.63; 0.84 bar), the specific growth rate was 1.38; 1.36 and 1.06 day(-1), respectively. An increase of the P(CO)₂from 0.007 to 0.02 bar at P(O₂) of 0.84 bar resulted in an increase in the growth rate from 1.06 to 1.36 day(-1). These results confirm that the reduction of algal growth at high oxygen concentrations at sub-saturating light conditions is mainly caused by competitive inhibition of Rubisco. This negative effect on growth can be overcome by restoring the O(2)/CO(2) ratio by an increase in the partial carbon dioxide pressure. In comparison to general practice (P(O(2)) = 0.42 bar), working at partial O(2) pressure of 0.84 bar could reduce the energy requirement for degassing by a factor of 3-4. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Simulation of coupled flow and mechanical deformation using IMplicit Pressure-Displacement Explicit Saturation (IMPDES) scheme

KAUST Repository

El-Amin, Mohamed

2012-01-01

The problem of coupled structural deformation with two-phase flow in porous media is solved numerically using cellcentered finite difference (CCFD) method. In order to solve the system of governed partial differential equations, the implicit pressure explicit saturation (IMPES) scheme that governs flow equations is combined with the the implicit displacement scheme. The combined scheme may be called IMplicit Pressure-Displacement Explicit Saturation (IMPDES). The pressure distribution for each cell along the entire domain is given by the implicit difference equation. Also, the deformation equations are discretized implicitly. Using the obtained pressure, velocity is evaluated explicitly, while, using the upwind scheme, the saturation is obtained explicitly. Moreover, the stability analysis of the present scheme has been introduced and the stability condition is determined.

Transformation of seismic velocity data to extract porosity and saturation values for rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berryman, James G.; Berge, Patricia A.; Bonner, Brian P.

2000-01-01

For wave propagation at low frequencies in a porous medium, the Gassmann-Domenico relations are well-established for homogeneous partial saturation by a liquid. They provide the correct relations for seismic velocities in terms of constituent bulk and shear moduli, solid and fluid densities, porosity and saturation. It has not been possible, however, to invert these relations easily to determine porosity and saturation when the seismic velocities are known. Also, the state (or distribution) of saturation, i.e., whether or not liquid and gas are homogeneously mixed in the pore space, is another important variable for reservoir evaluation. A reliable ability to determine the state of saturation from velocity data continues to be problematic. It is shown how transforming compressional and shear wave velocity data to the (ρ/λ,μ/λ)-plane (where λ and μ are the Lame parameters and ρ is the total density) results in a set of quasi-orthogonal coordinates for porosity and liquid saturation that greatly aids in the interpretation of seismic data for the physical parameters of most interest. A second transformation of the same data then permits isolation of the liquid saturation value, and also provides some direct information about the state of saturation. By thus replotting the data in the (λ/μ, ρ/μ)-plane, inferences can be made concerning the degree of patchy (inhomogeneous) versus homogeneous saturation that is present in the region of the medium sampled by the data. Our examples include igneous and sedimentary rocks, as well as man-made porous materials. These results have potential applications in various areas of interest, including petroleum exploration and reservoir characterization, geothermal resource evaluation, environmental restoration monitoring, and geotechnical site characterization. (c) 2000 Acoustical Society of America

Partially to fully saturated flow through smooth, clean, open fractures: qualitative experimental studies

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Brendon R.; Brouwers, Luke B.; Dippenaar, Matthys A.

2018-05-01

Fractures are both rough and irregular but can be expressed by a simple model concept of two smooth parallel plates and the associated cubic law governing discharge through saturated fractures. However, in natural conditions and in the intermediate vadose zone, these assumptions are likely violated. This paper presents a qualitative experimental study investigating the cubic law under variable saturation in initially dry free-draining discrete fractures. The study comprised flow visualisation experiments conducted on transparent replicas of smooth parallel plates with inlet conditions of constant pressure and differing flow rates over both vertical and horizontal inclination. Flow conditions were altered to investigate the influence of intermittent and continuous influx scenarios. Findings from this research proved, for instance, that saturated laminar flow is not likely achieved, especially in nonhorizontal fractures. In vertical fractures, preferential flow occupies the minority of cross-sectional area despite the water supply. Movement of water through the fractured vadose zone therefore becomes a matter of the continuity principle, whereby water should theoretically be transported downward at significantly higher flow rates given the very low degree of water saturation. Current techniques that aim to quantify discrete fracture flow, notably at partial saturation, are questionable. Inspired by the results of this study, it is therefore hypothetically improbable to achieve saturation in vertical fractures under free-draining wetting conditions. It does become possible under extremely excessive water inflows or when not free-draining; however, the converse is not true, as a wet vertical fracture can be drained.

Partially to fully saturated flow through smooth, clean, open fractures: qualitative experimental studies

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Brendon R.; Brouwers, Luke B.; Dippenaar, Matthys A.

2017-11-01

Fractures are both rough and irregular but can be expressed by a simple model concept of two smooth parallel plates and the associated cubic law governing discharge through saturated fractures. However, in natural conditions and in the intermediate vadose zone, these assumptions are likely violated. This paper presents a qualitative experimental study investigating the cubic law under variable saturation in initially dry free-draining discrete fractures. The study comprised flow visualisation experiments conducted on transparent replicas of smooth parallel plates with inlet conditions of constant pressure and differing flow rates over both vertical and horizontal inclination. Flow conditions were altered to investigate the influence of intermittent and continuous influx scenarios. Findings from this research proved, for instance, that saturated laminar flow is not likely achieved, especially in nonhorizontal fractures. In vertical fractures, preferential flow occupies the minority of cross-sectional area despite the water supply. Movement of water through the fractured vadose zone therefore becomes a matter of the continuity principle, whereby water should theoretically be transported downward at significantly higher flow rates given the very low degree of water saturation. Current techniques that aim to quantify discrete fracture flow, notably at partial saturation, are questionable. Inspired by the results of this study, it is therefore hypothetically improbable to achieve saturation in vertical fractures under free-draining wetting conditions. It does become possible under extremely excessive water inflows or when not free-draining; however, the converse is not true, as a wet vertical fracture can be drained.

Influence of moisture condition on chloride diffusion in partially saturated ordinary Portland cement mortar

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhang, Y.; Zhang, M.; Ye, G.

2018-01-01

Experiments have been carried out to study the influence of moisture condition, including moisture content and its distribution, on the chloride diffusion in partially saturated ordinary Portland cement mortar. The mortar samples with water-to-cement (w/c) ratios of 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6, cured for 1

Convergence Analysis of a FV-FE Scheme for Partially Miscible Two-Phase Flow in Anisotropic Porous Media

KAUST Repository

Saad, Bilal Mohammed; Saad, Mazen

2014-01-01

We study the convergence of a combined finite volume nonconforming finite element scheme on general meshes for a partially miscible two-phase flow model in anisotropic porous media. This model includes capillary effects and exchange between the phase. The diffusion term,which can be anisotropic and heterogeneous, is discretized by piecewise linear nonconforming triangular finite elements. The other terms are discretized by means of a cell-centered finite volume scheme on a dual mesh. The relative permeability of each phase is decentred according the sign of the velocity at the dual interface. The convergence of the scheme is proved thanks to an estimate on the two pressures which allows to show estimates on the discrete time and compactness results in the case of degenerate relative permeabilities. A key point in the scheme is to use particular averaging formula for the dissolution function arising in the diffusion term. We show also a simulation of CO2 injection in a water saturated reservoir and nuclear waste management. Numerical results are obtained by in-house numerical code. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014.

Saturated-unsaturated flow to a partially penetrating well with storage in a compressible aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, P. K.; Neuman, S. P.

2010-12-01

Mishra and Neuman [2010] developed an analytical solution for flow to a partially penetrating well of zero radius in a compressible unconfined aquifer that allows inferring its saturated and unsaturated hydraulic properties from responses recorded in the saturated and/or the unsaturated zone. We extend their solution to the case of a finite diameter pumping well with storage. Both solutions account for horizontal as well as vertical flows throughout the system. We investigate the effects of storage in the pumping well and delayed piezometer response on drawdowns in the saturated and unsaturated zones as functions of position and time; validate our solution against numerical simulations of drawdown in a synthetic aquifer having unsaturated properties described by the van Genuchten - Mualem constitutive model; and use our solution to analyze drawdown data from a pumping test conducted at the Borden site in Ontario, Canada.

A gravitational procedure to measure the diffusion coefficient of mater in porous materials : a case study on concrete

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zanden, van der A.J.J.; Taher, A.

2014-01-01

A new procedure is presented with which the diffusion coefficient of water in partially saturated porous materials can be measured. The first step in the procedure is the creation of a non-equilibrium situation inside a sample by placing it into a centrifuge. In the second step, the mass of the

Transient heat characteristics of water-saturated porous media with freezing; Toketsu wo tomonau gansui takoshitsu sonai no hiteijo netsu tokusei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sasaki, A [Akita National College of Technology, Akita (Japan)

1998-02-25

Analytical and experimental investigations were performed to examine the transient heat characteristics of water-saturated porous media with freezing. As a physical model, a two-dimensional vertical cavity was considered. One vertical wall was abruptly cooled below the fusion temperature. Other three walls were thermally insulated. Three different sizes of glass, and iron, alumina and copper beads were used as the porous media in this study. The cold energy stored up in the porous media and the average thickness of frozen layer were measured in the experiments. Comparisons of the analytical results with the experimental ones were made, and the effects of Darcy number, Stefan number and modified Prandtl number on the transient heat characteristics were discussed. The dimensionless equations for predicting the averaged frozen layer thickness and the stored cold energy were obtained as a function of various dimensionless parameters. 8 refs., 16 figs., 1 tab.

Gravity modulation of thermal instability in a viscoelastic fluid saturated anisotropic porous medium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhadauria, Beer S. [Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Univ., Lucknow (India). Dept. of Applied Mathematics and Statistics; Banaras Hindu Univ., Varanasi (India). Dept. of Mathematics; Srivastava, Atul K. [Banaras Hindu Univ., Varanasi (India). Dept. of Mathematics; Sacheti, Nirmal C.; Chandran, Pallath [Sultan Qaboos Univ., Muscat (Oman). Dept. of Mathematics

2012-01-15

The present paper deals with a thermal instability problem in a viscoelastic fluid saturating an anisotropic porous medium under gravity modulation. To find the gravity modulation effect, the gravity field is considered in two parts: a constant part and an externally imposed time-dependent periodic part. The time-dependent part of the gravity field, which can be realized by shaking the fluid, has been represented by a sinusoidal function. Using Hill's equation and the Floquet theory, the convective threshold has been obtained. It is found that gravity modulation can significantly affect the stability limits of the system. Further, we find that there is a competition between the synchronous and subharmonic modes of convection at the onset of instability. Effects of various parameters on the onset of instability have also been discussed. (orig.)

Experimental study on heat transfer enhancement of laminar ferrofluid flow in horizontal tube partially filled porous media under fixed parallel magnet bars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sheikhnejad, Yahya; Hosseini, Reza, E-mail: hoseinir@aut.ac.ir; Saffar Avval, Majid

2017-02-15

In this study, steady state laminar ferroconvection through circular horizontal tube partially filled with porous media under constant heat flux is experimentally investigated. Transverse magnetic fields were applied on ferrofluid flow by two fixed parallel magnet bar positioned on a certain distance from beginning of the test section. The results show promising notable enhancement in heat transfer as a consequence of partially filled porous media and magnetic field, up to 2.2 and 1.4 fold enhancement were observed in heat transfer coefficient respectively. It was found that presence of both porous media and magnetic field simultaneously can highly improve heat transfer up to 2.4 fold. Porous media of course plays a major role in this configuration. Virtually, application of Magnetic field and porous media also insert higher pressure loss along the pipe which again porous media contribution is higher that magnetic field. - Highlights: • Porous media can improve the coefficient of heat transfer up to 2.2 fold. • Both porous media and Nano particles have undesired pressure drop effect. • Application of both porous media and magnetic field in ferrofluid flow will result in significant enhancement in heat transfer up to 2.4 fold. • Magnet bar effect is mainly restricted to approximately one fourth of the test section. • Diluted Ferrofluids 2%, results in over 1.4 fold enhancement in heat transfer coefficient.

On Neglecting Chemical Exchange Effects When Correcting in Vivo 31P MRS Data for Partial Saturation

Science.gov (United States)

Ouwerkerk, Ronald; Bottomley, Paul A.

2001-02-01

Signal acquisition in most MRS experiments requires a correction for partial saturation that is commonly based on a single exponential model for T1 that ignores effects of chemical exchange. We evaluated the errors in 31P MRS measurements introduced by this approximation in two-, three-, and four-site chemical exchange models under a range of flip-angles and pulse sequence repetition times (TR) that provide near-optimum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In two-site exchange, such as the creatine-kinase reaction involving phosphocreatine (PCr) and γ-ATP in human skeletal and cardiac muscle, errors in saturation factors were determined for the progressive saturation method and the dual-angle method of measuring T1. The analysis shows that these errors are negligible for the progressive saturation method if the observed T1 is derived from a three-parameter fit of the data. When T1 is measured with the dual-angle method, errors in saturation factors are less than 5% for all conceivable values of the chemical exchange rate and flip-angles that deliver useful SNR per unit time over the range T1/5 ≤ TR ≤ 2T1. Errors are also less than 5% for three- and four-site exchange when TR ≥ T1*/2, the so-called "intrinsic" T1's of the metabolites. The effect of changing metabolite concentrations and chemical exchange rates on observed T1's and saturation corrections was also examined with a three-site chemical exchange model involving ATP, PCr, and inorganic phosphate in skeletal muscle undergoing up to 95% PCr depletion. Although the observed T1's were dependent on metabolite concentrations, errors in saturation corrections for TR = 2 s could be kept within 5% for all exchanging metabolites using a simple interpolation of two dual-angle T1 measurements performed at the start and end of the experiment. Thus, the single-exponential model appears to be reasonably accurate for correcting 31P MRS data for partial saturation in the presence of chemical exchange. Even in systems where

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.

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

Pore-scale modeling of vapor transport in partially saturated capillary tube with variable area using chemical potential

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Addassi, Mouadh; Schreyer, Lynn; Johannesson, Björn

2016-01-01

Here we illustrate the usefulness of using the chemical potential as the primary unknown by modeling isothermal vapor transport through a partially saturated cylindrically symmetric capillary tube of variable cross-sectional area using a single equation. There are no fitting parameters and the nu......Here we illustrate the usefulness of using the chemical potential as the primary unknown by modeling isothermal vapor transport through a partially saturated cylindrically symmetric capillary tube of variable cross-sectional area using a single equation. There are no fitting parameters...... and the numerical solutions to the equation are compared with experimental results with excellent agreement. We demonstrate that isothermal vapor transport can be accurately modeled without modeling the details of the contact angle, microscale temperature fluctuations, or pressure fluctuations using a modification...

Entropy generation in Poiseuille flow through a channel partially filled with a porous material

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kumar Vikas

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In the present paper, a theoretical analysis of entropy generation due to fully developed flow and heat transfer through a parallel plate channel partially filled with a porous medium under the effect of transverse magnetic field and radiation is presented. Both horizontal plates of the channel are kept at constant and equal temperature. An exact solution of governing equation for both porous and clear fluid regions has been obtained in closed form. The entropy generation number and the Bejan number are also calculated. The effects of various parameters such as magnetic field parameter, radiation parameter, Brinkman number, permeability parameter, ratios of viscosities and thermal conductivities are examined on velocity, temperature, entropy generation rate.

Capillary pressure-saturation relationships for porous granular materials: Pore morphology method vs. pore unit assembly method

Science.gov (United States)

Sweijen, Thomas; Aslannejad, Hamed; Hassanizadeh, S. Majid

2017-09-01

In studies of two-phase flow in complex porous media it is often desirable to have an estimation of the capillary pressure-saturation curve prior to measurements. Therefore, we compare in this research the capability of three pore-scale approaches in reproducing experimentally measured capillary pressure-saturation curves. To do so, we have generated 12 packings of spheres that are representative of four different glass-bead packings and eight different sand packings, for which we have found experimental data on the capillary pressure-saturation curve in the literature. In generating the packings, we matched the particle size distributions and porosity values of the granular materials. We have used three different pore-scale approaches for generating the capillary pressure-saturation curves of each packing: i) the Pore Unit Assembly (PUA) method in combination with the Mayer and Stowe-Princen (MS-P) approximation for estimating the entry pressures of pore throats, ii) the PUA method in combination with the hemisphere approximation, and iii) the Pore Morphology Method (PMM) in combination with the hemisphere approximation. The three approaches were also used to produce capillary pressure-saturation curves for the coating layer of paper, used in inkjet printing. Curves for such layers are extremely difficult to determine experimentally, due to their very small thickness and the presence of extremely small pores (less than one micrometer in size). Results indicate that the PMM and PUA-hemisphere method give similar capillary pressure-saturation curves, because both methods rely on a hemisphere to represent the air-water interface. The ability of the hemisphere approximation and the MS-P approximation to reproduce correct capillary pressure seems to depend on the type of particle size distribution, with the hemisphere approximation working well for narrowly distributed granular materials.

Predicting elastic properties of porous fluid-filled rocks by inverting the BGG equation: Applications to seismic and borehole data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benson, A.K.; Wu, J.

2000-01-01

Two of the needed elastic parameters for predicting velocities in porous, fluid-filled rocks, the bulk modulus of the empty, porous rock and the shear modulus of the rock, are very difficult to obtain in situ. A novel modeling approach is developed by inverting the Biot-Geertsma-Gassmann (BGG) and shear-wave equations to generate values for the bulk and shear moduli, respectively, by using available velocity and porosity data obtained from borehole logs and/or cores from water/brine-saturated rocks. These values of bulk and shear moduli, along with reasonable in-situ estimates of rock-matrix and fluid parameters generated from the Batzle-Wang formulation, are then used to predict compressional and shear-wave velocities, compressional-shear wave ratios, and reflection coefficients at the interfaces between host rocks and fluid-saturated rocks, either fully or partially saturated with hydrocarbons or water, as a function of depth and/or porosity

Numerical simulation of flow boiling for organic fluid with high saturation temperature in vertical porous coated tube

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang Dong, E-mail: dyang@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an, Shaanxi Province 710049 (China); Pan Jie; Wu Yanhua; Chen Tingkuan [State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an, Shaanxi Province 710049 (China); Zhou, Chenn Q. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University Calumet, Hammond, IN 46323 (United States)

2011-08-15

Highlights: > A model is developed for the prediction of flow boiling in vertical porous tubes. > The model assumes that the nucleate boiling plays an important role. > The present model can predict most of the experimental values within {+-}20%. > The results indicate the nucleate boiling contribution decreases from 50% to 15%. - Abstract: A semi-analytical model is developed for the prediction of flow boiling heat transfer inside vertical porous coated tubes. The model assumes that the forced convection and nucleate boiling coexist together in the annular flow regime. Conservations of mass, momentum, and energy are used to solve for the liquid film thickness and temperature. The heat flux due to nucleate boiling consists of those inside and outside micro-tunnels. To close the equations, a detailed analysis of various forces acting on the bubble is presented to predict its mean departure diameter. The active nucleation site density of porous layer is determined from the pool boiling correlation by introducing suppression factor. The flow boiling heat transfer coefficients of organic fluid (cumene) with high saturation temperature in a vertical flame-spraying porous coated tube are studied numerically. It is shown that the present model can predict most of the experimental values within {+-}20%. The numerical results also indicate that the nucleate boiling contribution to the overall heat transfer coefficient decreases from 50% to 15% with vapor quality increasing from 0.1 to 0.5.

Numerical heat transfer analysis of transcritical hydrocarbon fuel flow in a tube partially filled with porous media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiang Yuguang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Hydrocarbon fuel has been widely used in air-breathing scramjets and liquid rocket engines as coolant and propellant. However, possible heat transfer deterioration and threats from local high heat flux area in scramjet make heat transfer enhancement essential. In this work, 2-D steady numerical simulation was carried out to study different schemes of heat transfer enhancement based on a partially filled porous media in a tube. Both boundary and central layouts were analyzed and effects of gradient porous media were also compared. The results show that heat transfer in the transcritical area is enhanced at least 3 times with the current configuration compared to the clear tube. Besides, the proper use of gradient porous media also enhances the heat transfer compared to homogenous porous media, which could help to avoid possible over-temperature in the thermal protection.

Observation of a new surface mode on a fluid-saturated permeable solid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagy, P.B.

1992-01-01

Almost ten years ago, S. Feng and D. L. Johnson predicted the presence of a new surface mode on a fluid/fluid-saturated porous solid interface with closed surface pores [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 74, 906 (1983)]. We found that, due to surface tension, practically closed-pore boundary conditions can prevail at an interface between a nonwetting fluid (e.g., air) and a porous solid saturated with a wetting fluid (e.g., water or alcohol). Surface wave velocity and attenuation measurements were made on alcohol-saturated porous sintered glass at 100 kHz. The experimental results show clear evidence of the new ''slow'' surface mode predicted by Feng and Johnson

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.

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.

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.

Surface wave propagation in a fluid-saturated incompressible ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

dilatational and one rotational elastic waves in fluid-saturated porous solids. Biot theory ..... If the pore liquid is absent or gas is filled in the pores, then ρF ..... Biot M A (1962) Mechanics of deformation and acoustic propagation in porous media.

Hydrocarbons biodegradation in unsaturated porous medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gautier, C.

2007-12-01

Biological processes are expected to play an important role in the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in contaminated soils. However, factors influencing the kinetics of biodegradation are still not well known, especially in the unsaturated zone. To address these biodegradation questions in the unsaturated zone an innovative experimental set up based on a physical column model was developed. This experimental set up appeared to be an excellent tool for elaboration of a structured porous medium, with well defined porous network and adjusted water/oil saturations. Homogeneous repartition of both liquid phases (i.e., aqueous and non aqueous) in the soil pores, which also contain air, was achieved using ceramic membranes placed at the bottom of the soil column. Reproducible interfaces (and connectivity) are developed between gas, and both non mobile water and NAPL phases, depending on the above-defined characteristics of the porous media and on the partial saturations of these three phases (NAPL, water and gas). A respirometric apparatus was coupled to the column. Such experimental set up have been validated with hexadecane in dilution in an HMN phase. This approach allowed detailed information concerning n-hexadecane biodegradation, in aerobic condition, through the profile of the oxygen consumption rate. We have taken benefit of this technique, varying experimental conditions, to determine the main parameters influencing the biodegradation kinetics and compositional evolution of hydrocarbons, under steady state unsaturated conditions and with respect to aerobic metabolism. Impacts of the nitrogen quantity and of three different grain sizes have been examined. Biodegradation of petroleum cut, as diesel cut and middle distillate without aromatic fraction, were, also studied. (author)

A mathematical theorem on the onset of Couple-Stress fluid permeated with suspended dust particles saturating a porous medium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G Rana

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the effect of suspended particles on thermal convection in Couple-Stress fluid saturating a porous medium is considered. By applying linear stability theory and normal mode analysis method, a mathematical theorem is derived which states that the viscoelastic thermal convection at marginal state, cannot manifest as stationary convection if the thermal Rayleigh number R, the medium permeability parameter Pl, the couple-stress parameter F and suspended particles parameter B, satisfy the inequality

The Parabolic Variational Inequalities for Variably Saturated Water Flow in Heterogeneous Fracture Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zuyang Ye

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Fractures are ubiquitous in geological formations and have a substantial influence on water seepage flow in unsaturated fractured rocks. While the matrix permeability is small enough to be ignored during the partially saturated flow process, water seepage in heterogeneous fracture systems may occur in a non-volume-average manner as distinguished from a macroscale continuum model. This paper presents a systematic numerical method which aims to provide a better understanding of the effect of fracture distribution on the water seepage behavior in such media. Based on the partial differential equation (PDE formulations with a Signorini-type complementary condition on the variably saturated water flow in heterogeneous fracture networks, the equivalent parabolic variational inequality (PVI formulations are proposed and the related numerical algorithm in the context of the finite element scheme is established. With the application to the continuum porous media, the results of the numerical simulation for one-dimensional infiltration fracture are compared to the analytical solutions and good agreements are obtained. From the application to intricate fracture systems, it is found that water seepage flow can move rapidly along preferential pathways in a nonuniform fashion and the variably saturated seepage behavior is intimately related to the geometrical characteristics orientation of fractures.

Transport of Sr 2+ and SrEDTA 2- in partially-saturated and heterogeneous sediments

Science.gov (United States)

Pace, M. N.; Mayes, M. A.; Jardine, P. M.; McKay, L. D.; Yin, X. L.; Mehlhorn, T. L.; Liu, Q.; Gürleyük, H.

2007-05-01

Strontium-90 has migrated deep into the unsaturated subsurface beneath leaking storage tanks in the Waste Management Areas (WMA) at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Reservation. Faster than expected transport of contaminants in the vadose zone is typically attributed to either physical hydrologic processes such as development of preferential flow pathways, or to geochemical processes such as the formation of stable, anionic complexes with organic chelates, e.g., ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). The goal of this paper is to determine whether hydrological processes in the Hanford sediments can influence the geochemistry of the system and hence control transport of Sr 2+ and SrEDTA 2-. The study used batch isotherms, saturated packed column experiments, and an unsaturated transport experiment in an undisturbed core. Isotherms and repacked column experiments suggested that the SrEDTA 2- complex was unstable in the presence of Hanford sediments, resulting in dissociation and transport of Sr 2+ as a divalent cation. A decrease in sorption with increasing solid:solution ratio for Sr 2+ and SrEDTA 2- suggested mineral dissolution resulted in competition for sorption sites and the formation of stable aqueous complexes. This was confirmed by detection of MgEDTA 2-, MnEDTA 2-, PbEDTA 2-, and unidentified Sr and Ca complexes. Displacement of Sr 2+ through a partially-saturated undisturbed core resulted in less retardation and more irreversible sorption than was observed in the saturated repacked columns, and model results suggested a significant reservoir (49%) of immobile water was present during transport through the heterogeneous layered sediments. The undisturbed core was subsequently disassembled along distinct bedding planes and subjected to sequential extractions. Strontium was unequally distributed between carbonates (49%), ion exchange sites (37%), and the oxide (14%) fraction. An inverse relationship between mass wetness and Sr suggested that

Laboratory analysis of fluid flow and solute transport through a variably saturated fracture embedded in porous tuff

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chuang, Y.; Haldeman, W.R.; Rasmussen, T.C.; Evans, D.D.

1990-02-01

Laboratory techniques are developed that allow concurrent measurement of unsaturated matrix hydraulic conductivity and fracture transmissivity of fractured rock blocks. Two Apache Leap tuff blocks with natural fractures were removed from near Superior, Arizona, shaped into rectangular prisms, and instrumented in the laboratory. Porous ceramic plates provided solution to block tops at regulated pressures. Infiltration tests were performed on both test blocks. Steady flow testing of the saturated first block provided estimates of matrix hydraulic conductivity and fracture transmissivity. Fifteen centimeters of suction applied to the second block top showed that fracture flow was minimal and matrix hydraulic conductivity was an order of magnitude less than the first block saturated matrix conductivity. Coated-wire ion-selective electrodes monitored aqueous chlorided breakthrough concentrations. Minute samples of tracer solution were collected with filter paper. The techniques worked well for studying transport behavior at near-saturated flow conditions and also appear to be promising for unsaturated conditions. Breakthrough curves in the fracture and matrix, and a concentration map of chloride concentrations within the fracture, suggest preferential flows paths in the fracture and substantial diffusion into the matrix. Average travel velocity, dispersion coefficient and longitudinal dispersivity in the fracture are obtained. 67 refs., 54 figs., 23 tabs

Experimental study and theoretical interpretation of saturation effect on ultrasonic velocity in tight sandstones under different pressure conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Dongqing; Wei, Jianxin; Di, Bangrang; Ding, Pinbo; Huang, Shiqi; Shuai, Da

2018-03-01

Understanding the influence of lithology, porosity, permeability, pore structure, fluid content and fluid distribution on the elastic wave properties of porous rocks is of great significance for seismic exploration. However, unlike conventional sandstones, the petrophysical characteristics of tight sandstones are more complex and less understood. To address this problem, we measured ultrasonic velocity in partially saturated tight sandstones under different effective pressures. A new model is proposed, combining the Mavko-Jizba-Gurevich relations and the White model. The proposed model can satisfactorily simulate and explain the saturation dependence and pressure dependence of velocity in tight sandstones. Under low effective pressure, the relationship of P-wave velocity to saturation is pre-dominantly attributed to local (pore scale) fluid flow and inhomogeneous pore-fluid distribution (large scale). At higher effective pressure, local fluid flow gradually decreases, and P-wave velocity gradually shifts from uniform saturation towards patchy saturation. We also find that shear modulus is more sensitive to saturation at low effective pressures. The new model includes wetting ratio, an adjustable parameter that is closely related to the relationship between shear modulus and saturation.

Comparison study between the effects of different terms contributing to viscous dissipation in saturated porous media

KAUST Repository

Salama, Amgad

2013-02-01

Some sort of controversy is associated with the problem of viscous dissipation in saturated porous media for which we try to present a comparison study between the influences of the different terms contributing to this phenomenon. We consider viscous dissipation by studying the case of semi-infinite flat plate embedded in saturated porous medium and is kept at constant, higher temperature compared with the surrounding fluid. The fluid is induced to move upwards by natural convection during which viscous dissipation is considered. The boundary layer assumptions are considered to simplify the treatment and to highlight the influencing parameters. The behavior of temperature, and velocity fields in the neighborhood of the vertical flat plate were used to highlight the effects of these parameters. Three terms were considered to contribute to viscous dissipation, namely Darcy\\'s term, the Forchheimer term and Al-Hadharami\\'s term. Although there are no unanimous agreements between researchers to include the Forchhemier term in the dissipation function, some researchers argued it might have an indirect effect and hence for this sake and for completion purposes, we include it in this comparison study. Dimensional considerations reveal that Darcy\\'s term is influenced by Gebhart number, the Forchheimer term is controlled by the non-Darcy parameter and Al-Hadharami\\'s term is influenced by Darcy\\'s number. The governing, non-dimensional set of equations together with the imposed boundary conditions is numerically investigated by finite element method. The results for the details of the governing parameters are presented and investigated. It is found that the irreversible process of transforming the kinetic energy of the moving fluid to heat energy via the viscosity of the moving fluid (i.e., viscous dissipation) is very much influenced by the relative magnitude of these dimensionless parameters. © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Chaotic Darcy-Brinkman convection in a fluid saturated porous layer subjected to gravity modulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moli Zhao

2018-06-01

Full Text Available On the basis of Darcy-Brinkman model, the chaotic convection in a couple stress fluid saturated porous media under gravity modulation is investigated using the nonlinear stability analyses. The transition from steady convection to chaos is analysed with the effect of Darcy-Brinkman couple stress parameter and the gravity modulation. The results show that the chaotic behavior is connected with the critical value of Rayleigh number which is dependent upon the oscillation frequency and the Darcy-Brinkman couple stress parameter. If the oscillation frequency Ω is not zero, the Rayleigh number value R of the chaotic behavior increases with the increase of the Darcy-Brinkman couple stress parameter. The Darcy-Brinkman couple stress parameter and the gravity modulation decrease the rate of heat transfer. Keywords: Darcy-Brinkman model, Gravity modulation, Nonlinear stability, Chaotic convection

Hydromagnetic Flow and Heat Transfer over a Porous Oscillating Stretching Surface in a Viscoelastic Fluid with Porous Medium.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Sami Ullah; Ali, Nasir; Abbas, Zaheer

2015-01-01

An analysis is carried out to study the heat transfer in unsteady two-dimensional boundary layer flow of a magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) second grade fluid over a porous oscillating stretching surface embedded in porous medium. The flow is induced due to infinite elastic sheet which is stretched periodically. With the help of dimensionless variables, the governing flow equations are reduced to a system of non-linear partial differential equations. This system has been solved numerically using the finite difference scheme, in which a coordinate transformation is used to transform the semi-infinite physical space to a bounded computational domain. The influence of the involved parameters on the flow, the temperature distribution, the skin-friction coefficient and the local Nusselt number is shown and discussed in detail. The study reveals that an oscillatory sheet embedded in a fluid-saturated porous medium generates oscillatory motion in the fluid. The amplitude and phase of oscillations depends on the rheology of the fluid as well as on the other parameters coming through imposed boundary conditions, inclusion of body force term and permeability of the porous medium. It is found that amplitude of flow velocity increases with increasing viscoelastic and mass suction/injection parameters. However, it decreases with increasing the strength of the applied magnetic field. Moreover, the temperature of fluid is a decreasing function of viscoelastic parameter, mass suction/injection parameter and Prandtl number.

Steam injection into water-saturated porous rock

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bruining, J.; Marchesin, D.; Duijn, van C.J.

2003-01-01

We formulate conservation laws governing steam injection in a linear porous medium containing water. Heat losses to the outside are neglected. We find a complete and systematic description of all solutions of the Riemann problem for the injection of a mixture of steam and water into a

Uniqueness of Specific Interfacial Area–Capillary Pressure–Saturation Relationship Under Non-Equilibrium Conditions in Two-Phase Porous Media Flow

KAUST Repository

Joekar-Niasar, Vahid; Hassanizadeh, S. Majid

2012-01-01

The capillary pressure-saturation (P c-S w) relationship is one of the central constitutive relationships used in two-phase flow simulations. There are two major concerns regarding this relation. These concerns are partially studied in a

The onset of double diffusive convection in a viscoelastic fluid-saturated porous layer with non-equilibrium model.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhixin Yang

Full Text Available The onset of double diffusive convection in a viscoelastic fluid-saturated porous layer is studied when the fluid and solid phase are not in local thermal equilibrium. The modified Darcy model is used for the momentum equation and a two-field model is used for energy equation each representing the fluid and solid phases separately. The effect of thermal non-equilibrium on the onset of double diffusive convection is discussed. The critical Rayleigh number and the corresponding wave number for the exchange of stability and over-stability are obtained, and the onset criterion for stationary and oscillatory convection is derived analytically and discussed numerically.

Effect of CH4 on the CO2 breakthrough pressure and permeability of partially saturated low-permeability sandstone in the Ordos Basin, China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yan; Yu, Qingchun

2018-01-01

The behavior of CO2 that coexists with CH4 and the effect of CH4 on the CO2 stream need to be deeply analyzed and studied, especially in the presence of water. Our previous studies investigated the breakthrough pressure and permeability of pure CO2 in five partially saturated low-permeability sandstone core samples from the Ordos Basin, and we concluded that rocks with a small pore size and low permeability show considerable sealing capacity even under unsaturated conditions. In this paper, we selected three of these samples for CO2-CH4 gas-mixture breakthrough experiments under various degrees of water saturation. The breakthrough experiments were performed by increasing the gas pressure step by step until breakthrough occurred. Then, the effluent gas mixture was collected for chromatographic partitioning analysis. The results indicate that CH4 significantly affects the breakthrough pressure and permeability of CO2. The presence of CH4 in the gas mixture increases the interfacial tension and, thus, the breakthrough pressure. Therefore, the injected gas mixture that contains the highest (lowest) mole fraction of CH4 results in the largest (smallest) breakthrough pressure. The permeability of the gas mixture is greater than that for pure CO2 because of CH4, and the effective permeability decreases with increased breakthrough pressure. Chromatographic partitioning of the effluent mixture gases indicates that CH4 breaks through ahead of CO2 as a result of its weaker solubility in water. Correlations are established between (1) the breakthrough pressure and water saturation, (2) the effective permeability and water saturation, (3) the breakthrough pressure and effective permeability, and (4) the mole fraction of CO2/CH4 in the effluent mixture gases and water saturation. These results deepen our understanding of the multi-phase flow behavior in the porous media under unsaturated conditions, which have implications for formulating emergency response plans for gas

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...

Configuration de piégeage dans un milieu poreux à saturation résiduelle en huile Configuration of Trapping in a Porous Medium with Residual Oil Saturation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sylvestre L.

2006-11-01

ainsi, d'une part, situer le comportement du milieu poreux par rapport aux deux états de référence précédemment définis et d'autre part, nous avons pu estimer la fraction du volume poreux en écoulement, la composition des zones stagnantes et leur taille moyenne, en fonction de la saturation en huile. L'analyse critique de ces résultats nous permet de conclure que, si certains comportements sont vraisemblablement caractéristiques de notre mode opératoire expérimental et du milieu poreux étudié, la technique mise au point (traçage et interprétation par un modèle PDE pourrait être utilisée avec succès dans le cas de milieux poreux réels. This article analyzes the hydrodynamics and spatial distribution of liquid phases in a porous medium with residual oil saturation. Experiments were performed in a porous medium made up of glass beads piled up in a column. Water drive was used to achieve decane saturations of up to 30% pore volume. The sweep water was traced during each experiment by a dyestuff that was insoluble in oil. The distribution curves of the tracer residence time, obtained upon issuing from the medium, were analyzed by a chromatographic model of the piston-dispersion type with exchange (PDE. This model covers all the pores in which the sweeping phase is flowing as well as the stagnant sections containing trapped water and oil. In the first phase an analysis of equations led to a definition, in the form of adimensional variables, of the penetrability of the porous medium and of the time constants respectively characterizing flow in the mobile phase and diffusion in stagnant zones. An examination of the influence of these variables on the flows transferred led to a definition of the state of distribution equilibrium of the solute between the stagnant and mobile phases. Two reference situations were chosen: (i equilibrium almost reached, and (ii negligible penetration of stagnant zones. On these bases, correlations were established between the

FY 2000 Annual Report for EMSP Project No.70108 - Effects of Fluid Distribution on Measured Geophysical Properties for Partially Saturated, Shallow Subsurface Conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berge, P.A.; Bonner, B.P.; Roberts, J.J.; Wildenschild, D.; Aracne-Ruddle, C.M.; Berryman, J.G.; Bertete-Aguirre, H.; Boro, C.O.; Carlberg, E.D.

2000-01-01

Our goal is to improve geophysical imaging of the vadose zone. We will achieve this goal by providing new methods to improve interpretation of field data. The purpose of this EMSP project is to develop relationships between laboratory measured geophysical properties and porosity, saturation, and fluid distribution, for partially saturated soils. Algorithms for relationships between soil composition, saturation, and geophysical measurements will provide new methods to interpret geophysical field data collected in the vadose zone at sites such as Hanford, WA. This report summarizes work after 10 months of a 3-year project. We have modified a laboratory ultrasonics apparatus developed in a previous EMSP project (No.55411) so that we can make velocity measurements for partially-saturated samples rather than fully-saturated or dry samples. We are testing the measurement apparatus using standard laboratory sand samples such as Ottawa sand samples. Preliminary results indicate that we can measure both compressional and shear velocities in these sand samples. We have received Hanford soil samples (sands from split-spoon cores from an uncontaminated site) and expect to make ultrasonic measurements on them also. We have used the LLNL x-ray facility to perform x-ray computed tomography (XCT) imaging for several partially-saturated Ottawa sand and Lincoln sand samples, and have also used the DOE Advance Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory to make higher-resolution images of some sand samples. Preliminary results indicate that we can image amount and distribution of fluids in homogeneous sand samples. Continuing work from the previous EMSP project, we are testing a new data analysis method for seismic data that is expected to improve interpretation of seismic data from the vadose zone by showing how partial saturation affects seismic parameters. Our results suggest that the planned approach for this research is appropriate, that microstructure is an important factor

New concept to describe three-phase capillary pressure-degree of saturation relationship in porous media.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Keita; Kikumoto, Mamoru

2018-03-15

The Leverett concept is used conventionally to model the relationship between the capillary pressures and the degrees of saturation in the water-nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL)-air three-phase system in porous media. In this paper, the limitation of the Leverett concept that the concept is not applicable in the case of nonspreading NAPLs is discussed through microscopic consideration. A new concept that can be applied in the case of nonspreading NAPLs as well as spreading NAPLs is then proposed. The validity of the proposed concept is confirmed by comparing with past experimental data and simulation results obtained using the conventional model based on the Leverett concept. It is confirmed that the proposed concept can correctly predict the observed distributions of NAPLs, including those of nonspreading ones. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Numerical investigation of heat transfer in a laminar flow in a helical pipe filled with a fluid saturated porous medium: the sensitivity to parameter variations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, L.; Kuznetsov, A.V.

2005-01-01

This paper presents the first attempt to investigate numerically heat transfer in a helical pipe filled with a fluid saturated porous medium; the analysis is based on the full momentum equation for porous media that accounts for the Brinkman and Forchheimer extensions of the Darcy law as well as for the flow inertia. Numerical computations are performed in an orthogonal helical coordinate system. The effects of the Darcy number, the Forchheimer coefficient as well as the Dean and Germano numbers on the axial flow velocity, secondary flow, temperature distribution, and the Nusselt number are investigated. (authors)

Numerical investigation of heat transfer in a laminar flow in a helical pipe filled with a fluid saturated porous medium: the sensitivity to parameter variations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheng, L.; Kuznetsov, A.V. [North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States). Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

2005-07-01

This paper presents the first attempt to investigate numerically heat transfer in a helical pipe filled with a fluid saturated porous medium; the analysis is based on the full momentum equation for porous media that accounts for the Brinkman and Forchheimer extensions of the Darcy law as well as for the flow inertia. Numerical computations are performed in an orthogonal helical coordinate system. The effects of the Darcy number, the Forchheimer coefficient as well as the Dean and Germano numbers on the axial flow velocity, secondary flow, temperature distribution, and the Nusselt number are investigated. (authors)

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

A general approach for defining the macroscopic free energy density of saturated porous media at finite strains under non-isothermal conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gajo, A.

