Saturation Curve Research Articles

Effect of impinging jet on rapid cooling of a miniature Joule-Thomson cryocooler: Experimental study of operating conditions

A miniature open-cycle Joule-Thomson (J-T) cryocooler possesses excellent potential for rapid cooling from ambient temperature to about 100 K within seconds. In this rapid cooling process, the interplay of the heat transfer process between the cryogenic fluid and the cold plate plays a crucial role, in addition to the J-T effect and the energy recovery within the heat exchanger of the cryocooler. The phase state of the impinging jet is determined by the jet temperature and has different heat transfer mechanism. To investigate this impinging jet behavior separately, an experimental system for the rapid cooling J-T cryocooler was set up and the jet temperature was measured besides other important parameters. The operating conditions, including the cylinder pressure, cylinder volume, ambient temperature, and the refrigerant, were studied orthogonal. It was observed that argon, compared to nitrogen, can be more rapidly throttled into its two-phase region within a second. However, nitrogen will perform better than argon in terms of cool-down time. This is attributed to the temperature difference between the jet and the cold plate, which significantly influences the boiling mode of the two-phase jet, and in turn affects the cryocooler's cooling rate. Nevertheless, due to the smaller heat transfer intensity of single-phase jet, the cool-down time of nitrogen deteriorates quickly at high ambient temperatures. Experimental results also revealed that the cooling rate of the cryocooler still can be enhanced even if cylinder pressure beyond its saturation curve, caused by the dynamic cooling process and the pressure drop within the finned tube.

Impedance Characteristics of Berea Sandstone Cores in the Process of CO<sub>2</sub> Injection Displacement with Saturated Brine

As an important means of CO<sub>2</sub> geological storage leakage monitoring, resistivity monitoring technology is of great significance to the safety and stability of CCUS project. In order to study the electrical signal response rule of the evolution of CO<sub>2</sub> saturation in the reservoir, a joint core displacement experiment system of electrochemical impedance analysis and microfocus X-ray CT was designed and constructed to simulate the process of CO<sub>2</sub> displacement of brine in Berea sandstone cores under stratigraphic temperature and pressure conditions. The electrochemical impedance characteristics of the core-fluid system are analyzed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The experimental results show that at lower temperature and pressure, it is more difficult for CO<sub>2</sub> to invade the pore space occupied by the brine in situ, resulting in drastic changes in CO<sub>2</sub> plane saturation along the displacement direction. With the increase of temperature and pressure, the CO<sub>2</sub> saturation curve becomes smoother and the migration and displacement front becomes even. The Cole equivalent circuit model is used to describe the conduction mode of AC electrical signals inside the core, and the electrochemical impedance characteristic analysis focusing on the high frequency region shows that the system impedance increases with the increase of CO<sub>2</sub> saturation, and decreases with the increase of scanning frequency. In addition, the changes of impedance characteristics in the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy not only reflect the pore structure characteristics of the core, but also reveal the evolution law of CO<sub>2</sub> saturation in the porous medium. With the increase of CO<sub>2</sub> saturation, the low pore space is gradually occupied by CO<sub>2</sub>, and the residual brine connectivity of the pore space as a conductive component decreases. The decrease of the internal conductive circuit leads to the rapid increase of the impedance, which is consistent with the change of resistance and capacitance when fitting the Cole equivalent circuit model.

