The dry-to-wet transition of fiber networks-Return to mechanical stability

In this article, we provide a comprehensive experimental, numerical, and theoretical explanation of the dry-to-wet transition of nonbonded fiber networks made of natural fibers. Given that the main functionality of many common products consisting of fluff pulp fiber networks requires absorption of liquids, we focus on understanding the solid volume fraction transition from a dry to a wet state as a crucial component for controlling properties such as permeability and capillary pressure, on which product function eventually depends. From studying the wetting of fluff pulp fiber networks with a distribution of fiber lengths, we show that the change in the solid volume fraction going from dry to wet state is driven by the disappearance of fiber-fiber adhesion. The mechanically stable state to which the network transitions is independent of its prior dry solid volume fraction and predetermined primarily by the fiber aspect ratio

Finite-size effects on heat and mass transfer in porous electrodes

In thin electrode applications, as the ratio of the obstacle size with respect to the system size increases, issues such as finite-size effects become more influential in the transport of heat and mass within a porous structure. This study presents a numerical approach to evaluate the finite-size effects on the heat and mass transfer in porous electrodes. In particular, numerical simulations based on the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) are employed to analyze the pore-scale transport phenomena. Analyzing the results at both the electrode level and the pore level shows that the mass transfer performance is more influenced by the finite-size effects compared to the transfer of heat. The numerical simulations show that as the parameter m being the ratio of the electrode thickness to the particle diameter is halved, the effective diffusivity increases by 20% while the effective conductivity remains unchanged. We propose a novel analytical tortuosity–porosity (τ−ϕ) correlation as τ=[1−(1−ϕ)m+1]/ϕ where the finite-size effects are taken into account via the parameter m. Besides, particles of small size provide more uniform distributions of temperature and concentration within the porous structure with standard deviations of approximately half of the values obtained from the case made up of large particles. Our findings at the electrode level are compared with the commonly used macroscopic porosity-dependent correlations found in the literature. At the end, by performing a systematic assessment, we provide guidelines for efficient design of porous electrodes

Uniaxial compression of fibre networks – the synergetic effect of adhesion and elastoplasticity on non-reversible deformation

In this paper we study numerically and experimentally non-reversible deformation of anisotropic, semi-flexible fibre networks. We formulate a Discrete Element Model (DEM) with bonded particles to simulate uniaxial compression of such networks and use this model to describe and quantify the effect of elasto-plastic fibre contacts and fibre-fibre adhesion on non-reversible deformation. Our results show that inter-fibre adhesion plays a role for compression in a low solid volume fraction range where adhesive forces can overcome fibre deformation forces and moments. Also, elasto-plastic contacts between fibres become important at higher solid volume fractions when the yield criterion is exceeded. The combined case of fibres having elasto-plastic contacts and adhesion shows a significant synergetic effect leading to a degree of non-reversible deformation of the network far beyond that of networks with only elasto-plastic fibre contacts or inter-fibre adhesion

Numerical simulation and analysis of multi-scale cavitating flows

Cavitating flows include vapour structures with a wide range of different length scales, from micro-bubbles to large cavities. The correct estimation of small-scale cavities can be as important as that of large-scale structures, because cavitation inception as well as the resulting noise, erosion and strong vibrations occur at small time and length scales. In this study, a multi-scale cavitating flow around a sharp-edged bluff body is investigated. For numerical analysis, while popular homogeneous mixture models are practical options for large-scale applications, they are normally limited in the representation of small-scale cavities. Therefore, a hybrid cavitation model is developed by coupling a mixture model with a Lagrangian bubble model. The Lagrangian model is based on a four-way coupling approach, which includes new submodels, to consider various small-scale phenomena in cavitation dynamics. Additionally, the coupling of the mixture and the Lagrangian models is based on an improved algorithm that is compatible with the flow physics. The numerical analysis provides a detailed description of the multi-scale dynamics of cavities as well as the interactions between vapour structures of various scales and the continuous flow. The results, among others, show that small-scale cavities not only are important at the inception and collapse steps, but also influence the development of large-scale structures. Furthermore, a comparison of the results with those from experiment shows considerable improvements in both predicting the large cavities and capturing the small-scale structures using the hybrid model. More accurate results (compared with the traditional mixture model) can be achieved even with a lower mesh resolution

Assessing passive scalar dynamics in bubble-induced turbulence using direct numerical simulations

By using direct numerical simulations (DNS) of bubbly flows with passive scalars, we show a transition in the scalar spectra from a k-5/3 to a k-3 scaling with the wavenumber k, in contrast with those of single-phase isotropic turbulence. For cases with a mean scalar gradient in the horizontal direction, the scalar spectrum decays faster than at high wavenumbers. While the k-3 scaling is well established in the bubbly flow velocity spectrum, the scalar spectrum behaviour is not fully understood. We find that the transition length scale of the scalar spectra is comparable to or below the bubble diameter and decreases with the molecular diffusivity of the scalar in the liquid. We use DNS to compute the scalar spectrum budget and show that the scalar fluctuations are produced by the mean scalar gradient at length scales above the bubble diameter, contrary to the velocity fluctuations. At length scales below the bubble diameter, the net scalar transfer scales as k-1 inducing the k-3 scaling of the scalar spectra. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis proposed by Dung et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 958, 2023, p. A5) about the physical mechanism behind the k-3 scaling. We also show dependencies of the bubble suspension\u27s convective scalar diffusivity on the gas volume fraction and molecular diffusivity that differ based on the direction of the mean scalar gradient. For a mean scalar gradient in the vertical direction, we find and qualitatively explain a significant effect of the molecular diffusivity in the gas on the convective scalar diffusivity

Finite-volume method for industrial-scale temperature-swing adsorption simulations