2011-01-01

A general approach is proposed for defining the macroscopic free energy density function (and its complement, the free enthalpy) of a saturated porous medium submitted to finite deformations under non-isothermal conditions, in the case of compressible fluid and solid constituents. Reference is made to an elementary volume treated as an 'open system', moving with the solid skeleton. The proposed free energy depends on the generalised strains (namely an appropriate measure of the strain of the solid skeleton and the variation in fluid mass content) and the absolute temperatures of the solid and fluid phases (which are assumed to differ from each other for the sake of generality). This macroscopic energy proves to be a potential for the generalised stresses (namely the associated measure of the total stress and the free enthalpy of the pore fluid per unit mass) and the entropies of the solid and fluid phases. In contrast with mixture theories, the resulting free energy is not the simple sum of the free energies of the single constituents. Two simplified cases are examined in detail, i.e. the semi-linear theory (originally proposed for isothermal conditions and extended here to non-isothermal problems) and the linear theory. The proposed approach paves the way to the consistent non-isothermal-hyper-elastic-plastic modelling of saturated porous media with a compressible fluid and solid constituents. (authors)

Heat and mass transfer on a MHD third grade fluid with partial slip flow past an infinite vertical insulated porous plate in a porous medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baoku, I.G.; Olajuwon, B.I.; Mustapha, A.O.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► We model the flow of a MHD third grade fluid, heat and mass transfer in a porous medium with partial slip flow regime. ► We examine the effects of pertinent parameters on the velocity, temperature and species concentration distributions. ► The values momentum and thermal boundary layers increase with increasing third grade parameter β. ► The consequences of increasing the permeability parameter m and partial slip parameter λ give rise to fluid velocity. ► The magnetic field parameter H decreases the momentum boundary layer and increases the concentration boundary layer. -- Abstract: The influence of third grade, partial slip and other thermophysical parameters on the steady flow, heat and mass transfer of viscoelastic third grade fluid past an infinite vertical insulated plate subject to suction across the boundary layer has been investigated. The space occupying the fluid is porous. The momentum equation is characterized by a highly nonlinear boundary value problem in which the order of the differential equation exceeds the number of available boundary conditions. An efficient numerical scheme of midpoint technique with Richardson’s extrapolation is employed to solve the governing system of coupled nonlinear equations of momentum, energy and concentration. Numerical calculations were carried out for different values of various interesting non-dimensional quantities in the slip flow regime with heat and mass transfer and were shown with the aid of figures. The values of the wall shear stress, the local rate of heat and mass transfers were obtained and tabulated. The analysis shows that as the fluid becomes more shear thickening, the momentum boundary layer decreases but the thermal boundary layer increases; the magnetic field strength is found to decrease with an increasing temperature distribution when the porous plate is insulated. The consequences of increasing the permeability parameter and Schmidt number decrease both the momentum

Coupling between corrosion and biphasic transport in porous media: Application to the evolution of a radioactive wastes disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dridi, W.

2005-04-01

In the actual concepts of geological disposal, high level radioactive wastes are packed in metallic containers surrounded by a partially or totally saturated clay media. In contact with the interstitial water, anoxic corrosion of this container will start producing hydrogen. In the scope of safety assessment, the present study deals with two main topics: prediction of the long-term corrosion of carbon steel with respect to clay water content and evaluation of the risk of damage of the clay barrier related to gas production. Elementary processes controlling the kinetics of corrosion are limited to oxide growth and mass transfer through the porosity of this film. Thanks to a macroscopic description of theses processes, followed by an interfacial kinetic law, a mechanistic modeling of the anoxic corrosion in partially saturated porous media is proposed. This approach is validated when confronted to the long-term corrosion tests performed in saturated clay. Both modeling and laboratory experiments have confirmed that kinetics of anoxic corrosion in partially saturated clay is mainly controlled by the surrounding relative humidity as in the case of aerated or atmospheric corrosion. In the gas generation topic, some numerical simulations are performed concerning the oedometric and triaxial test dealing with gas migration in saturated clay. Finally, long-term calculations are conducted concerning hydro-mechanical impact of corrosion in deep geological repositories. Due to a more realistic prediction of the long-term corrosion, the risks of gas overpressures, local desaturation and mechanical damage are reduced. (author)

A Physically Based Analytical Model to Describe Effective Excess Charge for Streaming Potential Generation in Water Saturated Porous Media

Science.gov (United States)

Guarracino, L.; Jougnot, D.

2018-01-01

Among the different contributions generating self-potential, the streaming potential is of particular interest in hydrogeology for its sensitivity to water flow. Estimating water flux in porous media using streaming potential data relies on our capacity to understand, model, and upscale the electrokinetic coupling at the mineral-solution interface. Different approaches have been proposed to predict streaming potential generation in porous media. One of these approaches is the flux averaging which is based on determining the excess charge which is effectively dragged in the medium by water flow. In this study, we develop a physically based analytical model to predict the effective excess charge in saturated porous media using a flux-averaging approach in a bundle of capillary tubes with a fractal pore size distribution. The proposed model allows the determination of the effective excess charge as a function of pore water ionic concentration and hydrogeological parameters like porosity, permeability, and tortuosity. The new model has been successfully tested against different set of experimental data from the literature. One of the main findings of this study is the mechanistic explanation to the empirical dependence between the effective excess charge and the permeability that has been found by several researchers. The proposed model also highlights the link to other lithological properties, and it is able to reproduce the evolution of effective excess charge with electrolyte concentrations.

Analysis of boundary layer flow over a porous nonlinearly stretching sheet with partial slip at

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Swati Mukhopadhyay

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The boundary layer flow of a viscous incompressible fluid toward a porous nonlinearly stretching sheet is considered in this analysis. Velocity slip is considered instead of no-slip condition at the boundary. Similarity transformations are used to convert the partial differential equation corresponding to the momentum equation into nonlinear ordinary differential equation. Numerical solution of this equation is obtained by shooting method. It is found that the horizontal velocity decreases with increasing slip parameter.

Thermal convection around a heat source embedded in a box containing a saturated porous medium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Himasekhar, K.; Bau, H.H. (Univ. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (USA))

1988-08-01

A study of the thermal convection around a uniform flux cylinder embedded in a box containing a saturated porous medium is carried out experimentally and theoretically. The experimental work includes heat transfer and temperature field measurements. It is observed that for low Rayleigh numbers, the flow is two dimensional and time independent. Once a critical Rayleigh number is exceeded, the flow undergoes a Hopf bifurcation and becomes three dimensional and time dependent. The theoretical study involves the numerical solution of the two-dimensional Darcy-Oberbeck-Boussinesq equations. The complicated geometry is conveniently handled by mapping the physical domain onto a rectangle via the use of boundary-fitted coordinates. The numerical code can easily be extended to handle diverse geometric configurations. For low Rayleigh numbers, the theoretical results agree favorably with the experimental observations. However, the appearance of three-dimensional flow phenomena limits the range of utility of the numerical code.

Passive flux meter measurement of water and nutrient flux in saturated porous media: bench-scale laboratory tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Jaehyun; Annable, Michael D; Jawitz, James W; Hatfield, Kirk

2007-01-01

The passive nutrient flux meter (PNFM) is introduced for simultaneous measurement of both water and nutrient flux through saturated porous media. The PNFM comprises a porous sorbent pre-equilibrated with a suite of alcohol tracers, which have different partitioning coefficients. Water flux was estimated based on the loss of loaded resident tracers during deployment, while nutrient flux was quantified based on the nutrient solute mass captured on the sorbent. An anionic resin, Lewatit 6328 A, was used as a permeable sorbent and phosphate (PO4(3-)) was the nutrient studied. The phosphate sorption capacity of the resin was measured in batch equilibration tests as 56 mg PO4(3-) g(-1), which was determined to be adequate capacity to retain PO4(3-) loads intercepted over typical PNFM deployment periods in most natural systems. The PNFM design was validated with bench-scale laboratory tests for a range of 9.8 to 28.3 cm d(-1) Darcy velocities and 6 to 43 h deployment durations. Nutrient and water fluxes measured by the PNFM averaged within 6 and 12% of the applied values, respectively, indicating that the PNFM shows promise as a tool for simultaneous measurement of water and nutrient fluxes.

Theory of wave propagation in partially saturated double-porosity rocks: a triple-layer patchy model

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Weitao; Ba, Jing; Carcione, José M.

2016-04-01

Wave-induced local fluid flow is known as a key mechanism to explain the intrinsic wave dissipation in fluid-saturated rocks. Understanding the relationship between the acoustic properties of rocks and fluid patch distributions is important to interpret the observed seismic wave phenomena. A triple-layer patchy (TLP) model is proposed to describe the P-wave dissipation process in a double-porosity media saturated with two immiscible fluids. The double-porosity rock consists of a solid matrix with unique host porosity and inclusions which contain the second type of pores. Two immiscible fluids are considered in concentric spherical patches, where the inner pocket and the outer sphere are saturated with different fluids. The kinetic and dissipation energy functions of local fluid flow (LFF) in the inner pocket are formulated through oscillations in spherical coordinates. The wave propagation equations of the TLP model are based on Biot's theory and the corresponding Lagrangian equations. The P-wave dispersion and attenuation caused by the Biot friction mechanism and the local fluid flow (related to the pore structure and the fluid distribution) are obtained by a plane-wave analysis from the Christoffel equations. Numerical examples and laboratory measurements indicate that P-wave dispersion and attenuation are significantly influenced by the spatial distributions of both, the solid heterogeneity and the fluid saturation distribution. The TLP model is in reasonably good agreement with White's and Johnson's models. However, differences in phase velocity suggest that the heterogeneities associated with double-porosity and dual-fluid distribution should be taken into account when describing the P-wave dispersion and attenuation in partially saturated rocks.

Wave propagation in thermoelastic saturated porous medium

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

the existence and propagation of four waves in the medium. Three of the waves are ... predicted infinite speed for propagation of ther- mal signals. Lord and ..... saturated reservoir rock (North-sea Sandstone) is chosen for the numerical model ...

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.

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.

Deposition and release kinetics of nano-TiO2 in saturated porous media: Effects of solution ionic strength and surfactants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Godinez, Itzel G.; Darnault, Christophe J.G.; Khodadoust, Amid P.; Bogdan, Dorin

2013-01-01

The aggregation, transport and deposition kinetics (i.e. attachment and release) of TiO 2 nanoparticles (nano-TiO 2 ) were investigated as a function of ionic strength and the presence of anionic (sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, SDBS) and non-ionic (Triton X-100) surfactants in 100% critical micelle concentration (CMC). The electrolyte concentration of the suspensions dictated the kinetic stability of nano-TiO 2 thus influencing the transport and retention of the nanoaggregates in the saturated porous medium. With increasing ionic strength, the interaction between approaching nano-TiO 2 and nano-TiO 2 already deposited onto collectors surfaces seemed to be more favorable than the interaction between approaching nano-TiO 2 and bare collectors surfaces. The abrupt and gradual reduction in electrolyte concentration during the flushing cycles of the column experiments induced the release of previously deposited nano-TiO 2 suggesting attachment of nano-TiO 2 through secondary energy minimum. Highlights: ► This study focuses on aggregation, transport and deposition kinetics of nano-TiO 2 . ► Ionic strength and surfactants impact nano-TiO 2 transport in saturated porous media. ► Previously deposited nano-TiO 2 serve as preferential sites for subsequent deposition. ► Changes in solution chemistry cause nanodeposits to release a portion of nano-TiO 2 . -- Previously deposited nano-TiO 2 serve as preferential sites for subsequent deposition and changes in solution chemistry cause nanodeposits to release a portion of nano-TiO 2

Numerical simulation of water flow and Nitrate transport through variably saturated porous media in laboratory condition using HYDRUS 2D

Science.gov (United States)

Jahangeer, F.; Gupta, P. K.; Yadav, B. K.

2017-12-01

Due to the reducing availability of water resources and the growing competition for water between residential, industrial, and agricultural users, increasing irrigation efficiency, by several methods like drip irrigation, is a demanding concern for agricultural experts. The understanding of the water and contaminants flow through the subsurface is needed for the sustainable irrigation water management, pollution assessment, polluted site remediation and groundwater recharge. In this study, the Windows-based computer software package HYDRUS-2D, which numerically simulates water and solute movement in two-dimensional, variably-saturated porous media, was used to evaluate the distribution of water and Nitrate in the sand tank. The laboratory and simulation experiments were conducted to evaluate the role of drainage, recharge flux, and infiltration on subsurface flow condition and subsequently, on nitrate movement in the subsurface. The water flow in the unsaturated zone model by Richards' equation, which was highly nonlinear and its parameters were largely dependent on the moisture content and pressure head of the partially saturated zone. Following different cases to be considered to evaluate- a) applying drainage and recharge flux to study domains, b) transient infiltration in a vertical soil column and c) subsequently, nitrate transport in 2D sand tank setup. A single porosity model was used for the simulation of water and nitrate flow in the study domain. The results indicate the transient water table position decreases as the time increase significantly by applying drainage flux at the bottom. Similarly, the water table positions in study domains increasing in the domain by applying recharge flux. Likewise, the water flow profile shows the decreasing water table elevation with increasing water content in the vertical domain. Moreover, the nitrate movement was dominated by advective flux and highly affected by the recharge flux in the vertical direction. The

Low-Reynolds number flow of a viscous fluid in a channel partially filled with a porous medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, C.; Martinez, D.M.

2003-01-01

Steady flow inside a rectangular channel with wall suction and partially filled with a porous material is examined. We solve the Navier-Stokes equations in the clear fluid region of the channel and the Brinkman extended Darcy's law in the porous material. The stress jump conditions outlined by Ochoa-Tapia and Whitaker are employed at the interface between these two regions. Ochoa-Tapia and Whitaker's conditions contain an empirical constant β which is unknown a priori. In this work we propose a method to estimate β. To do so, we solve for the flow field using two different approaches. In the first approach, the flow is assumed to be of similarity form and a new asymmetric solution is reported; β is retained in this formulation. In the second approach, we re-pose the equations of motion over the entire domain by considering the porous medium as a sink-term (which can be turned on and off); β is not required in this formulation. We estimate the value of β by comparing the resulting flow fields. (author)

On the propagation of a coupled saturation and pressure front

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vasco, D. W.

2010-12-01

Using an asymptotic technique, valid for a medium with smoothly varying heterogeneity, I derive an expression for the velocity of a propagating, coupled saturation and pressure front. Due to the nonlinearity of the governing equations, the velocity of the propagating front depends upon the magnitude of the saturation and pressure changes across the front in addition to the properties of the medium. Thus, the expression must be evaluated in conjunction with numerical reservoir simulation. The propagation of the two-phase front is governed by the background saturation distribution, the saturation-dependent component of the fluid mobility, the porosity, the permeability, the capillary pressure function, the medium compressibility, and the ratio of the slopes of the relative permeability curves. Numerical simulation of water injection into a porous layer saturated with a nonaqueous phase liquid indicates that two modes of propagation are important. The fastest mode of propagation is a pressure-dominated disturbance that travels through the saturated layer. This is followed, much later, by a coupled mode with a large saturation change. These two modes are also observed in a simulation using a heterogeneous porous layer. A comparison between the propagation times estimated from the results of the numerical simulation and predictions from the asymptotic expression indicates overall agreement.

FEMWATER: a finite-element model of water flow through saturated-unsaturated porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

1980-10-01

Upon examining the Water Movement Through Saturated-Unsaturated Porous Media: A Finite-Element Galerkin Model, it was felt that the model should be modified and expanded. The modification is made in calculating the flow field in a manner consistent with the finite element approach, in evaluating the moisture-content increasing rate within the region of interest, and in numerically computing the nonlinear terms. With these modifications, the flow field is continuous everywhere in the flow regime, including element boundaries and nodal points, and the mass loss through boundaries is much reduced. Expansion is made to include four additional numerical schemes which would be more appropriate for many situations. Also, to save computer storage, all arrays pertaining to the boundary condition information are compressed to smaller dimension, and to ease the treatment of different problems, all arrays are variably dimensioned in all subroutines. This report is intended to document these efforts. In addition, in the derivation of finite-element equations, matrix component representation is used, which is believed more readable than the matrix representation in its entirety. Two identical sample problems are simulated to show the difference between the original and revised models

Natural convection flow and heat transfer between a fluid layer and a porous layer inside a rectangular enclosure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beckermann, C.; Ramadhyani, S.; Viskanta, R.

1986-01-01

A numerical and experimental study is performed to analyze the steady-state natural convection fluid flow and heat transfer in a vertical rectangular enclosure that is partially filled with a vertical layer of a fluid-saturated porous medium. The flow in the porous layer is modeled utilizing the Brinkman-Forchheimer-extended Darcy equations. The numerical model is verified by conducting a number of experiments with spherical glass beads as the porous medium and water and glycerin as the fluids in rectangular test-cells. The agreement between the flow visualization results and temperature measurements and the numerical model is, in general, good. It is found that the amount of fluid penetrating from the fluid region into the porous layer depends strongly on the Darcy (Da) and Rayleigh (Ra) numbers. For a relatively low product of Ra x Da, the flow takes place primarily in the fluid layer, and heat transfer in the porous layer is by conduction only. On the other hand, fluid penetrating into a relatively highly permeable porous layer has a significant impact on the natural convection flow patterns in the entire enclosure

Processes, mechanisms, parameters, and modeling approaches for partially saturated flow in soil and rock media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, J.S.Y.; Narasimhan, T.N.

1993-06-01

This report discusses conceptual models and mathematical equations, analyzes distributions and correlations among hydrological parameters of soils and tuff, introduces new path integration approaches, and outlines scaling procedures to model potential-driven fluid flow in heterogeneous media. To properly model the transition from fracture-dominated flow under saturated conditions to matrix-dominated flow under partially saturated conditions, characteristic curves and permeability functions for fractures and matrix need to be improved and validated. Couplings from two-phase flow, heat transfer, solute transport, and rock deformation to liquid flow are also important. For stochastic modeling of alternating units of welded and nonwelded tuff or formations bounded by fault zones, correlations and constraints on average values of saturated permeability and air entry scaling factor between different units need to be imposed to avoid unlikely combinations of parameters and predictions. Large-scale simulations require efficient and verifiable numerical algorithms. New path integration approaches based on postulates of minimum work and mass conservation to solve flow geometry and potential distribution simultaneously are introduced. This verifiable integral approach, together with fractal scaling procedures to generate statistical realizations with parameter distribution, correlation, and scaling taken into account, can be used to quantify uncertainties and generate the cumulative distribution function for groundwater travel times

Double-diffusive convection in a Darcy porous medium saturated with a couple-stress fluid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malashetty, M S; Kollur, Premila; Pal, Dulal

2010-01-01

The onset of double-diffusive convection in a couple-stress fluid-saturated horizontal porous layer is studied using linear and weak nonlinear stability analyses. The modified Darcy equation that includes the time derivative term and the inertia term is used to model the momentum equation. The expressions for stationary, oscillatory and finite-amplitude Rayleigh number are obtained as a function of the governing parameters. The effect of couple-stress parameter, solute Rayleigh number, Vadasz number and diffusivity ratio on stationary, oscillatory and finite-amplitude convection is shown graphically. It is found that the couple-stress parameter and the solute Rayleigh number have a stabilizing effect on stationary, oscillatory and finite-amplitude convection. The diffusivity ratio has a destabilizing effect in the case of stationary and finite-amplitude modes, with a dual effect in the case of oscillatory convection. The Vadasz number advances the onset of oscillatory convection. The heat and mass transfer decreases with an increase in the values of couple-stress parameter and diffusivity ratio, while both increase with an increase in the value of the solute Rayleigh number.

Correcting human heart 31P NMR spectra for partial saturation. Evidence that saturation factors for PCr/ATP are homogeneous in normal and disease states

Science.gov (United States)

Bottomley, Paul A.; Hardy, Christopher J.; Weiss, Robert G.

Heart PCr/ATP ratios measured from spatially localized 31P NMR spectra can be corrected for partial saturation effects using saturation factors derived from unlocalized chest surface-coil spectra acquired at the heart rate and approximate Ernst angle for phosphor creatine (PCr) and again under fully relaxed conditions during each 31P exam. To validate this approach in studies of normal and disease states where the possibility of heterogeneity in metabolite T1 values between both chest muscle and heart and normal and disease states exists, the properties of saturation factors for metabolite ratios were investigated theoretically under conditions applicable in typical cardiac spectroscopy exams and empirically using data from 82 cardiac 31P exams in six study groups comprising normal controls ( n = 19) and patients with dilated ( n = 20) and hypertrophic ( n = 5) cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease ( n = 16), heart transplants ( n = 19), and valvular heart disease ( n = 3). When TR ≪ T1,(PCr), with T1(PCr) ⩾ T1(ATP), the saturation factor for PCr/ATP lies in the range 1.5 ± 0.5, regardless of the T1 values. The precise value depends on the ratio of metabolite T1 values rather than their absolute values and is insensitive to modest changes in TR. Published data suggest that the metabolite T1 ratio is the same in heart and muscle. Our empirical data reveal that the saturation factors do not vary significantly with disease state, nor with the relative fractions of muscle and heart contributing to the chest surface-coil spectra. Also, the corrected myocardial PCr/ATP ratios in each normal or disease state bear no correlation with the corresponding saturation factors nor the fraction of muscle in the unlocalized chest spectra. However, application of the saturation correction (mean value, 1.36 ± 0.03 SE) significantly reduced scatter in myocardial PCr/ATP data by 14 ± 11% (SD) ( p ⩽ 0.05). The findings suggest that the relative T1 values of PCr and ATP are

Numerical investigations of two-phase flow with dynamic capillary pressure in porous media via a moving mesh method

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hong; Zegeling, Paul Andries

2017-09-01

Motivated by observations of saturation overshoot, this paper investigates numerical modeling of two-phase flow in porous media incorporating dynamic capillary pressure. The effects of the dynamic capillary coefficient, the infiltrating flux rate and the initial and boundary values are systematically studied using a traveling wave ansatz and efficient numerical methods. The traveling wave solutions may exhibit monotonic, non-monotonic or plateau-shaped behavior. Special attention is paid to the non-monotonic profiles. The traveling wave results are confirmed by numerically solving the partial differential equation using an accurate adaptive moving mesh solver. Comparisons between the computed solutions using the Brooks-Corey model and the laboratory measurements of saturation overshoot verify the effectiveness of our approach.

Parametric study of boiling heat transfer in porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi, B.; Jones, B.G.; Pan, C.

1996-01-01

Detailed numerical modeling and parametric variation studies were conducted on boiling heat transfer processes in porous deposits with emphasis on applications associated with light water nuclear power reactor systems. The processes of boiling heat transfer in the porous corrosion deposits typically involve phase changes in finite volumetric regions in the porous media. The study examined such processes in two porous media configurations, without chimneys (homogeneous porous structures) and with chimneys (heterogeneous porous structures). A 1-D model and a 2-D model were developed to simulate two-phase flows with phase changes, without dry-out, inside the porous media for both structural configurations. For closure of the governing equations, an empirical correlation of the evaporation rate for phase changes inside the porous media was introduced. In addition, numerical algorithms were developed to solve the coupled nonlinear equations of mass, momentum, energy, capillary pressure, and evaporation rate. The distributions of temperature, thermodynamic saturation, liquid pressure, vapor pressure, liquid velocity, and vapor velocity were predicted. Furthermore, the effects of heat flux, system pressure, porosity, particle diameter, chimney population density, chimney radius, and crud thickness on the all superheat, critical heat flux, and minimum saturation were examined. The predictions were found to be in good agreement with the available experimental results

Oxidation of trichloroethylene, toluene, and ethanol vapors by a partially saturated permeable reactive barrier

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmoodlu, Mojtaba G.; Hassanizadeh, S. Majid; Hartog, Niels; Raoof, Amir

2014-08-01

The mitigation of volatile organic compound (VOC) vapors in the unsaturated zone largely relies on the active removal of vapor by ventilation. In this study we considered an alternative method involving the use of solid potassium permanganate to create a horizontal permeable reactive barrier for oxidizing VOC vapors. Column experiments were carried out to investigate the oxidation of trichloroethylene (TCE), toluene, and ethanol vapors using a partially saturated mixture of potassium permanganate and sand grains. Results showed a significant removal of VOC vapors due to the oxidation. We found that water saturation has a major effect on the removal capacity of the permeable reactive layer. We observed a high removal efficiency and reactivity of potassium permanganate for all target compounds at the highest water saturation (Sw = 0.6). A change in pH within the reactive layer reduced oxidation rate of VOCs. The use of carbonate minerals increased the reactivity of potassium permanganate during the oxidation of TCE vapor by buffering the pH. Reactive transport of VOC vapors diffusing through the permeable reactive layer was modeled, including the pH effect on the oxidation rates. The model accurately described the observed breakthrough curve of TCE and toluene vapors in the headspace of the column. However, miscibility of ethanol in water in combination with produced water during oxidation made the modeling results less accurate for ethanol. A linear relationship was found between total oxidized mass of VOC vapors per unit volume of permeable reactive layer and initial water saturation. This behavior indicates that pH changes control the overall reactivity and longevity of the permeable reactive layer during oxidation of VOCs. The results suggest that field application of a horizontal permeable reactive barrier can be a viable technology against upward migration of VOC vapors through the unsaturated zone.

A Conditionally Stable Scheme for a Transient Flow of a Non-Newtonian Fluid Saturating a Porous Medium

KAUST Repository

El-Amin, Mohamed

2012-06-02

The problem of thermal dispersion effects on unsteady free convection from an isothermal horizontal circular cylinder to a non-Newtonian fluid saturating a porous medium is examined numerically. The Darcy-Brinkman-Forchheimer model is employed to describe the flow field. The thermal diffusivity coefficient has been assumed to be the sum of the molecular diffusivity and the dynamic diffusivity due to mechanical dispersion. The simultaneous development of the momentum and thermal boundary layers are obtained by using finite difference method. The stability conditions are determined for each difference equation. Using an explicit finite difference scheme, solutions at each time-step have been found and then stepped forward in time until reaching steady state solution. Velocity and temperature profiles are shown graphically. It is found that as time approaches infinity, the values of friction factor and heat transfer coefficient approach the steady state values.

A Conditionally Stable Scheme for a Transient Flow of a Non-Newtonian Fluid Saturating a Porous Medium

KAUST Repository

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

2012-01-01

The problem of thermal dispersion effects on unsteady free convection from an isothermal horizontal circular cylinder to a non-Newtonian fluid saturating a porous medium is examined numerically. The Darcy-Brinkman-Forchheimer model is employed to describe the flow field. The thermal diffusivity coefficient has been assumed to be the sum of the molecular diffusivity and the dynamic diffusivity due to mechanical dispersion. The simultaneous development of the momentum and thermal boundary layers are obtained by using finite difference method. The stability conditions are determined for each difference equation. Using an explicit finite difference scheme, solutions at each time-step have been found and then stepped forward in time until reaching steady state solution. Velocity and temperature profiles are shown graphically. It is found that as time approaches infinity, the values of friction factor and heat transfer coefficient approach the steady state values.

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)

Experimental Determination of Frost Resistance of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete at Different Levels of Moisture Saturation

Science.gov (United States)

Kočí, Václav; Maděra, Jiří; Jerman, Miloš; Černý, Robert

2018-06-01

The ability of porous building materials to stand up to moisture phase changes induced by alternating environment is described mostly by means of their frost resistance. However, the test conditions defined by relevant standards might not capture the real situation on building site in various locations. In particular, the prescribed full water saturation of analyzed specimens during the whole time of a freeze/thaw experiment presents an ultimate case only but certainly not an everyday reality. Even the materials of surface layers are mostly exposed to such severe conditions just for a limited period of time. In this paper, the experimental analysis of frost resistance of three different types of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) is performed in an extended way, including not only the standard testing but also the investigation of dry- and partially saturated samples. A complementary computational analysis of an AAC building envelope in Central European climate is presented as well, in order to illustrate the likely hygric conditions in the wall. Experimental results show that according to the standard test the loss of compressive strength, as well as the loss of mass after 25 cycles, is acceptable for all studied samples but after 50 cycles only the material with the compressive strength of 4 MPa performs satisfactorily. On the other hand, the tests with initially dried or partially saturated samples indicate a good frost resistance of all studied materials for both 25 and 50 cycles.

Fractal analysis of fracture increasing spontaneous imbibition in porous media with gas-saturated

KAUST Repository

Cai, Jianchao; Sun, Shuyu

2013-01-01

Spontaneous imbibition (SI) of wetting liquid into matrix blocks due to capillary pressure is regarded as an important recovery mechanism in low permeability fractured reservoir. In this paper, an analytical model is proposed for characterizing SI horizontally from a single plane fracture into gas-saturated matrix blocks. The presented model is based on the fractal character of pores in porous matrix, with gravity force included in the entire imbibition process. The accumulated mass of wetting liquid imbibed into matrix blocks is related to a number of factors such as contact area, pore fractal dimension, tortuosity, maximum pore size, porosity, liquid density and viscosity, surface tension, contact angle, as well as height and tilt angle of the fracture. The mechanism of fracture-enhanced SI is analyzed accordingly. Because of the effect of fracture, the gravity force is positive to imbibition process. Additionally, the farther away from the fracture top of the pore, the more influential the hydrostatic pressure is upon the imbibition action. The presented fractal analysis of horizontal spontaneous imbibition from a single fracture could also shed light on the scaling study of the mass transfer function between matrix and fracture system of fractured reservoirs. © 2013 World Scientific Publishing Company.

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.

Fractal analysis of fracture increasing spontaneous imbibition in porous media with gas-saturated

KAUST Repository

Cai, Jianchao

2013-08-01

Spontaneous imbibition (SI) of wetting liquid into matrix blocks due to capillary pressure is regarded as an important recovery mechanism in low permeability fractured reservoir. In this paper, an analytical model is proposed for characterizing SI horizontally from a single plane fracture into gas-saturated matrix blocks. The presented model is based on the fractal character of pores in porous matrix, with gravity force included in the entire imbibition process. The accumulated mass of wetting liquid imbibed into matrix blocks is related to a number of factors such as contact area, pore fractal dimension, tortuosity, maximum pore size, porosity, liquid density and viscosity, surface tension, contact angle, as well as height and tilt angle of the fracture. The mechanism of fracture-enhanced SI is analyzed accordingly. Because of the effect of fracture, the gravity force is positive to imbibition process. Additionally, the farther away from the fracture top of the pore, the more influential the hydrostatic pressure is upon the imbibition action. The presented fractal analysis of horizontal spontaneous imbibition from a single fracture could also shed light on the scaling study of the mass transfer function between matrix and fracture system of fractured reservoirs. © 2013 World Scientific Publishing Company.

Convective hydromagnetic instabilities of a power-law liquid saturating a porous medium: Flux conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Chahtour, C.; Ben Hamed, H.; Beji, H.; Guizani, A.; Alimi, W.

2018-01-01

We investigate how an external imposed magnetic field affects thermal instability in a horizontal shallow porous cavity saturated by a non-Newtonian power-law liquid. The magnetic field is assumed to be constant and parallel to the gravity. A uniform heat flux is applied to the horizontal walls of the layer while the vertical walls are adiabatic. We use linear stability analysis to find expressions for the critical Rayleigh number as a function of the power-law index and the intensity of the magnetic field. We use nonlinear parallel flow theory to find some explicit solutions of the problem, and we use finite difference numerical simulations to solve the full nonlinear equations. We show how the presence of magnetic field alters the known hydrodynamical result of Newtonian flows and power-law flows and how it causes the presence of subcritical finite amplitude convection for both pseudoplastic and dilatant fluids. We also show that in the limit of very strong magnetic field, the dissipation of energy by Joule effect dominates the dissipation of energy by shear stress and gives to the liquid an inviscid character.

Field test facility for monitoring water/radionuclide transport through partially saturated geologic media: design, construction, and preliminary description. Appendix I. Engineering drawings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillips, S.J.; Campbell, A.C.; Campbell, M.D.; Gee, G.W.; Hoober, H.H.; Schwarzmiller, K.O.

1979-11-01

The engineering plans for a test facility to monitor radionuclide transport in water through partially saturated geological media are included. Drawings for the experimental set-up excavation plan and details, lysimeter, pad, access caisson, and caisson details are presented

Modeling of two-phase flow in membranes and porous media in microgravity as applied to plant irrigation in space

Science.gov (United States)

Scovazzo, P.; Illangasekare, T. H.; Hoehn, A.; Todd, P.

2001-01-01

In traditional applications in soil physics it is convention to scale porous media properties, such as hydraulic conductivity, soil water diffusivity, and capillary head, with the gravitational acceleration. In addition, the Richards equation for water flux in partially saturated porous media also contains a gravity term. With the plans to develop plant habitats in space, such as in the International Space Station, it becomes necessary to evaluate these properties and this equation under conditions of microgravitational acceleration. This article develops models for microgravity steady state two-phase flow, as found in irrigation systems, that addresses critical design issues. Conventional dimensionless groups in two-phase mathematical models are scaled with gravity, which must be assigned a value of zero for microgravity modeling. The use of these conventional solutions in microgravity, therefore, is not possible. This article therefore introduces new dimensionless groups for two-phase models. The microgravity models introduced here determined that in addition to porous media properties, important design factors for microgravity systems include applied water potential and the ratio of inner to outer radii for cylindrical and spherical porous media systems.

Calibration of a neutron log in partially saturated media. Part II. Error analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hearst, J.R.; Kasameyer, P.W.; Dreiling, L.A.

1981-01-01

Four sources or error (uncertainty) are studied in water content obtained from neutron logs calibrated in partially saturated media for holes up to 3 m. For this calibration a special facility was built and an algorithm for a commercial epithermal neutron log was developed that obtains water content from count rate, bulk density, and gap between the neutron sonde and the borehole wall. The algorithm contained errors due to the calibration and lack of fit, while the field measurements included uncertainties in the count rate (caused by statistics and a short time constant), gap, and density. There can be inhomogeneity in the material surrounding the borehole. Under normal field conditions the hole-size-corrected water content obtained from such neutron logs can have an uncertainty as large as 15% of its value

A physically-based analytical model to describe effective excess charge for streaming potential generation in saturated porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Jougnot, D.; Guarracino, L.

2016-12-01

The self-potential (SP) method is considered by most researchers the only geophysical method that is directly sensitive to groundwater flow. One source of SP signals, the so-called streaming potential, results from the presence of an electrical double layer at the mineral-pore water interface. When water flows through the pore space, it gives rise to a streaming current and a resulting measurable electrical voltage. Different approaches have been proposed to predict streaming potentials in porous media. One approach is based on the excess charge which is effectively dragged in the medium by the water flow. Following a recent theoretical framework, we developed a physically-based analytical model to predict the effective excess charge in saturated porous media. In this study, the porous media is described by a bundle of capillary tubes with a fractal pore-size distribution. First, an analytical relationship is derived to determine the effective excess charge for a single capillary tube as a function of the pore water salinity. Then, this relationship is used to obtain both exact and approximated expressions for the effective excess charge at the Representative Elementary Volume (REV) scale. The resulting analytical relationship allows the determination of the effective excess charge as a function of pore water salinity, fractal dimension and hydraulic parameters like porosity and permeability, which are also obtained at the REV scale. This new model has been successfully tested against data from the literature of different sources. One of the main finding of this study is that it provides a mechanistic explanation to the empirical dependence between the effective excess charge and the permeability that has been found by various researchers. The proposed petrophysical relationship also contributes to understand the role of porosity and water salinity on effective excess charge and will help to push further the use of streaming potential to monitor groundwater flow.

Evaluation of Colloid Retention Site Dominance in Variably Saturated Porous Media: An All Pores Pore-Scale Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Morales, Veronica; Perez-Reche, Francisco; Holzner, Markus; Kinzelbach, Wolfgang

2016-04-01

It is well accepted that colloid and nanoparticle transport processes in porous media differ substantially between water saturated and unsaturated conditions. Differences are frequently ascribed to particle immobilization by association with interfaces with the gas, as well as to restrictions of the liquid medium through which colloids are transported. Yet, the current understanding of the importance of particle retention at gas interfaces is based on observations of single pores or two-dimensional pore network representations, leaving open the question of their statistical significance when all pores in the medium are considered. In order to address this question, column experiments were performed using a model porous medium of glass beads through which Silver particles were transported for conditions of varying water content and water chemistry. X-ray microtomography was subsequently employed as a non-destructive imaging technique to obtain pore-scale information of the entire column regarding: i) the presence and distribution of the main locations where colloids can become retained (interfaces with the water-solid, air-water, air-solid, and air-water-solid, grain-grain contacts, and the bulk liquid), ii) deposition profiles of colloids along the column classified by the available retention location, and iii) channel widths of 3-dimensional pore-water network representations. The results presented provide a direct statistical evaluation on the significance of colloid retention by attachment to interfaces or by strainig at contact points where multiple interfaces meet.

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.

METHOD OF IMPREGNATING A POROUS MATERIAL

Science.gov (United States)

Steele, G.N.

1960-06-01

A method of impregnating a porous body with an inorganic uranium- containing salt is outlined and comprises dissolving a water-soluble uranium- containing salt in water; saturating the intercommunicating pores of the porous body with the salt solution; infusing ammonia gas into the intercommunicating pores of the body, the ammonia gas in water chemically reacting with the water- soluble uranium-containing salt in the water solvent to form a nonwater-soluble uranium-containing precipitant; and evaporating the volatile unprecipitated products from the intercommunicating pores whereby the uranium-containing precipitate is uniformly distributed in the intercommunicating peres of the porous body.

Analysis of the laminar Newtonian fluid flow through a thin fracture modelled as a fluid-saturated sparsely packed porous medium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pazanin, Igor [Zagreb Univ. (Croatia). Dept. of Mathematics; Siddheshwar, Pradeep G. [Bangalore Univ., Bengaluru (India). Dept. of Mathematics

2017-06-01

In this article we investigate the fluid flow through a thin fracture modelled as a fluid-saturated porous medium. We assume that the fracture has constrictions and that the flow is governed by the prescribed pressure drop between the edges of the fracture. The problem is described by the Darcy-Lapwood-Brinkman model acknowledging the Brinkman extension of the Darcy law as well as the flow inertia. Using asymptotic analysis with respect to the thickness of the fracture, we derive the explicit higher-order approximation for the velocity distribution. We make an error analysis to comment on the order of accuracy of the method used and also to provide rigorous justification for the model.

Uncertainties in sealing a nuclear waste repository in partially saturated tuff

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tillerson, J.R.; Fernandez, J.A.; Hinkebein, T.E.

1989-01-01

Sealing a nuclear waste repository in partially saturated tuff presents unique challenges to assuring performance of sealing components. Design and performance of components for sealing shafts, ramps, drifts, and exploratory boreholes depend on specific features of both the repository design and the site; of particular importance is the hydrologic environment in the unsaturated zone, including the role of fracture flow. Repository design features important to sealing of a repository include the size and location of shaft and ramp accesses, excavation methods, and the underground layout features such as grade (drainage direction) and location relative to geologic structure. Uncertainties about seal components relate to the postclosure environment for the seals, the emplacement methods, the material properties, and the potential performance of the components. An approach has been developed to reduce uncertainties and to increase confidence in seal performance; it includes gathering extensive site characterization data, establishing conservative design requirements, testing seal components in laboratory and field environments, and refining designs of both the seals and the repository before seals are installed. 9 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs

In vivo integrated photoacoustic and confocal microscopy of hemoglobin oxygen saturation and oxygen partial pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yu; Hu, Song; Maslov, Konstantin; Zhang, Yu; Xia, Younan; Wang, Lihong V

2011-04-01

We developed dual-modality microscope integrating photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) and fluorescence confocal microscopy (FCM) to noninvasively image hemoglobin oxygen saturation (sO₂) and oxygen partial pressure (pO₂) in vivo in single blood vessels with high spatial resolution. While PAM measures sO₂ by imaging hemoglobin optical absorption at two wavelengths, FCM quantifies pO₂ using phosphorescence quenching. The variations of sO₂ and pO₂ values in multiple orders of vessel branches under hyperoxic (100% oxygen) and normoxic (21% oxygen) conditions correlate well with the oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve. In addition, the total concentration of hemoglobin is imaged by PAM at an isosbestic wavelength.

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.

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

The effective thermal conductivity of porous media based on statistical self-similarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kou Jianlong; Wu Fengmin; Lu Hangjun; Xu Yousheng; Song Fuquan

2009-01-01

A fractal model is presented based on the thermal-electrical analogy technique and statistical self-similarity of fractal saturated porous media. A dimensionless effective thermal conductivity of saturated fractal porous media is studied by the relationship between the dimensionless effective thermal conductivity and the geometrical parameters of porous media with no empirical constant. Through this study, it is shown that the dimensionless effective thermal conductivity decreases with the increase of porosity (φ) and pore area fractal dimension (D f ) when k s /k g >1. The opposite trends is observed when k s /k g t ). The model predictions are compared with existing experimental data and the results show that they are in good agreement with existing experimental data.

A New Appraoch to Modeling Immiscible Two-phase Flow in Porous Media

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yuan, Hao; Shapiro, Alexander; Stenby, Erling Halfdan

In this work we present a systematic literature review regarding the macroscopic approaches to modeling immiscible two-phase flow in porous media, the formulation process of the incorporate PDE based on Film Model(viscous coupling), the calculation of saturation profile around the transition zone...... to modeling immiscible two-phase flow in porous media. The suggested approach to immiscible two-phase flow in porous media describes the dispersed mesoscopic fluids’ interfaces which are highly influenced by the injected interfacial energy and the local interfacial energy capacity. It reveals a new...... possibility of modeling two-phase flow through energy balance. The saturation profile generated through the suggested approach is different from those through other approaches....

Thermally driven moisture redistribution in partially saturated porous media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Green, R.T.; Dodge, F.T.; Svedeman, S.J.; Manteufel, R.D.; Meyer, K.A.; Baca, R.G. [Southwest Research Inst., San Antonio, TX (United States). Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses; Rice, G. [George Rice and Associates, San Antonio, TX (United States)

1995-12-01

It is widely recognized that the decay heat produced by high-level radioactive waste (HLW) will likely have a significant impact on both the pre- and post-closure performance of the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain (YM), in southwest Nevada. The task of delineating which aspects of that impact are favorable to isolation performance and which are adverse is an extremely challenging technical undertaking because of such factors as the hydrothermal regimes involved, heterogeneity of the geologic media, and the time and space scales involved. This difficulty has motivated both the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to undertake multi-year thermohydrology research programs to examine the effects of decay heat on pre- and post-closure performance of the repository. Both of these organizations are currently pursuing laboratory and field experiments, as well as numerical modeling studies, to advance the state of knowledge of the thermohydrologic phenomena relevant to the proposed geologic repository. The NRC-sponsored Thermohydrology Research Project, which was initiated in mid-1989 at the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses (CNWRA), began with the intent of addressing a broad spectrum of generic thermohydrologic questions. While some of these questions were answered in the conduct of the study, other new and challenging ones were encountered. Subsequent to that report, laboratory-scale experiments were designed to address four fundamental questions regarding thermohydrologic phenomena: what are the principal mechanisms controlling the redistribution of moisture; under what hydrothermal conditions and time frames do individual mechanisms predominate; what driving mechanism is associated with a particular hydrothermal regime; what is the temporal and spatial scale of each hydrothermal regime? This report presents the research results and findings obtained since issuance of the first progress report. 85 refs.

Thermally driven moisture redistribution in partially saturated porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, R.T.; Dodge, F.T.; Svedeman, S.J.; Manteufel, R.D.; Meyer, K.A.; Baca, R.G.