Verification of Delayed Equilibrium Model for the R134a critical flow in a slit

R134a has the advantage of conducting visible critical flow experiments because of the lower temperature and pressure at the critical point than water. Whether the water critical flow model is suitable for predicting the flow rate and the pressure profile of R134a critical flow is unknown. An experiment on the critical flow rate and the pressure profile of R134a critical flow in a slit, mimicking the shape of a crack in the pipe, has been conducted. The dimension of the slit and the subcooling degree at the entrance are changed in the experiment. The Delayed Equilibrium Model (DEM), which is accurate for the water critical flow mass flux in a slit, is verified based on the experiment results. The empirical coefficients in the original DEM are adjusted according to the approximate saturated curve of R134a. The conservative and aggressive approaches to changing empirical coefficients are verified, respectively. For R134a, the ratio of boiling pressure to saturated inlet pressure is determined to minimize the relative error of volume flow rate and pressure profile in the slit with 0.3 mm width. It proves that the aggressive approach is lower in relative errors and differences in relative errors among different slit widths and different subcooling degrees. For the aggressive approach, the abstract value of the relative error of volume flow rate is lower than 20% in most cases. The abstract value of the mean relative error of pressure is lower than 15% in most cases. Besides, the differences in relative errors among different slit widths are not significant, and the differences in relative errors tend to be zero as the subcooling degree increases. DEM is adequate for predicting the volume flow rate and pressure profile for the R134a critical flow in a slit. Nevertheless, the relative error of the volume flow rate should disperse around zero at low subcooling degree, which is not achieved in this research. Further optimization requires more rigorous analytical methods and experiment data to find the best set of empirical coefficients, and the effect of velocity difference may be introduced.

Impact of Pressure-Dependent Interfacial Tension and Contact Angle on Capillary Heterogeneity Trapping of CO2 in Storage Aquifers

Summary Carbon dioxide (CO2) capillary trapping increases the total amount of CO2 that can be effectively immobilized in storage aquifers. This trapping, manifesting itself as accumulated CO2 columns at a continuum scale, is because of capillary threshold effects that occur below low-permeability barriers. Considering that capillary pressure is dictated by heterogeneous pore throat size, the trapped CO2 column height and associated CO2 saturation will vary spatially within a storage aquifer. This variation will be influenced by two pressure-dependent interfacial parameters—CO2/brine interfacial tension (IFT) and CO2/brine/rock contact angle. Our objective is to understand how the pressure dependence of these two parameters affects the heterogeneity of capillary trapped CO2 at a continuum scale. Our conceptual model is a 1D two-zone system with the upper zone being a flow barrier (low permeability) and the lower zone being a flow path (high permeability). The inputs to this model include microfacies-dependent capillary pressure vs. saturation curves and permeability values. The input capillary pressure curves were collected in the literature that represents carbonate microfacies (e.g., dolograinstone) in a prevalent formation in the Permian Basin. We then used the Leverett j-function to scale the capillary pressure curve for the two zones that are assigned with the same or different microfacies. During scaling, we considered the influence of pressure on both the IFT and contact angle of CO2/brine/dolomite systems. We varied the zone permeability contrast ratio from 2 to 50. We then assumed capillary gravity equilibriums and calculated the CO2 saturation buildup corresponding to various trapped CO2 column heights. The CO2 saturation buildup is defined as the CO2 saturation in the lower layer minus that in the upper one. We found that the saturation buildup can be doubled when varying pressure in a storage aquifer, after considering pressure-dependent IFT and contact angles. Thus, assuming these two parameters to be constant across such aquifers would cause large errors in the quantification of capillary trapping of CO2. The whole study demonstrates the importance of considering pressure-dependent interfacial properties in predicting the vertical distribution of capillary trapped CO2. It has important implications in developing a better understanding of leakage risks and consequent storage safety.

STUDYING THE COMPLEXATION OF V(V) WITH 3-[2-HYDROXY-3- SULFO-5-NITROPHENYLAZO]-PENTADIONE-2,4 IN THE PRESENCE OF A THIRD COMPONENT

In the present study, we investigated the formation of the complex vanadium c 3-[2-hydroxy-3- sulfo-5-nitrophenylazo]-pentadione-2,4 (R) in the presence of cationic surfactants (CPAS) including cetylpyridinium chloride (CPCl), cetylpyridinium bromide (CPBr), and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTMABr). The study on the pH dependence of complexation revealed that the release of the VR complex occurred at pH=4 with a maximum absorption at λ=425 nm, while the reagent exhibited a maximum absorption at 383 nm. In the presence of the third component, three-component compounds VR-СPBr, VR-CPBr, and VR-CTMABr were formed. The absorption maxima of the mixed-ligand complexes V(V) were bathochromic relative to the absorption maxima of the binary complex, with λmax values of 437 nm, 449 nm, and 454 nm, respectively. The optimal pH for complexation was found to be in the acidic region at pH 4.0, 3.0, and 3.0, respectively. The impact of the third component and reagent concentrations on complex formation was also investigated, with the maximum yield of VR complex was achieved at a concentration of 8·10-5 M R, VR-CPCl at 8·10-5 M R and 8•10-4 M CPCl, VR-CPBr at 8•10-5 M R and 8•10-4 M CPBr, and VR-CTMABr at 8•10-5 M R and 8•10-4 M CTMABr. The optimal ratio of reacting components was determined to be 1:2 and 1:2:2, respectively. The compliance with Beer's law was confirmed, and molar absorption coefficients were calculated from saturation curves. The developed method was applied to the determination of vanadium (V) in the waters of the Akstafa rivers in the Kazakh region of the Azerbaijan Republic. Keywords: complexation of vanadium(V), cationic surfactants, cetylpyridinium chloride, cetylpyridinium bromide, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide.