We formulate a mathematical model for temperature-swing adsorption systems. A finite-volume method is derived for the numerical solution of the model equations. We specifically investigate the influence of the choice of spatial discretization scheme for the convective terms on the accuracy, convergence rate and general computational performance of the proposed method. The analysis is performed with the nonlinear Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm representing benzene adsorption onto activated carbon, relevant for gas cleaning in biomass gasification.The large differences in accuracy and convergence between lower- and higher-order schemes for pure scalar advection are significantly reduced when using a non-linear isotherm. However, some of these differences re-emerge when simulating adsorption/desorption cycling. We show that the proposed model can be applied to industrial-scale systems at moderate spatial resolution and at an acceptable computational cost, provided that higher-order discretization is employed for the convective terms

Transient Flow Uniformity Evolution in Realistic Exhaust Gas Aftertreatment Systems using 3D-CFD

To precisely control a vehicle powertrain to minimize emissions, accurate and detailed models are needed to capture the spatio-temporal variability of the variables of interest. The aim of this work is to analyze flow and temperature fields in a geometrically realistic —\ua0and thus complex\ua0— exhaust gas aftertreatment system under transient conditions. The spatio-temporal response of these fields to upstream step changes is predicted using three-dimensional unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) κ- ω simulations where the catalytic converter is described as a porous medium. A catalytic converter geometry with a 90∘-bend and a partially dead volume is used to demonstrate the effects of time-resolved flow maldistribution on the profiles of velocity and temperature. Two sets of transient simulations in terms of step changes in velocity and temperature are performed. Uniformity indices are used to characterize the distribution and variability of the different catalyst channels under transient conditions. The evolution of the uniformity indices as functions of time and axial distance into the catalyst are calculated at different cross-sectional planes. The results show that the evolution of the temperature uniformity is rate controlling, continuously modulating the otherwise much faster flow uniformity response via the fluid properties. The temperature uniformity time scale is determined by the balance of flow, thermal inertia, and the heat losses from the system. The interplay between pressure drop and heat losses governs the transition to the new steady state in uniformity. These types of transient simulations and analyses can contribute essential information when developing reduced-order engineering models to represent the spatio-temporal variability in exhaust aftertreatment systems, in particular during rapid events such as cold start

CFD-DEM simulation of biomass pyrolysis in fluidized-bed reactor with a multistep kinetic scheme

The pyrolysis of biomass in a fluidized-bed reactor is studied by a combination of a CFD-DEM algorithm and a multistep kinetic scheme, where fluid dynamics, heat and mass transfer, particle collisions, and the detailed thermochemical conversion of biomass are all resolved. The integrated method is validated by experimental results available in literature and a considerable improvement in predicting the pyrolysis product yields is obtained as compared to previous works using a two-fluid model, especially the relative error in the predicted tar yield is reduced by more than 50%. Furthermore, the evolution of light gas, char and tar, as well as the particle conversion, which cannot easily be measured in experiments, are also revealed. Based on the proposed model, the influences of pyrolysis temperature and biomass particle size on the pyrolysis behavior in a fluidized-bed reactor are comprehensively studied. Numerical results show that the new algorithm clearly captures the dependence of char yield on pyrolysis temperature and the influence of heating rate on light gas and tar yields, which is not possible in simulations based on a simplified global pyrolysis model. It is found that, as the temperature rises from 500 to 700 \ub0C, the light gas yield increases from 17% to 25% and char yield decreases from 22% to 14%. In addition, within the tested range of particle sizes (<1 mm), the impact on pyrolysis products from particle size is relatively small compared with that of the operating temperature. The simulations demonstrate the ability of a combined Lagrangian description of biomass particles and a multistep kinetic scheme to improve the prediction accuracy of fluidized-bed pyrolysis

A multiscale methodology for small-scale bubble dynamics in turbulence

We formulate in this paper a multiscale numerical framework that handles small-scale bubble dynamics in turbulence. Our framework involves bubbles with arbitrary density ratios with the carrier phase. We use a Moving Reference Frame method that follows a bubble to deal with a fast rising of bubbles present at high density ratios between the phases. We use a Proportional Integral Derivative controller to handle an additional acceleration term in the governing equations that stems from the change of a coordinate system from a fixed to a non-inertial one. Our framework accounts for the fact that the dynamics of bubbles are significantly influenced by the unsteadiness of the small-scale turbulent liquid fluctuations that modify the bubble shapes and alter their motion. In addition, we improve and speed up, with at least two orders of magnitude in computational time, the numerical framework recently proposed by Milan et al. (2020). The developed numerical framework can capture processes occurring at time scales even smaller than the Kolmogorov times. It can be applied to droplets, bubbles or particle systems in both laminar and turbulent flows, using any general DNS technique that handles two-phase flows

The lift force on deformable and freely moving bubbles in linear shear flows

This paper provides a comprehensive explanation for the lift force acting on a freely deformable bubble rising in a linear shear flow and examines how the lift force scales with the undisturbed shear rate in cases governed by different lift force mechanisms. Four distinct flow mechanisms are identified from previous studies, and the associated bubble-induced vorticity dynamics are outlined. We provide a theoretical framework to qualitatively explain the lift force acting on a bubble in terms of moments of the bubble-induced vorticity. We support our theoretical framework with three-dimensional multiphase direct numerical simulations to illustrate how the vorticity dynamics associated with the four mechanisms generate the lift force. These findings provide a comprehensive explanation for the behaviour of the lift force in a wide range of relevant governing parameters. Additionally, our simulation results show how differently the lift force scales with the shear rate, depending on the dominating lift force mechanism. These results indicate that the shear rate should, in general, be accounted for in highly viscous flows (low Galilei numbers) or at significant bubble deformations (moderate-to-high E\uf6tv\uf6s numbers) when modelling the lift force coefficient