1995-12-01

It is widely recognized that the decay heat produced by high-level radioactive waste (HLW) will likely have a significant impact on both the pre- and post-closure performance of the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain (YM), in southwest Nevada. The task of delineating which aspects of that impact are favorable to isolation performance and which are adverse is an extremely challenging technical undertaking because of such factors as the hydrothermal regimes involved, heterogeneity of the geologic media, and the time and space scales involved. This difficulty has motivated both the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to undertake multi-year thermohydrology research programs to examine the effects of decay heat on pre- and post-closure performance of the repository. Both of these organizations are currently pursuing laboratory and field experiments, as well as numerical modeling studies, to advance the state of knowledge of the thermohydrologic phenomena relevant to the proposed geologic repository. The NRC-sponsored Thermohydrology Research Project, which was initiated in mid-1989 at the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses (CNWRA), began with the intent of addressing a broad spectrum of generic thermohydrologic questions. While some of these questions were answered in the conduct of the study, other new and challenging ones were encountered. Subsequent to that report, laboratory-scale experiments were designed to address four fundamental questions regarding thermohydrologic phenomena: what are the principal mechanisms controlling the redistribution of moisture; under what hydrothermal conditions and time frames do individual mechanisms predominate; what driving mechanism is associated with a particular hydrothermal regime; what is the temporal and spatial scale of each hydrothermal regime? This report presents the research results and findings obtained since issuance of the first progress report. 85 refs

Hydrocarbons biodegradation in unsaturated porous medium; Biodegradation des hydrocarbures en milieu poreux insature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gautier, C

2007-12-15

Biological processes are expected to play an important role in the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in contaminated soils. However, factors influencing the kinetics of biodegradation are still not well known, especially in the unsaturated zone. To address these biodegradation questions in the unsaturated zone an innovative experimental set up based on a physical column model was developed. This experimental set up appeared to be an excellent tool for elaboration of a structured porous medium, with well defined porous network and adjusted water/oil saturations. Homogeneous repartition of both liquid phases (i.e., aqueous and non aqueous) in the soil pores, which also contain air, was achieved using ceramic membranes placed at the bottom of the soil column. Reproducible interfaces (and connectivity) are developed between gas, and both non mobile water and NAPL phases, depending on the above-defined characteristics of the porous media and on the partial saturations of these three phases (NAPL, water and gas). A respirometric apparatus was coupled to the column. Such experimental set up have been validated with hexadecane in dilution in an HMN phase. This approach allowed detailed information concerning n-hexadecane biodegradation, in aerobic condition, through the profile of the oxygen consumption rate. We have taken benefit of this technique, varying experimental conditions, to determine the main parameters influencing the biodegradation kinetics and compositional evolution of hydrocarbons, under steady state unsaturated conditions and with respect to aerobic metabolism. Impacts of the nitrogen quantity and of three different grain sizes have been examined. Biodegradation of petroleum cut, as diesel cut and middle distillate without aromatic fraction, were, also studied. (author)

The Effect of Wettability Heterogeneity on Relative Permeability of Two-Phase Flow in Porous Media: A Lattice Boltzmann Study

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jianlin; Kang, Qinjun; Yao, Jun; Viswanathan, Hari; Pawar, Rajesh; Zhang, Lei; Sun, Hai

2018-02-01

Relative permeability is a critical parameter characterizing multiphase flow in porous media and it is strongly dependent on the wettability. In many situations, the porous media are nonuniformly wet. To investigate the effect of wettability heterogeneity on relative permeability of two-phase flow in porous media, a multi-relaxation-time color-gradient lattice Boltzmann model is adopted to simulate oil/water two-phase flow in porous media with different oil-wet solid fractions. For the water phase, when the water saturation is high, the relative permeability of water increases with the increase of oil-wet solid fraction under a constant water saturation. However, as the water saturation decreases to an intermediate value (about 0.4-0.7), the relative permeability of water in fractionally wet porous media could be lower than that in purely water-wet porous media, meaning additional flow resistance exists in the fractionally wet porous media. For the oil phase, similar phenomenon is observed. This phenomenon is mainly caused by the wettability-related microscale fluid distribution. According to both our simulation results and theoretical analysis, it is found that the relative permeability of two-phase flow in porous media is strongly related to three parameters: the fluid saturation, the specific interfacial length of fluid, and the fluid tortuosity in the flow direction. The relationship between the relative permeability and these parameters under different capillary numbers is explored in this paper.

Effect of Initial Hydraulic Conditions on Capillary Rise in a Porous Medium: Pore-Network Modeling

KAUST Repository

Joekar-Niasar, V.

2012-01-01

The dynamics of capillary rise in a porous medium have been mostly studied in initially dry systems. As initial saturation and initial hydraulic conditions in many natural and industrial porous media can be variable, it is important to investigate the influence of initial conditions on the dynamics of the process. In this study, using dynamic pore-network modeling, we simulated capillary rise in a porous medium for different initial saturations (and consequently initial capillary pressures). Furthermore, the effect of hydraulic connectivity of the wetting phase in corners on the height and velocity of the wetting front was studied. Our simulation results show that there is a trade-off between capillary forces and trapping due to snap-off, which leads to a nonlinear dependence of wetting front velocity on initial saturation at the pore scale. This analysis may provide a possible answer to the experimental observations in the literature showing a non-monotonic dependency between initial saturation and the macroscopic front velocity. © Soil Science Society of America.

The two-phase flow IPTT method for measurement of nonwetting-wetting liquid interfacial areas at higher nonwetting saturations in natural porous media.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Hua; Ouni, Asma El; Lin, Dan; Wang, Bingguo; Brusseau, Mark L

2016-07-01

Interfacial areas between nonwetting-wetting (NW-W) liquids in natural porous media were measured using a modified version of the interfacial partitioning tracer test (IPTT) method that employed simultaneous two-phase flow conditions, which allowed measurement at NW saturations higher than trapped residual saturation. Measurements were conducted over a range of saturations for a well-sorted quartz sand under three wetting scenarios of primary drainage (PD), secondary imbibition (SI), and secondary drainage (SD). Limited sets of experiments were also conducted for a model glass-bead medium and for a soil. The measured interfacial areas were compared to interfacial areas measured using the standard IPTT method for liquid-liquid systems, which employs residual NW saturations. In addition, the theoretical maximum interfacial areas estimated from the measured data are compared to specific solid surface areas measured with the N 2 /BET method and estimated based on geometrical calculations for smooth spheres. Interfacial areas increase linearly with decreasing water saturation over the range of saturations employed. The maximum interfacial areas determined for the glass beads, which have no surface roughness, are 32±4 and 36±5 cm -1 for PD and SI cycles, respectively. The values are similar to the geometric specific solid surface area (31±2 cm -1 ) and the N 2 /BET solid surface area (28±2 cm -1 ). The maximum interfacial areas are 274±38, 235±27, and 581±160 cm -1 for the sand for PD, SI, and SD cycles, respectively, and ~7625 cm -1 for the soil for PD and SI. The maximum interfacial areas for the sand and soil are significantly larger than the estimated smooth-sphere specific solid surface areas (107±8 cm -1 and 152±8 cm -1 , respectively), but much smaller than the N 2 /BET solid surface area (1387±92 cm -1 and 55224 cm -1 , respectively). The NW-W interfacial areas measured with the two-phase flow method compare well to values measured using the standard

Numerical modelling of two phase flow with hysteresis in heterogeneous porous media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abreu, E. [Instituto Nacional de Matematica Pura e Aplicada (IMPA), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Furtado, F.; Pereira, F. [University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (United States). Dept. of Mathematicsatics; Souza, G. [Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), RJ (Brazil)

2008-07-01

Numerical simulators are necessary for the understanding of multiphase flow in porous media in order to optimize hydrocarbon recovery. In this work, the immiscible flow of two incompressible phases, a problem very common in waterflooding of petroleum reservoirs, is considered and numerical simulation techniques are presented. The system of equations which describe this type of flow form a coupled, highly nonlinear system of time-dependent partial differential equations (PDEs). The equation for the saturation of the invading fluid is a convection-dominated, degenerate parabolic PDE whose solutions typically exhibit sharp fronts (i.e., internal layers with strong gradients) and is very difficult to approximate numerically. It is well known that accurate modeling of convective and diffusive processes is one of the most daunting tasks in the numerical approximation of PDEs. Particularly difficult is the case where convection dominates diffusion. Specifically, we consider the injection problem for a model of two-phase (water/oil) flow in a core sample of porous rock, taking into account hysteresis effects in the relative permeability of the oil phase. (author)

Stability Analysis and Internal Heating Effect on Oscillatory Convection in a Viscoelastic Fluid Saturated Porous Medium Under Gravity Modulation

Science.gov (United States)

Bhadauria, B. S.; Singh, M. K.; Singh, A.; Singh, B. K.; Kiran, P.

2016-12-01

In this paper, we investigate the combined effect of internal heating and time periodic gravity modulation in a viscoelastic fluid saturated porous medium by reducing the problem into a complex non-autonomous Ginzgburg-Landau equation. Weak nonlinear stability analysis has been performed by using power series expansion in terms of the amplitude of gravity modulation, which is assumed to be small. The Nusselt number is obtained in terms of the amplitude for oscillatory mode of convection. The influence of viscoelastic parameters on heat transfer has been discussed. Gravity modulation is found to have a destabilizing effect at low frequencies and a stabilizing effect at high frequencies. Finally, it is found that overstability advances the onset of convection, more with internal heating. The conditions for which the complex Ginzgburg-Landau equation undergoes Hopf bifurcation and the amplitude equation undergoes supercritical pitchfork bifurcation are studied.

Law of nonlinear flow in saturated clays and radial consolidation

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2007-01-01

It was derived that micro-scale amount level of average pore radius of clay changed from 0.01 to 0.1 micron by an equivalent concept of flow in porous media. There is good agreement between the derived results and test ones. Results of experiments show that flow in micro-scale pore of saturated clays follows law of nonlinear flow. Theoretical analyses demonstrate that an interaction of solid-liquid interfaces varies inversely with permeability or porous radius. The interaction is an important reason why nonlinear flow in saturated clays occurs. An exact mathematical model was presented for nonlinear flow in micro-scale pore of saturated clays. Dimension and physical meanings of parameters of it are definite. A new law of nonlinear flow in saturated clays was established. It can describe characteristics of flow curve of the whole process of the nonlinear flow from low hydraulic gradient to high one. Darcy law is a special case of the new law. A mathematical model was presented for consolidation of nonlinear flow in radius direction in saturated clays with constant rate based on the new law of nonlinear flow. Equations of average mass conservation and moving boundary, and formula of excess pore pressure distribution and average degree of consolidation for nonlinear flow in saturated clay were derived by using an idea of viscous boundary layer, a method of steady state in stead of transient state and a method of integral of an equation. Laws of excess pore pressure distribution and changes of average degree of consolidation with time were obtained. Results show that velocity of moving boundary decreases because of the nonlinear flow in saturated clay. The results can provide geology engineering and geotechnical engineering of saturated clay with new scientific bases. Calculations of average degree of consolidation of the Darcy flow are a special case of that of the nonlinear flow.

Influence of gas law on ultrasonic behaviour of porous media under pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffiths, S; Ayrault, C

2010-06-01

This paper deals with the influence of gas law on ultrasonic behaviour of porous media when the saturating fluid is high pressured. Previous works have demonstrated that ultrasonic transmission through a porous sample with variations of the static pressure (up to 18 bars) of the saturating fluid allows the characterization of high damping materials. In these studies, the perfect gas law was used to link static pressure and density, which is disputable for high pressures. This paper compares the effects of real and perfect gas laws on modeled transmission coefficient for porous foams at these pressures. Direct simulations and a mechanical parameters estimation from minimization show that results are very similar in both cases. The real gas law is thus not necessary to describe the acoustic behaviour of porous media at low ultrasonic frequencies (100 kHz) up to 20 bars. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Continued development of a semianalytical solution for two-phase fluid and heat flow in a porous medium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doughty, C.; Pruess, K. [Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)

1991-06-01

Over the past few years the authors have developed a semianalytical solution for transient two-phase water, air, and heat flow in a porous medium surrounding a constant-strength linear heat source, using a similarity variable {eta} = r/{radical}t. Although the similarity transformation approach requires a simplified geometry, all the complex physical mechanisms involved in coupled two-phase fluid and heat flow can be taken into account in a rigorous way, so that the solution may be applied to a variety of problems of current interest. The work was motivated by adverse to predict the thermohydrological response to the proposed geologic repository for heat-generating high-level nuclear wastes at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, in a partially saturated, highly fractured volcanic formation. The paper describes thermal and hydrologic conditions near the heat source; new features of the model; vapor pressure lowering; and the effective-continuum representation of a fractured/porous medium.

Elastoplastic model for unsaturated, quasi-saturated and fully saturated fine soils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lai Ba Tien

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In unsaturated soils, the gaseous phase is commonly assumed to be continuous. This assumption is no more valid at high saturation ratio. In that case, air bubbles and pockets can be trapped in the porous network by the liquid phase and the gas phase becomes discontinuous. This trapped air reduces the apparent compressibility of the pore fluid and affect the mechanical behavior of the soil. Although it is trapped in the pores, its dissolution can take place. Dissolved air can migrate through the pore space, either by following the flow of the fluid or by diffusion. In this context, this paper present a hydro mechanical model that separately considers the kinematics and the mechanical behavior of each fluid species (eg liquid water, dissolved air, gaseous air and the solid matrix. This new model was implemented in a C++ code. Some numerical simulations are performed to demonstrate the ability of this model to reproduce a continuous transition of unsaturated to saturated states.

Dynamic seismic signatures of saturated porous rocks containing two orthogonal sets of fractures: theory versus numerical simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Junxin; Rubino, J. Germán; Glubokovskikh, Stanislav; Gurevich, Boris

2018-05-01

The dispersion and attenuation of seismic waves are potentially important attributes for the non-invasive detection and characterization of fracture networks. A primary mechanism for these phenomena is wave-induced fluid flow (WIFF), which can take place between fractures and their embedding background (FB-WIFF), as well as within connected fractures (FF-WIFF). In this work, we propose a theoretical approach to quantify seismic dispersion and attenuation related to these two manifestations of WIFF in saturated porous rocks permeated by two orthogonal sets of fractures. The methodology is based on existing theoretical models for rocks with aligned fractures, and we consider three types of fracture geometries, namely, periodic planar fractures, randomly spaced planar fractures and penny-shaped cracks. Synthetic 2-D rock samples with different degrees of fracture intersections are then explored by considering both the proposed theoretical approach and a numerical upscaling procedure that provides the effective seismic properties of generic heterogeneous porous media. The results show that the theoretical predictions are in overall good agreement with the numerical simulations, in terms of both the stiffness coefficients and the anisotropic properties. For the seismic dispersion and attenuation caused by FB-WIFF, the theoretical model for penny-shaped cracks matches the numerical simulations best, whereas for representing the effects due to FF-WIFF the periodic planar fractures model turns out to be the most suitable one. The proposed theoretical approach is easy to apply and is applicable not only to 2-D but also to 3-D fracture systems. Hence, it has the potential to constitute a useful framework for the seismic characterization of fractured reservoirs, especially in the presence of intersecting fractures.

Effects of chemical reaction in thermal and mass diffusion of micropolar fluid saturated in porous regime with radiation and ohmic heating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kumar Hitesh

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The present paper analyzes the chemically reacting free convection MHD micropolar flow, heat and mass transfer in porous medium past an infinite vertical plate with radiation and viscous dissipation. The non-linear coupled partial differential equations are solved numerically using an implicit finite difference scheme known as Keller-box method. The results for concentration, transverse velocity, angular velocity and temperature are obtained and effects of various parameters on these functions are presented graphically. The numerical discussion with physical interpretations for the influence of various parameters also presented.

Application of X-ray CT investigation of CO{sub 2}-brine flow in porous media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang, Lanlan; Liu, Yu; Song, Yongchen; Yang, Mingjun; Zhao, Yuechao; Zhao, Jiafei; Zhang, Yi; Shen, Zijian [Dalian University of Technology, Key Laboratory of Ocean Energy Utilization and Energy Conservation of Ministry of Education, Dalian (China); Xue, Ziqiu [Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth, Kizugawa City, Kyoto (Japan); Suekane, Tetsuya [Tokyo Institute Technology, Department of Energy Sciences, Nagatsuta, Yokohama (Japan)

2015-05-15

A clear understanding of two-phase flows in porous media is important for investigating CO{sub 2} geological storage. In this study, we conducted an experiment of CO{sub 2}/brine flow process in porous media under sequestration conditions using X-ray CT technique. The flow properties of relative permeability, porosity heterogeneity, and CO{sub 2} saturation were observed in this experiment. The porous media was packed with glass beads having a diameter of 0.2 mm. The porosity distribution along the flow direction is heterogeneous owing to the diameter and shape of glass beads along the flow direction. There is a relationship between CO{sub 2} saturation and porosity distribution, which changes with different flow rates and fractional flows. The heterogeneity of the porous media influences the distribution of CO{sub 2}; moreover, gravity, fractional flows, and flow rates influence CO{sub 2} distribution and saturation. The relative permeability curve was constructed using the steady-state method. The results agreed well with the relative permeability curve simulated using pore-network model. (orig.)

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.

On the viscous dissipation modeling of thermal fluid flow in a porous medium

KAUST Repository

Salama, Amgad

2011-02-24

The problem of viscous dissipation and thermal dispersion in saturated porous medium is numerically investigated for the case of non-Darcy flow regime. The fluid is induced to flow upward by natural convection as a result of a semi-infinite vertical wall that is immersed in the porous medium and is kept at constant higher temperature. The boundary layer approximations were used to simplify the set of the governing, nonlinear partial differential equations, which were then non-dimensionalized and solved using the finite elements method. The results for the details of the governing parameters are presented and investigated. It is found that the irreversible process of transforming the kinetic energy of the moving fluid to heat energy via the viscosity of the moving fluid (i.e.; viscous dissipation) resulted in insignificant generation of heat for the range of parameters considered in this study. On the other hand, thermal dispersion has shown to disperse heat energy normal to the wall more effectively compared with the normal diffusion mechanism. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.

Stability Analysis and Internal Heating Effect on Oscillatory Convection in a Viscoelastic Fluid Saturated Porous Medium Under Gravity Modulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bhadauria B.S.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we investigate the combined effect of internal heating and time periodic gravity modulation in a viscoelastic fluid saturated porous medium by reducing the problem into a complex non-autonomous Ginzgburg-Landau equation. Weak nonlinear stability analysis has been performed by using power series expansion in terms of the amplitude of gravity modulation, which is assumed to be small. The Nusselt number is obtained in terms of the amplitude for oscillatory mode of convection. The influence of viscoelastic parameters on heat transfer has been discussed. Gravity modulation is found to have a destabilizing effect at low frequencies and a stabilizing effect at high frequencies. Finally, it is found that overstability advances the onset of convection, more with internal heating. The conditions for which the complex Ginzgburg-Landau equation undergoes Hopf bifurcation and the amplitude equation undergoes supercritical pitchfork bifurcation are studied.

Experimental study on distributed optical fiber-based approach monitoring saturation line in levee engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Huaizhi; Li, Hao; Kang, Yeyuan; Wen, Zhiping

2018-02-01

Seepage is one of key factors which affect the levee engineering safety. The seepage danger without timely detection and rapid response may likely lead to severe accidents such as seepage failure, slope instability, and even levee break. More than 90 percent of levee break events are caused by the seepage. It is very important for seepage behavior identification to determine accurately saturation line in levee engineering. Furthermore, the location of saturation line has a major impact on slope stability in levee engineering. Considering the structure characteristics and service condition of levee engineering, the distributed optical fiber sensing technology is introduced to implement the real-time observation of saturation line in levee engineering. The distributed optical fiber temperature sensor system (DTS)-based monitoring principle of saturation line in levee engineering is investigated. An experimental platform, which consists of DTS, heating system, water-supply system, auxiliary analysis system and levee model, is designed and constructed. The monitoring experiment of saturation line in levee model is implemented on this platform. According to the experimental results, the numerical relationship between moisture content and thermal conductivity in porous medium is identified. A line heat source-based distributed optical fiber method obtaining the thermal conductivity in porous medium is developed. A DTS-based approach is proposed to monitor the saturation line in levee engineering. The embedment pattern of optical fiber for monitoring saturation line is presented.

Heat Transfer to Pulsatile Slip Flow in a Porous Channel Filled With ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper investigate the effect of slip on the hydromagnetic pulsatile flow through a porous channel filled with saturated porous medium with time dependent boundary condition on the heated wall. Based on the pulsatile flow nature, the dimensionless flow governing equations are resolved to harmonic and non-harmonic ...

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.

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.

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

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

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

Effect of Initial Hydraulic Conditions on Capillary Rise in a Porous Medium: Pore-Network Modeling

KAUST Repository

Joekar-Niasar, V.; Hassanizadeh, S. M.

2012-01-01

The dynamics of capillary rise in a porous medium have been mostly studied in initially dry systems. As initial saturation and initial hydraulic conditions in many natural and industrial porous media can be variable, it is important to investigate

Prediction of elastic and acoustic behaviors of calcarenite used for construction of historical monuments of Rabat, Morocco

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdelaali Rahmouni

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Natural materials (e.g. rocks and soils are porous media, whose microstructures present a wide diversity. They generally consist of a heterogeneous solid phase and a porous phase which may be fully or partially saturated with one or more fluids. The prediction of elastic and acoustic properties of porous materials is very important in many fields, such as physics of rocks, reservoir geophysics, civil engineering, construction field and study of the behavior of historical monuments. The aim of this work is to predict the elastic and acoustic behaviors of isotropic porous materials of a solid matrix containing dry, saturated and partially saturated spherical pores. For this, a homogenization technique based on the Mori–Tanaka model is presented to connect the elastic and acoustic properties to porosity and degree of water saturation. Non-destructive ultrasonic technique is used to determine the elastic properties from measurements of P-wave velocities. The results obtained show the influence of porosity and degree of water saturation on the effective properties. The various predictions of Mori–Tanaka model are then compared with experimental results for the elastic and acoustic properties of calcarenite.

Thermophysical properties of a fluid-saturated sandstone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abid, Muhammad; Hammerschmidt, Ulf; Koehler, Juergen

2014-01-01

Thermophysical properties of a fluid-saturated stone are presented that are obtained by using the transient hot-bridge technique (THB) at ambient conditions. Measurements are succeedingly done each after having filled the porous stone structure first with six different fluids of distinct thermal conductivities and next with six different gases also having different thermal conductivities. Variations in thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and volumetric specific heat due to liquid or gas saturations are discussed. Internal pore structure of the stone is studied by using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry (MIP) and other standardized density methods at ambient conditions. Effect of interstitial pore pressure on thermophysical properties are also discussed in the context of Knudsen effect. (authors)

Uzawa smoother in multigrid for the coupleD porous medium and stokes flow system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

P. Luo (Peiyao); C. Rodrigo (Carmen); F.J. Gaspar Lorenz (Franscisco); C.W. Oosterlee (Kees)

2017-01-01

textabstractThe multigrid solution of coupled porous media and Stokes flow problems is considered. The Darcy equation as the saturated porous medium model is coupled to the Stokes equations by means of appropriate interface conditions. We focus on an efficient multigrid solution technique for the

Heat transfer through natural convection in a porous saturated medium between two vertical cylinders

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hasnaoui, M. [Faculte des Sciences Semlalia, Marrakech (Morocco); Vasseur, P.; Bilgen, E.; Robillard, L. [Ecole Polytechnique, Montreal, PQ (Canada)

1993-12-31

A numerical and analytical study of two dimensional, laminar and near steady convection in a vertical porous annular region. The mathematical model was established, basing on Darcy-Oberbeck-Boussinesq equations. The analytical resolution is in the limit where the width of the porous layer is small compared to the cylinders height and it is based on the hypothesis of the parallel flow. (Authors). 4 refs., 4 figs.

Unexpected large room-temperature ferromagnetism in porous Cu{sub 2}O thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hou, Xue [College of Physics Science & Information Engineering, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024 (China); Key Laboratory of Advanced Films of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050024 (China); Sun, Huiyuan, E-mail: huiyuansun@126.com [College of Physics Science & Information Engineering, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024 (China); Key Laboratory of Advanced Films of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050024 (China); Liu, Lihu; Jia, Xiaoxuan; Liu, Huiyuan [College of Physics Science & Information Engineering, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024 (China); Key Laboratory of Advanced Films of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050024 (China)

2015-05-15

Porous Cu{sub 2}O films have been fabricated on porous anodic alumina substrates using DC-reactive magnetron sputtering with pure Cu targets, and unexpectedly large room temperature ferromagnetism has been observed in the films. The maximum saturation magnetic moment along the out-of-plane direction was as high as 94 emu/cm{sup 3}. Photoluminescence spectra show that the ferromagnetism originates with oxygen vacancies. The ferromagnetism could be adjusted by changing the concentration of oxygen vacancies through annealing in an oxygen atmosphere. These observations suggest that the origin of the ferromagnetism is due to coupling between oxygen vacancies with local magnetic moments in the porous Cu{sub 2}O films, which can occur either directly through exchange interactions between oxygen vacancies, or through the mediation of conduction electrons. Such a ferromagnet without the presence of any ferromagnetic dopant may find applications in spintronic devices. - Highlights: • Porous Cu{sub 2}O films were deposited on porous anodic alumina (PAA) substrates. • Significant room-temperature ferromagnetism has been observed in porous Cu{sub 2}O films. • Ferromagnetism of Cu{sub 2}O films exhibited different magnetic signals with the field. • The saturation magnetization is 94 emu/cm{sup 3} with an out-of-plane.

Seismic response analysis of the deep saturated soil deposits in Shanghai

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yu; Ye, Weimin; Chen, Zhuchang

2009-01-01

The quaternary deposits in Shanghai are horizontal soil layers of thickness up to about 280 m in the urban area with an annual groundwater table between 0.5 and 0.7 m from the surface. The characteristics of deep saturated deposits may have important influences upon seismic response of the ground in Shanghai. Based on the Biot theory for porous media, the water-saturated soil deposits are modeled as a two-phase porous system consisting of solid and fluid phases, in this paper. A nonlinear constitutive model for predicting the seismic response of the ground is developed to describe the dynamic characters of the deep-saturated soil deposits in Shanghai. Subsequently, the seismic response of a typical site with 280 m deep soil layers, which is subjected to four base excitations (El Centro, Taft, Sunan, and Tangshan earthquakes), is analyzed in terms of an effective stress-based finite element method with the proposed constitutive model. Special emphasis is given to the computed results of accelerations, excess pore-water pressures, and settlements during the seismic excitations. It has been found that the analysis can capture fundamental aspects of the ground response and produce preliminary results for seismic assessment.

A demonstration experiment for studying the properties of saturated vapor

Science.gov (United States)

Grebenev, Igor V.; Lebedeva, Olga V.; Polushkina, Svetlana V.

2017-11-01

The paper proposes an important demonstration experiment that can be used at secondary schools in physics. The described experiment helps students learn the main concepts of the topic ‘saturated vapor’, namely, evaporation, condensation, dynamic equilibrium, saturation vapor, partial pressure, and the dependence of saturated vapor pressure on temperature.

Two-phase flow in porous media: power-law scaling of effective permeability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Groeva, Morten; Hansen, Alex, E-mail: Morten.Grova@ntnu.no, E-mail: Alex.Hansen@ntnu.no [Department of Physics, NTNU, NO-7491 Trondheim (Norway)

2011-09-15

A recent experiment has reported power-law scaling of effective permeability of two-phase flow with respect to capillary number for a two-dimensional model porous medium. In this paper, we consider the simultaneous flow of two phases through a porous medium under steady-state conditions, fixed total flow-rate and saturation, using a two-dimensional network simulator. We obtain power-law exponents for the scaling of effective permeability with respect to capillary number. The simulations are performed both for viscosity matched fluids and for a high viscosity ratio resembling that of air and water. Good power-law behaviour is found for both cases. Different exponents are found, depending on saturation.

Energy dissipation during an explosion in a porous elasto-plastic medium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lovetskii, E.E.; Maslennikov, A.M.; Fetisov, V.S.

1979-01-01

A study is made of the redistribution of energy from camouflage blasting in a saturated porous medium. The study is undertaken with the aid of a numerical solution to a system of hydrodynamic equations, that account for shear strength of the substance under investigation. A study is made of the energy characteristics of explosion, their dynamic development, the influence of strength parameters of the medium, and porosity on these characteristics. A mechanism that is associated with the impact compression of matter is identified as the basic mechanism of energy dissipation for dry porous media. Water saturation of pores brings the energy characteristics of the explosion close to the explosion in a monolith. 12 references, 5 figures, 1 table.

A generalized power-law scaling law for a two-phase imbibition in a porous medium

KAUST Repository

El-Amin, Mohamed

2013-11-01

Dimensionless time is a universal parameter that may be used to predict real field behavior from scaled laboratory experiments in relation to imbibition processes in porous media. Researchers work to nondimensionalize the time has been through the use of parameters that are inherited to the properties of the moving fluids and the porous matrix, which may be applicable to spontaneous imbibition. However, in forced imbibition, the dynamics of the process depends, in addition, on injection velocity. Therefore, we propose the use of scaling velocity in the form of a combination of two velocities, the first of which (the characteristic velocity) is defined by the fluid and the porous medium parameters and the second is the injection velocity, which is a characteristic of the process. A power-law formula is suggested for the scaling velocity such that it may be used as a parameter to nondimensionalize time. This may reduce the complexities in characterizing two-phase imbibition through porous media and works well in both the cases of spontaneous and forced imbibition. The proposed scaling-law is tested against some oil recovery experimental data from the literature. In addition, the governing partial differential equations are nondimensionalized so that the governing dimensionless groups are manifested. An example of a one-dimensional countercurrent imbibition is considered numerically. The calculations are carried out for a wide range of Ca and Da to illustrate their influences on water saturation as well as relative water/oil permeabilities. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

A generalized power-law scaling law for a two-phase imbibition in a porous medium

KAUST Repository

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

2013-01-01

Dimensionless time is a universal parameter that may be used to predict real field behavior from scaled laboratory experiments in relation to imbibition processes in porous media. Researchers work to nondimensionalize the time has been through the use of parameters that are inherited to the properties of the moving fluids and the porous matrix, which may be applicable to spontaneous imbibition. However, in forced imbibition, the dynamics of the process depends, in addition, on injection velocity. Therefore, we propose the use of scaling velocity in the form of a combination of two velocities, the first of which (the characteristic velocity) is defined by the fluid and the porous medium parameters and the second is the injection velocity, which is a characteristic of the process. A power-law formula is suggested for the scaling velocity such that it may be used as a parameter to nondimensionalize time. This may reduce the complexities in characterizing two-phase imbibition through porous media and works well in both the cases of spontaneous and forced imbibition. The proposed scaling-law is tested against some oil recovery experimental data from the literature. In addition, the governing partial differential equations are nondimensionalized so that the governing dimensionless groups are manifested. An example of a one-dimensional countercurrent imbibition is considered numerically. The calculations are carried out for a wide range of Ca and Da to illustrate their influences on water saturation as well as relative water/oil permeabilities. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

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

Effect of flood conditions on the deterioration of porous clay-based brick

Science.gov (United States)

Mol, L.; Tomor, A.

2017-12-01

Man-made materials represent an increasingly large proportion of geomaterials that are used to build up a rapidly expanding urbanised landscape. The deterioration of such materials is of increasing concern, in particular in light of the projected increase in storm and flood events and their associated high water levels. The effect of prolonged saturation in porous materials, man-made as well as natural, can lead to accelerated deterioration. This can be of particular concern for load-bearing structural materials, for example bridges. In this study, the effect of moisture movement has been investigated for brick masonry, as one of the most commonly used porous building materials. Saturation of brick masonry can be of particular concern for historical masonry, such as masonry arch bridges in conjunction with under increasing levels of long-term traffic loading. While flooding can lead to scour and sudden collapse of bridges, saturation can also lead to accelerated medium and long-term deterioration. A series of small-scale laboratory tests have been carried out on brick masonry to identify the effects of saturation on the material properties and changes in the rate of deterioration. Brick masonry prisms have been loaded to failure under quasi-static and long-term cyclic compression and monitored with the help of acoustic emission technique, accelerometers, linear variable differential transformers (LVDTs), permeametry and brick surface hardness measurements. Under quasi-static loading saturated samples showed significant reduction in the load capacity and increased fracture development. Under fatigue loading the number of cycles to failure reduced significantly for saturated specimens and characteristic changes in material parameters have been related to stages of fatigue deterioration. Test results indicated that increasing flood events can accelerate moisture-related deterioration in porous brick masonry.

Effect of Carreau-Yasuda rheological parameters on subcritical Lapwood convection in horizontal porous cavity saturated by shear-thinning fluid

Science.gov (United States)

Khechiba, Khaled; Mamou, Mahmoud; Hachemi, Madjid; Delenda, Nassim; Rebhi, Redha

2017-06-01

The present study is focused on Lapwood convection in isotropic porous media saturated with non-Newtonian shear thinning fluid. The non-Newtonian rheological behavior of the fluid is modeled using the general viscosity model of Carreau-Yasuda. The convection configuration consists of a shallow porous cavity with a finite aspect ratio and subject to a vertical constant heat flux, whereas the vertical walls are maintained impermeable and adiabatic. An approximate analytical solution is developed on the basis of the parallel flow assumption, and numerical solutions are obtained by solving the full governing equations. The Darcy model with the Boussinesq approximation and energy transport equations are solved numerically using a finite difference method. The results are obtained in terms of the Nusselt number and the flow fields as functions of the governing parameters. A good agreement is obtained between the analytical approximation and the numerical solution of the full governing equations. The effects of the rheological parameters of the Carreau-Yasuda fluid and Rayleigh number on the onset of subcritical convection thresholds are demonstrated. Regardless of the aspect ratio of the enclosure and thermal boundary condition type, the subcritical convective flows are seen to occur below the onset of stationary convection. Correlations are proposed to estimate the subcritical Rayleigh number for the onset of finite amplitude convection as a function of the fluid rheological parameters. Linear stability of the convective motion, predicted by the parallel flow approximation, is studied, and the onset of Hopf bifurcation, from steady convective flow to oscillatory behavior, is found to depend strongly on the rheological parameters. In general, Hopf bifurcation is triggered earlier as the fluid becomes more and more shear-thinning.

Multi-level adaptive simulation of transient two-phase flow in heterogeneous porous media

KAUST Repository

Chueh, C.C.

2010-10-01

An implicit pressure and explicit saturation (IMPES) finite element method (FEM) incorporating a multi-level shock-type adaptive refinement technique is presented and applied to investigate transient two-phase flow in porous media. Local adaptive mesh refinement is implemented seamlessly with state-of-the-art artificial diffusion stabilization allowing simulations that achieve both high resolution and high accuracy. Two benchmark problems, modelling a single crack and a random porous medium, are used to demonstrate the robustness of the method and illustrate the capabilities of the adaptive refinement technique in resolving the saturation field and the complex interaction (transport phenomena) between two fluids in heterogeneous media. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

Study of numerical schemes for two-phase flow in porous media for any meshes: application to storage of nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angelini, O.

2010-01-01

The two-phase flow in porous media is a complex phenomenon and which relate to many industrial problems. EDF works on the feasibility and the safety of a storage in deep geologic layer of nuclear waste. In this domain the simulation of the two-phase flow in porous media is particularly important in at least three domains: first of all during the phase of ventilation of the galleries of the storage which could de-saturate the rock and so modify its properties, but also during the phase of re-saturation of the materials and finally during the arrival of the water on the metal parts contained in the storage which will then involve phenomena of corrosion and a hydrogen release. In this context, EDF wishes to obtain robust numerical methods without restrictive condition on the mesh. This work is dedicated at first to the development of the finite volume scheme SUSHI (Scheme Using Stabilization and Hybrid Interfaces) in the code of mechanics of EDF, Code Aster in order to simulate the two-phase flow in porous media. This scheme was developed in 2D and in 3D. At the same time a new formulation which allows to simulate in a uniform way the flows in saturated and unsaturated porous media for miscible and immiscible problems is proposed. Various studies simulating difficulties related to the problems of the storage of nuclear waste in deep geological layers were study. We can quote the study of a bi-material which advances the capillary re-balancing of a material by an other one possessing properties and initial very heterogeneous conditions in saturation. We will also quote the study of the injection of hydrogen in an porous media initially saturated in pure water which is proposed by the benchmark 'two-phase Flow' proposed by the GNR MOMAS. This study had for objective to bring to light the good treatment of the appearance of a phase in a saturated porous media and thus the relevance of our new formulation to study with a way unified a problem of saturated flow and a

Saturation behaviour of the LHC NEG coated beam pipes

CERN Document Server

Porcelli, T; Lanza, G; Baglin, V; Jimenez, J M

2012-01-01

In the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC), about 6 km of the UHV beam pipe are at room temperature and serve as experimental or utility insertions. TiZrV non-evaporable getter (NEG) coating is used to maintain the design pressure during beam operation. Molecular desorption due to dynamic effects is stimulated during protons operation at high intensity. This phenomenon produces an important gas load from the vacuum chamber walls, which could lead to a partial or total saturation of the NEG coating. To keep the design vacuum performances and to schedule technical interventions for NEG reactivation, it is necessary to take into account all these aspects and to regularly evaluate the saturation level of the NEG coating. Experimental studies of a typical LHC vacuum sector were conducted in the laboratory in order to identify the best method to assess the saturation level of the beam pipe. Partial saturation of the NEG was performed and the effective pumping speed, transmission and capture probability are analysed.

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.

Relation between electric properties and water saturation for hematitic sandstone with frequency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. M. Gomaa

2008-06-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on the effect of water saturation on A. C. electrical conductivity and dielectric constant of fully and partially saturated hematitic sandstone sample (Aswan area, Egypt. The saturation of the sample was changed from partial to full saturation. Complex resistivity measurements at room temperature (~16°C, were performed in the frequency range from 0.1 Hz to 100 KHz. Experimental electrical spectra indicate, generally, that the electrical conductivity and dielectric constant vary strongly with water saturations and frequency. The low frequency electrical conductivity and dielectric constant are mainly controlled by surface conduction and polarization of the electrical double layer. The behaviour of the electrical conductivity and dielectric constant, with increasing water content, were argued to the orientational polarization of bound water for very low saturations, displacement of the excess surface charges for relatively low saturations, and free exchange of excess ions in double layer with the bulk electrolyte and generation of transient diffusion potentials which lag behind the applied field for high saturations.

Coupling between corrosion and biphasic transport in porous media: Application to the evolution of a radioactive wastes disposal; Couplage entre corrosion et comportement diphasique dans un milieu poreux: Application a l'evolution d'un stockage des dechets radioactifs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dridi, W

2005-04-15

In the actual concepts of geological disposal, high level radioactive wastes are packed in metallic containers surrounded by a partially or totally saturated clay media. In contact with the interstitial water, anoxic corrosion of this container will start producing hydrogen. In the scope of safety assessment, the present study deals with two main topics: prediction of the long-term corrosion of carbon steel with respect to clay water content and evaluation of the risk of damage of the clay barrier related to gas production. Elementary processes controlling the kinetics of corrosion are limited to oxide growth and mass transfer through the porosity of this film. Thanks to a macroscopic description of theses processes, followed by an interfacial kinetic law, a mechanistic modeling of the anoxic corrosion in partially saturated porous media is proposed. This approach is validated when confronted to the long-term corrosion tests performed in saturated clay. Both modeling and laboratory experiments have confirmed that kinetics of anoxic corrosion in partially saturated clay is mainly controlled by the surrounding relative humidity as in the case of aerated or atmospheric corrosion. In the gas generation topic, some numerical simulations are performed concerning the oedometric and triaxial test dealing with gas migration in saturated clay. Finally, long-term calculations are conducted concerning hydro-mechanical impact of corrosion in deep geological repositories. Due to a more realistic prediction of the long-term corrosion, the risks of gas overpressures, local desaturation and mechanical damage are reduced. (author)

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.

Micro-poromechanics model of fluid-saturated chemically active fibrous media.

Science.gov (United States)

Misra, Anil; Parthasarathy, Ranganathan; Singh, Viraj; Spencer, Paulette

2015-02-01

We have developed a micromechanics based model for chemically active saturated fibrous media that incorporates fiber network microstructure, chemical potential driven fluid flow, and micro-poromechanics. The stress-strain relationship of the dry fibrous media is first obtained by considering the fiber behavior. The constitutive relationships applicable to saturated media are then derived in the poromechanics framework using Hill's volume averaging. The advantage of this approach is that the resultant continuum model accounts for the discrete nature of the individual fibers while retaining a form suitable for porous materials. As a result, the model is able to predict the influence of micro-scale phenomena, such as the fiber pre-strain caused by osmotic effects and evolution of fiber network structure with loading, on the overall behavior and in particular, on the poromechanics parameters. Additionally, the model can describe fluid-flow related rate-dependent behavior under confined and unconfined conditions and varying chemical environments. The significance of the approach is demonstrated by simulating unconfined drained monotonic uniaxial compression under different surrounding fluid bath molarity, and fluid-flow related creep and relaxation at different loading-levels and different surrounding fluid bath molarity. The model predictions conform to the experimental observations for saturated soft fibrous materials. The method can potentially be extended to other porous materials such as bone, clays, foams and concrete.

Numerical modelling of hydrologically-driven slope instability by means of porous media mechanics

Science.gov (United States)

Kakogiannou, Evanthia; Sanavia, Lorenzo; Lora, Marco; Schrefler, Bernhard

2015-04-01

Heavy rainfall can trigger slope failure which generally involves shallow soil deposit of different grading and origin usually in a state of partial saturation. In this case of slope instability, the behaviour of the soil slope is closely related not only to the distribution of pore-water pressure but also to the stress state during rainfall infiltration involving both mechanical and hydrological processes. In order to understand better these physical key processes, in this research work, the modelling of rainfall induced slope failure is considered as a coupled variably saturated hydro-mechanical problem. Therefore, the geometrically linear finite element code Comes-Geo for non-isothermal elasto-plastic multiphase solid porous materials is used, as developed by B.A. Schrefler and his co-workers. In this context, a detailed numerical analysis of an experimental slope stability test due to rainfall infiltration is presented. The main goals of this work are to understand the triggering mechanisms during the progressive failure, the effect of using different constitutive models of the mechanical soil behavior on the numerical results and the use of the second order work criterion on the detection of slope instability.

Comparison of Experimental and Numerical Two-Phase Flows in a Porous Micro-Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dustin Crandall

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Characterizing two-phase flow in porous media is important to provide estimates of sweep efficiency in enhanced oil recovery and storage estimates in potential geological CO2 sequestration repositories. To further the current understanding of two-phase flow in porous media a micro-model of interconnected channels was designed and fabricated using stereolithography to experimentally study gas-liquid flows. This flowcell was created with a wide variability of throat dimensions to represent naturally occurring porous media. Low flow rate experiments of immiscible two-phase drainage were performed within this cell. Additionally, a computational model for analyzing two-phase flows in the same flowcell was developed and used to simulate conditions not possible with our laboratory settings. The computational model was first tested for the identical conditions used in the experimental studies, and was shown to be in good agreement with the experimentally determined fractal dimension of the invading gas structure, time until breakthrough, and fluid saturation. The numerical model was then used to study two-phase air-water flows in flowcells with the same geometry and different gas-liquid-solid contact angles. The percent saturation of air and the motion of the fluids through the cell were found to vary with changes in these parameters. Finally, to simulate flows expected during geologic carbon sequestration, the fluid properties and interface conditions were set to model the flow of CO2 into a brine-saturated porous medium at representative subsurface conditions. The CO2 flows were shown to have larger gas saturations than the previous air into water studies. Thus the accuracy of the computational model was supported by the flowcell experiments, and the computational model extended the laboratory results to conditions not possible with the apparatus used in the experiments.