Soil water potential measurement using fiber-optic sensing technique

Accurate measurement of soil water potential or suction is crucial for hydrology and geotechnical engineering. Inspired by recent advances in fiber-optic sensing techniques, we develop an innovative geophysical method for measuring the soil suction by using fiber Bragg grating (FBG), named FBG-suction method. In this study, working principles and theoretical background associated with the FBG-suction method are discussed. For verification purposes, a series of laboratory-scale tests including calibration, suction measurement, and evaporation monitoring are performed on two clayey soils of low to high plasticity under different degrees of saturation. The calibration and measurement results demonstrate the efficacy and accuracy of the developed method for measuring a wide range of soil suction. The curves of soil saturation with suction obtained by WP4C and FBG-suction method are comparable and reflect the difference in the water retention capacity of the tested soils. Additionally, the evaporation monitoring results show that the FBG-suction method can measure the low suction during the drying process and accurately obtain the high suction above the measuring range of the PST-55 psychrometer. The findings affirm the scientific viability of the fiber-optic sensing technique for acquiring the spatial distribution of water potential or suction in unsaturated soils and provide a novel perspective for future investigations into the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of in-situ unsaturated soil under climate change. As interdisciplinary collaborations continue to advance, it becomes increasingly apparent that methods based on fiber-optic sensing have the potential to revolutionize traditional approaches to characterizing dynamic subsurface processes.

Can hydraulic-energy-indices be effectively used to describe the saturated hydraulic conductivity?

The saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) and water retention curve (SWRC) parameters are important properties for simulating soil hydrological processes and characterizing soil conservation around the world. Therefore, Ks and SWRC are related with the soil physical quality (SPQ) and several SPQ indices can be derived from SWRC, such as the pore size distribution, relative field capacity, plant available water, drainable porosity, and soil hydraulic-energy indices (SHEI). It is well known that the soil structure can be assessed by using SHEI, but a possible physical relationship between Ks and SHEI was not examined yet. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the behavior of Ks as function of SHEI for several soil textural classes. If this relationship be proved, then SHEI might be applied to improve the Ks prediction by PTF models. In this work, a data set of 395 measured SWRC's were fitted to the vG equation to obtain the SHEI to verify whether they are statistically correlated and physically dependent on Ks. The resulting parametric and non-parametric correlation results were split up according to six textural classes. The significant influence of Ks on at least one of the absolute SHEI (Aa or WRa) was verified on the numerical scale when all textures were grouped and on numerical and pF scales for clayey and silty textures. Ks showed significant impact on Aa and WRa indices in four textural classes. Furthermore, Ks had influence on the sum Aa + WRa denoted in pF scale for five of the six textural classes, with a significant linear correlation in the clayey texture when log (Aa + WRa) was applied. The significant and high correlation of Ks on the ratios WRa/AWC and Aa/φD was also observed in four of the six classes, and therefore the use of these indices is recommended for the development of PTFs for Ks prediction.

