Computational design of the flow properties of foams

Abstract

In the present studies the quantitative relationships between the structure and flow properties of porous materials are addressed. In order to investigate such relationships a series of foam structures with different porosity were characterized by computer tomography. Later, 3D image analysis was applied to obtain quantitative parameters of foam structures.In order to calculate properties of the flow through porous structures, 3D images obtained by computer tomography were numerically processed and transformed into a finite element mesh. Simulation of fluid flow was performed using a Finite Volume Method. Both qualitative characterization and numerical simulation results, when compared, enabled us to establish structure-flow relationships.The preliminary results show that the pressure drop is strongly related to the porosity of foams. The significant effect on flow properties exhibits also the diversity of pore sizes.The results will be discussed with respect to foam structure optimization for several applications.

Optimization of the Microstructure of Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell Anode

“…As the report [6] states, most common material that the anode is made of is porous sintered nickel, in some cases with small percentages of chromium or aluminum. The microstructure of such open-porous materials can be designed and optimized incorporating both experimental [7,8] and computational methods [9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. Moreover, computational methods at atomistic level are used for predicting of the interaction of gaseous media utilized for fuel cell operation with electrode materials of the electrodes.…”

Design of Reservoir Recognition Technique Component - Open Porosity in Non-Polarizing Electrodes

“…The aim of the present study was to design structure of the material for optimal performance and durability of non-polarizing electrode. Optimization of chemical composition using density functional theory (DFT) is often addressed regarding electrodes design [3,4], however the approach proposed in this work employs design procedure of the complex open-porosity structure of the material [5][6][7] with use of authors software combined with subsequent finite volume method analysis. To this end a set of porous model structures with different structural parameters was generated using Laguerre-Voronoi tessellations [8].…”

Micro-Computed Tomography and Finite Element Method Study of Open-Cell Porous Materials

“…Both structure and mechanical properties of such materials have been the subject of intensive research. Structural parameters of commercially available foams have been a subject of studies with use of X-ray microcomputed tomography [6][7][8][9][10]. μCT is a technique widely used to study various porous subjects, even the rocks [11,12].…”