Boiling phenomenon and heat transfer in bead-packed porous structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xiaojie; ZHu Yanlei; Bai Bofeng; Yan Xiao; Xiao Zejun

2009-01-01

A visual study on pool boiling behavior and phase distribution was conducted on the porous structures made of staggered glass beads at atmospheric pressure. The bead-packed structure was heated on the bottom. The investigations were carried out respectively at different glass bead diameters which were 4 mm, 6 mm and 8 mm. The results show that during subcooled boiling, small isolated bubbles are formed on the heated surface and combine into main-bubbles, the dispersion frequency of the main-bubbles is low and the small bubbles scatter in the bead-packed porous structures. At the initial stage of saturated boiling, the bubble growth rate, the volume of main-bubbles and the range of continuous vapor phase increase. The dispersion frequency of main-bubbles increases with the increasing of heat flux. During film boiling, the heated surface is absolutely covered with vapor film and the porous structure is full of liquid. The larger the diameter of beads is, the higher heat flux is needed for the same phenomenon, and the higher maximum value of heat transfer coefficient will be. During the whole saturated boiling, and the heat transfer enhanced firstly and then weakened. Being opposite to that of the diameters of 4 mm and 8 mm, the heat transfer coefficient in the 6 mm-bead-packed porous structure decreases with the increasing of the heat flux. (authors)

Porous copper template from partially spark plasma-sintered Cu–Zn ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Administrator

analysis. Keywords. Metal; corrosion; porous structure; sintering; powder metallurgy. 1. Introduction ... well as in the case, when the overall electrode potential of the final ... at 100 °C/min to reach sintering temperature and load was applied ...

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.

A numerical toolkit to understand the mechanics of partially saturated granular materials

OpenAIRE

Roux , Jean-Noël

2015-01-01

``Focus on Fluids'' section; International audience; The mechanisms by which a wetting, non-saturating liquid bestows macroscopic cohesion and strength to a granular material are usually not accessible to micromechanical investigations for saturations exceeding the pendular regime of isolated menisci, easily studied by discrete element models. The " JFM-Rapids " paper (vol. 762, R5, 2015) by Delenne, Richefeu and Radja¨ıRadja¨ı, exploiting a multiphase Lattice Boltzmann approach, pioneers the...

Influence of Biochar on Deposition and Release of Clay Colloids in Saturated Porous Media.

Science.gov (United States)

Haque, Muhammad Emdadul; Shen, Chongyang; Li, Tiantian; Chu, Haoxue; Wang, Hong; Li, Zhen; Huang, Yuanfang

2017-11-01

Although the potential application of biochar in soil remediation has been recognized, the effect of biochar on the transport of clay colloids, and accordingly the fate of colloid-associated contaminants, is unclear to date. This study conducted saturated column experiments to systematically examine transport of clay colloids in biochar-amended sand porous media in different electrolytes at different ionic strengths. The obtained breakthrough curves were simulated by the convection-diffusion equation, which included a first-order deposition and release terms. The deposition mechanisms were interpreted by calculating Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek interaction energies. A linear relationship between the simulated deposition rate or the attachment efficiency and the fraction of biochar was observed ( ≥ 0.91), indicating more favorable deposition in biochar than in sand. The interaction energy calculations show that the greater deposition in biochar occurs because the half-tube-like cavities on the biochar surfaces favor deposition in secondary minima and the nanoscale physical and chemical heterogeneities on the biochar surfaces increase deposition in primary minima. The deposited clay colloids in NaCl can be released by reduction of ionic strength, whereas the presence of a bivalent cation (Ca) results in irreversible deposition due to the formation of cation bridging between the colloids and biochar surfaces. The deposition and release of clay colloids on or from biochar surfaces not only change their mobilizations in the soil but also influence the efficiency of the biochar for removal of pollutants. Therefore, the influence of biochar on clay colloid transport must be considered before application of the biochar in soil remediation. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

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

Abstracts of the symposium on unsaturated flow and transport modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-03-01

Abstract titles are: Recent developments in modeling variably saturated flow and transport; Unsaturated flow modeling as applied to field problems; Coupled heat and moisture transport in unsaturated soils; Influence of climatic parameters on movement of radionuclides in a multilayered saturated-unsaturated media; Modeling water and solute transport in soil containing roots; Simulation of consolidation in partially saturated soil materials; modeling of water and solute transport in unsaturated heterogeneous fields; Fluid dynamics and mass transfer in variably-saturated porous media; Solute transport through soils; One-dimensional analytical transport modeling; Convective transport of ideal tracers in unsaturated soils; Chemical transport in macropore-mesopore media under partially saturated conditions; Influence of the tension-saturated zone on contaminant migration in shallow water regimes; Influence of the spatial distribution of velocities in porous media on the form of solute transport; Stochastic vs deterministic models for solute movement in the field; and Stochastic analysis of flow and solute transport

Polarisations of quasi-waves in a general anisotropic porous solid ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

in fluid-saturated porous media was developed by. Biot (1956). ... anisotropic permeability controlling the flow of vis- cous fluid in its pores. ..... solid: III reflection of plane waves at a free plane boundary (general case); Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 52.

Formulation of similarity porous media systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, R.M.; Ford, W.T.; Ruttan, A.; Strauss, M.J.

1982-01-01

The mathematical formulation of the Porous Media System (PMS) describing two-phase, immiscible, compressible fluid flow in linear, homogeneous porous media is reviewed and expanded. It is shown that families of common vertex, coaxial parabolas and families of parallel lines are the only families of curves on which solutions of the PMS may be constant. A coordinate transformation is used to change the partial differential equations of the PMS to a system of ordinary differential equations, referred to as a similarity Porous Media System (SPMS), in which the independent variable denotes movement from curve to curve in a selected family of curves. Properties of solutions of the first boundary value problem are developed for the SPMS

Thermal-hydraulic of partially blocked fuel subassembly with porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagata, Takemitsu; Ohshima, Hiroyuki

2000-10-01

The analysis code for investigations of local subassembly phenomena, which has been recognized as an issue of local subassembly accidents, has been required and developed at JNC. It is desirable for the analysis code to be applicable to various blockage conditions and random position of the blockage formation and to evaluate conservatively on the safety assessment with high accuracy. In this study, for the purpose of verifying the application and issues of the subchannel analysis code ASFRE-IV which evaluates thermal hydraulic phenomena in the porous blockage regions, the ASFRE-IV validation analysis was carried out on the basis of the data of an experiment investigation on a local porous blockage in a fuel subassembly performed by Reactor Engineering Groop, O-arai Engineering Center, JNC. Calculational results indicated that ASFRE-IV could reproduce the coolant temperature profile in a fuel subassembly and the peak temperature in the local subchannel conservatively. (author)

Exact expression for the effective acoustics of patchy-saturated rocks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vogelaar, B.; Smeulders, D.M.J.; Harris, J.

2010-01-01

Seismic effects of a partially gas-saturated subsurface have been known for many years. For example, patches of nonuniform saturation occur at the gas-oil and gas-water contacts in hydrocarbon reservoirs. Open-pore boundary conditions are applied to the quasi-static Biot equations of poroelasticity

The effect of a microscale fracture on dynamic capillary pressure of two-phase flow in porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Mingming; Lu, Shuangfang; Zhan, Hongbin; Wenqjie, Guo; Ma, Huifang

2018-03-01

Dynamic capillary pressure (DCP) effects, which is vital for predicting multiphase flow behavior in porous media, refers to the injection rate dependence capillary pressure observed during non-equilibrium displacement experiments. However, a clear picture of the effects of microscale fractures on DCP remains elusive. This study quantified the effects of microscale fractures on DCP and simulated pore-scale force and saturation change in fractured porous media using the multiphase lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). Eighteen simulation cases were carried out to calculate DCP as a function of wetting phase saturation. The effects of viscosity ratio and fracture orientation, aperture and length on DCP and DCP coefficient τ were investigated, where τ refers to the ratio of the difference of DCP and static capillary pressure (SCP) over the rate of wetting-phase saturation change versus time. Significant differences in τ values were observed between unfractured and fractured porous media. The τ values of fractured porous media were 1.1  × 104 Pa ms to 5.68 × 105 Pa ms, which were one or two orders of magnitude lower than those of unfractured porous media with a value of 4 × 106 Pa. ms. A horizontal fracture had greater effects on DCP and τ than a vertical fracture, given the same fracture aperture and length. This study suggested that a microscale fracture might result in large magnitude changes in DCP for two-phase flow.

Prediction of the saturated hydraulic conductivity from Brooks and Corey’s water retention parameters

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nasta, P.; Vrugt, J.A.; Romano, N.

2013-01-01

Prediction of flow through variably saturated porous media requires accurate knowledge of the soil hydraulic properties, namely the water retention function (WRF) and the hydraulic conductivity function (HCF). Unfortunately, direct measurement of the HCF is time consuming and expensive. In this

The unsaturated flow in porous media with dynamic capillary pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Milišić, Josipa-Pina

2018-05-01

In this paper we consider a degenerate pseudoparabolic equation for the wetting saturation of an unsaturated two-phase flow in porous media with dynamic capillary pressure-saturation relationship where the relaxation parameter depends on the saturation. Following the approach given in [13] the existence of a weak solution is proved using Galerkin approximation and regularization techniques. A priori estimates needed for passing to the limit when the regularization parameter goes to zero are obtained by using appropriate test-functions, motivated by the fact that considered PDE allows a natural generalization of the classical Kullback entropy. Finally, a special care was given in obtaining an estimate of the mixed-derivative term by combining the information from the capillary pressure with the obtained a priori estimates on the saturation.

Organic Dye Effects on DNAPL Entry Pressure in Water Saturated Porous Media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iversen, G.M.

2001-01-01

One of three diazo dyes with the same fundamental structure have been used in most studies of DNAPL behavior in porous media to stain the NAPL: Sudan III, Sudan IV, or Oil-Red-O. The dyes are generally implicitly assumed to not influence DNAPL behavior. That assumption was tested using simple entry pressure experiments

Saturated Zone Colloid-Facilitated Transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wolfsberg, A.; Reimus, P.

2001-01-01

The purpose of the Saturated Zone Colloid-Facilitated Transport Analysis and Modeling Report (AMR), as outlined in its Work Direction and Planning Document (CRWMS MandO 1999a), is to provide retardation factors for colloids with irreversibly-attached radionuclides, such as plutonium, in the saturated zone (SZ) between their point of entrance from the unsaturated zone (UZ) and downgradient compliance points. Although it is not exclusive to any particular radionuclide release scenario, this AMR especially addresses those scenarios pertaining to evidence from waste degradation experiments, which indicate that plutonium and perhaps other radionuclides may be irreversibly attached to colloids. This report establishes the requirements and elements of the design of a methodology for calculating colloid transport in the saturated zone at Yucca Mountain. In previous Total Systems Performance Assessment (TSPA) analyses, radionuclide-bearing colloids were assumed to be unretarded in their migration. Field experiments in fractured tuff at Yucca Mountain and in porous media at other sites indicate that colloids may, in fact, experience retardation relative to the mean pore-water velocity, suggesting that contaminants associated with colloids should also experience some retardation. Therefore, this analysis incorporates field data where available and a theoretical framework when site-specific data are not available for estimating plausible ranges of retardation factors in both saturated fractured tuff and saturated alluvium. The distribution of retardation factors for tuff and alluvium are developed in a form consistent with the Performance Assessment (PA) analysis framework for simulating radionuclide transport in the saturated zone. To improve on the work performed so far for the saturated-zone flow and transport modeling, concerted effort has been made in quantifying colloid retardation factors in both fractured tuff and alluvium. The fractured tuff analysis used recent data

Application of the finite volume method in the simulation of saturated flows of binary mixtures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murad, M.A.; Gama, R.M.S. da; Sampaio, R.

1989-12-01

This work presents the simulation of saturated flows of an incompressible Newtonian fluid through a rigid, homogeneous and isotropic porous medium. The employed mathematical model is derived from the Continuum Theory of Mixtures and generalizes the classical one which is based on Darcy's Law form of the momentum equation. In this approach fluid and porous matrix are regarded as continuous constituents of a binary mixture. The finite volume method is employed in the simulation. (author) [pt

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.

MRI of intracerebral haematoma at low field (0.15T) using T2 dependent partial saturation sequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bydder, G.M.; Pennock, J.M.; Porteous, R.; Dubowitz, L.M.S.; Gadian, D.G.; Young, I.R.

1988-01-01

Results of MRI at 0.15T in twelve successive patients with intracerebral haematoma are reviewed. Using T 2 weighted spin echo (SE) and partial saturation (PS without a refocussing 180 0 pulse) sequences, low intensity areas were seen in eleven of the twelve cases. These included central regions (three cases), a peripheral rim (seven cases) and more diffuse patterns involving the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres (two cases). One case initially displayed a peripheral rim and later a central low intensity region. Central low intensity regions were seen in acute, subacute, and chronic cases. Follow up in five cases displayed an increase in signal within the haematoma in three cases and a decrease in signal intensity in two cases. Low signal intensity areas can be seen within and around intracerebral haematomas imaged with T 2 weighted sequences at low field strength. (orig.)

Simulation of gas hydrogen diffusion through partially water saturated mono-modal materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boher, C.; Lorente, S.; Frizon, F.; Bart, F.

2012-01-01

Concerning the disposal of nuclear wastes, it is important to design concrete envelopes with pore networks that allow the diffusion of hydrogen towards the outside. This work documents the relationship between geo-polymers, which are materials with a quasi mono-modal pore network, and their gaseous diffusivity capacities. Using a mono-modal material allows studying a specific pore size contribution to gaseous diffusion. The pore network is characterized by mercury porosimetry. These experimental results are used as data in a model named MOHYCAN. The modeling work consists of creating a virtual pore network. Then, water layers are deposited in this network to simulate variable water saturation levels. Finally hydrogen is transported through the virtual network using a combination of ordinary diffusion and Knudsen diffusion. MOHYCAN calculates the hydrogen diffusion coefficient for water saturation degree from 0% to 100%. The impacts of the pore network arrangement or the pore network discretization have been studied. The results are, for a quasi mono-modal material: -) the diffusion coefficient is not sensitive to different virtual pore network arrangement; -) the diffusion coefficient values have a sharp drop at specific water saturation (this is due to the water saturation of the main and unique pore family); -) a 2 pores family based model is sufficient to represent the pore network. Theses observations will not be valid if we consider a material with a large pore size distribution, like cementitious materials

Boundary Layer Flows in Porous Media with Lateral Mass Flux

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nemati, H; H, Bararnia; Noori, F

2015-01-01

Solutions for free convection boundary layers on a heated vertical plate with lateral mass flux embedded in a saturated porous medium are presented using the Homotopy Analysis Method and Shooting Numerical Method. Homotopy Analysis Method yields an analytic solution in the form of a rapidly...

An experimental study of dielectric dispersion in porous media and its dependence on pore geometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haslund, E.

1996-12-31

Understanding water saturated composite media are important in the study of oil reservoirs. This doctoral thesis discusses measurements of the frequency dependent permittivity and conductivity of water saturated porous glass specimens. The experiments are designed to investigate the dispersion resulting from the geometrical properties of the pore space. Measurements are presented of the effective complex dielectric constant of water saturated porous glass specimens for frequencies below 13 MHz. The specimens are made from sintered glass spheres, and in some specimens thin plates are mixed in with the spheres. Low-conductivity water is used to saturate the pore space in order to scale the frequency range of the Maxwell-Wagner dispersion into the measurement range. The experiments are compared with two different effective medium approaches. One approach is the Mendelson and Cohen theory with randomly oriented spheroidal grains in addition to spherical grains, the other the Local porosity theory due to Hilfer. Both theories were found to be in good agreement with the experimental observations. 175 refs., 59 figs., 1 table

Study on Two-Phase Flow in Heterogeneous Porous Media by Light Transmission Method

Science.gov (United States)

Qiao, W.

2015-12-01

The non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) released to the subsurface can form residual ganglia and globules occupying pores and also accumulate and form pools, in which multiphase system forms. Determining transient fluid saturations in a multiphase system is essential to understand the flow characteristics of systems and to perform effective remediation strategies. As a non-destructive and non-invasive laboratory technique utilized for the measurement of liquid saturation in porous media, light transmission is of the lowest cost and safe. Utilization of Coupled Charge Device camera in light transmission systems provides a nearly instantaneous high-density array of spatial measurements over a very large dynamic range. The migration of NAPL and air spariging technique applied to remove NAPL in aquifer systems are typically two-phase flow problem. Because of the natural aquifer normally being heterogeneous, two 2-D sandboxes (Length55cm×width1.3cm×hight45cm) are set up to study the migration of gas and DNAPL in heterogeneous porous media based on light transmission method and its application in two-phase flow. Model D for water/gas system developed by Niemet and Selker (2001) and Model NW-A for water/NAPL system developed by Zhang et al. (2014) are applied for the calculation of fluid saturation in the two experiments, respectively. The gas injection experiments show that the gas moves upward in the irregular channels, piling up beneath the low permeability lenses and starting lateral movement. Bypassing the lenses, the gas moves upward and forms continuous distribution in the top of the sandbox. The faster of gas injects, the wider of gas migration will be. The DNAPL infiltration experiment shows that TCE mainly moves downward as the influence of gravity, stopping vertical infiltration when reaching the low permeability lenses because of its failure to overcome the capillary pressure. Then, TCE accumulates on the surface and starts transverse movement. Bypassing the

Optical properties of erbium-doped porous silicon waveguides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Najar, A. [Laboratoire d' Optronique UMR 6082-FOTON, Universite de Rennes 1, 6 rue de Kerampont, B P. 80518, 22305 Lannion Cedex (France); Laboratoire de Spectroscopie Raman, Faculte des Sciences de Tunis, 2092 ElManar, Tunis (Tunisia); Charrier, J. [Laboratoire d' Optronique UMR 6082-FOTON, Universite de Rennes 1, 6 rue de Kerampont, B P. 80518, 22305 Lannion Cedex (France)]. E-mail: joel.charier@univ-rennes1.fr; Ajlani, H. [Laboratoire de Spectroscopie Raman, Faculte des Sciences de Tunis, 2092 ElManar, Tunis (Tunisia); Lorrain, N. [Laboratoire d' Optronique UMR 6082-FOTON, Universite de Rennes 1, 6 rue de Kerampont, B P. 80518, 22305 Lannion Cedex (France); Elhouichet, H. [Laboratoire de Spectroscopie Raman, Faculte des Sciences de Tunis, 2092 ElManar, Tunis (Tunisia); Oueslati, M. [Laboratoire de Spectroscopie Raman, Faculte des Sciences de Tunis, 2092 ElManar, Tunis (Tunisia); Haji, L. [Laboratoire d' Optronique UMR 6082-FOTON, Universite de Rennes 1, 6 rue de Kerampont, B P. 80518, 22305 Lannion Cedex (France)

2006-12-15

Planar and buried channel porous silicon waveguides (WG) were prepared from p{sup +}-type silicon substrate by a two-step anodization process. Erbium ions were incorporated into pores of the porous silicon layers by an electrochemical method using ErCl{sub 3}-saturated solution. Erbium concentration of around 10{sup 20} at/cm{sup 3} was determined by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis performed on SEM cross-section. The luminescence properties of erbium ions in the IR range were determined and a luminescence time decay of 420 {mu}s was measured. Optical losses were studied on these WG. The increased losses after doping were discussed.

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.

Analytical and numerical stability analysis of Soret-driven convection in a horizontal porous layer: the effect of conducting bounding plates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ouattara, B; Khouzam, A; Mojtabi, A [Universite de Toulouse (France); INPT, UPS (France); IMFT (Institut de Mecanique des Fluides de Toulouse), Allee Camille Soula, F-31400 Toulouse (France); Charrier-Mojtabi, M C, E-mail: bouattar@imft.fr, E-mail: akhouzam@imft.fr, E-mail: mojtabi@imft.fr, E-mail: cmojtabi@cict.fr [PHASE, EA 810, UFR PCA, Universite Paul Sabatier, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse cedex (France)

2012-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of conducting boundaries on the onset of convection in a binary fluid-saturated porous layer. The isotropic saturated porous layer is bounded by two impermeable but thermally conducting plates, subjected to a constant heat flux. These plates have identical conductivity. Moreover, the conductivity of the plates is generally different from the porous layer conductivity. The overall layer is of large extent in both horizontal directions. The problem is governed by seven dimensionless parameters, namely the normalized porosity of the medium {epsilon}, the ratio of plates over the porous layer thickness {delta} and their relative thermal conductivities ratio d, the separation ratio {delta}, the Lewis number Le and thermal Rayleigh number Ra. In this work, an analytical and numerical stability analysis is performed. The equilibrium solution is found to lose its stability via a stationary bifurcation or a Hopf bifurcation depending on the values of the dimensionless parameters. For the long-wavelength mode, the critical Rayleigh number is obtained as Ra{sub cs}=12(1+2d{delta} )/[1+{psi} (2d{delta}Le+Le+1)] and k{sub cs}=0 for {psi}> {psi} {sub uni}> 0. This work extends an earlier paper by Mojtabi and Rees (2011 Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer 54 293-301) who considered a configuration where the porous layer is saturated by a pure fluid.

Generation of dense plume fingers in saturated-unsaturated homogeneous porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Cremer, Clemens J. M.; Graf, Thomas

2015-02-01

Flow under variable-density conditions is widespread, occurring in geothermal reservoirs, at waste disposal sites or due to saltwater intrusion. The migration of dense plumes typically results in the formation of vertical plume fingers which are known to be triggered by material heterogeneity or by variations in source concentration that causes the density variation. Using a numerical groundwater model, six perturbation methods are tested under saturated and unsaturated flow conditions to mimic heterogeneity and concentration variations on the pore scale in order to realistically generate dense fingers. A laboratory-scale sand tank experiment is numerically simulated, and the perturbation methods are evaluated by comparing plume fingers obtained from the laboratory experiment with numerically simulated fingers. Dense plume fingering for saturated flow can best be reproduced with a spatially random, time-constant perturbation of the solute source. For unsaturated flow, a spatially and temporally random noise of solute concentration or a random conductivity field adequately simulate plume fingering.

On Neglecting Chemical Exchange When Correcting in Vivo 31P MRS Data for Partial Saturation: Commentary on: ``Pitfalls in the Measurement of Metabolite Concentrations Using the One-Pulse Experiment in in Vivo NMR''

Science.gov (United States)

Ouwerkerk, Ronald; Bottomley, Paul A.

2001-04-01

This article replies to Spencer et al. (J. Magn. Reson.149, 251-257, 2001) concerning the degree to which chemical exchange affects partial saturation corrections using saturation factors. Considering the important case of in vivo31P NMR, we employ differential analysis to demonstrate a broad range of experimental conditions over which chemical exchange minimally affects saturation factors, and near-optimum signal-to-noise ratio is preserved. The analysis contradicts Spencer et al.'s broad claim that chemical exchange results in a strong dependence of saturation factors upon M0's and T1 and exchange parameters. For Spencer et al.'s example of a dynamic 31P NMR experiment in which phosphocreatine varies 20-fold, we show that our strategy of measuring saturation factors at the start and end of the study reduces errors in saturation corrections to 2% for the high-energy phosphates.

Electrokinetic coupling in unsaturated porous media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Revil, A.; Linde, N.; Cerepi, A.; Jougnot, D.; Matthai, S.; Finsterle, S.

2007-02-27

We consider a charged porous material that is saturated bytwo fluid phases that are immiscible and continuous on the scale of arepresentative elementary volume. The wetting phase for the grains iswater and the nonwetting phase is assumed to be an electricallyinsulating viscous fluid. We use a volume-averaging approach to derivethe linear constitutive equations for the electrical current density aswell as the seepage velocities of the wetting and nonwetting phases onthe scale of a representative elementary volume. These macroscopicconstitutive equations are obtained by volume-averaging Ampere's lawtogether with the Nernst Planck equation and the Stokes equations. Thematerial properties entering the macroscopic constitutive equations areexplicitly described as functions of the saturation of the water phase,the electrical formation factor, and parameters that describe thecapillary pressure function, the relative permeability function, and thevariation of electrical conductivity with saturation. New equations arederived for the streaming potential and electro-osmosis couplingcoefficients. A primary drainage and imbibition experiment is simulatednumerically to demonstrate that the relative streaming potential couplingcoefficient depends not only on the water saturation, but also on thematerial properties of the sample, as well as the saturation history. Wealso compare the predicted streaming potential coupling coefficients withexperimental data from four dolomite core samples. Measurements on thesesamples include electrical conductivity, capillary pressure, thestreaming potential coupling coefficient at various level of saturation,and the permeability at saturation of the rock samples. We found verygood agreement between these experimental data and the modelpredictions.

A Fractal Study on the Effective Thermal Conductivity of Porous Media

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, X.; Cai, J.; Wei, W.

2017-12-01

Thermal conduction in porous media has steadily received attention in science and engineering, for instance, exploiting and utilizing the geothermal energy, developing the oil-gas resource, ground water flow in hydrothermal systems and investigating the potential host nuclear wastes, etc. The thermal conductivity is strongly influenced by the microstructure features of porous media. In this work, based on the fractal characteristics of the grains, a theoretical model of effective thermal conductivity is proposed for saturated and unsaturated porous media. It is found that the proposed effective thermal conductivity solution is a function of geometrical parameters of porous media, such as the porosity, fractal dimension of granular matrix and the thermal conductivity of the grains and pore fluid. The model predictions are compared with existing experimental data and the results show that they are in good agreement with existing experimental data. The proposed model may provide a better understanding of the physical mechanisms of thermal transfer in porous media than conventional models.

Experiment on the Influence Factors of Steam Distillation Rate of Crude Oil in Porous Media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tian Guoqing

2017-01-01

Full Text Available To explore the influence of complexity of reservoir properties in porous media and the diversity of operating conditions on the steam distillation rate of crude oil in the process of heavy oil exploitation with steam injection, steam distillation simulation devices are used to study steam distillation rate of crude oil in porous media. Then steam distillation ratio is obtained under the condition of different core permeability, oil saturation, steam temperatures, system pressure, steam injection rates and steam distillation rates with different viscosities of crude oil. The results show that the steam distillation rate of crude oil in porous media depends mainly on the nature of the crude oil itself, for temperature and pressure are the key factors compared with the pore structure, the initial oil saturation and steam injection rate. The experimental results help estimate the amount of crude oil and the required steam in the reservoir in the steam drive process, aiming to facilitate the optimization design and operation of steam drive.

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.

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.

Poromechanics Parameters of Fluid-Saturated Chemically Active Fibrous Media Derived from a Micromechanical Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Misra, Anil; Parthasarathy, Ranganathan; Singh, Viraj; Spencer, Paulette

2013-01-01

The authors have derived macroscale poromechanics parameters for chemically active saturated fibrous media by combining microstructure-based homogenization with Hill's volume averaging. The stress-strain relationship of the dry fibrous media is first obtained by considering the fiber behavior. The constitutive relationships applicable to saturated media are then derived in the poromechanics framework using Hill's Lemmas. The advantage of this approach is that the resultant continuum model assumes a form suited to study porous materials, while retaining the effect of discrete fiber deformation. As a result, the model is able to predict the influence of microscale phenomena such as fiber buckling on the overall behavior, and in particular, on the poromechanics constants. The significance of the approach is demonstrated using the effect of drainage and fiber nonlinearity on monotonic compressive stress-strain behavior. The model predictions conform to the experimental observations for articular cartilage. The method can potentially be extended to other porous materials such as bone, clays, foams, and concrete.

Porous 45S5 Bioglass®-based scaffolds using stereolithography: Effect of partial pre-sintering on structural and mechanical properties of scaffolds.

Science.gov (United States)

Thavornyutikarn, Boonlom; Tesavibul, Passakorn; Sitthiseripratip, Kriskrai; Chatarapanich, Nattapon; Feltis, Bryce; Wright, Paul F A; Turney, Terence W

2017-06-01

Scaffolds made from 45S5 Bioglass® ceramic (BG) show clinical potential in bone regeneration due to their excellent bioactivity and ability to bond to natural bone tissue. However, porous BG scaffolds are limited by their mechanical integrity and by the substantial volume contractions occurring upon sintering. This study examines stereolithographic (SLA) methods to fabricate mechanically robust and porous Bioglass®-based ceramic scaffolds, with regular and interconnected pore networks and using various computer-aided design architectures. It was found that a diamond-like (DM) architecture gave scaffolds the most controllable results without any observable closed porosity in the fired scaffolds. When the pore dimensions of the DM scaffolds of the same porosity (~60vol%) were decreased from 700 to 400μm, the compressive strength values increased from 3.5 to 6.7MPa. In addition, smaller dimensional shrinkage could be obtained by employing partially pre-sintered bioglass, compared to standard 45S5 Bioglass®. Scaffolds derived from pre-sintered bioglass also showed marginally improved compressive strength. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Experimental determination of dissolved CO2 content in nominally anhydrous andesitic melts at graphite/diamond saturation - Remobilization of deeply subducted reduced carbon via partial melts of MORB-like eclogite

Science.gov (United States)

Eguchi, J.; Dasgupta, R.

2015-12-01

Experimental phase relations of carbonated lithologies [1] and geochemistry of deep diamonds [2] suggest that deep recycling of carbon has likely been efficient for a significant portion of Earth's history. Both carbonates and organic carbon subduct into the mantle, but with gradual decrease of fO2 with depth [3] most carbon in deep mantle rocks including eclogite could be diamond/graphite [4]. Previous studies investigated the transfer of CO2 from subducted eclogite to the ambient mantle by partial melting in the presence of carbonates, i.e., by generation of carbonate-rich melts [5]. However, the transfer of carbon from subducted eclogite to the mantle can also happen, perhaps more commonly, by extraction of silicate partial melt in the presence of reduced carbon; yet, CO2 solubility in eclogite-derived andesitic melt at graphite/diamond saturation remains unconstrained. CO2content of eclogite melts is also critical as geochemistry of many ocean island basalts suggest the presence of C and eclogite in their source regions [6]. In the present study we determine CO2 concentration in a model andesitic melt [7] at graphite/diamond saturation at conditions relevant for partial melting of eclogite in the convecting upper mantle. Piston cylinder and multi anvil experiments were conducted at 1-6 GPa and 1375-1550 °C using Pt/Gr double capsules. Oxygen fugacity was monitored with Pt-Fe sensors in the starting mix. Completed experiments at 1-3 GPa show that CO2 concentration increases with increasing P, T, and fO2 up to ~0.3 wt%. Results were used to develop empirical and thermodynamic models to predict CO2 concentration in partial melts of graphite saturated eclogite. This allowed us to quantify the extent to which CO2 can mobilize from eclogitic heterogeneities at graphite/diamond saturated conditions. With estimates of eclogite contribution to erupted basaltic lavas, the models developed here allow us to put constraints on the flux of CO2 to mantle source regions

Molecular dynamics in porous media studied by nuclear magnetic resonance techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mattea, C.

2006-01-01

Field cycling NMR relaxometry was used to study dynamics of fluids under confinement in different scenarios: fluids flowing through porous media, fluids partially filling porous media and polymer melts in nanoscopic pores. Diffusion in partially filled porous media was also studied with the aid of an NMR diffusometry technique. It is shown that hydrodynamic flow influences the spin-lattice relaxation rate of water confined in mesoscopic porous media under certain conditions. The effect is predicted by an analytical theory and Monte Carlo simulations, and confirmed experimentally by field-cycling NMR relaxometry. Field-cycling NMR relaxometry has been applied to polar and non polar adsorbates in partially filled silica porous glasses. The dependence of the spin-lattice relaxation rate on the filling degree shows that limits for slow and fast exchange between different phases can be distinguished and identified depending on the pore size and polarity of the solvents. Diffusion in the same unsaturated systems was studied with the aid of NMR diffusometry technique. The effective diffusion coefficient of solvents with different polarities displays opposite tendencies as a function of the liquid content. A two-phase fast exchange model including Knudsen and ordinary diffusion and different effective tortuosities is presented accounting for these phenomena. In the case of polymer melts confined in narrow artificial tubes of a porous solid matrix with variable diameter (9 to 57 nm), the characteristics of reptation were experimentally verified using proton field cycling NMR relaxometry technique. This observation is independent of the molecular mass and pore size. In bulk, the same polymer melts show either Rouse or renormalized Rouse dynamics, depending on the molecular mass. The polymers under confinement show features specific for reptation even with a pore diameter 15 times larger than the Flory radius while bulk melts of the same polymers do not. (orig.)

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.

Element depth profiles of porous silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobzev, A.P.; Nikonov, O.A.; Kulik, M.; Zuk, J.; Krzyzanowska, H.; Ochalski, T.J.

1997-01-01

Element depth profiles of porous silicon were measured on the Van-de-Graaff accelerator in the energy range of 4 He + ions from 2 to 3.2 MeV. Application of complementary RBS, ERD and 16 O(α,α) 16 O nuclear reaction methods permits us to obtain: 1) the exact silicon, oxygen and hydrogen distribution in the samples, 2) the distribution of partial pore concentrations. The oxygen concentration in porous silicon reaches 30%, which allows one to assume the presence of silicon oxide in the pores and to explain the spectrum shift of luminescence into the blue area

Complex conductivity response to silver nanoparticles in partially saturated sand columns

Science.gov (United States)

Abdel Aal, Gamal; Atekwana, Estella A.; Werkema, D. Dale

2017-02-01

The increase in the use of nanoscale materials in consumer products has resulted in a growing concern of their potential hazard to ecosystems and public health from their accidental or intentional introduction to the environment. Key environmental, health, and safety research needs include knowledge and methods for their detection, characterization, fate, and transport. Specifically, techniques available for the direct detection and quantification of their fate and transport in the environment are limited. Their small size, high surface area to volume ratio, interfacial, and electrical properties make metallic nanoparticles, such as silver nanoparticles, good targets for detection using electrical geophysical techniques. Here we measured the complex conductivity response to silver nanoparticles in sand columns under varying moisture conditions (0-30%), nanoparticle concentrations (0-10 mg/g), lithology (presence of clay), pore water salinity (0.0275 and 0.1000 S/m), and particle size (35, 90-210 and 1500-2500 nm). Based on the Cole-Cole relaxation models we obtained the chargeability and the time constant. We demonstrate that complex conductivity can detect silver nanoparticles in porous media with the response enhanced by higher concentrations of silver nanoparticles, moisture content, ionic strength, clay content and particle diameter. Quantification of the volumetric silver nanoparticles content in the porous media can also be obtained from complex conductivity parameters based on the strong power law relationships.

Increases in weight during chronic stress are partially associated with a switch in food choice towards increased carbohydrate and saturated fat intake.

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Roberts, Clifford J; Campbell, Iain C; Troop, Nick

2014-01-01

We examined if stress associated changes in weight and dietary restraint are associated with changes in the composition of foods consumed. Participants were 38 healthy women on a taught postgraduate university course. Data were obtained at the beginning of the semester and 15 weeks later just prior to a written course exam (the stressor). By using a within subject design, we measured the composition of food consumed, body mass index (BMI), levels of dietary restraint and salivary cortisol. In the larger study from which these data were obtained, it was shown that the effect of increased cortisol secretion on weight gain was mediated by a reduction in dietary restraint. The present data show that increased cortisol secretion, reduced dietary restraint and increased caloric intake, account for 73% of the variance in change in BMI. Further regression analysis indicated that the change in dietary restraint mediated the effect of change in cortisol on change in BMI. Final analysis revealed that the effect of these changes in dietary restraint on weight are partially mediated by increased caloric intake from carbohydrate and saturated fat, that is, a change in dietary composition partially accounts for the link between increased cortisol secretion through heightened hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity resulting in weight gain. These data are consistent with a 'comfort food hypothesis', as they suggest that chronic stress can promote reward associated behaviour through reduced dietary restraint and consumption of food containing more carbohydrate and saturated fat. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

Preparation of porous nano barium ferrite and its adsorption properties on uranium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiong Guoxuan; Huang Haiqing; Zhang Zhibin

2012-01-01

The porous nano barium ferrite was made of Fe(NO 3 ) 3 and Ba(NO 3 ) 2 as raw materials, CTAB as surfactant by method of sol-gel and self-propagating combustion. The composition, morphology and magnetic properties of nano-rod barium ferrite were characterized by XRD, SEM and vibrating sample magnetometer. The adsorption properties of porous nano barium ferrite on uranium were studied with static adsorption and the effects of pH, adsorption temperature and oscillation time on adsorption properties were discussed. The results indicate that the average particle size of porous nano barium ferrite is 45-65 nm, the saturation magnetization and coercivity are 62.83 emu/g and 5481.0 Oe, respectively. Under the condition of the porous nano barium ferrite amount of 0.02 g, pH of 6, adsorption temperature of 25℃ and oscillation time of 30 min, the adsorption capacity of uranium on the porous nano barium ferrite reaches 921 μg/g. (authors)

A Finite Difference Scheme for Double-Diffusive Unsteady Free Convection from a Curved Surface to a Saturated Porous Medium with a Non-Newtonian Fluid

KAUST Repository

El-Amin, Mohamed

2011-05-14

In this paper, a finite difference scheme is developed to solve the unsteady problem of combined heat and mass transfer from an isothermal curved surface to a porous medium saturated by a non-Newtonian fluid. The curved surface is kept at constant temperature and the power-law model is used to model the non-Newtonian fluid. The explicit finite difference method is used to solve simultaneously the equations of momentum, energy and concentration. The consistency of the explicit scheme is examined and the stability conditions are determined for each equation. Boundary layer and Boussinesq approximations have been incorporated. Numerical calculations are carried out for the various parameters entering into the problem. Velocity, temperature and concentration profiles are shown graphically. It is found that as time approaches infinity, the values of wall shear, heat transfer coefficient and concentration gradient at the wall, which are entered in tables, approach the steady state values.

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.

Long-wave equivalent viscoelastic solids for porous rocks saturated by two-phase fluids

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, J. E.; Savioli, G. B.

2018-04-01

Seismic waves traveling across fluid-saturated poroelastic materials with mesoscopic-scale heterogeneities induce fluid flow and Biot's slow waves generating energy loss and velocity dispersion. Using Biot's equations of motion to model these type of heterogeneities would require extremely fine meshes. We propose a numerical upscaling procedure to determine the complex and frequency dependent P-wave and shear moduli of an effective viscoelastic medium long-wave equivalent to a poroelastic solid saturated by a two-phase fluid. The two-phase fluid is defined in terms of capillary pressure and relative permeability flow functions. The P-wave and shear effective moduli are determined using harmonic compressibility and shear experiments applied on representative samples of the bulk material. Each experiment is associated with a boundary value problem that is solved using the finite element method. Since a poroelastic solid saturated by a two-phase fluid supports the existence of two slow waves, this upscaling procedure allows to analyze their effect on the mesoscopic-loss mechanism in hydrocarbon reservoir formations. Numerical results show that a two-phase Biot medium model predicts higher attenuation than classic Biot models.

Effect of percolation rate on water-travel time in deep, partially saturated zones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peters, R.R.; Gauthier, J.H.; Dudley, A.L.

1986-02-01

The Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations (NNWSI) project is investigating Yucca Mountain, Nye county, Nevada, as a prospective site for a radioactive-waste repository. The Yucca Mountain site is unique among those currently being investigated by the US Department of Energy (DOE) in that the prospective repository location is in the unsaturated zone, approximately 300 m above the water table. The rock units at Yucca Mountain can be grouped into three types: (1) vitric tuffs with high matrix conductivity and few fractures; (2) zeolitized tuffs with low matrix conductivity and few fractures; and (3) densely welded tuffs with low matrix conductivities and many fractures. The prospective repository zone is in densely welded tuff; the units between it and the water table are of types 1 and 2. Current percolation rates through Yucca Mountain, and those that are currently postulated under future climatic conditions, are thought to be of the order of the saturated matrix conductivity of some of the units. Although it is probable that there is now little or no water movement in fracture, it is necessary to investigate the potential for fracture flow, especially that which could be initiated under future climatic conditions. Significant fracture flow, if present, could reduce the water travel time between the repository and the water table. A composite-porosity, continuum model was developed to model flow in a fractured, porous medium. Simulations using data from the Yucca Mountain site and this model in the one-dimensional code TOSPAC indicate that current estimates of the percolation rate result in water movement confined to the matrix and that the water-travel time from the repository to the water table is on the order of hundreds of thousands of years. this result is sensitive to the percolation rate; an increase in percolation rate of a factor of 10 many initiate water movement in the fractures, reducing the travel time significantly

Specific features of the electrical properties in partially graphitized porous biocarbons of beech wood

Science.gov (United States)

Popov, V. V.; Orlova, T. S.; Gutierrez-Pardo, A.; Ramirez-Rico, J.

2015-09-01

The electrical and galvanomagnetic properties of partially graphitized highly porous bioC(Ni) biocarbon matrices produced by pyrolysis (carbonization) of beech wood at temperatures T carb = 850-1600°C in the presence of a Ni-containing catalyst have been studied in comparison with their microstructural features. The temperature dependences of the resistivity, the magnetoresistance, and the Hall coefficient have been measured in the temperature range of 4.2-300 K in magnetic fields to 28 kOe. It has been shown that an additional graphite phase introduction into samples with T carb ≥ 1000°C results in an increase in the carrier mobility by a factor of 2-3, whereas the carrier (hole) concentration remains within ~1020 cm-3, as in biocarbons obtained without catalyst. An analysis of experimental data has demonstrated that the features of the conductivity and magnetoresistance of these samples are described by quantum corrections related to their structural features, i.e., the formation of a globular graphite phase of nano- and submicrometer sizes in the amorphous matrix. The quantum corrections to the conductivity decrease with increasing carbonization temperature, which indicates an increase in the degree of structure ordering and is in good agreement with microstructural data.

Numerical analyses on the effect of capillary condensation on gas diffusivities in porous media

Science.gov (United States)

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

2017-11-01

We investigate the effect of capillary condensation on gas diffusivities in porous media composed of randomly packed spheres with moderate wettability. Lattice density functional theory simulations successfully reproduce realistic adsorption/desorption isotherms and provide fluid density distributions inside the porous media. We find that capillary condensations lead to the occlusion of narrow pores because they preferentially occur at confined spaces surrounded by the solid walls. 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 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. Most importantly, we find that the porosity-to-tortuosity ratio, which is a crucial parameter that determines the effective diffusion coefficient, can be reasonably related to the porosity even for the partially wet porous media.