ASSOCIATION OF C-REACTIVE PROTEIN LEVEL WITH THE RISK OF TYPE 2 DIABETES: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND A DOSE-RESPONSE META-ANALYSIS

Objective: The relationship between C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the risk of type 2 diabetes were positive; however, the non-linearity pattern was still unknown. We conducted a systematic review and a dose-response meta-analysis to examine the association between CRP levels and the risk of diabetes and the dose-response curve pattern. Design and method: A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed and Embase databases from the inception to March 7, 2023. We treated CRP as both a continuous and a categorical variable to analyze the risk ratio of incident diabetes. In addition, we performed a dose-response meta-analysis to explore the pattern of the dose-response curve, and a meta-regression analysis for potential effect modifiers. Results: A total of 17 studies with high study quality were collected. The CRP level as a continuous variable was associated with a 12% increase in the risk of diabetes [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06-1.17] per 1 mg/L increase. The high-low comparison showed a significantly higher risk of 71% (95% CI, 1.42-2.06). The dose-response analysis showed a saturation curve pattern, suggesting a high risk among CRP levels within 5 mg/L. In addition, we found that smoking played a modest effect modifier for the association between CRP and diabetes risk (p, 0.11). Conclusions: We validated that a high CRP level was associated with the risk of diabetes, and the pattern was likely to be a saturation shape.

Blood oxygenation state in COVID-19 patients: Unexplored role of 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate

BackgroundCOVID-19 reduces lung functionality causing a decrease of blood oxygen levels (hypoxemia) often related to a decreased cellular oxygenation (hypoxia). Besides lung injury, other factors are implicated in the regulation of oxygen availability such as pH, partial arterial carbon dioxide tension (PaCO2), temperature, and erythrocytic 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate (2,3-BPG) levels, all factors affecting hemoglobin saturation curve. However, few data are currently available regarding the 2,3-BPG modulation in SARS-CoV-2 affected patients at the hospital admission. Material and methodsSixty-eight COVID-19 patients were enrolled at hospital admission. The lung involvement was quantified using chest-Computer Tomography (CT) analysed with automatic software (CALIPER). Haemoglobin concentrations, glycemia, and routine analysis were evaluated in the whole blood, while partial arterial oxygen tension (PaO2), PaCO2, pH, and HCO3− were assessed by arterial blood gas analysis. 2,3-BPG levels were assessed by specific immunoenzymatic assays in RBCs. ResultsA higher percentage of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and vascular pulmonary-related structure (VRS) volume on chest-CT quantified with CALIPER had been found in COVID-19 patients with a worse disease outcome (R = 0.4342; and R = 0.3641, respectively). Furthermore, patients with lower PaO2 showed an imbalanced acid-base equilibrium (pH, p = 0.0208; PaCO2, p = 0.0496) and a higher 2,3-BPG levels (p = 0.0221). The 2,3-BPG levels were also lower in patients with metabolic alkalosis (p = 0.0012 vs. no alkalosis; and p = 0.0383 vs. respiratory alkalosis). ConclusionsOverall, the data reveal a different pattern of activation of blood oxygenation compensatory mechanisms reflecting a different course of the COVID-19 disease specifically focusing on 2,3-BPG modulation.

Beam monitor chamber calibration of a synchro-cyclotron high dose rate per pulse pulsed scanned proton beam

Objective. Ionization chambers, mostly used for beam calibration and for reference dosimetry, can show high recombination effects in pulsed high dose rate proton beams. The aims of this paper are: first, to characterize the linearity response of newly designed asymmetrical beam monitor chambers (ABMC) in a 100–226 MeV pulsed high dose rate per pulse scanned proton beam; and secondly, to calibrate the ABMC with a PPC05 (IBA Dosimetry) plane parallel ionization chamber and compare to calibration with a home-made Faraday cup (FC). Approach. The ABMC response linearity was evaluated with both the FC and a PTW 60019 microDiamond detector. Regarding ionometry-based ABMC calibration, recombination factors were evaluated theoretically, then numerically, and finally experimentally measured in water for a plane parallel ionization chamber PPC05 (IBA Dosimetry) through k s saturation curves. Finally, ABMC calibration was also achieved with FC and compared to the ionometry method for 7 energies. Main results. Linearity measurements showed that recombination losses in the new ABMC design were well taken into account for the whole range of the machine dose rates. The two-voltage-method was not suitable for recombination correction, but Jaffé’s plots analysis was needed, emphasizing the current IAEA TRS-398 reference protocol limitations. Concerning ABMC calibration, FC based absorbed dose estimation and PPC05-based absorbed dose estimation differ by less than 6.3% for the investigated energies. Significance. So far, no update on reference dosimetry protocols is available to estimate the absorbed dose in ionization chambers for clinical high dose rate per pulse pulsed scanned proton beams. This work proposes a validation of the new ABMC design, a method to take into account the recombination effect for ionometry-based ABMC calibration and a comparison with FC dose estimation in this type of proton beams.

