Critical point network for drainage between rough surfaces

In this paper, we present a network method for computing two-phase flows between two rough surfaces with significant contact areas. Low-capillary number drainage is investigated here since one-phase flows have been previously investigated in other contributions. An invasion percolation algorithm is presented for modeling slow displacement of a wetting fluid by a non wetting one between two rough surfaces. Short-correlated Gaussian process is used to model random rough surfaces.The algorithm is based on a network description of the fracture aperture field. The network is constructed from the identification of critical points (saddles and maxima) of the aperture field. The invasion potential is determined from examining drainage process in a flat mini-channel. A direct comparison between numerical prediction and experimental visualizations on an identical geometry has been performed for one realization of an artificial fracture with a moderate fractional contact area of about 0.3. A good agreement is found between predictions and observations

Cotransport of suspended colloids and nanoparticles in porous media

The objective of this study is to develop a model for cotransport of colloids and nanoparticles (NPs) in porous media under two particle capture mechanisms. The particle capture rate is proportional to the capture probability, which is a function of retained concentration, called the filtration function. Laboratory bench-scale experiments of individual transport of NPs and colloidal-size kaolinite clay particles through packed columns produced breakthrough curves (BTCs) that monotonically increased with time and stabilised at some value lower than the injected concentration. We discuss the filtration function that corresponds to BTCs stabilising at the concentration lower than the injected value. This so-called binary filtration function incorporates two particle capture mechanisms. The analytical transport model with a binary filtration function was capable to fit successfully BTCs obtained from individual transport experiments using kaolinite and NPs conducted by Chrysikopoulos et al. (Transp Porous Med 119(1):181–204, 2017). Assuming that the electrostatic particle–solid matrix interaction and the fraction of the solid matrix surface area occupied by a single attached particle (kaolinite or NP) are the same for individual transport of either kaolinite particles or NPs and for simultaneous cotransport of kaolinite particles and NPs, the proposed binary filtration function was extended for the cotransport case. Although the breakthrough data from cotransport experiments with kaolinite particles and NPs have six degrees of freedom, the developed cotransport model successfully matches the BTCs by tuning two constants only. This validates the developed model for cotransport of two colloidal populations with different attachments and straining rates.G.V.C. Malgaresi, H. Zhang, C.V. Chrysikopoulos, P. Bedrikovetsk

Metal nanoparticles: Phytotoxicity on tomato and effect on symbiosis with the Fusarium solani FsK strain

The effect of copper (Cu-NPs, CuO-NPs), silver (Ag-NPs) and zinc oxide (ZnO-NPs) nanoparticles (NPs) on plant growth, physiological properties of tomato plants and their symbiotic relationships with the endophytic Fusarium solani FsK strain was investigated. Fungitoxicity tests revealed that the FsK strain was significantly more sensitive to Cu-NPs and ZnO-NPs than CuO-NPs and Ag-NPs both in terms of mycelial growth and spore germination. All NPs were more toxic to FsK compared to their bulk counterparts except for AgNO3, which was 8 to 9-fold more toxic than Ag-NPs. Apart from AgNO3, NPs and bulk counterparts did not affect the number of germinated tomato seeds even in higher concentrations, while root length was significantly reduced in a dose dependent way in most cases. Dry weight of tomato plants was also significantly reduced upon treatment with NPs and counterparts with most pronounced effects in the cases of AgNO3, Cu-NPs, ZnO-NPs, and ZnSO4. Root and shoot length of grown tomato plants was also affected by treatments while differences between NPs and bulk counterparts varied. A marked oxidative stress response was recorded in all cases of NPs/bulk counterparts as indicated by increased MDA and H2O2 levels of treated plants. Treated plants had significantly reduced chlorophyl-a and carotenoid levels compared to the untreated control. NPs and counterparts did not affect FsK colonization of roots indicating a possible shielding effect of tomato plants once the endophyte was established inside the roots. Vice versa, a possible alleviation of CuO-NPs, ZnO-NPs, and ZnSO4 toxicity was observed in the presence of FsK inside tomato roots in terms of plant dry weight. The results suggest that phytotoxicity of NPs in tomato treated plants should be considered before application and while both FsK and tomato are sensitive to NPs, their reciprocal benefits may extent to resistance towards these toxic agents. © 2021 Elsevier B.V

Equivalent diffusion coefficient and equivalent diffusion accessible porosity of a stratified porous medium

Diffusion is an important transport process in low permeability media, which play an important role in contamination and remediation of natural environments. The calculation of equivalent diffusion parameters has however not been extensively explored. In this paper, expressions of the equivalent diffusion coefficient and the equivalent diffusion accessible porosity normal to the layering in a layered porous medium are derived based on analytical solutions of the diffusion equation. The expressions show that the equivalent diffusion coefficient changes with time. It is equal to the power average with p = -0.5 for small times and converges to the harmonic average for large times. The equivalent diffusion accessible porosity is the harmonic average of the porosities of the individual layers for all times. The expressions are verified numerically for several test cases