Spin echo SPI methods for quantitative analysis of fluids in porous media.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Linqing; Han, Hui; Balcom, Bruce J

2009-06-01

Fluid density imaging is highly desirable in a wide variety of porous media measurements. The SPRITE class of MRI methods has proven to be robust and general in their ability to generate density images in porous media, however the short encoding times required, with correspondingly high magnetic field gradient strengths and filter widths, and low flip angle RF pulses, yield sub-optimal S/N images, especially at low static field strength. This paper explores two implementations of pure phase encode spin echo 1D imaging, with application to a proposed new petroleum reservoir core analysis measurement. In the first implementation of the pulse sequence, we modify the spin echo single point imaging (SE-SPI) technique to acquire the k-space origin data point, with a near zero evolution time, from the free induction decay (FID) following a 90 degrees excitation pulse. Subsequent k-space data points are acquired by separately phase encoding individual echoes in a multi-echo acquisition. T(2) attenuation of the echo train yields an image convolution which causes blurring. The T(2) blur effect is moderate for porous media with T(2) lifetime distributions longer than 5 ms. As a robust, high S/N, and fast 1D imaging method, this method will be highly complementary to SPRITE techniques for the quantitative analysis of fluid content in porous media. In the second implementation of the SE-SPI pulse sequence, modification of the basic measurement permits fast determination of spatially resolved T(2) distributions in porous media through separately phase encoding each echo in a multi-echo CPMG pulse train. An individual T(2) weighted image may be acquired from each echo. The echo time (TE) of each T(2) weighted image may be reduced to 500 micros or less. These profiles can be fit to extract a T(2) distribution from each pixel employing a variety of standard inverse Laplace transform methods. Fluid content 1D images are produced as an essential by product of determining the

Groundwater modelling for fractured and porous media: HYDROCOIN Level 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noy, D.J.

1986-01-01

The report describes work carried out as part of the 'Hydrocoin' project to verify some of the models used by the British Geological Survey on its radioactive waste disposal programme. The author's work on Hydrocoin Level 1 concerned groundwater modelling for fractured and porous media. The overall conclusions arising from the work were: a) pressure fields in saturated media can be reliably calculated by existing programmes, b) three techniques for deriving the flow fields are described, and c) severe practical limitations exist as to the ability of current programs to model variably saturated conditions over moderate distances. (U.K.)

A free boundary problem describing the saturated-unsaturated flow in a porous medium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriela Marinoschi

2004-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a functional approach to a nonlinear model describing the complete physical process of water infiltration into an unsaturated soil, including the saturation occurrence and the advance of the wetting front. The model introduced in this paper involves a multivalued operator covering the simultaneous saturated and unsaturated flow behaviors and enhances the study of the displacement of the free boundary between these two flow regimes. The model resides in Richards' equation written in pressure form with an initial condition and boundary conditions which in this work express the inflow due to the rain on the soil surface on the one hand, and characterize a certain permeability corresponding to the underground boundary, on the other hand. Existence, uniqueness, and regularity results for the transformed model in diffusive form, that is, for the moisture of the soil, and the existence of the weak solution for the pressure form are proved in the 3D case. The main part of the paper focuses on the existence of the free boundary between the saturated and unsaturated parts of the soil, and this is proved, in the 1D case, for certain stronger assumptions on the initial data and boundary conditions.

Acoustic and mechanical response of reservoir rocks under variable saturation and effective pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Ravazzoli, C L; Santos, J E; Carcione, J M

2003-04-01

We investigate the acoustic and mechanical properties of a reservoir sandstone saturated by two immiscible hydrocarbon fluids, under different saturations and pressure conditions. The modeling of static and dynamic deformation processes in porous rocks saturated by immiscible fluids depends on many parameters such as, for instance, porosity, permeability, pore fluid, fluid saturation, fluid pressures, capillary pressure, and effective stress. We use a formulation based on an extension of Biot's theory, which allows us to compute the coefficients of the stress-strain relations and the equations of motion in terms of the properties of the single phases at the in situ conditions. The dry-rock moduli are obtained from laboratory measurements for variable confining pressures. We obtain the bulk compressibilities, the effective pressure, and the ultrasonic phase velocities and quality factors for different saturations and pore-fluid pressures ranging from normal to abnormally high values. The objective is to relate the seismic and ultrasonic velocity and attenuation to the microstructural properties and pressure conditions of the reservoir. The problem has an application in the field of seismic exploration for predicting pore-fluid pressures and saturation regimes.

Improvements in or relating to method of preparing porous material/synthetic polymer composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hills, P.R.; McGahan, D.J.

1976-01-01

A method for preparing a composite material is described comprising polymerising a monoethylenically unsaturated monomer of a mixture of copolymerisable monoethylenically unsaturated monomers in a porous material, excluding a porous natural cellulosic fibre material, the polymerisable liquid being admixed in the porous material with a saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon or a halogen derivative thereof. It is preferable that the polymerisable liquid and the hydrocarbon or halogen derivative are present in the porous material. Impregnation may be carried out by a vacuum technique or by simple immersion. The monomers that may be used are listed, but a mixture of styrene and acrylonitrile is preferred in the proportions 60 : 40 by volume. Polymerisation may be effected by irradiation, preferably with 60 Co γ-radiation. Suitable porous materials include concrete, stone, and fibreboard. If concrete is used the composite material may be used for pressure pipes and other articles normally made of steel. Examples of the application of the process are given. (U.K.)

The effect of limestone aggregate porosity and saturation degree on the interfacial zone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, T.D.; Le Saout, G.; Devillers, P.; Garcia-Diaz, E.

2015-01-01

The recycling of concrete wastes concerns the nuclear industry as many nuclear facilities will have to be dismantled and the reduction and reuse of the decommissioning concrete wastes in order to minimize the total waste volume is a key issue. The recycled aggregates have the potential to replace natural resources however it is necessary to assess the effect of recycled aggregates on the final concrete. One important issue to be addressed to achieve the required mechanical properties is the water absorption of the recycled aggregates. As a first step, we have used in this study limestone aggregates with different porosities (total porosity from 2 to 20 %) and have investigated the influence of the porosity and the initial saturation degree of these aggregates on the porosity of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) using scanning electron microscope. The equation of Feret for the strength-porosity relationship of our mortars was applied σ = K(100-p) 2 where σ is the compressive strength in MPa, p is the capillary pore volume in % and K a constant. Aggregates with lower porosity follow the same law characterized by a K value higher than the value for the more porous aggregate law. The K parameter is not dependent of the humidity degree of the aggregate: for a given aggregate, family mortars made with dry and wet aggregate follow the same law. But for porous aggregates as the meso-porosity of the ITZ for a given time of hydration is higher for mortars made with wet aggregates, the compressive strength of these mortars is less than those of mortars made with dry aggregates. Contrary to the low porous aggregate, it was not possible for porous limestone aggregates, and with a calculation based on the saturated surface dry state as reference state to obtain the same net water to cement ratio with wet and dry aggregates. This study reflects the difficulty to control the amount of efficient water in concrete when using porous aggregates and its influence on compressive

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.

Comparison of scale analysis and numerical simulation for saturated zone convective mixing processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oldenburg, C.M.

1998-01-01

Scale analysis can be used to predict a variety of quantities arising from natural systems where processes are described by partial differential equations. For example, scale analysis can be applied to estimate the effectiveness of convective missing on the dilution of contaminants in groundwater. Scale analysis involves substituting simple quotients for partial derivatives and identifying and equating the dominant terms in an order-of-magnitude sense. For free convection due to sidewall heating of saturated porous media, scale analysis shows that vertical convective velocity in the thermal boundary layer region is proportional to the Rayleigh number, horizontal convective velocity is proportional to the square root of the Rayleigh number, and thermal boundary layer thickness is proportional to the inverse square root of the Rayleigh number. These scale analysis estimates are corroborated by numerical simulations of an idealized system. A scale analysis estimate of mixing time for a tracer mixing by hydrodynamic dispersion in a convection cell also agrees well with numerical simulation for two different Rayleigh numbers. Scale analysis for the heating-from-below scenario produces estimates of maximum velocity one-half as large as the sidewall case. At small values of the Rayleigh number, this estimate is confirmed by numerical simulation. For larger Rayleigh numbers, simulation results suggest maximum velocities are similar to the sidewall heating scenario. In general, agreement between scale analysis estimates and numerical simulation results serves to validate the method of scale analysis. Application is to radioactive repositories

Transport and Deposition of Variably Charged Soil Colloids in Saturated Porous Media

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sharma, Anu; Kawamoto, Ken; Møldrup, Per

2011-01-01

Okinawa (RYS colloids) in Japan. The VAS colloids exhibited a negative surface charge with a high pH dependency, whereas the RYS colloids exhibited a negative surface charge with less pH dependency. The soil colloids were applied as colloidal suspensions to 10-cm-long saturated sand columns packed...

A total pressure-saturation formulation of two-phase flow incorporating dynamic effects in the capillary-pressure-saturation relationship

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dahle, H K; Celia, M A; Hassanizadeh, S M; Karlsen, K H

2002-07-01

New theories suggest that the relationship between capillary pressure and saturation should be enhanced by a dynamic term that is proportional to the time rate of change of saturation. This so-called dynamic capillary pressure formulation is supported by laboratory experiments, and can be included in various forms of the governing equations for two-phase flow in porous media. An extended model of two-phase flow in porous media may be developed based on fractional flow curves and a total pressure - saturation description that includes the dynamic capillary pressure terms. A dimensionless form of the resulting equation set provides an ideal tool to study the relative importance of the dynamic capillary pressure effect. This equation provides a rich set of mathematical research questions, and numerical solutions to the equation provide insights into the behavior of two-phase immiscible flow. For typical two-phase flow systems, dynamic capillary pressure acts to retard infiltration fronts, with responses dependent on system parameters including boundary conditions. Recent theoretical work suggests that the traditional algebraic relationship between capillary pressure and saturation may be inadequate. Instead, a so-called dynamic capillary pressure formulation is needed, where capillary pressure is defined as a thermodynamic variable, and the difference between phase pressures is only equal to the capillary pressure at equilibrium. Under dynamic conditions, the disequilibrium between phase-pressure differences and the capillary pressure is taken to be proportional to the time rate of change of saturation. A recent study by Hassanizadeh et al. presents experimental evidence, culled from the literature, to support this claim. Numerical simulations using dynamic pore-scale network models and upscaling also support the claim. Hassanizadeh et al. also presented numerical solutions for an enhanced version of Richards' equation that included the dynamic terms. A preliminary

Calibration-free quantification of interior properties of porous media with x-ray computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussein, Esam M.A.; Agbogun, H.M.D.; Al, Tom A.

2015-01-01

A method is presented for interpreting the values of x-ray attenuation coefficients reconstructed in computed tomography of porous media, while overcoming the ambiguity caused by the multichromatic nature of x-rays, dilution by void, and material heterogeneity. The method enables determination of porosity without relying on calibration or image segmentation or thresholding to discriminate pores from solid material. It distinguishes between solution-accessible and inaccessible pores, and provides the spatial and frequency distributions of solid-matrix material in a heterogeneous medium. This is accomplished by matching an image of a sample saturated with a contrast solution with that saturated with a transparent solution. Voxels occupied with solid-material and inaccessible pores are identified by the fact that they maintain the same location and image attributes in both images, with voxels containing inaccessible pores appearing empty in both images. Fully porous and accessible voxels exhibit the maximum contrast, while the rest are porous voxels containing mixtures of pore solutions and solid. This matching process is performed with an image registration computer code, and image processing software that requires only simple subtraction and multiplication (scaling) processes. The process is demonstrated in dolomite (non-uniform void distribution, homogeneous solid matrix) and sandstone (nearly uniform void distribution, heterogeneous solid matrix) samples, and its overall performance is shown to compare favorably with a method based on calibration and thresholding. - Highlights: • A method is presented for quantifying x-ray CT data for porous media. • The method neither requires calibration nor segmentation nor thresholding. • We use voxel matching between images of a sample saturated with two distinct solutions. • Method is demonstrated for micro-CT images of dolomite and sandstone samples. • Overall performance compares favorably with a calibration

A numerical and experimental study of two-phase flow and heat transfer in a porous formation with localized heating from below

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Easterday, O.T.; Wang, C.Y.; Cheng, P.

1995-01-01

Understanding and predicting two-phase flow and heat transfer in porous media is of fundamental interest for a number of engineering applications. Examples include thermal technologies for remediation of contaminated subsurfaces, the extraction of geothermal energy from vapor-dominated reservoirs, and the assessment of high-level nuclear waste repositories. A numerical and experimental study is reported for two-phase flow and heat transfer in a horizontal porous formation with water through flow and partial heating from below. Based on a newly developed two-phase mixture model, numerical results of the temperature distribution, liquid saturation, liquid and vapor phase velocity fields are presented for three representative cases with varying inlet velocities. It is found that the resulting two-phase structure and flow patterns are strongly dependent upon the water inlet velocity and the bottom heat flux. The former parameter measures the flow along the horizontal direction, while the latter creates a relative motion between the phases in the vertical direction. Experiments are also performed to measure temperature distributions and to visualize the two-phase flow patterns. Qualitative agreement between experiments and numerical predictions is achieved. Overall, this combined experimental and numerical study has provided new insight into conjugate single- and two-phase flow and heat transfer in porous media, although future research is required if accurate modeling of these complex problems is to be accomplished

Numerical evaluation of the water saturation in a high level radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benet, L.V.; Bouillet, Ch.; Tulita, C.; Wendling, J.

2010-01-01

condensation. The gap is supposed to be free of water. Evaporation zones are imposed on fully saturated surface of the excavation and in the capillary zone of contact between steel lining and the rock. After closure of the repository, mass transfers in the porous media and the gaps are computed with two phases flow Darcy model. The canister is supposed to remain hermetically closed until 4000 years. Two gaps are considered - between canister and steel lining and between steel lining and excavation. Three kinds of geometrical model are made. 2D models representing a section of the storage cell are used for the sensitive study. 2D axisymmetric models and 3D model are used to take into account the mass transfers between backfilled gallery and storage cell. Results of the reference case for the exploitation period show that: - Pressure induced by thermal expansion of interstitial water involves significant seepage along the storage cell. Seepage flow and wet area decrease with time. After 100 years, seepage area is limited to the last 10 meters of the storage cell. - Condensation is located on the arch of the excavation. Water contact with the steel lining would probably occur with drops falling from the top excavation and in the contact zone at the bottom. The following results of post-closure period are calculated considering that the gas production is proportional to the water saturation degree. Two dates of closure are assumed, 10 years and 100 years. - During a few decades after closure a significant water inflow partially fills the free volumes in the storage cell due to thermal expansion of water in the porous media. The maximum of water saturation in the gap reaches from 40% to 100% depending on the hypothesis of closure date. - Outflow duration is about few centuries. The gas pushes the water out of the gaps thanks to the decrease in temperature (thermal contraction of water). The gaps remain mainly water free (S W < 2%) until the end of the transient calculation (4000

Significant room-temperature ferromagnetism in porous ZnO films: The role of oxygen vacancies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hou, Xue; Liu, Huiyuan [College of Physics Science & Information Engineering, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024 (China); Key Laboratory of Advanced Films of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050024 (China); Sun, Huiyuan, E-mail: huiyuansun@126.com [College of Physics Science & Information Engineering, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024 (China); Key Laboratory of Advanced Films of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050024 (China); Liu, Lihu; Jia, Xiaoxuan [College of Physics Science & Information Engineering, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024 (China); Key Laboratory of Advanced Films of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050024 (China)

2015-10-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Porous ZnO films were deposited on porous anodic alumina substrates. • Significant ferromagnetism (FM) has been observed in porous ZnO films (110 emu/cm{sup 3}). • The strong magnetic anisotropy was observed in the porous ZnO films. • The origin of FM is attributed to the oxygen vacancy with a local magnetic moment. - Abstract: Pure porous ZnO films were prepared by direct current reactive magnetron sputtering on porous anodic alumina substrates. Remarkably large room-temperature ferromagnetism was observed in the films. The highest saturation moment along the out-of-plane direction was about 110 emu/cm{sup 3}. Experimental and theoretical results suggested that the oxygen vacancies and the unique porous structure of the films are responsible for the large ferromagnetism. There are two modes of coupling between oxygen vacancies in the porous ZnO films: (i) exchange interactions directly between the oxygen vacancies and (ii) with the mediation of conduction electrons. In addition, it was found that the magnetic moment of ZnO films can be changed by tuning the concentration of oxygen vacancies. These observations may be useful in the development of ZnO-based spintronics devices.

The simultaneous generation of soliton bunches and Q-switched-like pulses in a partially mode-locked fiber laser with a graphene saturable absorber

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhenhong; Wang, Zhi; Liu, Yan-ge; He, Ruijing; Wang, Guangdou; Yang, Guang; Han, Simeng

2018-05-01

We experimentally report the coexistence of soliton bunches and Q-switched-like pulses in a partially mode-locked fiber laser with a microfiber-based graphene saturable absorber. The soliton bunches, like isolated spikes with extreme amplitude and ultrashort duration, randomly generate in the background of the Q-switched-like pulses. The soliton bunches have some pulse envelopes in which pulses operate at a fundamental repetition rate in the temporal domain. Further investigation shows that the composite pulses are highly correlated with the noise-like pulses. Our work can make a further contribution to enrich the understanding of the nonlinear dynamics in fiber lasers.

Site-Scale Saturated Zone Flow Model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

G. Zyvoloski

2003-01-01

The purpose of this model report is to document the components of the site-scale saturated-zone flow model at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, in accordance with administrative procedure (AP)-SIII.lOQ, ''Models''. This report provides validation and confidence in the flow model that was developed for site recommendation (SR) and will be used to provide flow fields in support of the Total Systems Performance Assessment (TSPA) for the License Application. The output from this report provides the flow model used in the ''Site-Scale Saturated Zone Transport'', MDL-NBS-HS-000010 Rev 01 (BSC 2003 [162419]). The Site-Scale Saturated Zone Transport model then provides output to the SZ Transport Abstraction Model (BSC 2003 [164870]). In particular, the output from the SZ site-scale flow model is used to simulate the groundwater flow pathways and radionuclide transport to the accessible environment for use in the TSPA calculations. Since the development and calibration of the saturated-zone flow model, more data have been gathered for use in model validation and confidence building, including new water-level data from Nye County wells, single- and multiple-well hydraulic testing data, and new hydrochemistry data. In addition, a new hydrogeologic framework model (HFM), which incorporates Nye County wells lithology, also provides geologic data for corroboration and confidence in the flow model. The intended use of this work is to provide a flow model that generates flow fields to simulate radionuclide transport in saturated porous rock and alluvium under natural or forced gradient flow conditions. The flow model simulations are completed using the three-dimensional (3-D), finite-element, flow, heat, and transport computer code, FEHM Version (V) 2.20 (software tracking number (STN): 10086-2.20-00; LANL 2003 [161725]). Concurrently, process-level transport model and methodology for calculating radionuclide transport in the saturated zone at Yucca Mountain using FEHM V 2.20 are being

Pore network modeling of drainage process in patterned porous media: a quasi-static study

KAUST Repository

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

2015-01-01

-saturation relationships, it is quite challenging to isolate its effects explicitly in real porous media applications. However, within the framework of pore network models, it is easy to highlight the effects of wettability conditions on the transport of two-phase systems

Numerical simulation for a two-phase porous medium flow problem with rate independent hysteresis

KAUST Repository

Brokate, M.; Botkin, N.D.; Pykhteev, O.A.

2012-01-01

The paper is devoted to the numerical simulation of a multiphase flow in porous medium with a hysteretic relation between the capillary pressures and the saturations of the phases. The flow model we use is based on Darcys law. The hysteretic

Improved solution for saturated-unsaturated flow to a partially penetrating well in a compressible unconfined aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, P. K.; Neuman, S. P.

2009-12-01

Tartakovsky and Neuman [2007] developed an analytical solution for flow to a partially penetrating well pumping at a constant rate from a compressible unconfined aquifer considering an unsaturated zone of infinite thickness. In their solution three-dimensional, axially symmetric unsaturated flow was described by a linearized version of Richards’ equation in which both relative hydraulic conductivity and water content vary exponentially with incremental capillary pressure head relative to its air entry value. Both exponential functions were characterized by a common exponent. We present an improved solution in which relative hydraulic conductivity and water content are characterized by separate parameters and the unsaturated zone has finite thickness. Our four-parameter representation of these functions is more flexible than the three-parameter version of Mathias and Butler [2006], who consider flow in the unsaturated zone to be strictly vertical and the pumping well to be fully penetrating. We investigate the effects of unsaturated zone thickness and constitutive parameters on drawdown in the unsaturated and saturated zones as functions of position and time. We then use our new solution to analyze data from synthetic and real pumping tests.

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.

Effect of water content on dispersion of transferred solute in unsaturated porous media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Latrille, C. [CEA Saclay, DEN/DANS/DPC/SECR/L3MR, 91191 Gif sur Yvette (France)

2013-07-01

Estimating contaminant migration in the context of waste disposal and/or environmental remediation of polluted soils requires a complete understanding of the underlying transport processes. In unsaturated porous media, water content impacts directly on porous solute transfer. Depending on the spatial distribution of water content, the flow pathway is more complex than in water saturated media. Dispersivity is consequently dependent on water content. Non-reactive tracer experiments performed using unsaturated sand columns confirm the dependence of dispersivity with pore velocity; moreover, a power law relationship between dispersivity and water content is evidenced. (authors)

Numerical investigation of vapor–liquid heat and mass transfer in porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xin, Chengyun; Rao, Zhonghao; You, Xinyu; Song, Zhengchang; Han, Dongtai

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The heat and mass transfer behaviors in porous media was investigated. • A modified separate flow model (MSFM) was developed. • The influence of heat flux direction on heat and fluid flow behaviors is great. • The saturation profile is weakly discontinuous on the phase interface. • A countercurrent flow exists in two-phase region. - Abstract: A modified separate flow model (MSFM) is developed to numerically investigate the heat and mass transfer behaviors in porous media in this paper. In the MSFM, the effects of capillarity, liquid phase change, nonisothermal two-phase region and the local thermal non-equilibrium (LTNE) are considered. The vapor and liquid velocities are both converted into intermediate variables in the simulations and conveniently convergent solutions are obtained because a special upwind scheme for the convection or boiling heat transfer source and variable convergence factors are simultaneously employed. Two typical numerical examples with a one-dimension model of porous media are studied that the high heat fluxes are vertical and parallel to the fluid flow direction, respectively. And the results indicated that the influence of heat flux direction on heat and fluid flow behaviors in porous media is great. The nonisothermal phenomenon in the two-phase region is obvious for the former while the LTNE phenomenon is remarkable in the two-phase region for the latter. The results also showed several similar behaviors that the saturation profile is weakly discontinuous on the phase interface and a countercurrent flow exists in two-phase region

Temperature dependency of the thermal conductivity of porous heat storage media

Science.gov (United States)

Hailemariam, Henok; Wuttke, Frank

2018-04-01

Analyzing the variation of thermal conductivity with temperature is vital in the design and assessment of the efficiency of sensible heat storage systems. In this study, the temperature variation of the thermal conductivity of a commercial cement-based porous heat storage material named - Füllbinder L is analyzed in saturated condition in the temperature range between 20 to 70°C (water based storage) with a steady state thermal conductivity and diffusivity meter. A considerable decrease in the thermal conductivity of the saturated sensible heat storage material upon increase in temperature is obtained, resulting in a significant loss of system efficiency and slower loading/un-loading rates, which when unaccounted for can lead to the under-designing of such systems. Furthermore, a new empirical prediction model for the estimation of thermal conductivity of cement-based porous sensible heat storage materials and naturally occurring crystalline rock formations as a function of temperature is proposed. The results of the model prediction are compared with the experimental results with satisfactory results.

Complex conductivity results to silver nanoparticles in partically saturated laboratory columns

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Laboratory complex conductivity data from partially saturated sand columns with silver nanoparticles. This dataset is not publicly accessible because: It involves...

[Models for quantification of fluid saturation in two-phase flow system by light transmission method and its application].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yan-Hong; Ye, Shu-Jun; Wu, Ji-Chun

2014-06-01

Based on light transmission method in quantification of liquid saturation and its application in two-phase flow system, two groups of sandbox experiments were set up to study the migration of gas or Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids (DNAPLs) in water saturated porous media. The migration of gas or DNAPL was monitored in the study. Two modified Light Intensity-Saturation (LIS) models for water/gas two-phase system were applied and verified by the experiment data. Moreover two new LIS models for NAPL/water system were developed and applied to simulate the DNAPL infiltration experiment data. The gas injection experiment showed that gas moved upward to the top of the sandbox in the form of 'fingering' and finally formed continuous distribution. The results of DNAPL infiltration experiment showed that TCE mainly moved downward as the result of its gravity, eventually formed irregular plume and accumulated at the bottom of the sandbox. The outcomes of two LIS models for water/gas system (WG-A and WG-B) were consistent to the measured data. The results of two LIS models for NAPL/water system (NW-A and NW-B) fit well with the observations, and Model NW-A based on assumption of individual drainage gave better results. It could be a useful reference for quantification of NAPL/water saturation in porous media system.

Analytical Solutions of Ionic Diffusion and Heat Conduction in Multilayered Porous Media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Bai

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Ionic diffusion and heat conduction in a multiple layered porous medium have many important engineering applications. One of the examples is the chloride ions from deicers penetrating into concrete structures such as bridge decks. Different overlays can be placed on top of concrete surface to slowdown the chloride penetration. In this paper, the chloride ion diffusion equations were established for concrete structures with multiple layers of protective system. By using Laplace transformation, an analytical solution was developed first for chloride concentration profiles in two-layered system and then extended to multiple layered systems with nonconstant boundary conditions, including the constant boundary and linear boundary conditions. Because ionic diffusion in saturated media and heat conduction are governed by the same form of partial differential equations with different materials parameters, the analytical solution was further extended to handle heat conduction in a multiple layered system under nonconstant boundary conditions. The numerical results were compared with available test data. The basic trends of the analytical solution and the test data agreed quite well.

Application of artificial neural network for heat transfer in porous cone

Science.gov (United States)

Athani, Abdulgaphur; Ahamad, N. Ameer; Badruddin, Irfan Anjum

2018-05-01

Heat transfer in porous medium is one of the classical areas of research that has been active for many decades. The heat transfer in porous medium is generally studied by using numerical methods such as finite element method; finite difference method etc. that solves coupled partial differential equations by converting them into simpler forms. The current work utilizes an alternate method known as artificial neural network that mimics the learning characteristics of neurons. The heat transfer in porous medium fixed in a cone is predicted using backpropagation neural network. The artificial neural network is able to predict this behavior quite accurately.

Effective medium approximation for elastic constants of porous solids with microscopic heterogeneity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berryman, J.G.

1986-01-01

Formulas for the scattering from an inhomogeneous sphere in a fluid-saturated porous medium are used to construct a self-consistent effective medium approximation for the coefficients in Biot's equations of poroelasticity [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 28, 168 (1956)] when the material constituting the porous solid frame is not homogeneous on the microscopic scale. The discussion is restricted to porous materials exhibiting both macroscopic and microscopic isotropy. Brown and Korringa [Geophysics 40, 608 (1975)] have previously found the general form of these coefficients. The present results give explicit estimates of all the coefficients in terms of the moduli of the solid constituents. The results are also shown to be completely consistent with the well-known results of Gassmann and of Biot and Willis, as well as those of Brown and Korringa

The immiscibles: Capillarity effects in porous media - Pore-network modelling. Geologica Ultraiectina (318)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Joekar Niasar, V.

2010-01-01

Current theories of two-phase flow in porous media are based on the so-called extended Darcy’s law, and an algebraic relationship between capillary pressure and saturation. Both of these equations have been challenged in recent years, primarily based on theoretical works using a thermodynamic

Pore-network model of evaporation-induced salt precipitation in porous media: The effect of correlations and heterogeneity

Science.gov (United States)

Dashtian, Hassan; Shokri, Nima; Sahimi, Muhammad

2018-02-01

Salt transport and precipitation in porous media constitute a set of complex and fascinating phenomena that are of considerable interest to several important problems, ranging from storage of CO2 in geological formations, to soil fertility, and protection of pavements and roads, as well as historical monuments. The phenomena occur at the pore scale and are greatly influenced by the heterogeneity of the pore space morphology. We present a pore-network (PN) model to study the phenomena. Vapor diffusion, capillary effect at the brine-vapor interface, flow of brine, and transport of salt and its precipitation in the pores that plug the pores partially or completely are all accounted for. The drying process is modeled by the invasion percolation, while transport of salt in brine is accounted for by the convective-diffusion equation. We demonstrate that the drying patterns, the clustering and connectivity of the pore throats in which salt precipitation occurs, the saturation distribution, and the drying rate are all strongly dependent upon the pore-size distribution, the correlations among the pore sizes, and the anisotropy of the pore space caused by stratification that most natural porous media contain. In particular, if the strata are more or less parallel to the direction of injection of the gas that dries out the pore space (air, for example) and/or causes salt precipitation (CO2, for example), the drying rate increases significantly. Moreover, salt tends to precipitate in clusters of neighboring pores that are parallel to the open surface of the porous medium.

Numerical simulation for a two-phase porous medium flow problem with rate independent hysteresis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brokate, M.; Botkin, N.D.; Pykhteev, O.A.

2012-01-01

The paper is devoted to the numerical simulation of a multiphase flow in porous medium with a hysteretic relation between the capillary pressures and the saturations of the phases. The flow model we use is based on Darcy's law. The hysteretic relation between the capillary pressures and the saturations is described by a play-type hysteresis operator. We propose a numerical algorithm for treating the arising system of equations, discuss finite element schemes and present simulation results for the case of two phases.

A Priori Regularity of Parabolic Partial Differential Equations

KAUST Repository

Berkemeier, Francisco

2018-01-01

In this thesis, we consider parabolic partial differential equations such as the heat equation, the Fokker-Planck equation, and the porous media equation. Our aim is to develop methods that provide a priori estimates for solutions with singular

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.

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.

Asymptotics of the filtration problem for suspension in porous media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuzmina Ludmila Ivanovna

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The mechanical-geometric model of the suspension filtering in the porous media is considered. Suspended solid particles of the same size move with suspension flow through the porous media - a solid body with pores - channels of constant cross section. It is assumed that the particles pass freely through the pores of large diameter and are stuck at the inlet of pores that are smaller than the particle size. It is considered that one particle can clog only one small pore and vice versa. The particles stuck in the pores remain motionless and form a deposit. The concentrations of suspended and retained particles satisfy a quasilinear hyperbolic system of partial differential equations of the first order, obtained as a result of macro-averaging of micro-stochastic diffusion equations. Initially the porous media contains no particles and both concentrations are equal to zero; the suspension supplied to the porous media inlet has a constant concentration of suspended particles. The flow of particles moves in the porous media with a constant speed, before the wave front the concentrations of suspended and retained particles are zero. Assuming that the filtration coefficient is small we construct an asymptotic solution of the filtration problem over the concentration front. The terms of the asymptotic expansions satisfy linear partial differential equations of the first order and are determined successively in an explicit form. It is shown that in the simplest case the asymptotics found matches the known asymptotic expansion of the solution near the concentration front.

User manual of the multicompenent variably - saturated flow and transport model HP1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacques, D.; Simunek, J.

2005-06-01

This report describes a new comprehensive simulation tool HP1 (HYDRUS1D-PHREEQC) that was obtained by coupling the HYDRUS-1D one-dimensional variably-saturated water flow and solute transport model with the PHREEQC geochemical code. The HP1 code incorporates modules simulating (1) transient water flow in variably-saturated media, (2) transport of multiple components, and (3) mixed equilibrium/kinetic geochemical reactions. The program numerically solves the Richards equation for variably-saturated water flow and advection-dispersion type equations for heat and solute transport. The flow equation incorporates a sink term to account for water uptake by plant roots. The heat transport equation considers transport due to conduction and convection with flowing water. The solute transport equations consider advective-dispersive transport in the liquid phase. The program can simulate a broad range of low-temperature biogeochemical reactions in water, soil and ground water systems including interactions with minerals, gases, exchangers, and sorption surfaces, based on thermodynamic equilibrium, kinetics, or mixed equilibrium-kinetic reactions. The program may be used to analyze water and solute movement in unsaturated, partially saturated, or fully saturated porous media. The flow region may be composed of nonuniform soils or sediments. Flow and transport can occur in the vertical, horizontal, or a generally inclined direction. The water flow part of the model can deal with prescribed head and flux boundaries, boundaries controlled by atmospheric conditions, as well as free drainage boundary conditions. The governing flow and transport equations were solved numerically using Galerkin-type linear finite element schemes. To test the accuracy of the coupling procedures implemented in HP1, simulation results were compared with (i) HYDRUS-1D for transport problems of multiple components subject to sequential first-order decay, (ii) PHREEQC for steady-state flow conditions, and

Modeling the transport of engineered nanoparticles in saturated porous media - an experimental setup

Science.gov (United States)

Braun, A.; Neukum, C.; Azzam, R.

2011-12-01

The accelerating production and application of engineered nanoparticles is causing concerns regarding their release and fate in the environment. For assessing the risk that is posed to drinking water resources it is important to understand the transport and retention mechanisms of engineered nanoparticles in soil and groundwater. In this study an experimental setup for analyzing the mobility of silver and titanium dioxide nanoparticles in saturated porous media is presented. Batch and column experiments with glass beads and two different soils as matrices are carried out under varied conditions to study the impact of electrolyte concentration and pore water velocities. The analysis of nanoparticles implies several challenges, such as the detection and characterization and the preparation of a well dispersed sample with defined properties, as nanoparticles tend to form agglomerates when suspended in an aqueous medium. The analytical part of the experiments is mainly undertaken with Flow Field-Flow Fractionation (FlFFF). This chromatography like technique separates a particulate sample according to size. It is coupled to a UV/Vis and a light scattering detector for analyzing concentration and size distribution of the sample. The advantage of this technique is the ability to analyze also complex environmental samples, such as the effluent of column experiments including soil components, and the gentle sample treatment. For optimization of the sample preparation and for getting a first idea of the aggregation behavior in soil solutions, in sedimentation experiments the effect of ionic strength, sample concentration and addition of a surfactant on particle or aggregate size and temporal dispersion stability was investigated. In general the samples are more stable the lower the concentration of particles is. For TiO2 nanoparticles, the addition of a surfactant yielded the most stable samples with smallest aggregate sizes. Furthermore the suspension stability is

SCDAP/RELAP5 modeling of movement of melted material through porous debris in lower head

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siefken, L. J.; Harvego, E. A.

2000-01-01

A model is described for the movement of melted metallic material through a ceramic porous debris bed. The model is designed for the analysis of severe accidents in LWRs, wherein melted core plate material may slump onto the top of a porous bed of relocated core material supported by the lower head. The permeation of the melted core plate material into the porous debris bed influences the heatup of the debris bed and the heatup of the lower head supporting the debris. A model for mass transport of melted metallic material is applied that includes terms for viscosity and turbulence but neglects inertial and capillary terms because of their small value relative to gravity and viscous terms in the momentum equation. The relative permeability and passability of the porous debris are calculated as functions of debris porosity, particle size, and effective saturation. An iterative numerical solution is used to solve the set of nonlinear equations for mass transport. The effective thermal conductivity of the debris is calculated as a function of porosity, particle size, and saturation. The model integrates the equations for mass transport with a model for the two-dimensional conduction of heat through porous debris. The integrated model has been implemented into the SCDAP/RELAP5 code for the analysis of the integrity of LWR lower heads during severe accidents. The results of the model indicate that melted core plate material may permeate to near the bottom of a 1m deep hot porous debris bed supported by the lower head. The presence of the relocated core plate material was calculated to cause a 12% increase in the heat flux on the external surface of the lower head

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.

An open-source toolbox for multiphase flow in porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Horgue, P.; Soulaine, C.; Franc, J.; Guibert, R.; Debenest, G.

2015-02-01

Multiphase flow in porous media provides a wide range of applications: from the environmental understanding (aquifer, site-pollution) to industrial process improvements (oil production, waste management). Modeling of such flows involves specific volume-averaged equations and therefore specific computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools. In this work, we develop a toolbox for modeling multiphase flow in porous media with OpenFOAM®, an open-source platform for CFD. The underlying idea of this approach is to provide an easily adaptable tool that can be used in further studies to test new mathematical models or numerical methods. The package provides the most common effective properties models of the literature (relative permeability, capillary pressure) and specific boundary conditions related to porous media flows. To validate this package, solvers based on the IMplicit Pressure Explicit Saturation (IMPES) method are developed in the toolbox. The numerical validation is performed by comparison with analytical solutions on academic cases. Then, a satisfactory parallel efficiency of the solver is shown on a more complex configuration.

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....

Simulation of CO2 Injection in Porous Media with Structural Deformation Effect

KAUST Repository

Negara, Ardiansyah

2011-06-18

Carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration is one of the most attractive methods to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere by injecting it into the geological formations. Furthermore, it is also an effective mechanism for enhanced oil recovery. Simulation of CO2 injection based on a suitable modeling is very important for explaining the fluid flow behavior of CO2 in a reservoir. Increasing of CO2 injection may cause a structural deformation of the medium. The structural deformation modeling in carbon sequestration is useful to evaluate the medium stability to avoid CO2 leakage to the atmosphere. Therefore, it is important to include such effect into the model. The purpose of this study is to simulate the CO2 injection in a reservoir. The numerical simulations of two-phase flow in homogeneous and heterogeneous porous media are presented. Also, the effects of gravity and capillary pressure are considered. IMplicit Pressure Explicit Saturation (IMPES) and IMplicit Pressure-Displacements and an Explicit Saturation (IMPDES) schemes are used to solve the problems under consideration. Various numerical examples were simulated and divided into two parts of the study. The numerical results demonstrate the effects of buoyancy and capillary pressure as well as the permeability value and its distribution in the domain. Some conclusions that could be derived from the numerical results are the buoyancy of CO2 is driven by the density difference, the CO2 saturation profile (rate and distribution) are affected by the permeability distribution and its value, and the displacements of the porous medium go to constant values at least six to eight months (on average) after injection. Furthermore, the simulation of CO2 injection provides intuitive knowledge and a better understanding of the fluid flow behavior of CO2 in the subsurface with the deformation effect of the porous medium.

Fractal analysis of the hydraulic conductivity on a sandy porous media reproduced in a laboratory facility.

Science.gov (United States)

de Bartolo, S.; Fallico, C.; Straface, S.; Troisi, S.; Veltri, M.

2009-04-01

The complexity characterization of the porous media structure, in terms of the "pore" phase and the "solid" phase, can be carried out by means of the fractal geometry which is able to put in relationship the soil structural properties and the water content. It is particularly complicated to describe analytically the hydraulic conductivity for the irregularity of the porous media structure. However these can be described by many fractal models considering the soil structure as the distribution of particles dimensions, the distribution of the solid aggregates, the surface of the pore-solid interface and the fractal mass of the "pore" and "solid" phases. In this paper the fractal model of Yu and Cheng (2002) and Yu and Liu (2004), for a saturated bidispersed porous media, was considered. This model, using the Sierpinsky-type gasket scheme, doesn't contain empiric constants and furnishes a well accord with the experimental data. For this study an unconfined aquifer was reproduced by means of a tank with a volume of 10 Ã- 7 Ã- 3 m3, filled with a homogeneous sand (95% of SiO2), with a high percentage (86.4%) of grains between 0.063mm and 0.125mm and a medium-high permeability. From the hydraulic point of view, 17 boreholes, a pumping well and a drainage ring around its edge were placed. The permeability was measured utilizing three different methods, consisting respectively in pumping test, slug test and laboratory analysis of an undisturbed soil cores, each of that involving in the measurement a different support volume. The temporal series of the drawdown obtained by the pumping test were analyzed by the Neuman-type Curve method (1972), because the saturated part above the bottom of the facility represents an unconfined aquifer. The data analysis of the slug test were performed by the Bouwer & Rice (1976) method and the laboratory analysis were performed on undisturbed saturated soil samples utilizing a falling head permeameter. The obtained values either of the

Predicting liquid water saturation through differently structured cathode gas diffusion media of a proton exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Akhtar, N.; Kerkhof, P.J.A.M.

2012-01-01

The role of gas diffusion media with differently structured properties have been examined with emphasis on the liquid water saturation within the cathode of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The cathode electrode consists of a gas diffusion layer (GDL), a micro-porous layer and a

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.

An artificial compressibility CBS method for modelling heat transfer and fluid flow in heterogeneous porous materials

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Malan, AG

2011-08-01

Full Text Available to modelling both forced convection as well as heat transfer and fluid flow through heterogeneous saturated porous materials via an edge-based finite volume discretization scheme. A volume-averaged set of local thermal disequilibrium governing equations...

Formation of multiple levels of porous silicon for buried insulators and conductors in silicon device technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Blewer, Robert S.; Gullinger, Terry R.; Kelly, Michael J.; Tsao, Sylvia S.

1991-01-01

A method of forming a multiple level porous silicon substrate for semiconductor integrated circuits including anodizing non-porous silicon layers of a multi-layer silicon substrate to form multiple levels of porous silicon. At least one porous silicon layer is then oxidized to form an insulating layer and at least one other layer of porous silicon beneath the insulating layer is metallized to form a buried conductive layer. Preferably the insulating layer and conductive layer are separated by an anodization barrier formed of non-porous silicon. By etching through the anodization barrier and subsequently forming a metallized conductive layer, a fully or partially insulated buried conductor may be fabricated under single crystal silicon.

Bovine serum albumin adsorption on functionalized porous silicon surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Tay, Li-Lin; Rowell, Nelson L.; Lockwood, David J.; Boukherroub, Rabah

2004-10-01

The large surface area within porous Si (pSi) and its strong room temperature photoluminescence (PL) make it an ideal host for biological sensors. In particular, the development of pSi-based optical sensors for DNA, enzyme and other biochemical molecules have become of great interest. Here, we demonstrate that the in-situ monitoring of the pSi PL behaviour can be used as a positive identification of bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein adsorption inside the porous matrix. Electrochemically prepared pSi films were first functionalized with undecylenic acid to produce an organic monolayer covalently attached to the porous silicon surfaces. The acid terminal group also provided favourable BSA binding sites on the pSi matrix sidewalls. In-situ PL spectra showed a gradual red shift (up to 12 meV) in the PL peak energy due to the protein incorporation into the porous matrix. The PL then exhibited a continuous blue shift after saturation of the protein molecules in the pores. This blue shift of the PL peak frequency and a steady increase in the PL intensity is evidence of surface oxidation. Comparing the specular reflectance obtained by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) before and after BSA incubation confirmed the adsorption of protein in the pSi matrix.