Numerical analysis study on determination of unfrozen water saturation curve for sandy soil

The presence of unfrozen water in frozen soils considerably affects the thermal, hydraulic, and mechanical behaviors of the ground. A thorough examination and accurate estimation of the unfrozen-water saturation curve of target soil materials are required to reliably predict the behavior of frozen soils. This study presents a methodology for accurately determining the curve-fitting coefficients included in an empirical model equation. This study differentiates itself from existing research by presenting a method for easily determining the fitting curve coefficient of empirical unfrozen water saturation model through simple freezing experiment data (time-temperature data) and iterative calculation of numerical analysis. An appropriate unfrozen-water saturation curve of sandy soil specimens was obtained by conducting iterative numerical analyses based on indoor experimental data. The reliability of the determined unfrozen-water saturation curve was evaluated by comparing the simulation results for a single freeze-pipe freezing example with an analytical solution.

Thermo-fluid dynamic modeling of a supercritical carbon dioxide compressor for waste heat recovery applications

The development of novel technical solutions for the efficient recovery of waste heat is crucial for making accessible the large amount of thermal energy released by industrial processes, thus supporting the EU energy strategy. To this end, the EU-H2020 project CO2OLHEAT aims at developing and demonstrating a novel sCO2 power unit of 2 MW capacity, recovering energy from flue gases at 400 °C. The CO2OLHEAT system features a relatively unconventional multi-shaft configuration where the sCO2 compressor is driven by a dedicated radial expander, while the electrical power is generated via a separated axial turbine.The present study focuses on the design and fluid-dynamic analysis of the CO2OLHEAT compressor. The thermodynamic optimization of the cycle led to an overall pressure ratio slightly above 2.5, delivered with a two-stage centrifugal compressor. As typically found in sCO2 power systems, the thermodynamic state of the fluid at the machine intake (P = 85 bar; T = 32 °C) is close to the critical point and to the saturation curve; therefore, the first stage of the machine demands a dedicated aero-thermodynamic design, which can account for the effects of non-ideal thermodynamics and of the potential onset of two-phase flows. The paper discusses the conceptual aero-mechanical design of the compressor and then focuses on its performance assessment over the full operating range via Computational Fluid Dynamics. Two alternative CFD models are applied, the first one based on the barotropic fluid representation and the second one featuring a complete thermodynamic model, both of them assuming homogeneous equilibrium in presence of multi-phase flows. The experimental validation and the application of the two models are presented and discussed. They are shown to provide similar outcomes, and indicate that the compressor fulfills the system requirement and guarantees wide rangeability. A thorough comparison between the CFD results highlights the implications of the underlying physical differences between the models, thus allowing to properly evaluate their use for the aerodynamic design and analysis of sCO2 compressors.

Semi-analytical Model to Predict Dynamic Capillary Pressure–Saturation Relationship for Flows in Heterogeneous Porous Media

The capillary pressure defines pressure difference between non-wetting and wetting fluids. The capillary pressure is part of the flow governing equations, and its definition can have a profound impact on the nature of fluids displacement in a multiphase flow environment. Conventionally, capillary pressure–saturation relationships are determined under equilibrium conditions which signify that all the fluid–fluid interfaces that exist at the pore scale maintain a static configuration at a certain instant in time. However, there exist experimental and numerical evidences that state that the dynamic nature of fluid flows indeed plays a prominent role in defining the trends of the capillary pressure–saturation relationships. In this paper, we develop a first of a kind semi-analytical model to predict the capillary pressure–saturation curves during drainage displacement by integrating the dynamics of fluid flow based on fundamental laws of fluid mechanics. The proposed semi-analytical model can potentially be incorporated into existing multiphase flow simulators to rapidly compute the capillary pressure at various saturations of the flow medium under dynamic flow conditions. The presented semi-analytical model has been validated against experimental and numerical data sets available in the literature at various flow conditions and considering different sets of fluid properties. We noticed a satisfactory match of the results predicted by the proposed semi-analytical model against the literature data. After performing a holistic sensitivity analysis, we notice that the properties of the porous medium, and the fluid–solid interactions play a significant role in defining the trends of the capillary pressure–saturation curves.

