• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
• /
• v.40 no.11
• /
• pp.689-695
• /
• 2016

The performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) is strongly related to the water flow and accumulation in the gas diffusion layer (GDL) and catalyst layer. Understanding the behavior of fluid from the characteristics of the media is crucial for the improvement of the performance and design of the GDL. In this paper, a numerical method is proposed to calculate the design parameters of the GDL, i.e., permeability, tortuosity, and effective diffusivity. The fluid flow in a channel filled with randomly packed hard spheres is simulated to validate the method. The flow simulation was performed by lattice Boltzmann method with bounce back condition for the solid volume fraction in the porous media, with different values of porosities. Permeability, which affects the flow, was calculated from the average pressure drop and the velocity in the porous media. Tortuosity, calculated by the ratio the average path length of the randomly injected massless particles to the thickness of the porous media, and the resultant effective diffusivity were in good agreement with the theoretical model. The suggested method can be used to calculate the parameters of real GDL accurately without any modification.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
• /
• v.39 no.8
• /
• pp.17-28
• /
• 2023

Laboratory-scale hydraulic fracturing experiments were conducted on granite specimens at various viscosities and injection rates of the fracturing fluid. A series of cross-sectional computed tomography (CT) images of fractured specimens was obtained via a three-dimensional X-ray CT imaging method. Pixel-level fracture segmentation of the CT images was conducted using a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based Nested U-Net model structure. Compared with traditional image processing methods, the CNN-based model showed a better performance in the extraction of thin and complex fractures. These extracted fractures extracted were reconstructed in three dimensions and morphologically analyzed based on their fracture volume, aperture, tortuosity, and surface roughness. The fracture volume and aperture increased with the increase in viscosity of the fracturing fluid, while the tortuosity and roughness of the fracture surface decreased. The findings also confirmed the anisotropic tortuosity and roughness of the fracture surface. In this study, a CNN-based model was used to perform accurate fracture segmentation, and quantitative analysis of hydraulic stimulated fractures was conducted successfully.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.320-328
• /
• 2004

Ionomer-Clay hybrid membranes were prepared by melt intercalation method with twin extruder. MMT was intercalated or exfoliated by the ionomer and it was confirmed by X-ray diffraction method. D-spacing of the characteristic peak from MMT plate in WAXD was moved and diminished. Gas permeability, mechanical properties and thermal properties of the ionomer-clay hybrid membranes were investigated. Gas permeability through the ionomer-clay hybrid membranes decreased due to increased tortuosity made by intercalation of clay in Ionomer.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2018

BACKGROUND: Different physical and chemical properties of biochar, which is made out of a variety of biomass materials, can impact water movement through amended soil. The objective of this research was to develop a decision support tool evaluating the impact of the shape and the size distribution of biochar on soil saturated hydraulic conductivity ($K_{sat}$). METHODS AND RESULTS: Plastic beads of different size and morphology were compared with biochar to assess impacts on soil $K_{sat}$. Bead and biochar were added at the rate of 5% (v/w) to coarse sand. The particle size of bead and biochar had an effect on the $K_{sat}$, with larger and smaller particle sizes than the original sand grain (0.5 mm) decreasing the $K_{sat}$ value. The equivalent size bead or biochar to the sand grains had no impact on $K_{sat}$. The amendment shape also influenced soil hydraulic properties, but only when the particle size was between 3-6 mm. Intra-particle porosity had no significant influence on the $K_{sat}$ due to its small pore size and increased tortuosity compared to the inter-particle spaces (macro-porosity). CONCLUSION: The results supported the conclusion that both particle size and shape of the amended biochar impacted the $K_{sat}$ value.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.46-56
• /
• 1998

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between water vapor diffusion properties and the pore structure of paper. Gas-phase molecular diffusivity of water vapor through pores was determined based on the kinetic theory of gas. A mathematical model was derived to characterize the dimensional changes of the pore caused by the fiber-swelling mechanism. A modified-Fickean diffusion model was designed to simulate the water-vapor diffusion phenomena in porous paper web. Structural characterisocs of paper pores including the tortuosity and the shape factor was studied on a theoretical basis of Knudsen flow diffusion. Results are summarized as follows: 1. The theoretical water vapor diffusivity in gas-phase was 0.092$cm^2$ /min, 2. Porosity was inversely proportional to the degree of wet-swelling of paper, 3. Solid-phase water-diffusivity of fiber was 1.2 $ \times 10^{-5}cm^2/min$, 4. Modified diffusion model was fairly consistent to the experimental data (from part I), and 5. The Fickean pore tortuosity, ranging from 1,000 to 2,500, was in inverse proportion to the porosity of paper, and the Knudsen shape factor and length-angle factor for micro-pores in paper were 0.5~3.5 and about 340, respectively.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.256-259
• /
• 2008