Hydrogen storage by physisorption on porous materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Panella, B

2006-09-13

A great challenge for commercializing hydrogen powered vehicles is on-board hydrogen storage using economic and secure systems. A possible solution is hydrogen storage in light-weight solid materials. Here three principle storage mechanisms can be distinguished: i) absorption of hydrogen in metals ii) formation of compounds with ionic character, like complex hydrides and iii) physisorption (or physical adsorption) of hydrogen molecules on porous materials. Physical adsorption exhibits several advantages over chemical hydrogen storage as for example the complete reversibility and the fast kinetics. Two classes of porous materials were investigated for physical hydrogen storage, i.e. different carbon nanostructures and crystalline metal-organic frameworks possessing extremely high specific surface area. Hydrogen adsorption isotherms were measured using a Sieverts' apparatus both at room temperature and at 77 K at pressures up to the saturation regime. Additionally, the adsorption sites of hydrogen in these porous materials were identified using thermal desorption spectroscopy extended to very low temperatures (down to 20 K). Furthermore, the adsorbed hydrogen phase was studied in various materials using Raman spectroscopy at different pressures and temperatures. The results show that the maximum hydrogen storage capacity of porous materials correlates linearly with the specific surface area and is independent of structure and composition. In addition the pore structure of the adsorbent plays an important role for hydrogen storage since the adsorption sites for H2 could be assigned to pores possessing different dimensions. Accordingly it was shown that small pores are necessary to reach high storage capacities already at low pressures. This new understanding may help to tailor and optimize new porous materials for hydrogen storage. (orig.)

Hydrogen storage by physisorption on porous materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Panella, B.

2006-09-13

A great challenge for commercializing hydrogen powered vehicles is on-board hydrogen storage using economic and secure systems. A possible solution is hydrogen storage in light-weight solid materials. Here three principle storage mechanisms can be distinguished: i) absorption of hydrogen in metals ii) formation of compounds with ionic character, like complex hydrides and iii) physisorption (or physical adsorption) of hydrogen molecules on porous materials. Physical adsorption exhibits several advantages over chemical hydrogen storage as for example the complete reversibility and the fast kinetics. Two classes of porous materials were investigated for physical hydrogen storage, i.e. different carbon nanostructures and crystalline metal-organic frameworks possessing extremely high specific surface area. Hydrogen adsorption isotherms were measured using a Sieverts' apparatus both at room temperature and at 77 K at pressures up to the saturation regime. Additionally, the adsorption sites of hydrogen in these porous materials were identified using thermal desorption spectroscopy extended to very low temperatures (down to 20 K). Furthermore, the adsorbed hydrogen phase was studied in various materials using Raman spectroscopy at different pressures and temperatures. The results show that the maximum hydrogen storage capacity of porous materials correlates linearly with the specific surface area and is independent of structure and composition. In addition the pore structure of the adsorbent plays an important role for hydrogen storage since the adsorption sites for H2 could be assigned to pores possessing different dimensions. Accordingly it was shown that small pores are necessary to reach high storage capacities already at low pressures. This new understanding may help to tailor and optimize new porous materials for hydrogen storage. (orig.)

多孔介质两相流的守恒迎风有限元法%CONSERVATIVE UPWIND FINITE ELEMENT METHOD FOR TWO-PHASE FLOW IN POROUS MEDIA

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

马纳·萨德; 胡健伟

2001-01-01

Two-phase, immiscible in compressible flow in porous media governed by a system of non-linear partial differential equations arised from reservoir simulation is discussed. Galerkin method is applied for the pressure equation. For the convection-dominated saturation equation, a kind of partial upwind finite element scheme is constructed. The numerical solution got by this scheme satisfies the discrete mass conservation law and converges to the solution in norm L∞(0,T;L2(Ω)).%本文讨论油藏模拟中描述多孔介质两相不可压非混溶流动的偏微分方程组.压力方程用Galerkin方法,而对流占优的饱和度方程用一类部分迎风有限元法.数值解满足离散的质量守恒原理,并以L∞(0,Y;L2(Ω))范收敛于原解.

Opposing flow in square porous annulus: Influence of Dufour effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Athani, Abdulgaphur; Al-Rashed, Abdullah A. A. A.; Khaleed, H. M. T.

2016-01-01

Heat and mass transfer in porous medium is very important area of research which is also termed as double diffusive convection or thermo-solutal convection. The buoyancy ratio which is the ratio of thermal to concentration buoyancy can have negative values thus leading to opposing flow. This article is aimed to study the influence of Dufour effect on the opposing flow in a square porous annulus. The partial differential equations that govern the heat and mass transfer behavior inside porous medium are solved using finite element method. A three node triangular element is used to divide the porous domain into smaller elements. Results are presented with respect to geometric and physical parameters such as duct diameter ratio, Rayleigh number, radiation parameter etc. It is found that the heat transfer increase with increase in Rayleigh number and radiation parameter. It is observed that Dufour coefficient has more influence on velocity profile.

Opposing flow in square porous annulus: Influence of Dufour effect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Athani, Abdulgaphur, E-mail: abbu.bec@gmail.com [Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Anjuman Institute of Technology & Management, Bhatkal (India); Al-Rashed, Abdullah A. A. A., E-mail: aa.alrashed@paaet.edu.kw [Dept. of Automotive and Marine Engineering Technology, College of Technological Studies, The Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (Kuwait); Khaleed, H. M. T., E-mail: khalid-tan@yahoo.com [Dept of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Islamic University, Madinah Munawwarra (Saudi Arabia)

2016-06-21

Heat and mass transfer in porous medium is very important area of research which is also termed as double diffusive convection or thermo-solutal convection. The buoyancy ratio which is the ratio of thermal to concentration buoyancy can have negative values thus leading to opposing flow. This article is aimed to study the influence of Dufour effect on the opposing flow in a square porous annulus. The partial differential equations that govern the heat and mass transfer behavior inside porous medium are solved using finite element method. A three node triangular element is used to divide the porous domain into smaller elements. Results are presented with respect to geometric and physical parameters such as duct diameter ratio, Rayleigh number, radiation parameter etc. It is found that the heat transfer increase with increase in Rayleigh number and radiation parameter. It is observed that Dufour coefficient has more influence on velocity profile.

Heteroatom-doped porous carbon from methyl orange dye wastewater for oxygen reduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yiqing Wang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Banana peel-derived porous carbon (BPPC was prepared from banana peel and used as an adsorbent for methyl orange (MO wastewater removal. BPPC-MO50 is a N,S-doped BPPC obtained via secondary carbonization. The BPPC-MO50 exhibited a high specific surface area of 1774.3 m2/g. Heteroatom-doped porous carbon (PC was successfully synthesized from the BPPC absorbed MO at high temperature and used for oxygen reduction. The BPPC-MO50 displayed the highest ORR onset potential among all carbon-based electrocatalysts, i.e., 0.93 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE. This is the first report to describe porous carbon-activated materials from agriculture and forestry waste that is used for adsorption of dyes from wastewater via an enhanced heteroatom (N,S content. These results may contribute to the sustainable development of dye wastewater treatment by transforming saturated PC into an effective material and has potential applications in fuel cells or as energy sources. Keywords: Banana peel, Dye wastewater, Porous carbon, Heteroatom doping, Oxygen reduction reaction

Flow visualization in heat-generating porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, D.O.; Nilson, R.H.

1977-11-01

The work reported is in support of the Sandia Post-Accident Heat Removal Program, in which simulated LMFBR beds will be subjected to in-pile heating in the ACPR (Annular Core Pulsed Reactor). Flow visualization experiments were performed to gain some insight into the flow patterns and temperature distributions in a fluid-saturated heat-generating porous medium. Although much of the information presented is of a qualitative nature, it is useful in the recognition of the controlling transport process and in the formulation of analytic and numerical models

Numerical simulation for a two-phase porous medium flow problem with rate independent hysteresis

KAUST Repository

Brokate, M.

2012-05-01

The paper is devoted to the numerical simulation of a multiphase flow in porous medium with a hysteretic relation between the capillary pressures and the saturations of the phases. The flow model we use is based on Darcys law. The hysteretic relation between the capillary pressures and the saturations is described by a play-type hysteresis operator. We propose a numerical algorithm for treating the arising system of equations, discuss finite element schemes and present simulation results for the case of two phases. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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.

Flow modelling and radionuclide transport research and development in saturated and unsaturated soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carvalho Filho, Carlos Alberto de; Branco, Otavio Eurico de Aquino; Loureiro, Celso de Oliveira

1996-01-01

The Engenho Nogueira Hydrogeological Project, PROHBEN, was idealized with the goal of implementing an Experimental Hydrogeological basin within its limits, in order to permit the development of hydrogeological studies and techniques, mainly in the modeling of flow and transport of contaminants (radionuclides) in the saturated and unsaturated porous media. The PROHBEN is located in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, amounting a 5 km 2 area. The local porous-granular, heterogeneous and anisotropic, water-table aquifer reaches 40 meters of thickness, and is compound mainly by alluvial deposits and alteration rocks products, with a sandy texture. The flow and transport modeling are being done using the Modflow and MT3D codes. Three master degree researches are being done in the PROHBEN area and one expects is that more researchers come to use this experimental site. (author)

Transport of poly(acrylic acid) coated 2-line ferrihydrite nanoparticles in saturated aquifer sediments for environmental remediation

Science.gov (United States)

Xiang, Aishuang; Zhou, Sheng; Koel, Bruce E.; Jaffé, Peter R.

2014-04-01

Groundwater remediation using iron oxide and zero-valent iron nanoparticles (NPs) can be effective, but is limited in many applications due to the NP strong retention in groundwater-saturated porous media after injection, the passivation of the porous surface, and the high cost of nanomaterials versus macro scale iron. In this study, we investigated transport of bare and polymer-coated 2-line ferrihydrite NPs (30-300 nm) in saturated aquifer sediments. The influence of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) polymer coatings was studied on the colloidal stability and transport in sediments packed column tests simulating groundwater flow in saturated sediments. In addition, the influence of calcium cations was investigated by transport measurements using sediments with calcium concentrations in the aqueous phase ranging from 0.5 (typical for most sediments) to 2 mM. Measurements were also made of zeta potential, hydrodynamic diameter, polymer adsorption and desorption properties, and bio-availability of PAA-coated NPs. We found that NP transport through the saturated aquifer sediments was improved by PAA coating and that the transport properties could be tuned by adjusting the polymer concentration. We further discovered that PAA coatings enhanced NP transport, compared to bare NPs, in all calcium-containing experiments tested, however, the presence of calcium always exhibited a negative effect on NP transport. In tests of bioavailability, the iron reduction rate of the coated and bare NPs by Geobacter sulfurreducens was the same, which shows that the PAA coating does not significantly reduce NP Fe(III) bioavailability. Our results demonstrate that much improved transport of iron oxide NP can be achieved in saturated aquifer sediments by introducing negatively charged polyelectrolytes and optimizing polymer concentrations, and furthermore, these coated NPs retain their bioavailability that is needed for applications in bio-environmental remediation.

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.

Single-source gamma radiation procedures for improved calibration and measurements in porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oostrom, M.; Hofstee, C.; Dane, H.; Lenhard, R.J.

1998-01-01

When dual-energy gamma radiation systems are employed for measurements in porous media, count rates from both sources are often used to compute parameter values. However, for several applications, the count rates of just one source are insufficient. These applications include the determination of volumetric liquid content values in two-liquid systems and salt concentration values in water-saturated porous media. Single-energy gamma radiation procedures for three applications are described in this paper. Through an error analysis, single-source procedures are shown to reduce the probable error in the determinations considerably. Example calculations and simple column experiments were conducted for each application to compare the performance of the new single-source and standard dual-source methods. In all cases, the single-source methods provided more reliable data than the traditional dual-source methods. In addition, a single-source calibration procedure is proposed to determine incident count rates indirectly. This procedure, which requires packing under saturated conditions, can be used in all single- and dual-source applications and yields accurate porosity and dry bulk density values

Non-Darcy Mixed Convection in a Doubly Stratified Porous Medium with Soret-Dufour Effects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Srinivasacharya

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the nonsimilarity solutions for mixed convection heat and mass transfer along a semi-infinite vertical plate embedded in a doubly stratified fluid saturated porous medium in the presence of Soret and Dufour effects. The flow in the porous medium is described by employing the Darcy-Forchheimer based model. The nonlinear governing equations and their associated boundary conditions are initially cast into dimensionless forms and then solved numerically. The influence of pertinent parameters on dimensionless velocity, temperature, concentration, heat, and mass transfer in terms of the local Nusselt and Sherwood numbers is discussed and presented graphically.

Permeability model of sintered porous media: analysis and experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Flórez Mera, Juan Pablo; Chiamulera, Maria E.; Mantelli, Marcia B. H.

2017-11-01

In this paper, the permeability of porous media fabricated from copper powder sintering process was modeled and measured, aiming the use of the porosity as input parameter for the prediction of the permeability of sintering porous media. An expression relating the powder particle mean diameter with the permeability was obtained, based on an elementary porous media cell, which is physically represented by a duct formed by the arrangement of spherical particles forming a simple or orthorhombic packing. A circular duct with variable section was used to model the fluid flow within the porous media, where the concept of the hydraulic diameter was applied. Thus, the porous is modeled as a converging-diverging duct. The electrical circuit analogy was employed to determine two hydraulic resistances of the cell: based on the Navier-Stokes equation and on the Darcýs law. The hydraulic resistances are compared between themselves and an expression to determine the permeability as function of average particle diameter is obtained. The atomized copper powder was sifted to reduce the size dispersion of the particles. The porosities and permeabilities of sintered media fabricated from powders with particle mean diameters ranging from 20 to 200 microns were measured, by means of the image analysis method and using an experimental apparatus. The permeability data of a porous media, made of copper powder and saturated with distilled water, was used to compare with the permeability model. Permeability literature models, which considers that powder particles have the same diameter and include porosity data as input parameter, were compared with the present model and experimental data. This comparison showed to be quite good.

The Flow of Butane and Isobutene Vapors Near Saturation Through Porous Vycor Glass Membranes

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Loimer, T.; Uchytil, Petr; Petričkovič, Roman; Setničková, Kateřina

2011-01-01

Roč. 383, 1-2 (2011), s. 104-115 ISSN 0376-7388 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA104/09/1165; GA ČR GCP106/10/J038; GA MŠk ME 889 Grant - others:AIMC GmbH(AT) AES:09/2006 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40720504 Keywords : transport processes * porous media * inorganic membranes Subject RIV: CI - Industrial Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Impact factor: 3.850, year: 2011

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.

Assay of partially purified glutamate dehydrogenase isolated from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Glutamate dehydrogenase (E C 1.4.1.1) isolated from the seeds of asparagus beans was partially purified to a factor of 22 by dialysis after fractional precipitation with solid ammonium sulphate at 40 and 60% saturation. A specific activity of 11.78μmol min-1 mg-1 protein was calculated for the partially purified enzyme when ...

Two-demensional analysis of heat and mass transfer in porous media using the strongly implicit procedure

Science.gov (United States)

Curry, D. M.

1974-01-01

Numerical results of the heat and mass transfer in a porous matrix are presented. The coupled, nonlinear partial differential equations describing this physical phenomenon are solved in finite difference form for two dimensions, using a new iterative technique (the strongly implicit procedure). The influence of the external environment conditions (heating and pressure) is shown to produce two-dimensional flow in the porous matrix. Typical fluid and solid temperature distributions in the porous matrix and internal pressure distributions are presented.

Water born pollutants sampling using porous suction samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baig, M.A.

1997-01-01

The common standard method of sampling water born pollutants in the vadoze zone is core sampling and it is followed by extraction of pore fluid. This method does not allow sampling at the same location next time and again later on. There is an alternative approach for sampling fluids (water born pollutants) from both saturated and unsaturated regions of vadose zone using porous suction samplers. There are three types of porous suction samplers, vacuum-operated, pressure-vacuum lysimeters, high pressure vacuum samples. The suction samples are operated in the range of 0-70 centi bars and usually consist of ceramic and polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE). The operation range of PTFE is higher than ceramic cups. These samplers are well suited for in situ and repeated sampling form the same location. This paper discusses the physical properties and operating condition of such samplers to the utilized under our environmental sampling. (author)

Hydraulic Properties of Porous Media Saturated with Nanoparticle-Stabilized Air-Water Foam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xianglei Zheng

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The foam generated by the mixture of air and water has a much higher viscosity and lower mobility than those of pure water or gas that constitutes the air-water foam. The possibility of using the air-water foam as a flow barrier for the purpose of groundwater and soil remediation is explored in this paper. A nanoparticle-stabilized air-water foam was fabricated by vigorously stirring the nano-fluid in pressurized condition. The foam bubble size distribution was analyzed with a microscope. The viscosities of foams generated with the solutions with several nanoparticle concentrations were measured as a function of time. The breakthrough pressure of foam-saturated microfluidic chips and sand columns were obtained. The hydraulic conductivity of a foam-filled sand column was measured after foam breakthrough. The results show that: (1 bubble coalescence and the Ostwald ripening are believed to be the reason of bubble size distribution change; (2 the viscosity of nanoparticle-stabilized foam and the breakthrough pressures decreased with time once the foam was generated; (3 the hydraulic conductivity of the foam-filled sand column was almost two orders of magnitude lower than that of a water-saturated sand column even after the foam-breakthrough. Based on the results in this study, the nanoparticle-stabilized air-water foam could be injected into contaminated soils to generate vertical barriers for temporary hydraulic conductivity reduction.

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

Experimental and numerical investigations on freeze-drying of porous media with prebuilt porosity

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wei; Yang, Jing; Hu, Dapeng; Pan, Yanqiu; Wang, Shihao; Chen, Guohua

2018-05-01

Freeze-drying of initially porous frozen material was investigated aimed at improving the process economics by reducing drying time and raising productivity. Experimental results showed that freeze-drying can be significantly enhanced by the frozen material with prebuilt porosity, and about 31% of drying time can be saved compared with the conventionally solid frozen material under the tested operating conditions. A multiphase transport model was formulated based on the local mass non-equilibrium assumption. Numerical results showed excellent agreements between measured and predicted drying curves. Analyses of saturation and temperature profiles displayed that volumetric sublimation-desorption can occur for the initially porous frozen material.

A Bézier-Spline-based Model for the Simulation of Hysteresis in Variably Saturated Soil

Science.gov (United States)

Cremer, Clemens; Peche, Aaron; Thiele, Luisa-Bianca; Graf, Thomas; Neuweiler, Insa

2017-04-01

Most transient variably saturated flow models neglect hysteresis in the p_c-S-relationship (Beven, 2012). Such models tend to inadequately represent matrix potential and saturation distribution. Thereby, when simulating flow and transport processes, fluid and solute fluxes might be overestimated (Russo et al., 1989). In this study, we present a simple, computationally efficient and easily applicable model that enables to adequately describe hysteresis in the p_c-S-relationship for variably saturated flow. This model can be seen as an extension to the existing play-type model (Beliaev and Hassanizadeh, 2001), where scanning curves are simplified as vertical lines between main imbibition and main drainage curve. In our model, we use continuous linear and Bézier-Spline-based functions. We show the successful validation of the model by numerically reproducing a physical experiment by Gillham, Klute and Heermann (1976) describing primary drainage and imbibition in a vertical soil column. With a deviation of 3%, the simple Bézier-Spline-based model performs significantly better that the play-type approach, which deviates by 30% from the experimental results. Finally, we discuss the realization of physical experiments in order to extend the model to secondary scanning curves and in order to determine scanning curve steepness. {Literature} Beven, K.J. (2012). Rainfall-Runoff-Modelling: The Primer. John Wiley and Sons. Russo, D., Jury, W. A., & Butters, G. L. (1989). Numerical analysis of solute transport during transient irrigation: 1. The effect of hysteresis and profile heterogeneity. Water Resources Research, 25(10), 2109-2118. https://doi.org/10.1029/WR025i010p02109. Beliaev, A.Y. & Hassanizadeh, S.M. (2001). A Theoretical Model of Hysteresis and Dynamic Effects in the Capillary Relation for Two-phase Flow in Porous Media. Transport in Porous Media 43: 487. doi:10.1023/A:1010736108256. Gillham, R., Klute, A., & Heermann, D. (1976). Hydraulic properties of a porous

Optimal oxygen saturation in premature infants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meayoung Chang

2011-09-01

Full Text Available There is a delicate balance between too little and too much supplemental oxygen exposure in premature infants. Since underuse and overuse of supplemental oxygen can harm premature infants, oxygen saturation levels must be monitored and kept at less than 95% to prevent reactive oxygen species-related diseases, such as retinopathy of prematurity and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. At the same time, desaturation below 80 to 85% must be avoided to prevent adverse consequences, such as cerebral palsy. It is still unclear what range of oxygen saturation is appropriate for premature infants; however, until the results of further studies are available, a reasonable target for pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2 is 90 to 93% with an intermittent review of the correlation between SpO2 and the partial pressure of arterial oxygen tension (PaO2. Because optimal oxygenation depends on individuals at the bedside making ongoing adjustments, each unit must define an optimal target range and set alarm limits according to their own equipment or conditions. All staff must be aware of these values and adjust the concentration of supplemental oxygen frequently.

Numerical analysis of gas transfer by natural convection in a fluid saturated porous medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akbal, S.; Filiz Baytas, A.

2005-01-01

The concentration distribution of a radioactive gas in a square porous cavity is investigated in this study. The decay of the radioactive gas is taken into account in the concentration equation. The governing equations are solved using alternating direction implicit method (ADI) and Finite volume method. Numerical results for velocity and concentration profiles are presented for an extensive range of parameter like Grashof number (Gr c ), Schmidt number (Sc) and the non-dimensional constant of radioactive decay. (authors)

Numerical analysis of gas transfer by natural convection in a fluid saturated porous medium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akbal, S. [Cekmece Nuclear Research and Training Center (Turkey); Filiz Baytas, A. [Istanbul Technical Univ. (Turkey). Inst. for Energy

2005-07-01

The concentration distribution of a radioactive gas in a square porous cavity is investigated in this study. The decay of the radioactive gas is taken into account in the concentration equation. The governing equations are solved using alternating direction implicit method (ADI) and Finite volume method. Numerical results for velocity and concentration profiles are presented for an extensive range of parameter like Grashof number (Gr{sub c}), Schmidt number (Sc) and the non-dimensional constant of radioactive decay. (authors)

The Time-Dependency of Deformation in Porous Carbonate Rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Kibikas, W. M.; Lisabeth, H. P.; Zhu, W.

2016-12-01

Porous carbonate rocks are natural reservoirs for freshwater and hydrocarbons. More recently, due to their potential for geothermal energy generation as well as carbon sequestration, there are renewed interests in better understanding of the deformation behavior of carbonate rocks. We conducted a series of deformation experiments to investigate the effects of strain rate and pore fluid chemistry on rock strength and transport properties of porous limestones. Indiana limestone samples with initial porosity of 16% are deformed at 25 °C under effective pressures of 10, 30, and 50 MPa. Under nominally dry conditions, the limestone samples are deformed under 3 different strain rates, 1.5 x 10-4 s-1, 1.5 x 10-5 s-1 and 1.5 x 10-6 s-1 respectively. The experimental results indicate that the mechanical behavior is both rate- and pressure-dependent. At low confining pressures, post-yielding deformation changes from predominantly strain softening to strain hardening as strain rate decreases. At high confining pressures, while all samples exhibit shear-enhanced compaction, decreasing strain rate leads to an increase in compaction. Slower strain rates enhance compaction at all confining pressure conditions. The rate-dependence of deformation behaviors of porous carbonate rocks at dry conditions indicates there is a strong visco-elastic coupling for the degradation of elastic modulus with increasing plastic deformation. In fluid saturated samples, inelastic strain of limestone is partitioned among low temperature plasticity, cataclasis and solution transport. Comparison of inelastic behaviors of samples deformed with distilled water and CO2-saturated aqueous solution as pore fluids provide experimental constraints on the relative activities of the various mechanisms. Detailed microstructural analysis is conducted to take into account the links between stress, microstructure and the inelastic behavior and failure mechanisms.

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.

THERMAL CONSOLIDATION OF LAYERED POROUS HALF-SPACE TO VARIABLE THERMAL LOADING

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

BAI Bing

2006-01-01

An analytical method was derived for the thermal consolidation of layered,saturated porous half-space to variable thermal loading with time. In the coupled governing equations of linear thermoelastic media, the influences of thermo-osmosis effect and thermal filtration effect were introduced. Solutions in Laplace transform space were first obtained and then numerically inverted. The responses of a double-layered porous space subjected to exponential decaying thermal loading were studied. The influences of the differences between the properties of the two layers (e.g., the coefficient of thermal consolidation, elastic modulus) on thermal consolidation were discussed. The studies show that the coupling effects of displacement and stress fields on temperature field can be completely neglected, however, thc thermo-osmosis effect has an obvious influence on thermal responses.

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

Solid phase characterization and gas transfers through unsaturated porous media: experimental study and modeling applied diffusion of hydrogen through cement-based materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vu, T.H.

2009-10-01

This thesis documents the relationship between the porous microstructure of cement based materials and theirs gaseous diffusivity properties relative to the aqueous phase location and the global saturation level of the material. The materials studied are cement pastes and mortars. To meet the thesis objective, the materials are characterized in detail by means of several experimental methods: mercury intrusion porosimetry, water porosimetry, thermo-poro-metry, nitrogen sorption and water desorption. In addition, diffusion tests realized on materials maintained in controlled humidity chambers allow obtaining the effective hydrogen diffusivity as function of the microstructure and the saturation state of material with a gas chromatography. The experimental results are then used as a data base that is compared to a modeling approach. The model developed consists of a combination of ordinary diffusion (Fick regime) and Knudsen diffusion of hydrogen. The model also accounts for the effects of the liquid curtains, the impact of tortuosity on gas diffusion, and the saturation level of the porous system. (author)

Direct laboratory observation of fluid distribution and its influence on acoustic properties of patchy saturated rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Lebedev, M.; Clennell, B.; Pervukhina, M.; Shulakova, V.; Mueller, T.; Gurevich, B.

2009-04-01

Porous rocks in hydrocarbon reservoirs are often saturated with a mixture of two or more fluids. Interpretation of exploration seismograms requires understanding of the relationship between distribution of the fluids patches and acoustic properties of rocks. The sizes of patches as well as their distribution affect significantly the seismic response. If the size of the fluid patch is smaller than the diffusion wavelength then pressure equilibration is achieved and the bulk modulus of the rock saturated with a mixture is defined by the Gassmann equations (Gassmann, 1951) with the saturation-weighted average of the fluid bulk modulus given by Wood's law (Wood, 1955, Mavko et al., 1998). If the fluid patch size is much larger than the diffusion wavelength then there is no pressure communication between different patches. In this case, fluid-flow effects can be neglected and the overall rock may be considered equivalent to an elastic composite material consisting of homogeneous parts whose properties are given by Gassmann theory with Hill's equation for the bulk modulus (Hill, 1963, Mavko et al., 1998). At intermediate values of fluid saturation the velocity-saturation relationship is significantly affected by the fluid patch distribution. In order to get an improved understanding of factors influencing the patch distribution and the resulting seismic wave response we performed simultaneous measurements of P-wave velocities and rock sample CT imaging. The CT imaging allows us to map the fluid distribution inside rock sample during saturation (water imbibition). We compare the experimental results with theoretical predictions. In this paper we will present results of simultaneous measurements of longitudinal wave velocities and imaging mapping of fluid distribution inside rock sample during sample saturation. We will report results of two kinds of experiments: "dynamic" and "quasi static" saturation. In both experiments Casino Cores Otway Basin sandstone, Australia core

Large scale modulation of high frequency acoustic waves in periodic porous media.

Science.gov (United States)

Boutin, Claude; Rallu, Antoine; Hans, Stephane

2012-12-01

This paper deals with the description of the modulation at large scale of high frequency acoustic waves in gas saturated periodic porous media. High frequencies mean local dynamics at the pore scale and therefore absence of scale separation in the usual sense of homogenization. However, although the pressure is spatially varying in the pores (according to periodic eigenmodes), the mode amplitude can present a large scale modulation, thereby introducing another type of scale separation to which the asymptotic multi-scale procedure applies. The approach is first presented on a periodic network of inter-connected Helmholtz resonators. The equations governing the modulations carried by periodic eigenmodes, at frequencies close to their eigenfrequency, are derived. The number of cells on which the carrying periodic mode is defined is therefore a parameter of the modeling. In a second part, the asymptotic approach is developed for periodic porous media saturated by a perfect gas. Using the "multicells" periodic condition, one obtains the family of equations governing the amplitude modulation at large scale of high frequency waves. The significant difference between modulations of simple and multiple mode are evidenced and discussed. The features of the modulation (anisotropy, width of frequency band) are also analyzed.

Numerical modeling of radionuclide migration in water-saturated planar fracture: study of performance of bentonite in the far-field region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silveira, Claudia S. da; Alvim, Antonio C.M., E-mail: csilveira@con.ufrj.b [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (PEN/COPPE/UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-Graduacao de Engenharia. Programa de Energia Nuclear

2011-07-01

The analysis of radionuclide migration in fractured porous media is an important part of the safety assessment of a deep geologic disposal for high level radioactive wastes. In this work, numerical solution for simple geometry was developed to study radionuclide migration, including decay chain from a hypothetical repository, whereas the initial region of fracture is filled with bentonite which expanded from EBS (Engineered Barrier System). The following cases were considered: convective transport with constant velocity along the fracture, longitudinal hydrodynamic dispersion in the fracture along the fracture axis, molecular diffusion from fracture into rock matrix, sorption within rock matrix, sorption onto the surface of the fracture, radioactive decay, decay chain, and diffusion in bentonite extrusion region. For conservative analysis, the porous matrix adjacent to the fracture was subdivided into two different subdomains, each with different set of parameters and considering that the radionuclides were available for migration in the solubility limit, at fracture inlet, from the initial time. The partial differential equations that govern the physical system were discretized by finite differences, by using the Implicit Euler Method with forward scheme in the convective term. In this study, numerical simulation was performed for 100, 1000 and 10000 years, with and without bentonite extrusion, in order to compare the migration retardation obtained by bentonite located at the beginning of the fracture in saturated environment. The numerical simulation results showed the importance of extruded area in the far field region of the fractured host rock. (author)

Numerical modeling of radionuclide migration in water-saturated planar fracture: study of performance of bentonite in the far-field region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silveira, Claudia S. da; Alvim, Antonio C.M.

2011-01-01

The analysis of radionuclide migration in fractured porous media is an important part of the safety assessment of a deep geologic disposal for high level radioactive wastes. In this work, numerical solution for simple geometry was developed to study radionuclide migration, including decay chain from a hypothetical repository, whereas the initial region of fracture is filled with bentonite which expanded from EBS (Engineered Barrier System). The following cases were considered: convective transport with constant velocity along the fracture, longitudinal hydrodynamic dispersion in the fracture along the fracture axis, molecular diffusion from fracture into rock matrix, sorption within rock matrix, sorption onto the surface of the fracture, radioactive decay, decay chain, and diffusion in bentonite extrusion region. For conservative analysis, the porous matrix adjacent to the fracture was subdivided into two different subdomains, each with different set of parameters and considering that the radionuclides were available for migration in the solubility limit, at fracture inlet, from the initial time. The partial differential equations that govern the physical system were discretized by finite differences, by using the Implicit Euler Method with forward scheme in the convective term. In this study, numerical simulation was performed for 100, 1000 and 10000 years, with and without bentonite extrusion, in order to compare the migration retardation obtained by bentonite located at the beginning of the fracture in saturated environment. The numerical simulation results showed the importance of extruded area in the far field region of the fractured host rock. (author)

Migrations of 60-Co and 137-Cs in Saturated and unsaturated Soil at Serpong Nuclear Research Center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lubis, E; Untara

1996-01-01

The migrations of 60-Co and 137-Cs in saturated and unsaturated soil at Serpong Nuclear Research Center was investigated. The objectives of this investigation are to find the geological and hydrological parameters, especially for estimating the migrations of radionuclides in porous media with advection-dispersion equations. The result showed that the porosity (η) and density (ρ ) of saturated soil are 27.6% and 1.35 g/cm3, and in the unsaturated soil are 18.9% and 1.41 g/cm3. The coefficients distributions (Kd) of 60-Co and 137-Cs in saturated and unsaturated soil are 1.6 - 8.9 and 3.2 - 7.7 respectively. The hydrodinamic coefficients (Dx) and dispersivity (αx) of C0-60 in saturated and unsaturated soil are 0.85 cm2/second and 2.4 x 10-3 cm, and for 137-Cs are 0.91 cm2/second and 2.54 x 10E3 cm

Investigation of physical properties of porous rocks and fluid flow phenomena in porous media using computer assisted tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kantzas, A.

1990-01-01

Computer assisted tomography is becoming a very attractive tool for petroleum engineers. The method can give an image of a core in two or three dimensions with a very fine resolution and high accuracy. The image data can be processed to give information about the physical properties of the core (density, porosity, mineralogy, heterogeneities) and the fluids within the core (saturation and saturation profiles). This paper presents a software package that uses the CAT scanner output data as input for petrographic and dynamic modelling of a porous rock. Core samples up to 10 cm in diameter are scanned at different x-ray energy levels using an EMI CT5005 full body scanner. The scanner computer is producing an array of normalized linear attenuation coefficients per scanned slice. The resolution is 0.75 mm x 0.75 mm while the slice thickness can vary from 15 mm down to 1 mm depending on the bulk density and size of the sample. The developed package analyzes the CAT scanner data for bulk and grain density, effective atomic number, static and dynamic porosity and fluid saturations for up to three fluids present. The capabilities and limitations of the presented algorithm are discussed and characteristic examples are presented

Upscaling of Constitutive Relations In Unsaturated Heterogeneous Porous Media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, H. H.; Bodvarsson, G. S.

2001-01-01

When numerical model are used for modeling field scale flow and transport processes in the subsurface, the problem of ''upscaling'' arises. Typical scales, corresponding to spatial resolutions of subsurface heterogeneity in numerical models, are generally much larger than the measurement scale of the parameters and physical processes involved. The upscaling problems is, then, one of assigning parameters to gridblock scale based on parameter values measured on small scales. The focus of this study is to develop an approach to determine large-scale (upscaled) constitutive relations (relationships among relative permeability, capillary pressure and saturation) from small-scale measurements for porous media for a range of air entry values that are typical for the tuff matrix in the unsaturated zone of Yucca Mountain. For porous media with large air entry values, capillary forces play a key role in determining spatial water distribution at large-scales. Therefore, a relatively uniform capillary pressure approximately exists even for a large gridblock scale under steady state flow conditions. Based on these reasoning, we developed formulations that relate upscaled constitutive relations to ones measured at core-scale. Numerical experiments with stochastically generated heterogeneous porous media were used to evaluate the upscaling formulations

Pore network modeling of drainage process in patterned porous media: a quasi-static study

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Tao

2015-04-17

This work represents a preliminary investigation on the role of wettability conditions on the flow of a two-phase system in porous media. Since such effects have been lumped implicitly in relative permeability-saturation and capillary pressure-saturation relationships, it is quite challenging to isolate its effects explicitly in real porous media applications. However, within the framework of pore network models, it is easy to highlight the effects of wettability conditions on the transport of two-phase systems. We employ quasi-static investigation in which the system undergo slow movement based on slight increment of the imposed pressure. Several numerical experiments of the drainage process are conducted to displace a wetting fluid with a non-wetting one. In all these experiments the network is assigned different scenarios of various wettability patterns. The aim is to show that the drainage process is very much affected by the imposed pattern of wettability. The wettability conditions are imposed by assigning the value of contact angle to each pore throat according to predefined patterns.

Effective Hydro-Mechanical Properties of Fluid-Saturated Fracture Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Pollmann, N.; Vinci, C.; Renner, J.; Steeb, H.

2015-12-01

Consideration of hydro-mechanical processes is essential for the characterization of liquid-resources as well as for many engineering applications. Furthermore, the modeling of seismic waves in fractured porous media finds application not only in geophysical exploration but also reservoir management. Fractures exhibit high-aspect-ratio geometries, i.e. they constitute thin and long hydraulic conduits. Motivated by this peculiar geometry, the investigation of the hydro-mechanically coupled processes is performed by means of a hybrid-dimensional modeling approach. The effective material behavior of domains including complex fracture patterns in a porous rock is assessed by investigating the fluid pressure and the solid displacement of the skeleton saturated by compressible fluids. Classical balance equations are combined with a Poiseuille-type flow in the dimensionally reduced fracture. In the porous surrounding rock, the classical Biot-theory is applied. For simple geometries, our findings show that two main fluid-flow processes occur, leak-off from fractures to the surrounding rock and fracture flow within and between the connected fractures. The separation of critical frequencies of the two flow processes is not straightforward, in particular for systems containing a large number of fractures. Our aim is to model three dimensional hydro-mechanically coupled processes within complex fracture patterns and in particular determine the frequency-dependent attenuation characteristics. Furthermore, the effect of asperities of the fracture surfaces on the fracture stiffness and on the hydraulic conductivity will be added to the approach.

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...

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

Thermal non-equilibrium in porous medium adjacent to vertical plate: ANN approach

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, N. J. Salman; Ahamed, K. S. Nazim; Al-Rashed, Abdullah A. A. A.; Kamangar, Sarfaraz; Athani, Abdulgaphur

2018-05-01

Thermal non-equilibrium in porous medium is a condition that refers to temperature discrepancy in solid matrix and fluid of porous medium. This type of flow is complex flow requiring complex set of partial differential equations that govern the flow behavior. The current work is undertaken to predict the thermal non-equilibrium behavior of porous medium adjacent to vertical plate using artificial neural network. A set of neurons in 3 layers are trained to predict the heat transfer characteristics. It is found that the thermal non-equilibrium heat transfer behavior in terms of Nusselt number of fluid as well as solid phase can be predicted accurately by using well-trained neural network.

The enhanced local pressure model for the accurate analysis of fluid pressure driven fracture in porous materials

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Remij, E.W.; Remmers, J.J.C.; Huyghe, J.M.R.J.; Smeulders, D.M.J.

2015-01-01

In this paper, we present an enhanced local pressure model for modelling fluid pressure driven fractures in porous saturated materials. Using the partition-of-unity property of finite element shape functions, we describe the displacement and pressure fields across the fracture as a strong

Combined effect of thermal dispersion and variable viscosity of non-darcy convection heat transfer in a fluidsaturated porous medium

KAUST Repository

El-Amin, Mohamed; Salama, Amgad; El-Amin, Ammaarah A.; Gorla, Rama Subba Reddy

2013-01-01

In this paper, the effects of thermal dispersion and variable viscosity on the non-Darcy free, mixed, and forced convection heat transfer along a vertical flat plate embedded in a fluid-saturated porous medium are investigated. Forchheimer extension

Fabrication and characterization of nanostructured Ba-doped BiFeO3 porous ceramics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mostafavi E.

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Nanostructured barium doped bismuth ferrite, Bi₀.₈Ba₀.₂FeO₃ porous ceramics with a relatively high magnetic coercivity was fabricated via sacrificial pore former method. X-ray diffraction results showed that 20 wt.% Ba doping induces a structural phase transition from rhombohedral to distorted pseudo-cubic structure in the final porous samples. Moreover, utilizing Bi₀.₈Ba₀.₂FeO₃ as the starting powder reduces the destructive interactions between the matrix phase and pore former, leading to an increase in stability of bismuth ferrite phase in the final porous ceramics. Urea-derived Bi₀.₈Ba₀.₂FeO₃ porous ceramic exhibits density of 4.74 g/cm³ and porosity of 45 % owing the uniform distribution of interconnected pores with a mean pore size of 7.5 μm. Well defined nanostructured cell walls with a mean grain size of 90 nm were observed in the above sample, which is in a good accordance with the grain size obtained from BET measurements. Saturation magnetization decreased from 2.31 in the Bi₀.₈Ba₀.₂FeO₃ compact sample to 1.85 A m²/kg in urea-derived Bi₀.₈Ba₀.₂FeO₃ porous sample; moreover, coercivity increased from 284 to 380 kA/m.

Influences of the steam sterilization on the properties of calcium phosphate porous bioceramics.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiangfeng; Guo, Bo; Xiao, Yumei; Yuan, Tun; Fan, Yujiang; Zhang, Xingdong

2016-01-01

The influences of steam sterilization on the physicochemical properties of calcium phosphate (Ca-P) porous bioceramics, including β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP), biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) and hydroxyapatite (HA) are investigated. After being steam sterilized in an autoclave (121 °C for 40 min), the porous bioceramics are dried and characterized. The steam sterilization has no obvious effects on the phase composition, thermal stability, pH value and dissolubility of β-TCP porous bioceramic, but changes its morphology and mechanical strength. Meanwhile, the steam sterilization leads to the significant changes of the morphology, phase composition, pH value and dissolubility of BCP porous bioceramic. The increase of dissolubility and mechanical strength, the decrease of pH value of the immersed solution and partial oriented growth of crystals are also observed in HA porous bioceramic after steam sterilization. These results indicate that the steam sterilization can result in different influences on the physicochemical properties of β-TCP, BCP and HA porous bioceramics, thus the application of the steam sterilization on the three kinds of Ca-P porous bioceramics should be considered carefully based on the above changed properties.

Three-dimensional saturated-unsaturated flow with axial symmetry to a partially penetrating well in a compressible unconfined aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Tartakovsky, Guzel D.; Neuman, Shlomo P.