Saturated hydraulic conductivity and water retention curve of variably weathered tuff breccia bedrock in a headwater catchment

Although recent studies have emphasized the importance of water flow through bedrock to hydrological processes in headwater catchments, information on the hydraulic properties of bedrock, required for physically characterizing water flow processes, is lacking. In this study, the saturated hydraulic conductivity, Ks, and water retention curve of tuff breccia bedrock core were determined in samples collected from boreholes in a headwater catchment in northern Japan. These core-scale properties, together with core shape and in situ Ks values, were used to define two groups of bedrock: CM- and CL-class (weakly to moderately weathered) and D-class (highly weathered). Little change in the volumetric water content θ of CM- and CL-class bedrock was observed in the dry range at a pressure head ψ < –200 cm, but slight changes occurred in the wet range (ψ > –200 cm), resulting in low core-scale Ks values of 10–8–10–7 cm s−1. Core shape and in situ Ks values much larger than the core-scale values suggested that in situ water flow is restricted to fractures, with little contribution of the matrix to total flow. In D-class bedrock, on the other hand, the change in θ with ψ was somewhat larger than in CM- and CL-class bedrock, especially in the wet range, resulting in moderate core-scale Ks values of 10–5 cm s−1. These results indicated that flow in D-class bedrock is better represented by matrix flow than by preferential flow through fractures. The hydraulic properties presented herein provide a basis for analyzing subsurface water flow, including through bedrock layers. Those analyses will provide a better understanding of water flow processes in headwater catchments.

A modified Michaelis-Menten equation estimates growth from birth to 3 years in healthy babies in the USA

BackgroundStandard pediatric growth curves cannot be used to impute missing height or weight measurements in individual children. The Michaelis–Menten equation, used for characterizing substrate-enzyme saturation curves, has been shown to model growth in many organisms including nonhuman vertebrates. We investigated whether this equation could be used to interpolate missing growth data in children in the first three years of life and compared this interpolation to several common interpolation methods and pediatric growth models.MethodsWe developed a modified Michaelis–Menten equation and compared expected to actual growth, first in a local birth cohort (N = 97) then in a large, outpatient, pediatric sample (N = 14,695).ResultsThe modified Michaelis–Menten equation showed excellent fit for both infant weight (median RMSE: boys: 0.22 kg [IQR:0.19; 90% < 0.43]; girls: 0.20 kg [IQR:0.17; 90% < 0.39]) and height (median RMSE: boys: 0.93 cm [IQR:0.53; 90% < 1.0]; girls: 0.91 cm [IQR:0.50;90% < 1.0]). Growth data were modeled accurately with as few as four values from routine well-baby visits in year 1 and seven values in years 1–3; birth weight or length was essential for best fit. Interpolation with this equation had comparable (for weight) or lower (for height) mean RMSE compared to the best performing alternative models.ConclusionsA modified Michaelis–Menten equation accurately describes growth in healthy babies aged 0–36 months, allowing interpolation of missing weight and height values in individual longitudinal measurement series. The growth pattern in healthy babies in resource-rich environments mirrors an enzymatic saturation curve.

Saturation Curve Estimation of Three-Legged Three-Phase Transformers Using Inrush Current Waveforms

Saturation Curve Estimation of Three-Legged Three-Phase Transformers Using Inrush Current Waveforms

Modelling of CO2 Sequestration in Deep Saline Aquifer Reservoir using Surface Evolver Software

A strategy to mitigate CO2 concentration in the atmosphere is injection of supercritical CO2 in porous sedimentary medium filled with saline water where CO2 gets trapped in the pores. Sequestration is resultant of two processes, drainage and imbibition in accordance with capillary law. Simulation of the pore-scale trapping has been performed on reservoir scale. A simple model reservoir consisting of 1000 tetrahedral subunits was constructed. Using Surface Evolver software, pore volueach subunit. The CO2 pressure and liquid saturation curves of the reservoir displayed hysteretic character, indicating that the evolution of the system is pathway-dependent. The simulated curves illustrate the pathway dependency of the residual gas saturation, an important parameter controlling the amount of CO2 stored in the reservoir, hence the efficiency of the CO2 storage. Our study also shows the existence of critical thresholds in terms of in/out gassing during the drainage or imbibition processes