In this study, graphite or zeolite 4A was mixed with poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-strene) (ABS) to make hybrid films, and permeation characteristics of air and water vapor through these films were investigated. In all cases, gas permeabilities of hybrid films were lower than that of pure ABS films. The permeability decrease of oxygen was slightly larger than that of nitrogen, resulting in the little decrease of $O_2/N_2$ selectivity. In addition, the water vapor transfer rates (WVTR) of hybrid films were about half of ABS film's. The decrease of permeabilities may be owing to the increase of tortuosity for diffusion in hybrid films.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.1-18
• /
• 2009

Chloride diffusivity of concrete is a crucial material parameter for service life determination and durability designing of marine concrete. Many research works on this issue have been conducted, varying from empirical solutions obtained experimentally to image analysis, based on multi-scale modeling. One of the simple approaches is to express the chloride diffusivity of concrete by a multi-factor function, however, the influences of various factors on the chloride diffusivity are ambiguous. Furthermore, the majority of these research works have not dealt with the carbonation process of concrete, although this process affects the chloride diffusivity of concrete significantly. The purpose of this study is to establish a simple approach to calculate the chloride diffusivity of (non)carbonated concrete. The chloride diffusivity of concrete should be defined, based on engineering and scientific knowledge of cement and concrete materials. In this paper, a lot of parameters affecting the chloride diffusivity, such as the diffusivity in pore solution, tortuosity, micro-structural properties of hardened cement paste, volumetric portion of aggregate, are taken into consideration in the calculation of the chloride diffusivity of noncarbonated concrete. For carbonated concrete, reduced porosity due to carbonation is calculated and used for calculating the chloride diffusivity. The results are compared with experimental data and previous research works.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.62-69
• /
• 2005

SEBS-clay hybrid membranes were prepared by melt intercalation method with internal mixer. In the hybrid, the amount of clay content was fixed to 5 phr. MMT was intercalated or exfoliated by the ionomer and it was confirmed by X-ray diffraction method. D-spacing of the characteristic peak from MMT plate in SAXD was moved and diminished. Gas permeability, mechanical properties and thermal properties of the SEBS-clay hybrid membranes were investigated. Gas permeability through the SEBS-clay hybrid membranes decreased due to increased tortuosity made by intercalation of clay in SEBS.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.150-157
• /
• 2018

Purpose: To assess associations between morphological characteristics of intracranial arteries in time-of-flight MR angiography (TOF-MRA) and atherosclerotic risk factors. Materials and Methods: From January 2014 to October 2015, a total of 129 patients (65 men and 64 women) without intracranial arterial stenosis > 50% were included in this study. All MRIs were performed using a 3T machine with 3D TOF-MRA sequences. We evaluated irregularity, tortuosity, and dilatation of intracranial arteries in maximal intensity projection (MIP) of TOF-MRA. Subjects' risk factors for atherosclerosis including history of hypertension and diabetes were collected by reviewing their medical records. Associations between morphological characteristics and each known atherosclerosis risk factor were examined using univariate regression analysis. Multivariate regression models were built to determine combined association between those risk factors and morphologic changes of intracranial arteries. Results: In multivariate analysis, hypertension (coefficient [95% CI]: 0.162 [0.036, 0.289], P = 0.012) and absence of diabetes (coefficient [95% CI]: -0.159 [-0.296, -0.023], P = 0.022) were associated with large diameter of intracranial arteries. Males (coefficient [95% CI]: 0.11 [-0.006, 0.23], P = 0.062) and higher age (coefficient [95% CI]: 0.003 [-0.001, 0.008], P = 0.138) had marginal association with increased diameter. Tortuosity was associated with old age (OR: 1.04 [1.02, 1.07], P < 0.001). Irregular contour of intracranial arteries was significantly associated with old age (OR: 1.05 [1.02, 1.09], P = 0.004), presence of diabetes (OR: 2.88 [1.36, 6.15], P = 0.0058), and previous ischemic stroke (OR: 3.91 [1.41, 11.16], P = 0.0092). Conclusion: Morphological characteristics (irregularity, tortuosity, dilatation) of intracranial arteries seen in TOF-MRA might be associated with atherosclerotic risk factors in subjects with no or mild stenosis.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.323-336
• /
• 2011

The hydro-mechanical behavior of the Earth's crust is strongly dependent on the fractional volume and geometrical structure of effective pore spaces. This study aims to understand the characteristics of pores using electrical impedance. We measured the electric impedance of core samples (diameter, 38-50 mm; length, 70-100 mm) of three types of granite (Hwangdeung, Pocheon, and Yangsan) and two types of sandstone (Boryung and Berea) with different porosities and pore structures, after saturation with saline water of varying salinities. The results show that resistance decreases but capacitance increases with increasing salinity of the pore fluid. For a given salinity, the resistivity and formation factor are reduced with increasing porosity of the rocks, and the capacitance increases. Berea sandstone shows anisotropy in resistance, tortuosity, and cementation factor, with these factors being highest normal to bedding planes. This result indicates that the connectivity of pores is weakest normal to bedding. In conclusion, the electrical characteristics of the tested samples are related not only to their porosity but also to the pore geometry.