2007-01-01

A new analytical solution is presented for the delayed response process characterizing flow to a partially penetrating well in an unconfined aquifer. The new solution generalizes that of Neuman (1972, 1974) by accounting for unsaturated flow above the water table. Three-dimensional, axially symmetric flow in the unsaturated zone is described by a linearized version of Richards' equation in which hydraulic conductivity and water content vary exponentially with incremental capillary pressure head relative to its air entry value (defining the interface between the saturated and unsaturated zones). Unsaturated soil properties are characterized by an exponent κ having the dimension of inverse length or, equivalently, a dimensionless exponent κD = κb, where b is initial saturated thickness. Our treatment of the unsaturated zone is similar to that of Kroszynski and Dagan (1975), who, however, have ignored internal (artesian) aquifer storage. According to Kroszynski and Dagan, aquifers that are not excessively shallow have values of κD (their parameter a) much greater than 10. We find that in such typical cases, unsaturated flow has little impact on early and late dimensionless time drawdown a short distance below the water table. Unsaturated flow causes drawdown to increase slightly at intermediate dimensionless time values that represent transition from an early artesian-dominated to a late water-table-dominated flow regime. Delayed drainage from the unsaturated zone becomes less and less important as κD increases; as κD → ∞, this effect dies out, and drawdown is controlled entirely by delayed decline in the water table as in the model of Neuman. The unsaturated zone has a major impact on drawdown at intermediate time and a significant impact at early and late times, in the atypical case of κD ≤ 1, becoming the dominant factor as κD approaches zero (the soil water retention capacity becomes very large and/or saturated thickness becomes insignificant). Our

Analysis of a combined mixed finite element and discontinuous Galerkin method for incompressible two-phase flow in porous media

KAUST Repository

Kou, Jisheng; Sun, Shuyu

2013-01-01

We analyze a combined method consisting of the mixed finite element method for pressure equation and the discontinuous Galerkin method for saturation equation for the coupled system of incompressible two-phase flow in porous media. The existence and uniqueness of numerical solutions are established under proper conditions by using a constructive approach. Optimal error estimates in L2(H1) for saturation and in L∞(H(div)) for velocity are derived. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Analysis of a combined mixed finite element and discontinuous Galerkin method for incompressible two-phase flow in porous media

KAUST Repository

Kou, Jisheng

2013-06-20

We analyze a combined method consisting of the mixed finite element method for pressure equation and the discontinuous Galerkin method for saturation equation for the coupled system of incompressible two-phase flow in porous media. The existence and uniqueness of numerical solutions are established under proper conditions by using a constructive approach. Optimal error estimates in L2(H1) for saturation and in L∞(H(div)) for velocity are derived. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Saturated steams pressure of HfCl4-KCl molten mixtures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salyulev, A.B.; Smirnov, M.V.; Kudyakov, V.Ya.

1980-01-01

A bellows null pressure gauge and the dynamic method were used to measure the total and partial pressures of saturated vapors of individual components of molten HfCl 4 -KCl mixtures, as a function of temperature (260 to 1000 deg C) and composition (1.9 to 64.3 mol.% HfCl 4 ). Empirical equations expressing the relationship between pressure and temperature are presented. It is shown that in molten mixtures of hafnium tetrachloride with chlorides of alkaline metals its partial pressure dramatically increases when potassium chloride substitutes for cesium chloride

Fabrication of 3-Dimensional Porous Graphene Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Yu; Jiang, Zhong-Jie; Cheng, Shuang; Liu, Meilin

2014-01-01

A simple two-step procedure involving hydrothermal reaction and subsequent calcination has been employed to synthesis porous graphene material, which exhibits significantly high electrochemical performance when used as the anode in lithium ion batteries. - Highlights: • A PGM been synthesized by a simple two-step process involving hydrothermal reaction and subsequent calcination. • The PGM exhibits exhibit a significantly high specific surface area. • The PGM can deliver large capacities and excellent cycling performance when used in LIBs. • The high electrochemical performance of the PGM is attributed to its unique porous structure with more disordered carbon atoms. - Abstract: A 3-dimensional porous graphene material (PGM) has been synthesized using a simple two-step process: hydrothermal reaction and calcination. Hydrothermal reaction of graphene oxide (GO) in the presence of resorcinol and glutaraldehyde leads to covalent grafting of partially reduced GO with glutaraldehyde and the deposition of phenolic resin. Subsequent calcination of the composite consisting of phenolic resin deposited on partially reduced GO in the presence of KOH produces structurally stable, highly porous graphene material with a specific surface area of ∼1,066 ± 2 m 2 g −1 . When used as an active electrode material in a lithium battery, the PGM exhibits an initial discharge capacity of ∼1,538 mAh g −1 , which is significantly higher than those of graphite and other carbonaceous materials reported previously. More importantly, when cycled at higher discharge/charge rates, the PGM-based electrodes still deliver large capacities and excellent cycling performance, demonstrating great potential for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. The attractive electrochemical performance of the PGM is attributed to its unique porous structure with large specific surface area and the presence of more disordered carbon atoms produced by the KOH activation

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.

Conjugate heat transfer in a porous cavity filled with nano-fluids and heated by a triangular thick wall

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chamkha, Ali J.; Ismael, Muneer A.

2013-01-01

The conjugate natural convection-conduction heat transfer in a square domain composed of nano-fluids filled porous cavity heated by a triangular solid wall is studied under steady-state conditions. The vertical and horizontal walls of the triangular solid wall are kept isothermal and at the same hot temperature Th. The other boundaries surrounding the porous cavity are kept adiabatic except the right vertical wall where it is kept isothermally at the lower temperature T c . Equations governing the heat transfer in the triangular wall and heat and nano-fluid flow, based on the Darcy model, in the nano-fluid-saturated porous medium together with the derived relation of the interface temperature are solved numerically using the over-successive relaxation finite-difference method. A temperature independent nano-fluids properties model is adopted. Three nano-particle types dispersed in one base fluid (water) are investigated. The investigated parameters are the nano-particles volume fraction φ (0-0.2), Rayleigh number Ra (10-1000), solid wall to base-fluid saturated porous medium thermal conductivity ratio K ro (0.44, 1, 23.8), and the triangular wall thickness D (0.1-1). The results are presented in the conventional form; contours of streamlines and isotherms and the local and average Nusselt numbers. At a very low Rayleigh number Ra = 10, a significant enhancement in heat transfer within the porous cavity with φ is observed. Otherwise, the heat transfer may be enhanced or deteriorated with φ depending on the wall thickness D and the Rayleigh number Ra. At high Rayleigh numbers and low conductivity ratios, critical values of D, regardless of 4, are observed and accounted. (authors)

Some notes on experiments measuring diffusion of sorbed nuclides through porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lever, D.A.

1986-11-01

Various experimental techniques for measuring the important parameters governing diffusion of sorbed nuclides through water-saturated porous media are described, and the particular parameters obtained from each technique are discussed. Recent experiments in which diffusive transport takes place more rapidly than expected are reviewed. The author recommends that through-transport diffusion experiments are the most satisfactory method of determining whether this arises from surface diffusion of sorbed nuclides. (author)

Low-Q structure related to partially saturated pores within the reservoir beneath The Geysers area in the northern California

Science.gov (United States)

Matsubara, M.

2011-12-01

with a high-Q zone. A vertical cross section shows the low-Q zone is consistent with the reservoir as it extends through the main greywacke and into the uppermost part of the felsite. Most of the felsite has high-Q, however, the portion of the reservoir that extends into the felsite has low-Q. The Geysers geothermal area is bounded by Collayomi fault zone to the northeast and the Mercuryville fault zone to the southwest. The Geysers Peak fault runs from northwest to southeast about 3 km southwest of the Mercuryville fault. The Mercuryville fault dips to northeast and the Geysers Peak fault dips to southwest. High-Q zone is located between these faults and the width of this zone broadens as the depth increases corresponding to the fault geometry. The presence of liquid water introduces high-Vp/Vs, however, steam rich zones become low-Vp/Vs. Near the transition zone between the water and steam, laboratory experiments indicate that the amplitude becomes extremely small (Ito et al., 1979). A partially saturated zone has lower Q than a fully saturated zone, and a dry zone has high-Q. A low-Q zone with low-Vp/Vs corresponding to the reservoir indicates that the reservoir is partially saturated with steam and water near transition zone.

Calibration-free quantification of interior properties of porous media with x-ray computed tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Hussein, Esam M A; Agbogun, H M D; Al, Tom A

2015-03-01

A method is presented for interpreting the values of x-ray attenuation coefficients reconstructed in computed tomography of porous media, while overcoming the ambiguity caused by the multichromatic nature of x-rays, dilution by void, and material heterogeneity. The method enables determination of porosity without relying on calibration or image segmentation or thresholding to discriminate pores from solid material. It distinguishes between solution-accessible and inaccessible pores, and provides the spatial and frequency distributions of solid-matrix material in a heterogeneous medium. This is accomplished by matching an image of a sample saturated with a contrast solution with that saturated with a transparent solution. Voxels occupied with solid-material and inaccessible pores are identified by the fact that they maintain the same location and image attributes in both images, with voxels containing inaccessible pores appearing empty in both images. Fully porous and accessible voxels exhibit the maximum contrast, while the rest are porous voxels containing mixtures of pore solutions and solid. This matching process is performed with an image registration computer code, and image processing software that requires only simple subtraction and multiplication (scaling) processes. The process is demonstrated in dolomite (non-uniform void distribution, homogeneous solid matrix) and sandstone (nearly uniform void distribution, heterogeneous solid matrix) samples, and its overall performance is shown to compare favorably with a method based on calibration and thresholding. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental study of mass boiling in a porous medium model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sapin, Paul

2014-01-01

This manuscript presents a pore-scale experimental study of convective boiling heat transfer in a two-dimensional porous medium. The purpose is to deepen the understanding of thermohydraulics of porous media saturated with multiple fluid phases, in order to enhance management of severe accidents in nuclear reactors. Indeed, following a long-lasting failure in the cooling system of a pressurized water reactor (PWR) or a boiling water reactor (BWR) and despite the lowering of the control rods that stops the fission reaction, residual power due to radioactive decay keeps heating up the core. This induces water evaporation, which leads to the drying and degradation of the fuel rods. The resulting hot debris bed, comparable to a porous heat-generating medium, can be cooled down by reflooding, provided a water source is available. This process involves intense boiling mechanisms that must be modelled properly. The experimental study of boiling in porous media presented in this thesis focuses on the influence of different pore-scale boiling regimes on local heat transfer. The experimental setup is a model porous medium made of a bundle of heating cylinders randomly placed between two ceramic plates, one of which is transparent. Each cylinder is a resistance temperature detector (RTD) used to give temperature measurements as well as heat generation. Thermal measurements and high-speed image acquisition allow the effective heat exchanges to be characterized according to the observed local boiling regimes. This provides precious indications precious indications for the type of correlations used in the non-equilibrium macroscopic model used to model reflooding process. (author) [fr

On the viscous dissipation modeling of thermal fluid flow in a porous medium

KAUST Repository

Salama, Amgad; El-Amin, Mohamed; Abbas, Ibrahim A A; Sun, Shuyu

2011-01-01

wall that is immersed in the porous medium and is kept at constant higher temperature. The boundary layer approximations were used to simplify the set of the governing, nonlinear partial differential equations, which were then non

Bovine serum albumin adsorption on passivated porous silicon layers

Science.gov (United States)

Lockwood, David; Boukherroub, Rabah

2005-03-01

Hydrogen-terminated porous silicon (pSi) films were fabricated through electrochemical anodization of crystalline Si in HF-based solutions. The pSi-H surface was chemically functionalized by thermal reaction with undecylenic acid to produce an organic monolayer covalently attached to the silicon surface through Si-C bonds and bearing an acid terminal group. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was then adsorbed onto the modified surface. SEM showed that the porous films were damaged and partially lifted off the Si substrate after a prolonged BSA adsorption. Ellipsometry revealed that the BSA had penetrated ˜ 1.3 micrometers into the porous structure. The film damage results from BSA anchoring itself tightly through strong electrostatic interactions to the acid-covered Si sidewalls. A change in surface tension during BSA film formation then causes the pSi layer to buckle and lift-off the underlying Si substrate. FTIR results from the modified pSi surfaces showed the presence of strong characteristic Amide I, II and III vibrational bands after BSA adsorption.

Light Modulation and Water Splitting Enhancement Using a Composite Porous GaN Structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chao; Xi, Xin; Yu, Zhiguo; Cao, Haicheng; Li, Jing; Lin, Shan; Ma, Zhanhong; Zhao, Lixia

2018-02-14

On the basis of the laterally porous GaN, we designed and fabricated a composite porous GaN structure with both well-ordered lateral and vertical holes. Compared to the plane GaN, the composite porous GaN structure with the combination of the vertical holes can help to reduce UV reflectance and increase the saturation photocurrent during water splitting by a factor of ∼4.5. Furthermore, we investigated the underlying mechanism for the enhancement of the water splitting performance using a finite-difference time-domain method. The results show that the well-ordered vertical holes can not only help to open the embedded pore channels to the electrolyte at both sides and reduce the migration distance of the gas bubbles during the water splitting reactions but also help to modulate the light field. Using this composite porous GaN structure, most of the incident light can be modulated and trapped into the nanoholes, and thus the electric fields localized in the lateral pores can increase dramatically as a result of the strong optical coupling. Our findings pave a new way to develop GaN photoelectrodes for highly efficient solar water splitting.

Effects of Temperature, Oxygen Partial Pressure, and Materials Selection on Slag Infiltration into Porous Refractories for Entrained-Flow Gasifiers

Science.gov (United States)

Kaneko, Tetsuya Kenneth

The penetration rate of molten mineral contents (slag) from spent carbonaceous feedstock into porous ceramic-oxide refractory linings is a critical parameter in determining the lifecycle of integrated gasification combined cycle energy production plants. Refractory linings that withstand longer operation without interruption are desirable because they can mitigate consumable and maintenance costs. Although refractory degradation has been extensively studied for many other high-temperature industrial processes, this work focuses on the mechanisms that are unique to entrained-flow gasification systems. The use of unique feedstock mixtures, temperatures from 1450 °C to 1600 °C, and oxygen partial pressures from 10-7 atm to 10-9 atm pose engineering challenges in designing an optimal refractory material. Experimentation, characterization, and modeling show that gasifier slag infiltration into porous refractory is determined by interactions between the slag and the refractory that either form a physical barrier that impedes fluid flow or induce an increased fluid viscosity that decelerates the velocity of the fluid body. The viscosity of the slag is modified by the thermal profile of the refractory along the penetration direction as well as reactions between the slag and refractory that alter the chemistry, and thereby the thermo-physical properties of the fluid. Infiltration experiments reveal that the temperature gradient inherently present along the refractory lining limits penetration. A refractory in near-isothermal conditions demonstrates deeper slag penetration as compared to one that experiences a steeper thermal profile. The decrease in the local temperatures of the slag as it travels deeper into the refractory increases the viscosity of the fluid, which in turn slows the infiltration velocity of fluid body into the pores of the refractory microstructure. With feedstock mixtures that exhibit high iron-oxide concentrations, a transition-metal-oxide, the oxygen

Modeling seismic stimulation: Enhanced non-aqueous fluid extraction from saturated porous media under pore-pressure pulsing at low frequencies

Science.gov (United States)

Lo, Wei-Cheng; Sposito, Garrison; Huang, Yu-Han

2012-03-01

Seismic stimulation, the application of low-frequency stress-pulsing to the boundary of a porous medium containing water and a non-aqueous fluid to enhance the removal of the latter, shows great promise for both contaminated groundwater remediation and enhanced oil recovery, but theory to elucidate the underlying mechanisms lag significantly behind the progress achieved in experimental research. We address this conceptual lacuna by formulating a boundary-value problem to describe pore-pressure pulsing at seismic frequencies that is based on the continuum theory of poroelasticity for an elastic porous medium permeated by two immiscible fluids. An exact analytical solution is presented that is applied numerically using elasticity parameters and hydraulic data relevant to recent proof-of-principle laboratory experiments investigating the stimulation-induced mobilization of trichloroethene (TCE) in water flowing through a compressed sand core. The numerical results indicated that significant stimulation-induced increases of the TCE concentration in effluent can be expected from pore-pressure pulsing in the frequency range of 25-100 Hz, which is in good agreement with what was observed in the laboratory experiments. Sensitivity analysis of our numerical results revealed that the TCE concentration in the effluent increases with the porous medium framework compressibility and the pulsing pressure. Increasing compressibility also leads to an optimal stimulation response at lower frequencies, whereas changing the pulsing pressure does not affect the optimal stimulation frequency. Within the context of our model, the dominant physical cause for enhancement of non-aqueous fluid mobility by seismic stimulation is the dilatory motion of the porous medium in which the solid and fluid phases undergo opposite displacements, resulting in stress-induced changes of the pore volume.

Unsaturated and Saturated Permeabilities of Fiber Reinforcement: Critics and Suggestions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chung Hae ePARK

2015-04-01

Full Text Available In general, permeability measurement results show a strong scattering according to the measurement method, the type of test fluid and the fluid injection condition, even though permeability is regarded as a unique property of porous medium. In particular, the discrepancy between the unsaturated and saturated permeabilities for the same fabric has been widely reported. In the literature, relative permeability has been adopted to model the unsaturated flow. This approach has some limits in the modeling of double-scale porosity medium. We address this issue of permeability measurement by rigorously examining the mass conservation condition. Finally, we identify that the pressure gradient is non-linear with positive curvature in the unsaturated flow and a misinterpretation of pressure gradient is the main reason for the difference between the saturated and unsaturated permeabilities of the same fiber reinforcement. We propose to use a fixed value of permeability and to modify the mass conservation equation if there are air voids which are entrapped inside the fiber tow. Finally, we also suggest some guidelines and future perspectives to obtain more consistent permeability measurement results.

FLASH: A finite element computer code for variably saturated flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baca, R.G.; Magnuson, S.O.

1992-05-01

A numerical model was developed for use in performance assessment studies at the INEL. The numerical model, referred to as the FLASH computer code, is designed to simulate two-dimensional fluid flow in fractured-porous media. The code is specifically designed to model variably saturated flow in an arid site vadose zone and saturated flow in an unconfined aquifer. In addition, the code also has the capability to simulate heat conduction in the vadose zone. This report presents the following: description of the conceptual frame-work and mathematical theory; derivations of the finite element techniques and algorithms; computational examples that illustrate the capability of the code; and input instructions for the general use of the code. The FLASH computer code is aimed at providing environmental scientists at the INEL with a predictive tool for the subsurface water pathway. This numerical model is expected to be widely used in performance assessments for: (1) the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study process and (2) compliance studies required by the US Department of Energy Order 5820.2A

Natural convection in porous media with heat generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardee, H.C. Jr.; Nilson, R.H.

1976-12-01

Heat transfer characteristics of a fluid saturated porous media are investigated for the case of uniform internal heat generation with cooling from above. Analytical models of conduction and single phase cellular convection show good agreement with previous Rayleigh number correlations and with experimental data obtained by Joule heating of salt water in a sand bed. An approximate dryout criterion is also derived for two phase boiling heat transfer in a fixed bed which is neither channeled nor fluidized. Correlation of dryout data using this criterion is encouraging, especially considering the analytical rather than correlational basis of the criterion

Three-Phase Flow and Capillarity in Porous Media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Helset, H.M.

1996-06-01

Multiphase flow occurs in most production operations on the reservoir rock of an oil field. Three-phase flow occurs in many oil recovery processes, such as gas or water alternating gas injection into water flooded reservoirs, thermal oil recovery and surfactant flooding. In this doctoral thesis, three-phase flow in porous media is modeled using the method of characteristics and simple wave theory. The general mathematical methods are used to model different flow processes: secondary migration of hydrocarbons, gravity segregated three-phase flow, and displacement experiments for relative permeabilities. The main conclusions from applying the methods to the migration process through a water-saturated carrier bed to a partially permeable seal are: (1) the three-phase solutions are generally dominated by the very low gas viscosity and gas density, (2) countercurrent flow and interference between the gas and oil mobilities can lead to trapping in situations where the permeability contrast between the seal and the carrier bed is insufficient to trap oil alone, (3) zones in which pressures exceed those from hydrostatic gradients (overpressured zones) exist even when the permeability contrast between the seal and the carrier bed is modest. The discussion of gravity segregated flow identifies stable displacement fronts, which usually occur only for a single value of the gas-water injection ratio. The new method developed for interpreting displacement experiments, with capillary pressure included, is based on the travelling wave solution of the flow equations. 185 refs., 69 figs., 5 tabs.

Partial dynamical systems, fell bundles and applications

CERN Document Server

Exel, Ruy

2017-01-01

Partial dynamical systems, originally developed as a tool to study algebras of operators in Hilbert spaces, has recently become an important branch of algebra. Its most powerful results allow for understanding structural properties of algebras, both in the purely algebraic and in the C*-contexts, in terms of the dynamical properties of certain systems which are often hiding behind algebraic structures. The first indication that the study of an algebra using partial dynamical systems may be helpful is the presence of a grading. While the usual theory of graded algebras often requires gradings to be saturated, the theory of partial dynamical systems is especially well suited to treat nonsaturated graded algebras which are in fact the source of the notion of "partiality". One of the main results of the book states that every graded algebra satisfying suitable conditions may be reconstructed from a partial dynamical system via a process called the partial crossed product. Running in parallel with partial dynamica...

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

Impact of Reservoir Fluid Saturation on Seismic Parameters: Endrod Gas Field, Hungary

Science.gov (United States)

El Sayed, Abdel Moktader A.; El Sayed, Nahla A.

2017-12-01

Outlining the reservoir fluid types and saturation is the main object of the present research work. 37 core samples were collected from three different gas bearing zones in the Endrod gas field in Hungary. These samples are belonging to the Miocene and the Upper - Lower Pliocene. These samples were prepared and laboratory measurements were conducted. Compression and shear wave velocity were measured using the Sonic Viewer-170-OYO. The sonic velocities were measured at the frequencies of 63 and 33 kHz for compressional and shear wave respectively. All samples were subjected to complete petrophysical investigations. Sonic velocities and mechanical parameters such as young’s modulus, rigidity, and bulk modulus were measured when samples were saturated by 100%-75%-0% brine water. Several plots have been performed to show the relationship between seismic parameters and saturation percentages. Robust relationships were obtained, showing the impact of fluid saturation on seismic parameters. Seismic velocity, Poisson’s ratio, bulk modulus and rigidity prove to be applicable during hydrocarbon exploration or production stages. Relationships among the measured seismic parameters in gas/water fully and partially saturated samples are useful to outline the fluid type and saturation percentage especially in gas/water transitional zones.

Homogenization of one-dimensional draining through heterogeneous porous media including higher-order approximations

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Daniel M.; McLaughlin, Richard M.; Miller, Cass T.

2018-02-01

We examine a mathematical model of one-dimensional draining of a fluid through a periodically-layered porous medium. A porous medium, initially saturated with a fluid of a high density is assumed to drain out the bottom of the porous medium with a second lighter fluid replacing the draining fluid. We assume that the draining layer is sufficiently dense that the dynamics of the lighter fluid can be neglected with respect to the dynamics of the heavier draining fluid and that the height of the draining fluid, represented as a free boundary in the model, evolves in time. In this context, we neglect interfacial tension effects at the boundary between the two fluids. We show that this problem admits an exact solution. Our primary objective is to develop a homogenization theory in which we find not only leading-order, or effective, trends but also capture higher-order corrections to these effective draining rates. The approximate solution obtained by this homogenization theory is compared to the exact solution for two cases: (1) the permeability of the porous medium varies smoothly but rapidly and (2) the permeability varies as a piecewise constant function representing discrete layers of alternating high/low permeability. In both cases we are able to show that the corrections in the homogenization theory accurately predict the position of the free boundary moving through the porous medium.

TOURGHREACT: A Simulation Program for Non-isothermal Multiphase Reactive Geochemical Transport in Variably Saturated Geologic Media

OpenAIRE

Xu, Tianfu; Sonnenthal, Eric; Spycher, Nicolas; Pruess, Karsten

2004-01-01

TOUGHREACT is a numerical simulation program for chemically reactive non-isothermal flows of multiphase fluids in porous and fractured media. The program was written in Fortran 77 and developed by introducing reactive geochemistry into the multiphase fluid and heat flow simulator TOUGH2. A variety of subsurface thermo-physical-chemical processes are considered under a wide range of conditions of pressure, temperature, water saturation, ionic strength, and pH and Eh. Interactions between ...

Mixture of fuels for solution combustion synthesis of porous Fe3O4 powders

Science.gov (United States)

Parnianfar, H.; Masoudpanah, S. M.; Alamolhoda, S.; Fathi, H.

2017-06-01

The solution combustion synthesis of porous magnetite (Fe3O4) powders by a mixture of glycine and urea fuels was investigated concerning the thermodynamic aspects and powder characteristics. The adiabatic combustion temperature and combusted species were thermodynamically calculated as a function of the fuel to oxidant molar ratio (ϕ). The combustion behavior, phase evolution, porous structure and magnetic properties were characterized by thermal analysis, X-ray diffractometry, N2 adsorption-desorption, electron microscopy and vibrating sample magnetometry techniques. Nearly single phase Fe3O4 powders were synthesized by the mixture of fuels at ϕ values of 0.75 and 1. The as-combusted Fe3O4 powders at ϕ = 1 exhibited porous structure with the specific surface area of 83.4 m2/g. The highest saturation magnetization of 75.5 emu/g and the lowest coercivity of 84 Oe were achieved at ϕ = 1, due to the high purity and large crystallite size, inducing from the highest adiabatic combustion temperature.

Non-equilibrium thermochemical heat storage in porous media

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nagel, T.; Shao, H.; Singh, Ashok

2013-01-01

determine reaction kinetics. To advance this technology beyond the laboratory stage requires a thorough theoretical understanding of the multiphysics phenomena and their quantification on a scale relevant to engineering analyses. Here, the theoretical derivation of a macroscopic model for multicomponent...... compressible gas flow through a porous solid is presented along with its finite element implementation where solid-gas reactions occur and both phases have individual temperature fields. The model is embedded in the Theory of Porous Media and the derivation is based on the evaluation of the Clausius......-Duhem inequality. Special emphasis is placed on the interphase coupling via mass, momentum and energy interaction terms and their effects are partially illustrated using numerical examples. Novel features of the implementation of the described model are verified via comparisons to analytical solutions...

Saturated steams pressure of HfCl/sub 4/-KCl molten mixtures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salyulev, A B; Smirnov, M V; Kudyakov, V Ya [AN SSSR, Sverdlovsk. Inst. Ehlektrokhimii

1980-02-01

A bellows null pressure gauge and the dynamic method were used to measure the total and partial pressures of saturated vapors of individual components of molten HfCl/sub 4/-KCl mixtures, as a function of temperature (260 to 1000 deg C) and composition (1.9 to 64.3 mol.% HfCl/sub 4/). Empirical equations expressing the relationship between pressure and temperature are presented. It is shown that in molten mixtures of hafnium tetrachloride with chlorides of alkaline metals its partial pressure dramatically increases when potassium chloride substitutes for cesium chloride.

Design strategy for a tunable antenna on a partially magnetized ferrite LTCC substrate

KAUST Repository

Ghaffar, Farhan A.; Shamim, Atif; Bray, Joey R.

2014-01-01

Typical microwave simulators cannot accurately predict the behavior of an antenna on a partially magnetized substrate as they assume the substrate to be in fully saturate state. In this work, a new simulation strategy aided by theoretical analysis, is presented to model a tunable patch antenna on a partially magnetized ferrite substrate through a combination of magnetostatic and microwave simulators. An antenna prototype is fabricated in Ferrite LTCC medium to verify the partially magnetized state simulations. The measured results are in close agreement with the simulations, contrary to the case where the substrate is assumed to be in saturation. The prototype designed for 13 GHz exhibits a tuning range of 10 % making it highly suitable for tunable and reconfigurable wireless applications.

Design strategy for a tunable antenna on a partially magnetized ferrite LTCC substrate

KAUST Repository

Ghaffar, Farhan A.

2014-07-01

Typical microwave simulators cannot accurately predict the behavior of an antenna on a partially magnetized substrate as they assume the substrate to be in fully saturate state. In this work, a new simulation strategy aided by theoretical analysis, is presented to model a tunable patch antenna on a partially magnetized ferrite substrate through a combination of magnetostatic and microwave simulators. An antenna prototype is fabricated in Ferrite LTCC medium to verify the partially magnetized state simulations. The measured results are in close agreement with the simulations, contrary to the case where the substrate is assumed to be in saturation. The prototype designed for 13 GHz exhibits a tuning range of 10 % making it highly suitable for tunable and reconfigurable wireless applications.

Immobilization of plutonium from solutions on porous matrices by the method of high temperature sorption

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nardova, A.K.; Filippov, E.A. [All Research Institute of Chemical Technologies, Moscow (Russian Federation); Glagolenko, Y.B. [and others

1996-05-01

This report presents the results of investigations of plutonium immobilization from solutions on inorganic matrices with the purpose of producing a solid waste form. High-temperature sorption is described which entails the adsorption of radionuclides from solutions on porous, inorganic matrices, as for example silica gel. The solution is brought to a boil with additional thermal process (calcination) of the saturated granules.

Biomimetic calcium phosphate coating of additively manufactured porous CoCr implants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindahl, Carl [BIOMATCELL Vinn Excellence Center of Biomaterials and Cell Therapy, Gothenburg (Sweden); Department of Engineering Sciences, Ångstrom Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala (Sweden); Xia, Wei, E-mail: wei.xia@angstrom.uu.se [BIOMATCELL Vinn Excellence Center of Biomaterials and Cell Therapy, Gothenburg (Sweden); Department of Engineering Sciences, Ångstrom Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala (Sweden); Engqvist, Håkan [BIOMATCELL Vinn Excellence Center of Biomaterials and Cell Therapy, Gothenburg (Sweden); Department of Engineering Sciences, Ångstrom Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala (Sweden); Snis, Anders [BIOMATCELL Vinn Excellence Center of Biomaterials and Cell Therapy, Gothenburg (Sweden); Arcam AB, Krokslätts Fabriker 27 A, SE-431 37 Mölndal (Sweden); Lausmaa, Jukka [BIOMATCELL Vinn Excellence Center of Biomaterials and Cell Therapy, Gothenburg (Sweden); Department of Chemistry, Materials and Surfaces, SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, Borås (Sweden); Palmquist, Anders [BIOMATCELL Vinn Excellence Center of Biomaterials and Cell Therapy, Gothenburg (Sweden); Department of Biomaterials, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg (Sweden)

2015-10-30

Highlights: • A route for coating complex shaped electron beam melted implants is presented. • Biomimetic HA coatings were deposited on CoCr alloys using a solution method. • Deposited biomimetic coating was partially crystalline, slightly calcium deficient. • Coating morphology was plate-like with crystallites forming roundish flowers. • Present coating procedure could be useful for porous implants made by EBM. - Abstract: The aim of this work was to study the feasibility to use a biomimetic method to prepare biomimetic hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings on CoCr substrates with short soaking times and to characterize the properties of such coatings. A second objective was to investigate if the coatings could be applied to porous CoCr implants manufactured by electron beam melting (EBM). The coating was prepared by immersing the pretreated CoCr substrates and EBM implants into the phosphate-buffered solution with Ca{sup 2+} in sealed plastic bottles, kept at 60 °C for 3 days. The formed coating was partially crystalline, slightly calcium deficient and composed of plate-like crystallites forming roundish flowers in the size range of 300–500 nm. Cross-section imaging showed a thickness of 300–500 nm. In addition, dissolution tests in Tris–HCl up to 28 days showed that a substantial amount of the coating had dissolved, however, undergoing only minor morphological changes. A uniform coating was formed within the porous network of the additive manufactured implants having similar thickness and morphology as for the flat samples. In conclusion, the present coating procedure allows coatings to be formed on CoCr and could be used for complex shaped, porous implants made by additive manufacturing.

Biomimetic calcium phosphate coating of additively manufactured porous CoCr implants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindahl, Carl; Xia, Wei; Engqvist, Håkan; Snis, Anders; Lausmaa, Jukka; Palmquist, Anders

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A route for coating complex shaped electron beam melted implants is presented. • Biomimetic HA coatings were deposited on CoCr alloys using a solution method. • Deposited biomimetic coating was partially crystalline, slightly calcium deficient. • Coating morphology was plate-like with crystallites forming roundish flowers. • Present coating procedure could be useful for porous implants made by EBM. - Abstract: The aim of this work was to study the feasibility to use a biomimetic method to prepare biomimetic hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings on CoCr substrates with short soaking times and to characterize the properties of such coatings. A second objective was to investigate if the coatings could be applied to porous CoCr implants manufactured by electron beam melting (EBM). The coating was prepared by immersing the pretreated CoCr substrates and EBM implants into the phosphate-buffered solution with Ca"2"+ in sealed plastic bottles, kept at 60 °C for 3 days. The formed coating was partially crystalline, slightly calcium deficient and composed of plate-like crystallites forming roundish flowers in the size range of 300–500 nm. Cross-section imaging showed a thickness of 300–500 nm. In addition, dissolution tests in Tris–HCl up to 28 days showed that a substantial amount of the coating had dissolved, however, undergoing only minor morphological changes. A uniform coating was formed within the porous network of the additive manufactured implants having similar thickness and morphology as for the flat samples. In conclusion, the present coating procedure allows coatings to be formed on CoCr and could be used for complex shaped, porous implants made by additive manufacturing.

The foam drainage equation for drainage dynamics in unsaturated porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Lehmann, P.; Hoogland, F.; Assouline, S.; Or, D.

2017-07-01

Similarity in liquid-phase configuration and drainage dynamics of wet foam and gravity drainage from unsaturated porous media expands modeling capabilities for capillary flows and supplements the standard Richards equation representation. The governing equation for draining foam (or a soil variant termed the soil foam drainage equation—SFDE) obviates the need for macroscopic unsaturated hydraulic conductivity function by an explicit account of diminishing flow pathway sizes as the medium gradually drains. The study provides new and simple analytical expressions for drainage rates and volumes from unsaturated porous media subjected to different boundary conditions. Two novel analytical solutions for saturation profile evolution were derived and tested in good agreement with a numerical solution of the SFDE. The study and the proposed solutions rectify the original formulation of foam drainage dynamics of Or and Assouline (2013). The new framework broadens the scope of methods available for quantifying unsaturated flow in porous media, where the intrinsic conductivity and geometrical representation of capillary drainage could improve understanding of colloid and pathogen transport. The explicit geometrical interpretation of flow pathways underlying the hydraulic functions used by the Richards equation offers new insights that benefit both approaches.

On the Onset of Thermal Convection in a Layer of Oldroydian Visco-Elastic Fluid Saturated by Brinkman–Darcy Porous Medium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chand Ramesh

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Thermal instability in a horizontal layer of Oldroydian visco-elastic fluid in a porous medium is investigated. For porous medium the Brinkman–Darcy model is considered. A linear stability analysis based upon perturbation method and normal mode technique is used to find solution of the fluid layer confined between two free-free boundaries. The onset criterion for stationary and oscillatory convection is derived analytically. The influence of the Brinkman–Darcy, Prandtl–Darcy number, stress relaxation parameter on the stationary and oscillatory convection is studied both analytically and graphically. The sufficient condition for the validity of PES has also been derived.

NUMERICAL STUDY OF NON-DARCIAN NATURAL CONVECTION HEAT TRANSFER IN A RECTANGULAR ENCLOSURE FILLED WITH POROUS MEDIUM SATURATED WITH VISCOUS FLUID

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahmood H. Ali

2015-02-01

Full Text Available A numerical study of non-Darcian natural convection heat transfer in a rectangular enclosure filled with porous medium saturated with viscous fluid was carried out. The effects of medium Rayleigh number, porosity, particle to fluid thermal conductivity ratio, Darcy number and enclosure aspect ratio on heat transfer were examined to demonstrate the ability of using this construction in thermal insulation of buildings walls.A modified Brinkman-Forchheimer-extended Darcy flow model was used and no-slip boundary conditions were imposed for velocity at the walls and the governing equations were expressed in dimensionless stream function, vorticity, and temperature formulation. The resulting algebraic equations obtained from finite difference discritization of vorticity and temperature equations are solved using (ADI method which uses Three Diagonal Matrix Algorithm (TDMA in each direction, while that of the stream function equation solved using successive iteration method.The study was done for the range of enclosure aspect ratio ( which is in the tall layers region at medium Rayleigh number ( , Darcy number (Da=10-3, 10-4, 10-5 , porosity (e=0.35, 0.45, 0.55, particle to fluid thermal conductivity (kS/kf=5.77, 38.5, 1385.5.The results showed that the Nusselt number is direct proportional to medium Rayleigh number and porosity and reversely proportional to Darcy number, ratio of particle to fluid thermal conductivity and enclosure aspect ratio. The variables that affect the heat transfer in the above arrangement was correlated in a mathematical equation that account better for their affects on heat transfer which is represented by mean Nusselt number (Nu.

Fem Formulation for Heat and Mass Transfer in Porous Medium

Science.gov (United States)

Azeem; Soudagar, Manzoor Elahi M.; Salman Ahmed, N. J.; Anjum Badruddin, Irfan

2017-08-01

Heat and mass transfer in porous medium can be modelled using three partial differential equations namely, momentum equation, energy equation and mass diffusion. These three equations are coupled to each other by some common terms that turn the whole phenomenon into a complex problem with inter-dependable variables. The current article describes the finite element formulation of heat and mass transfer in porous medium with respect to Cartesian coordinates. The problem under study is formulated into algebraic form of equations by using Galerkin's method with the help of two-node linear triangular element having three nodes. The domain is meshed with smaller sized elements near the wall region and bigger size away from walls.

Processing conditions and microstructural features of porous 316L stainless steel components by DMLS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gu Dongdong [College of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 29 Yudao Street, 210016 Nanjing (China)], E-mail: dongdonggu@nuaa.edu.cn; Shen Yifu [College of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 29 Yudao Street, 210016 Nanjing (China)

2008-12-30

Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), due to its flexibility in materials and shapes, would be especially interesting to produce complex shaped porous metallic components. In the present work, processing conditions and microstructural characteristics of direct laser sintered porous 316L stainless steel components were studied. It was found that a partial melting mechanism of powders gave a high feasibility in obtaining porous sintered structures possessing porosities of {approx}21-{approx}55%. Linear energy density (LED), which was defined by the ratio of laser power to scan speed, was used to tailor the laser sintering mechanism. A moderate LED of {approx}3400-{approx}6000 J/m and a lower scan speed less than 0.06 m/s proved to be feasible. With the favorable sintering mechanism prevailed, lowering laser power or increasing scan speed, scan line spacing, and powder layer thickness generally led to a higher porosity. Metallurgical mechanisms of pore formation during DMLS were addressed. It showed that the presence of pores was through: (i) the formation of liquid bridges between partially melted particles during laser irradiation; and (ii) the growth of sintering necks during solidification, leaving residual pores between solidified metallic agglomerates.

Processing conditions and microstructural features of porous 316L stainless steel components by DMLS

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Dongdong; Shen, Yifu

2008-12-01

Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), due to its flexibility in materials and shapes, would be especially interesting to produce complex shaped porous metallic components. In the present work, processing conditions and microstructural characteristics of direct laser sintered porous 316L stainless steel components were studied. It was found that a partial melting mechanism of powders gave a high feasibility in obtaining porous sintered structures possessing porosities of ˜21-˜55%. Linear energy density (LED), which was defined by the ratio of laser power to scan speed, was used to tailor the laser sintering mechanism. A moderate LED of ˜3400-˜6000 J/m and a lower scan speed less than 0.06 m/s proved to be feasible. With the favorable sintering mechanism prevailed, lowering laser power or increasing scan speed, scan line spacing, and powder layer thickness generally led to a higher porosity. Metallurgical mechanisms of pore formation during DMLS were addressed. It showed that the presence of pores was through: (i) the formation of liquid bridges between partially melted particles during laser irradiation; and (ii) the growth of sintering necks during solidification, leaving residual pores between solidified metallic agglomerates.

Processing conditions and microstructural features of porous 316L stainless steel components by DMLS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu Dongdong; Shen Yifu

2008-01-01

Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), due to its flexibility in materials and shapes, would be especially interesting to produce complex shaped porous metallic components. In the present work, processing conditions and microstructural characteristics of direct laser sintered porous 316L stainless steel components were studied. It was found that a partial melting mechanism of powders gave a high feasibility in obtaining porous sintered structures possessing porosities of ∼21-∼55%. Linear energy density (LED), which was defined by the ratio of laser power to scan speed, was used to tailor the laser sintering mechanism. A moderate LED of ∼3400-∼6000 J/m and a lower scan speed less than 0.06 m/s proved to be feasible. With the favorable sintering mechanism prevailed, lowering laser power or increasing scan speed, scan line spacing, and powder layer thickness generally led to a higher porosity. Metallurgical mechanisms of pore formation during DMLS were addressed. It showed that the presence of pores was through: (i) the formation of liquid bridges between partially melted particles during laser irradiation; and (ii) the growth of sintering necks during solidification, leaving residual pores between solidified metallic agglomerates.

Periodical gas flow around a well in porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shnaid, I.; Olek, S.

1996-01-01

Analytical solutions of the linearized governing equation are presented for periodic gas flow around a well in porous media. Two cases are considered: a fully penetrating well and a partially penetrating well. For the first case, a closed form solution is obtained, whereas for the second case the solution is in the form of eigenfunctions expansions. The results have practical application in compressed air energy storage. (authors)

Modeling of carbon sequestration in coal-beds: A variable saturated simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Guoxiang; Smirnov, Andrei V.

2008-01-01

Storage of carbon dioxide in deep coal seams is a profitable method to reduce the concentration of green house gases in the atmosphere while the methane as a byproduct can be extracted during carbon dioxide injection into the coal seam. In this procedure, the key element is to keep carbon dioxide in the coal seam without escaping for a long term. It is depended on many factors such as properties of coal basin, fracture state, phase equilibrium, etc., especially the porosity, permeability and saturation of the coal seam. In this paper, a variable saturation model was developed to predict the capacity of carbon dioxide sequestration and coal-bed methane recovery. This variable saturation model can be used to track the saturation variability with the partial pressures change caused by carbon dioxide injection. Saturation variability is a key factor to predict the capacity of carbon dioxide storage and methane recovery. Based on this variable saturation model, a set of related variables including capillary pressure, relative permeability, porosity, coupled adsorption model, concentration and temperature equations were solved. From results of the simulation, historical data agree with the variable saturation model as well as the adsorption model constructed by Langmuir equations. The Appalachian basin, as an example, modeled the carbon dioxide sequestration in this paper. The results of the study and the developed models can provide the projections for the CO 2 sequestration and methane recovery in coal-beds within different regional specifics

Numerical Treatment of Two-phase Flow in Porous Media Including Specific Interfacial Area

KAUST Repository

El-Amin, Mohamed

2015-06-01

In this work, we present a numerical treatment for the model of two-phase flow in porous media including specific interfacial area. For numerical discretization we use the cell-centered finite difference (CCFD) method based on the shifting-matrices method which can reduce the time-consuming operations. A new iterative implicit algorithm has been developed to solve the problem under consideration. All advection and advection-like terms that appear in saturation equation and interfacial area equation are treated using upwind schemes. Selected simulation results such as pc–Sw–awn surface, capillary pressure, saturation and specific interfacial area with various values of model parameters have been introduced. The simulation results show a good agreement with those in the literature using either pore network modeling or Darcy scale modeling.

Groundwater recharge: Accurately representing evapotranspiration

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Bugan, Richard DH

2011-09-01

Full Text Available of solutes in unsaturated, partially saturated and fully saturated porous media (Simunek et al., 1999). It uses Richards' equation for variably-saturated water flow and the convection-dispersion equations for heat and solute transport, based on Fick?s Law... be of irregular shape and having non-uniform soil with a prescribed degree of anisotropy. Water flow can occur in the vertical plane, horizontal plane or radially on both sides of a vertical axis of symmetry. The boundaries of the system can be set at constant...