Modeling and simulation of the cavitation phenomenon in turbopumps

This paper presents a model for simulating a two-phase flow involving cavitation and condensation, focusing on its application to turbopump flows. The model is derived by extending Kapila's approach, which incorporates thermal and free energy relaxation terms, to compressible multiphase flow equations in a rotating reference frame. The numerical method employed is a finite volume approach based on the Godunov scheme, ensuring pressure equilibrium and total energy conservation through a relaxation step. The model utilizes separate Equations of State (EOS) for the liquid and vapor phases, with the experimental saturation curve, expressed as psat(T), being the only parameter needed for cavitation modeling. To broaden its applicability beyond axial pumps, a specific Riemann solver is developed to couple rotating and non-rotating regions within the flow domain. The thermodynamic phase change process is validated using simple cases, and the model is further utilized to simulate water flows in a turbopump inducer. The characteristic curve of the pump is obtained in the non-cavitating regime for several mass flow rates conditions, and the model is successfully assessed in severe cavitation conditions, demonstrating the performance breakdown caused by vapor pockets. The modeling also provides detailed flow descriptions, including analysis of vapor pockets and their impact on blade pressure loading.

Modeling Planar Electrodes and Zero‐Gap Membrane Electrode Assemblies for CO2 Electrolysis

AbstractMultiphysics modeling enables probing of conditions inside a CO2 electrolyzer that are difficult to measure, such as local concentrations and pH, as well as rapid testing of possible design changes. A one‐dimensional model for a zero‐gap membrane electrode assembly (MEA) CO2 electrolyzer was developed with the assumption that catalyst layers interact with the membrane ionomer such that the ionomer affects the underlying kinetics. The kinetics for bicarbonate reacting to form hydrogen are fit using a planar electrode model for silver with an ionomer coating. The MEA model results are validated against experimental studies for current density and product selectivity. Flooding of the cathode is modeled using saturation curves, and results show that blocked pores in the microporous layer play a significant role in limiting the mass transport at high potentials (&gt;2.8 V). Sensitivity studies showed that CO Faradaic efficiency can be increased by decreasing catalyst layer thickness and porosity, and decreasing KHCO3 concentration.

Long-term biomass dynamics of temperate forests in Europe after cessation of management

Forests can contribute to climate change mitigation by sequestering carbon when management intensity is reduced. However, there is high uncertainty regarding biomass dynamics in temperate forests after the cessation of management. We used forest inventory data from an extensive network of 224 plots in 37 natural forest reserves (NFR) covering a wide environmental gradient with mean annual temperatures ranging from 1 to 10.4 °C and mean annual precipitation ranging from 901 to 2317 mm. Inventories had been conducted approximately every 10 years during the last 60 years. We used mixed effect models to (i) analyse biomass development, (ii) assess the role of time since the cessation of management (TSCM) and (iii) disentangle the environmental and forest structural drivers of biomass change. After the cessation of management and in the absence of high-severity natural disturbances, biomass accumulated gradually along a saturation curve. There were large differences in biomass among reserves and plots, with values ranging from 101 Mg ha−1 to 851.2 Mg ha−1, with a median of 362.1 Mg ha−1 (SD = 122.5 Mg ha−1). The biomass curve did not yet tend towards an equilibrium, most likely because the majority of the NFRs do not exceed 100 years of TSCM. Compared to higher elevations, forests at lower, warmer sites showed a larger total biomass and higher rates of biomass accumulation. We found a reduction by 148 Mg ha−1 of biomass per 1000 m of elevation gain. The strongest positive rate of change (>8 Mg ha−1 year−1) was found in forests with high basal area (>60 m2 ha−1) and medium to high levels of tree density (1500 to 2000 stems ha−1). Overall, most reserves have not reached a biomass equilibrium yet and continue to act as carbon sinks in tree biomass. This highlights the carbon sequestration capacity of forest reserves and their role as carbon pools.