Preparation and Characterization of Porous Calcium Phosphate Bioceramics

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Honglian Dai; Xinyu Wang; Yinchao Han; Xin Jiang; Shipu Li

2011-01-01

β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) powder and Na2O-CaO-MgO-P2O5 glass binder were synthesized and mixed, and then the biodegradable porous calcium phosphate ceramics were successfully prepared by foaming and sintering at 850℃. The as-prepared ceramics possess a high porosity with partial three-dimension interconnected macro- and micro-pores. As in vitro experiment testified, the calcium phosphate ceramics (CPCs) has good degradability.

Optical performance of hybrid porous silicon-porous alumina multilayers

Science.gov (United States)

Cencha, L. G.; Antonio Hernández, C.; Forzani, L.; Urteaga, R.; Koropecki, R. R.

2018-05-01

In this work, we study the optical response of structures involving porous silicon and porous alumina in a multi-layered hybrid structure. We performed a rational design of the optimal sequence necessary to produce a high transmission and selective filter, with potential applications in chemical and biosensors. The combination of these porous materials can be used to exploit its distinguishing features, i.e., high transparency of alumina and high refractive index of porous silicon. We assembled hybrid microcavities with a central porous alumina layer between two porous silicon Bragg reflectors. In this way, we constructed a Fabry-Perot resonator with high reflectivity and low absorption that improves the quality of the filter compared to a microcavity built only with porous silicon or porous alumina. We explored a simpler design in which one of the Bragg reflectors is replaced by the aluminium that remains bound to the alumina after its fabrication. We theoretically explored the potential of the proposal and its limitations when considering the roughness of the layers. We found that the quality of a microcavity made entirely with porous silicon shows a limit in the visible range due to light absorption. This limitation is overcome in the hybrid scheme, with the roughness of the layers determining the ultimate quality. Q-factors of 220 are experimentally obtained for microcavities supported on aluminium, while Q-factors around 600 are reached for microcavities with double Bragg reflectors, centred at 560 nm. This represents a four-fold increase with respect to the optimal porous silicon microcavity at this wavelength.

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.

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.

Transport processes in partially saturate concrete: Testing and liquid properties

Science.gov (United States)

Villani, Chiara

The measurement of transport properties of concrete is considered by many to have the potential to serve as a performance criterion that can be related to concrete durability. However, the sensitivity of transport tests to several parameters combined with the low permeability of concrete complicates the testing. Gas permeability and diffusivity test methods are attractive due to the ease of testing, their non-destructive nature and their potential to correlate to in-field carbonation of reinforced concrete structures. This work was aimed at investigating the potential of existing gas transport tests as a way to reliably quantify transport properties in concrete. In this study gas permeability and diffusivity test methods were analyzed comparing their performance in terms of repeatability and variability. The influence of several parameters was investigated such as moisture content, mixture proportions and gas flow. A closer look to the influence of pressure revealed an anomalous trend of permeability with respect to pressure. An alternative calculation is proposed in an effort to move towards the determination of intrinsic material properties that can serve as an input for service life prediction models. The impact of deicing salts exposure was also analyzed with respect to their alteration of the degree of saturation as this may affect gas transport in cementitious materials. Limited information were previously available on liquid properties over a wide range of concentrations. To overcome this limitation, this study quantified surface tension, viscosity in presence of deicing salts in a broad concentration range and at different temperatures. Existing models were applied to predict the change of fluid properties during drying. Vapor desorption isotherms were obtained to investigate the influence of deicing salts presence on the non-linear moisture diffusion coefficient. Semi-empirical models were used to quantify the initiation and the rate of drying using liquid

Mobility of engineered inorganic nanoparticles in porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Metreveli, George; Heidmann, Ilona; Schaumann, Gabriele Ellen

2013-04-01

Besides the excellent properties and great potential for various industrial, medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and life science applications, engineered inorganic nanoparticles (EINP) can show also disadvantages concerning increasing risk potential with increasing application, if they are released in the environmental systems. EINP can influence microbial activity and can show toxic effects (Fabrega et al., 2009). Similar to the inorganic natural colloids, EINP can be transported in soil and groundwater systems (Metreveli et al., 2005). Furthermore, due to the large surface area and high sorption and complex formation capacity, EINP can facilitate transport of different contaminants. In this study the mobility behaviour of EINP and their effect on the transport of different metal(loid) species in water saturated porous media was investigated. For these experiments laboratory column system was used. The column was filled with quartz sand. The interactions between EINP and metal(loid)s were characterised by coupling of asymmetrical flow field flow fractionation (AF4) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). As EINP laponite (synthetic three layer clay mineral), and as metal(loid)s Cu, Pb, Zn, Pt and As were used. In AF4 experiments sorption of metal(loid)s on the surface of EINP could be observed. The extent of interactions was influenced by pH value and was different for different metal(loid)s. Laboratory column experiments showed high mobility of EINP, which facilitated transport of most of metal(loid)s in water saturated porous media. Furthermore the migration of synthetic silver nanoparticles in natural soil columns was determined in leaching experiments. Acknowledgement Financial support by German Research Council (DFG) and Max-Buchner-Research Foundation (MBFSt) is gratefully acknowledged. We thank Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) for the opportunity to perform the column and AF4 experiments. References: Fabrega, J., Fawcett, S. R

Chaotic convection of viscoelastic fluids in porous media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sheu, L.-J. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chung Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China)], E-mail: ljsheu@chu.edu.tw; Tam, L.-M. [Department of Electromechanical Engineering, University of Macau, Macau (China)], E-mail: fstlmt@umac.mo; Chen, J.-H. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chung Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China)], E-mail: chen@chu.edu.tw; Chen, H.-K. [Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Hsiuping Institute of Technology, Taichung, Taiwan (China)], E-mail: kanechen@giga.net.tw; Lin, K.-T. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung Li, Taiwan (China)], E-mail: willie@nanya.edu.tw; Kang Yuan [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung Li, Taiwan (China)], E-mail: yk@cycu.edu.tw

2008-07-15

Buoyancy-induced convection in a viscoelastic fluid-saturated porous medium was analyzed using an Oldroydian-type constitutive relation. An autonomous system with four differential equations was deduced by applying the truncated Galerkin expansion to the momentum and heat transfer equations. The four-dimensional system can be reduced to many systems provided in the literature such as the Lorenz system, Vadasz system, Khayat system, and Akhatov system. Depending on the flow parameters, the asymptotic behavior can be stationary, periodic, or chaotic. Generation of a four-scroll, or two-'butterfly', chaotic attractor was observed. Results also show that stress relaxation tends to precipitate the onset of chaos.

Heat Transfer and Flows of Thermal Convection in a Fluid-Saturated Rotating Porous Medium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianhong Kang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Thermal convection at the steady state for high Rayleigh number in a rotating porous half space is investigated. Taking into account the effect of rotation, Darcy equation is extended to incorporate the Coriolis force term in a rotating reference frame. The velocity and temperature fields of thermal convection are obtained by using the homotopy analysis method. The influences of Taylor number and Rayleigh number on the Nusselt number, velocity profile, and temperature distribution are discussed in detail. It is found that the Nusselt number decreases rapidly with the increase of Taylor number but tends to have an asymptotic value. Besides, the rotation can give rise to downward flow in contrast with the upward thermal convection.

Transport of Nanoparticles of Zerovalent Copper, Zinc Oxide, and Titanium Dioxide in Saturated Porous Media

Science.gov (United States)

Column tests show nanoparticles (NPs) of Cu(0) and ZnO were immobile at neutral pH in saturated sand.They became mobile in the presence of trizma, humic/fulvic, and citric/oxalic/formic acids. Copper NPs were mobile at pH 9. The deposition rates of TiO2 NP aggregates in both KCl ...

Predicting flow through low-permeability, partially saturated, fractured rock: A review of modeling and experimental efforts at Yucca Mountain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eaton, R.R.; Bixler, N.E.; Glass, R.J.

1989-01-01

Current interest in storing high-level nuclear waste in underground repositories has resulted in an increased effort to understand the physics of water flow through low-permeability rock. The US Department of Energy is investigating a prospective repository site located in volcanic ash (tuff) hundreds of meters above the water table at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Consequently, mathematical models and experimental procedures are being developed to provide a better understanding of the hydrology of this low-permeability, partially saturated, fractured rock. Modeling water flow in the vadose zone in soils and in relatively permeable rocks such as sandstone has received considerable attention for many years. The treatment of flow (including nonisothermal conditions) through materials such as the Yucca Mountain tuffs, however, has not received the same level of attention, primarily because it is outside the domain of agricultural and petroleum technology. This paper reviews the status of modeling and experimentation currently being used to understand and predict water flow at the proposed repository site. Several areas of research needs emphasized by the review are outlined. The extremely nonlinear hydraulic properties of these tuffs in combination with their heterogeneous nature makes it a challenging and unique problem from a computational and experimental view point. 101 refs., 14 figs., 1 tab

The effects of arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure and sevoflurane on capillary venous cerebral blood flow and oxygen saturation during craniotomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Klaus Ulrich; Glaser, Martin; Reisch, Robert; Tresch, Achim; Werner, Christian; Engelhard, Kristin

2009-07-01

Intraoperative routine monitoring of cerebral blood flow and oxygenation remains a technological challenge. Using the physiological principle of carbon dioxide reactivity of cerebral vasculature, we investigated a recently developed neuromonitoring device (oxygen-to-see, O2C device) for simultaneous measurements of regional cerebral blood flow (rvCBF), blood flow velocity (rvVelo), oxygen saturation (srvO2), and hemoglobin amount (rvHb) at the capillary venous level in patients subjected to craniotomy. Twenty-six neurosurgical patients were randomly assigned to anesthesia with 1.4% or 2.0% sevoflurane end-tidal concentration. After craniotomy, a fiberoptic probe was applied on a macroscopically healthy surface of cerebral tissue next to the site of surgery. Simultaneous measurements in 2 and 8 mm cerebral depth were performed in each patient during lower (35 mm Hg) and higher (45 mm Hg) levels (random order) of arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure (PaCO2). The principle of these measurements relies on the combination of laser-Doppler flowmetry (rvCBF, rvVelo) and photo-spectrometry (srvO2, rvHb). Linear models were fitted to test changes of end points (rvCBF, rvVelo, srvO2, rvHb) in response to lower and higher levels of PaCO2, 1.4% and 2.0% sevoflurane end-tidal concentration, and 2 and 8 mm cerebral depth. RvCBF and rvVelo were elevated by PaCO2 independent of sevoflurane concentration in 2 and 8 mm depth of cerebral tissue (P oxygen was decreased by elevated PaCO2. Unchanged levels of rvHb signify that there was no blood loss during measurements. Data suggest that the device allows detection of local changes in blood flow and oxygen saturation in response to different PaCO2 levels in predominant venous cerebral microvessels.

Mechanical Degradation of Porous NiTi Alloys Under Static and Cyclic Loading

Science.gov (United States)

Hosseini, Seyyed Alireza

2017-12-01

Pore characteristics and morphology have significant effect on mechanical behavior of porous NiTi specimens. In this research, porous NiTi with different pore sizes, shapes and morphology were produced by powder metallurgy methods using space-holder materials. The effect of the pore characteristics on the mechanical properties was investigated by static and cyclic compression tests at body temperature. The results show that specimens with low porosity and isolated pores exhibit more mechanical strength and recoverable strain. The specimen with 36% porosity produced without space holder could preserve its properties up to 10% strain and its strain recovery was complete after cyclic compression tests. On the other hand, the specimens produced by a urea space holder with more than 60% interconnected porosity show rapid degradation of their scaffolds. The highly porous specimens degraded even below 5% strain due to crack formation and propagation in the thin pore walls. For highly porous specimens produced by a NaCl space holder, the pores are partially interconnected with a cubic shape; nevertheless, their mechanical behavior is close to low-porosity specimens.

Heat transfer to MHD oscillatory dusty fluid flow in a channel filled ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In this paper, we examine the combined effects of thermal radiation, buoyancy force and magnetic field on oscillatory flow of a conducting optically thin dusty fluid through a vertical channel filled with a saturated porous medium. The governing partial differential equations are obtained and solved analytically by variable ...

How Pore Filling Shale Affects Elastic Wave Velocities in Fully and Partially Saturated Sandstone: Characterization, Measurement, and Modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Morten Kanne; Fabricius, Ida Lykke

2017-01-01

The elastic bulk modulus of a sandstone is affected by the fluid saturation as compression induces a pressure in the fluid thus increasing the bulk modulus of the sandstone as a whole. Assuming a uniform induced pressure and no interaction between the saturating fluid and the solid rock the fluid...... contribution to the elastic bulk modulus is quantified by Gassmann's equations. Experimental measurements of the fluid contribution to the elastic moduli are, however often much larger than predicted within the assumptions of Gassmann. Clay-rich low-mobility sandstones are especially prone to having elastic...... moduli highly sensitive to the fluid saturation. The presence of clay in a sandstone can affect two of the underlying assumptions to Gassmann's equations: decreased fluid mobility can cause pressure gradients and fluid-clay interactions are common. The elastic and petrophysical properties of clay...

Heat transfer in porous medium embedded with vertical plate: Non-equilibrium approach - Part A

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Badruddin, Irfan Anjum [Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603 (Malaysia); Quadir, G. A. [School of Mechatronic Engineering, University Malaysia Perlis, Pauh Putra, 02600 Arau, Perlis (Malaysia)

2016-06-08

Heat transfer in a porous medium embedded with vertical flat plate is investigated by using thermal non-equilibrium model. Darcy model is employed to simulate the flow inside porous medium. It is assumed that the heat transfer takes place by natural convection and radiation. The vertical plate is maintained at isothermal temperature. The governing partial differential equations are converted into non-dimensional form and solved numerically using finite element method. Results are presented in terms of isotherms and streamlines for various parameters such as heat transfer coefficient parameter, thermal conductivity ratio, and radiation parameter.

Heat transfer in porous medium embedded with vertical plate: Non-equilibrium approach - Part A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badruddin, Irfan Anjum; Quadir, G. A.

2016-01-01

Heat transfer in a porous medium embedded with vertical flat plate is investigated by using thermal non-equilibrium model. Darcy model is employed to simulate the flow inside porous medium. It is assumed that the heat transfer takes place by natural convection and radiation. The vertical plate is maintained at isothermal temperature. The governing partial differential equations are converted into non-dimensional form and solved numerically using finite element method. Results are presented in terms of isotherms and streamlines for various parameters such as heat transfer coefficient parameter, thermal conductivity ratio, and radiation parameter

Infiltration behaviour of elemental mercury DNAPL in fully and partially water saturated porous media

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D'Aniello, Andrea; Hartog, Niels; Sweijen, Thomas; Pianese, Domenico

Mercury is a contaminant of global concern due to its harmful effects on human health and for the detrimental consequences of its release in the environment. Sources of liquid elemental mercury are usually anthropogenic, such as chlor-alkali plants. To date insight into the infiltration behaviour of

Morphology and properties of silica/novolac hybrid xerogels synthesized using sol–gel polymerization at solvent vapor-saturated atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seraji, Mohamad Mehdi; Seifi, Azadeh; Bahramian, Ahmad Reza

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Sol–gel polymerization in vapor of solvent saturated atmosphere is developed. • Highly porous novolac–silica hybrid xerogels are successfully synthesized. • Novolac–silica hybrid gel was dried in ambient condition with low shrinkage. • Required time for preparation of gel reduced from 5 days to about 5 h. • By incorporation of silica into the novolac xerogel structure, the pore size decreases. - Abstract: Highly porous novolac–silica hybrid xerogels were successfully synthesized via the novel method of sol–gel polymerization in solvent vapor-saturated atmosphere. This method removes the need for supercritical drying and yields the hybrid xerogels with reduced shrinkage in comparison with conventional sol–gel process. Tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) was used as the precursor of silica-based inorganic phase. The chemical and structural characterization of the prepared hybrid xerogels were performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, respectively. Thermal and mechanical properties of the hybrid samples were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and compressive strength analysis. The resultant hybrid xerogels show a nanostructured colloidal hybrid network with high porosity (above 80%) and low density (below 0.25 g cm −3 ). Si mapping images shows the good distribution of silica phase throughout the hybrid structure

Effects of inherent/enhanced solid acidity and morphology of diatomite templates on the synthesis and porosity of hierarchically porous carbon.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Dong; Yuan, Peng; Tan, Daoyong; Liu, Hongmei; Fan, Mingde; Yuan, Aihua; Zhu, Jianxi; He, Hongping

2010-12-21

The inherent or enhanced solid acidity of raw or activated diatomite is found to have significant effects on the synthesis of hierarchically porous diatomite-templated carbon with high surface area and special porous structure. The solid acidity makes raw/activated diatomite a catalyst for the generation of porous carbon, and the porous parameters of the carbon products are strongly dependent on the solid acidity of diatomite templates. The morphology of diatomite also dramatically affects the textural structure of porous carbon. Two types of macroporous structures in the carbon product, the partially solid pillars and the ordered hollow tubes, derive from the replication of the central and the edge pores of diatom shell, respectively. The hierarchically porous carbon shows good capability for the adsorption of solvent naphtha and H(2), enabling potential applications in adsorption and gas storage.

Computed tomography for the quantitative characterization of flow through a porous medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Auzerais, F.M.; Dussan, E.B.; Reischer, A.J.

1991-01-01

X-ray computer tomography (CT) has become an increasingly popular research tool in petroleum engineering for characterizing porous media. Its highly detailed images have been used to construct maps of porosity, saturation and atomic composition, and to visualize the displacement of fluids. However, extracting data necessary to characterize flow through porous media is both time consuming and dependent on the availability of extensive computational resources - - a consequence of the large size of the image files. The authors of this paper applied to known technique, based upon the ability to recognize regions with similar features, which avoids these difficulties. It allows the authors to substitute for the image, the pixel location of the boundaries of the recognized regions, reducing considerably the computer storage requirements. The authors this technique to study the dynamics of two miscible liquids of different densities flowing through a porous medium where buoyancy plays an important role. The authors' specific concern is the movement of mud filtrate as it penetrates a permeable formation in the vicinity of a recently drilled wellbore. The authors quantify the manner in which impermeable horizontal barriers influence the movement of the filtrate

Visualization and quantification of capillary drainage in the pore space of laminated sandstone by a porous plate method using differential imaging X-ray microtomography

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Qingyang; Bijeljic, Branko; Rieke, Holger; Blunt, Martin J.

2017-08-01

The experimental determination of capillary pressure drainage curves at the pore scale is of vital importance for the mapping of reservoir fluid distribution. To fully characterize capillary drainage in a complex pore space, we design a differential imaging-based porous plate (DIPP) method using X-ray microtomography. For an exemplar mm-scale laminated sandstone microcore with a porous plate, we quantify the displacement from resolvable macropores and subresolution micropores. Nitrogen (N2) was injected as the nonwetting phase at a constant pressure while the porous plate prevented its escape. The measured porosity and capillary pressure at the imaged saturations agree well with helium measurements and experiments on larger core samples, while providing a pore-scale explanation of the fluid distribution. We observed that the majority of the brine was displaced by N2 in macropores at low capillary pressures, followed by a further brine displacement in micropores when capillary pressure increases. Furthermore, we were able to discern that brine predominantly remained within the subresolution micropores, such as regions of fine lamination. The capillary pressure curve for pressures ranging from 0 to 1151 kPa is provided from the image analysis compares well with the conventional porous plate method for a cm-scale core but was conducted over a period of 10 days rather than up to few months with the conventional porous plate method. Overall, we demonstrate the capability of our method to provide quantitative information on two-phase saturation in heterogeneous core samples for a wide range of capillary pressures even at scales smaller than the micro-CT resolution.

Nanostructured Porous Silicon Photonic Crystal for Applications in the Infrared

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Recio-Sánchez

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In the last decades great interest has been devoted to photonic crystals aiming at the creation of novel devices which can control light propagation. In the present work, two-dimensional (2D and three-dimensional (3D devices based on nanostructured porous silicon have been fabricated. 2D devices consist of a square mesh of 2 μm wide porous silicon veins, leaving 5×5 μm square air holes. 3D structures share the same design although multilayer porous silicon veins are used instead, providing an additional degree of modulation. These devices are fabricated from porous silicon single layers (for 2D structures or multilayers (for 3D structures, opening air holes in them by means of 1 KeV argon ion bombardment through the appropriate copper grids. For 2D structures, a complete photonic band gap for TE polarization is found in the thermal infrared range. For 3D structures, there are no complete band gaps, although several new partial gaps do exist in different high-symmetry directions. The simulation results suggest that these structures are very promising candidates for the development of low-cost photonic devices for their use in the thermal infrared range.

Combined analyses of ion beam synthesized layers in porous silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramos, A.R.; Silva, M.F. da; Silva, M.R. da; Soares, J.C.; Paszti, F.; Horvath, Z.E.; Vazsonyi, E.; Conde, O.

2001-01-01

High dose ion implantation was used to form polycrystalline silicide films on porous silicon with different native concentrations of light impurities (C and O). Porous silicon layers several μm thick were implanted with 170 KeV Cr + ions to fluences of 3x10'1 7 ions/cm 2 both at room temperature and 450 o C. Similar samples were implanted with 100 keV Co + ions to fluences of 2x10 17 ions/cm 2 at room temperature and 350 o C and 450 o C. The formed silicide compounds were studied by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, elastic recoil detection, glancing incidence X-ray diffraction, and four point-probe sheet resistance measurements. Selected Co implanted samples were analysed by cross-section transmission electron microscopy. Results show that the light impurities were partially expelled from the forming silicide layer. Combining cross-section transmission electron microscopy with ion beam methods it was possible to show that, in the implanted region, the porous structure collapses and densities during implantation, but the underlying porous silicon remains intact. The layer structure as well as the quality and type of the formed silicide, were found to depend on the original impurity level, implantation temperature, and annealing. (author)

SHAFT-79, 2 Phase Flow in Porous Media for Geothermic Energy System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pruess, K; Schroeder, R C [Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

1981-11-20

1 - Description of problem or function: SHAFT79 (Simultaneous Heat And Fluid Transport) is an integrated finite difference program for computing two-phase non-isothermal flow in porous media. Although designed for simulating production and injection in geothermal reservoirs, it is, or can be readily modified to be, applicable to other two-phase problems. SHAFT79 solves coupled mass and energy balance equations based on the following major assumptions: the physical system is a system of porous rock saturated with a one-component fluid in liquid and vapor form; all rock properties, except porosity, i.e., density, specific heat, thermal conductivity, and absolute permeability are independent of temperature, pressure, or vapor saturation: and liquid, vapor, and rock matrix are at the same temperature and pressure at all times. Capillary pressure is neglected. 2 - Method of solution: The solution method is an explicit-implicit integrated finite difference approach which allows a flexible geometric description because it does not distinguish between one-, two-, or three-dimensional regular or irregular geometries. The non-linear finite difference equations are solved using the Newton- Raphson method. In SHAFT79 a fluid table is used to provide the equilibrium thermodynamic properties of the fluid filling the void space - temperature, pressure, vapor saturation, heat conductivity, liquid and vapor viscosities, densities, specific interval energies - as functions of fluid density and fluid specific internal energy. All thermodynamic information including derivatives is obtained from the fluid table by bivariate interpolation. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: SHAFT79 has been developed only for systems of water and rock. The fluid table covers most of the equation of state of water substance in the temperature range of 5 to 400 degrees C and the pressure range of 0.5 to 220 bar, which is adequate for most geothermal applications

SHAFT-79, 2 Phase Flow in Porous Media for Geothermic Energy System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pruess, K.; Schroeder, R.C.

1981-01-01

1 - Description of problem or function: SHAFT79 (Simultaneous Heat And Fluid Transport) is an integrated finite difference program for computing two-phase non-isothermal flow in porous media. Although designed for simulating production and injection in geothermal reservoirs, it is, or can be readily modified to be, applicable to other two-phase problems. SHAFT79 solves coupled mass and energy balance equations based on the following major assumptions: the physical system is a system of porous rock saturated with a one-component fluid in liquid and vapor form; all rock properties, except porosity, i.e., density, specific heat, thermal conductivity, and absolute permeability are independent of temperature, pressure, or vapor saturation: and liquid, vapor, and rock matrix are at the same temperature and pressure at all times. Capillary pressure is neglected. 2 - Method of solution: The solution method is an explicit-implicit integrated finite difference approach which allows a flexible geometric description because it does not distinguish between one-, two-, or three-dimensional regular or irregular geometries. The non-linear finite difference equations are solved using the Newton- Raphson method. In SHAFT79 a fluid table is used to provide the equilibrium thermodynamic properties of the fluid filling the void space - temperature, pressure, vapor saturation, heat conductivity, liquid and vapor viscosities, densities, specific interval energies - as functions of fluid density and fluid specific internal energy. All thermodynamic information including derivatives is obtained from the fluid table by bivariate interpolation. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: SHAFT79 has been developed only for systems of water and rock. The fluid table covers most of the equation of state of water substance in the temperature range of 5 to 400 degrees C and the pressure range of 0.5 to 220 bar, which is adequate for most geothermal applications

Effect of capillary forces on immiscible two-phase flow in heterogeneous porous media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

van Duijn, C.J.; Molenaar, J.; de Neef, M.J.

1994-12-31

We consider the one-dimensional two-phase flow including capillary effects through a heterogeneous porous medium. The heterogeneity is due to the spatial variation of the absolute permeability and the porosity. Both these quantities are assumed to be piecewise constant. At interfaces where the rock properties are discontinuous, we derive, by a regularization technique, conditions to match the values of the saturation on both sides. There are two conditions: a flux condition and an extended pressure condition. Applying these conditions we show that trapping of the wetting phase may occur near hetergeneities. To illustrate the behavior of the saturation we consider a time-dependent diffusion problem without convection, a stationary convection-diffusion problem, and the full time-dependent convection-diffusion problem (numerically). In particular the last two problems explicitly show the trapping behavior.

Effect of load on the repair of osteochondral defects using a porous polymer scaffold

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hannink, G.J.; de Mulder, E.L.; Tienen, T.G. van; Buma, P.

2012-01-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate if a porous polymer scaffold, currently used for partial meniscal replacement in clinical practice, could initiate regeneration and repair of osteochondral defects, and if regeneration and repair were related to mechanical stimulation. Two equally sized

SITE-SCALE SATURATED ZONE TRANSPORT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

S. KELLER

2004-01-01

This work provides a site-scale transport model for calculating radionuclide transport in the saturated zone (SZ) at Yucca Mountain, for use in the abstractions model in support of ''Total System Performance Assessment for License Application'' (TSPA-LA). The purpose of this model report is to provide documentation for the components of the site-scale SZ transport model in accordance with administrative procedure AP-SIII.10Q, Models. The initial documentation of this model report was conducted under the ''Technical Work Plan For: Saturated Zone Flow and Transport Modeling and Testing'' (BSC 2003 [DIRS 163965]). The model report has been revised in accordance with the ''Technical Work Plan For: Natural System--Saturated Zone Analysis and Model Report Integration'', Section 2.1.1.4 (BSC 2004 [DIRS 171421]) to incorporate Regulatory Integration Team comments. All activities listed in the technical work plan that are appropriate to the transport model are documented in this report and are described in Section 2.1.1.4 (BSC 2004 [DIRS 171421]). This report documents: (1) the advection-dispersion transport model including matrix diffusion (Sections 6.3 and 6.4); (2) a description and validation of the transport model (Sections 6.3 and 7); (3) the numerical methods for simulating radionuclide transport (Section 6.4); (4) the parameters (sorption coefficient, Kd ) and their uncertainty distributions used for modeling radionuclide sorption (Appendices A and C); (5) the parameters used for modeling colloid-facilitated radionuclide transport (Table 4-1, Section 6.4.2.6, and Appendix B); and (6) alternative conceptual models and their dispositions (Section 6.6). The intended use of this model is to simulate transport in saturated fractured porous rock (double porosity) and alluvium. The particle-tracking method of simulating radionuclide transport is incorporated in the finite-volume heat and mass transfer numerical analysis (FEHM) computer code, (FEHM V2.20, STN: 10086

[Regional cerebral oxygen saturation as a marker of hemodynamic state following cardiac surgery].

Science.gov (United States)

García-Hernández, J A; Aldemira-Liz, A; Martínez-López, A I; Cayuela, A; Charlo-Molina, M T; Cano-Franco, J; Loscertales-Abril, M

2013-10-01

Regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO₂) is a measure of the general state of perfusion and oxygenation. We aim to analyze the relationship between this and various hemodynamic and respiratory parameters. Forty-three patients, operated on between October 2011 and July 2012, were included in this prospective observational descriptive study. The following parameters were measured: mean arterial pressure, both arterial and central venous oxygen saturation and partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide, and lactate levels. From these parameters, the oxygenation index and the oxygen extraction ratio were calculated. These measurements were studied to evaluate whether rSO₂ correlated significantly with the other parameters. The average age and weight of the patients were 27.3 months and 9.2 kg, respectively. The rSO₂ correlated positively with both central venous oxygen saturation (r=0.73, P 0.4) between the rSO₂ and central venous oxygen saturation, and between the rSO₂ and oxygen extraction ratio. Regional cerebral oxygen saturation correlates well with hemodynamic parameters - mean arterial pressure, venous saturation, and the tissue oxygen extraction. However, it does not correlate with respiratory parameters. Copyright © 2012 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Partial nitrification of non-ammonium-rich wastewater within biofilm filters under ambient temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hongyu; He, Jiajie; Yang, Kai

2010-01-01

This study evaluated the partial nitrification performances of two biofilm filters over a synthetic non-ammonium-rich wastewater at a 20°C room temperature under both limited DO (∼2.0 mg/L) and unlimited DO (∼4.0 mg/L) conditions. The two filters were each of 80 cm long and used different biofilm carriers: activated carbon and ceramic granule. Results showed that partial nitrification was accomplished for both filters under the limited DO condition. However, the effluent NO(2)-N was higher in the ceramic granule filter than in the activated carbon filter, and was less susceptible to the influent COD/N changes. Further investigation into the water phase COD and NH(4)-N depth profiles and bacteria population within the two filters showed that by putting upper filter layer (upstream) to confront relatively higher influent COD/N ratios, the filtration process naturally put lower filter layers (downstream) relatively more favorable for nitrifying bacteria (ammonia oxidizing bacteria in this study) to prosper, making the filter depth left for nitrification a crucial factor for the effectiveness of nitrification with a filter. The potentially different porous flow velocities of the two filters might be the reason to cause their different partial nitrification performances, with a lower porous flow velocity (the ceramic granule filter) favoring partial nitrification more. In summation, DO, filter depth, and filtration speed should be played together to successfully operate a biofilm filter for partial nitrification.

Porous organic cages

Science.gov (United States)

Tozawa, Tomokazu; Jones, James T. A.; Swamy, Shashikala I.; Jiang, Shan; Adams, Dave J.; Shakespeare, Stephen; Clowes, Rob; Bradshaw, Darren; Hasell, Tom; Chong, Samantha Y.; Tang, Chiu; Thompson, Stephen; Parker, Julia; Trewin, Abbie; Bacsa, John; Slawin, Alexandra M. Z.; Steiner, Alexander; Cooper, Andrew I.

2009-12-01

Porous materials are important in a wide range of applications including molecular separations and catalysis. We demonstrate that covalently bonded organic cages can assemble into crystalline microporous materials. The porosity is prefabricated and intrinsic to the molecular cage structure, as opposed to being formed by non-covalent self-assembly of non-porous sub-units. The three-dimensional connectivity between the cage windows is controlled by varying the chemical functionality such that either non-porous or permanently porous assemblies can be produced. Surface areas and gas uptakes for the latter exceed comparable molecular solids. One of the cages can be converted by recrystallization to produce either porous or non-porous polymorphs with apparent Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface areas of 550 and 23m2g-1, respectively. These results suggest design principles for responsive porous organic solids and for the modular construction of extended materials from prefabricated molecular pores.

Rapid Generation of Superheated Steam Using a Water-containing Porous Material

Science.gov (United States)

Mori, Shoji; Okuyama, Kunito

Heat treatment by superheated steam has been utilized in several industrial fields including sterilization, desiccation, and cooking. In particular, cooking by superheated steam is receiving increased attention because it has advantages of reducing the salt and fat contents in foods as well as suppressing the oxidation of vitamin C and fat. In this application, quick startup and cut-off responses are required. Most electrically energized steam generators require a relatively long time to generate superheated steam due to the large heat capacities of the water in container and of the heater. Zhao and Liao (2002) introduced a novel process for rapid vaporization of subcooled liquid, in which a low-thermal-conductivity porous wick containing water is heated by a downward-facing grooved heating block in contact with the upper surface of the wick structure. They showed that saturated steam is generated within approximately 30 seconds from room-temperature water at a heat flux 41.2 kW⁄m2. In order to quickly generate superheated steam of approximately 300°C, which is required for cooking, the heat capacity of the heater should be as small as possible and the imposed heat flux should be so high enough that the porous wick is able to dry out in the vicinity of the contact with the heater and that the resulting heater temperature becomes much higher than the saturation temperature. The present paper proposes a simple structured generator to quickly produce superheated steam. Only a fine wire heater is contacted spirally on the inside wall in a hollow porous material. The start-up, cut-off responses and the rate of energy conversion for input power are investigated experimentally. Superheated steam of 300°C is produced in approximately 19 seconds from room-temperature water for an input power of 300 W. The maximum rate of energy conversion in the steady state is approximately 0.9.

Definition of a facility for experimental studies of two-phase flows and heat transfer in porous materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reda, D.C.; Eaton, R.R.

1981-01-01

A facility-development effort is currently underway at Sandia National Laboratories in order to create an experimental capability for the study of two-phase, steam/water flows through a variety of porous media. The facility definition phase of this project is described. Equations are derived for the steady, adiabatic, macroscopically-linear two-phase flow of a single-component fluid through a porous medium, including energy transfer both by convection and conduction. These equations are then solved to give relative permeabilities for the steam and water phases as functions of known and/or measurable quantities. A viable experimental approach was thereby formulated, leading to the definition of facility components and instrumentation requirements, including the application of gamma-beam densitometry for the measurement of liquid-saturation distributions in porous media. Finally, a state-of-the-art computer code was utilized to numerically simulate the proposed experiments, providing an estimate of the facility operating envelope

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.

Geochemical thermodynamic and kinetic modeling that take into account the mass transfer phenomena in saturated porous medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerard, Frederic

1996-01-01

The mass transport mechanisms (advection. mechanical dispersion and molecular diffusion) have been introduced into the thermodynamic and kinetic geochemical code KINDIS. This innovative approach to couple chemical and transport mass transfers has allowed us to develop a reactive transport or hydrochemical code named KIRMAT, which naturally preserve the comprehensive geochemical functions of KINDIS. Mass transport phenomena through the total connected porosity of a water-saturated porous medium are solved over one spatial dimension (ID). The finite difference method is used. An explicit or forward time scheme is computed. The advective finite difference expression may be either centered or upstream weighted. Thus, ail of the hydrodynamic conditions may be modeled (from the pure advection to pure diffusion). The mass transport and geochemical flux are solved simultaneously (one-step algorithm). Moreover. the code KIRMAT is designed to quantify reactive mass transport through a double or dual porosity medium, in which the flow porosity (filled by free water) and the diffusion porosity (containing stagnant water) are viewed as two distinct sub mediums or Systems. Under some given conditions, the need to solve one or the other mass transport equation is a function of the water-rock System size. The accuracy of the kinetic constraint has been improved in KIRMAT. Two new kinetic rate laws have been introduced for the dissolution of the most abundant silicates (alkali feldspars, silica. etc.). These rate laws integrate the quantitatively important inhibitor and catalytic effects involved with some dissolved chemical elements that are ubiquitous in natural aqueous solutions. The basic step. the numerical verification of the code, has been tackled with two complementary approaches. The numerical results from KIRMAT have been compared to those calculated from an exact solution and a new method has been developed and used. We have compared the numerical results of KIRMAT in

Synchronization of multiple 3-DOF helicopters under actuator faults and saturations with prescribed performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Huiliao; Jiang, Bin; Yang, Hao; Liu, Hugh H T

2018-04-01

The distributed cooperative control strategy is proposed to make the networked nonlinear 3-DOF helicopters achieve the attitude synchronization in the presence of actuator faults and saturations. Based on robust adaptive control, the proposed control method can both compensate the uncertain partial loss of control effectiveness and deal with the system uncertainties. To address actuator saturation problem, the control scheme is designed to ensure that the saturation constraint on the actuation will not be violated during the operation in spite of the actuator faults. It is shown that with the proposed control strategy, both the tracking errors of the leading helicopter and the attitude synchronization errors of each following helicopter are bounded in the existence of faulty actuators and actuator saturations. Moreover, the state responses of the entire group would not exceed the predesigned performance functions which are totally independent from the underlaying interaction topology. Simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme. Copyright © 2018 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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 ...

Reflection of processes of non-equilibrium two-phase filtration in oil-saturated hierarchical medium in data of active wave geophysical monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Hachay, Olga; Khachay, Andrey; Khachay, Oleg

2016-04-01

The processes of oil extraction from deposit are linked with the movement of multi-phase multi-component media, which are characterized by non-equilibrium and non-linear rheological features. The real behavior of layered systems is defined by the complexity of the rheology of moving fluids and the morphology structure of the porous medium, and also by the great variety of interactions between the fluid and the porous medium [Hasanov and Bulgakova, 2003]. It is necessary to take into account these features in order to informatively describe the filtration processes due to the non-linearity, non-equilibrium and heterogeneity that are features of real systems. In this way, new synergetic events can be revealed (namely, a loss of stability when oscillations occur, and the formation of ordered structures). This allows us to suggest new methods for the control and management of complicated natural systems that are constructed on account of these phenomena. Thus the layered system, from which it is necessary to extract the oil, is a complicated dynamical hierarchical system. A comparison is provided of non-equilibrium effects of the influence of independent hydrodynamic and electromagnetic induction on an oil layer and the medium which it surrounds. It is known that by drainage and steeping the hysteresis effect on curves of the relative phase permeability in dependence on the porous medium's water saturation in some cycles of influence (drainage-steep-drainage) is observed. Using the earlier developed 3D method of induction electromagnetic frequency geometric monitoring, we showed the possibility of defining the physical and structural features of a hierarchical oil layer structure and estimating the water saturation from crack inclusions. This effect allows managing the process of drainage and steeping the oil out of the layer by water displacement. An algorithm was constructed for 2D modeling of sound diffraction on a porous fluid-saturated intrusion of a hierarchical

Modeling variably saturated multispecies reactive groundwater solute transport with MODFLOW-UZF and RT3D

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, Ryan T.; Morway, Eric D.; Niswonger, Richard G.; Gates, Timothy K.

2013-01-01

A numerical model was developed that is capable of simulating multispecies reactive solute transport in variably saturated porous media. This model consists of a modified version of the reactive transport model RT3D (Reactive Transport in 3 Dimensions) that is linked to the Unsaturated-Zone Flow (UZF1) package and MODFLOW. Referred to as UZF-RT3D, the model is tested against published analytical benchmarks as well as other published contaminant transport models, including HYDRUS-1D, VS2DT, and SUTRA, and the coupled flow and transport modeling system of CATHY and TRAN3D. Comparisons in one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional variably saturated systems are explored. While several test cases are included to verify the correct implementation of variably saturated transport in UZF-RT3D, other cases are included to demonstrate the usefulness of the code in terms of model run-time and handling the reaction kinetics of multiple interacting species in variably saturated subsurface systems. As UZF1 relies on a kinematic-wave approximation for unsaturated flow that neglects the diffusive terms in Richards equation, UZF-RT3D can be used for large-scale aquifer systems for which the UZF1 formulation is reasonable, that is, capillary-pressure gradients can be neglected and soil parameters can be treated as homogeneous. Decreased model run-time and the ability to include site-specific chemical species and chemical reactions make UZF-RT3D an attractive model for efficient simulation of multispecies reactive transport in variably saturated large-scale subsurface systems.

The formation and evolution of layered structures in porous media: effects of porosity and mechanical dispersion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schoofs, Stan; Trompert, Ron A.; Hansen, Ulrich

1999-01-01

Horizontally layered structures can develop in porous or partially molten environments, such as hydrothermal systems, magmatic intrusions and the early Earth's mantle. The porosity f of these natural environments is typically small. Since dissolved chemical elements unlike heat cannot diffuse

Heat-pipe effect on the transport of gaseous radionuclides released from a nuclear waste container

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, W.; Chambre, P.L.; Pigford, T.H.; Lee, W.W.L.

1990-11-01

When an unsaturated porous medium is subjected to a temperature gradient and the temperature is sufficiently high, vadose water is heated and vaporizes. Vapor flows under its pressure gradient towards colder regions where it condenses. Vaporization and condensation produce a liquid saturation gradient, creating a capillary pressure gradient inside the porous medium. Condensate flows towards the hot end under the influence of a capillary pressure gradient. This is a heat pipe in an unsaturated porous medium. We study analytically the transport of gaseous species released from a spent-fuel waste package, as affected by a time-dependent heat pipe in an unsaturated rock. For parameter values typical of a potential repository in partially saturated fractured tuff at Yucca Mountain, we found that a heat pipe develops shortly after waste is buried, and the heat-pipe's spatial extent is time-dependent. Water vapor movements produced by the heat pipe can significantly affect the migration of gaseous radionuclides. 12 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab

Numerical solution of instability phenomenon arising in double phase flow through inclined homogeneous porous media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ravi Borana

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In the petroleum reservoir at an early stage the oil is recovered due to existing natural pressure and such type of oil recovery is referred as primary oil recovery. It ends when pressure equilibrium occurs and still large amount of oil remains in the reservoir. Consequently, secondary oil recovery process is employed by injection water into some injection wells to push oil towards the production well. The instability phenomenon arises during secondary oil recovery process. When water is injected into the oil filled region, due to the force of injecting water and difference in viscosities of water and native oil, protuberances occur at the common interface. It gives rise to the shape of fingers (protuberances at common interface. The injected water shoots through inter connected capillaries at very high speed. It appears in the form of irregular trembling fingers, filled with injected water in the native oil field; this is due to the immiscibility of water and oil. The homogeneous porous medium is considered with a small inclination with the horizontal, the basic parameters porosity and permeability remain uniform throughout the porous medium. Based on the mass conservation principle and important Darcy's law under the specific standard relationships and basic assumptions considered, the governing equation yields a non-linear partial differential equation. The Crank–Nicolson finite difference scheme is developed and on implementing the boundary conditions the resulting finite difference scheme is implemented to obtain the numerical results. The numerical results are obtained by generating a MATLAB code for the saturation of water which decreases with the space variable and increases with time. The obtained numerical solution is efficient, accurate, and reliable, matches well with the physical phenomenon.

Effect of fly ash on the strength of porous concrete using recycled coarse aggregate to replace low-quality natural coarse aggregate

Science.gov (United States)