Young-Laplace Research Articles

Fluid release pressure for nanochannels: the Young-Laplace equation using the effective contact angle.

Releasing fluids from nanochannels is quite challenging, yet crucial for the application of nanofluidic systems, e.g. drug delivery and nanoprinting. Previous work suggests that the pressure required to activate the releasing is enormously high (50 to above 300 MPa), while its underlying mechanism still remains unclear. In this work, through molecular dynamics simulations, we have identified a critical tilt angle of the hydrophilic nanochannel, below which spontaneous release of water is achieved. A significant increase in the contact angle is observed during the fluid releasing process due to the transition from the solid fluid contact to the fluid vapor contact. Such transition in nanoscale channels can significantly raise the release pressure by at most ∼30 MPa depending on the channel height and surface property, which makes the classical Young-Laplace equation underestimate the release pressure. By incorporating the derived formula for the largest effective contact angle, a modified Young-Laplace equation is developed, which predicts the release pressure well for both hydrophobic and hydrophilic channels down to the nanoscale. Furthermore, it is discovered that for nanoscale channels, the decreased rate of the normalized release pressure as a function of the contact angle becomes fast when the surface energy of the channel grows strong. The fast decreased rate is mainly caused by the adsorption of water molecules at the exit when the surface becomes highly hydrophilic.

Design of Solder Connections for Self-Assembly of Optoelectronic Devices

Abstract In surface mount assembly, advantage is taken of the high surface tension of molten solder to self-align ball grid array packages and flip chip die. However, in these applications, the volume of solder applied as paste by stencil printing is not sufficiently well controlled to achieve the precise alignment required for optoelectronic devices. We believe that the requirement on solder volume control for assembly of optoelectronic devices can be relaxed by designing the bond pads so that the height or alignment of connections is controlled by the surface tension of the solder rather than its volume. Our design approach to accomplishing this is to connect auxiliary pads to the primary attachment pad, which act as solder reservoirs. Surface tension causes the solder to be redistributed among these pads to achieve a uniform pressure throughout the solder volume. This phenomena is governed by the Young-Laplace equation, ΔP = γκ, in which ΔP represents the difference in pressure within and outside the solder, γ the surface tension of the solder, and κ the local curvature of the solder surface. Thus, the design of the set of primary and auxiliary pads is critically important to realizing the desired control of joint height. In this article, we describe the use of the Surface Evolver software package in combination with analytical models, to analyze the behavior of various connection configurations with respect to variations in printed solder volume. Specifically, we calculate the equilibrium shape of the solder surface over the connected set of pads and examine how control of joint height is affected by the number, size, and geometry of auxiliary pad configurations.

Method of discrete singularities in problems of filler vibrations in fuel tanks under overloads and at low gravity

The paper is about free vibration problems in fuel tanks with different levels of fillers both under overloads and low gravity. The fuel tanks are considered as rigid shells of revolution. The liquid, contained in the tanks, is supposed to be an ideal and incompressible one, and its flow, induced by external excitations, is irrotational. The problem of free axisymmetric harmonic oscillations of the fluid-filled rigid compound shell is considered. The mixed boundary value problem is formulated, and boundary conditions are received on the boundaries of the fluid domain. The non-penetration conditions is formulated on the rigid shell boundaries, and on the free liquid surface there are kinematic and dynamic boundary conditions. The flow fluctuations are described by using the velocity potential that for ideal and incompressible liquids satisfies the Laplace equation. For its solution, the integral representation is in use. But there are two unknown functions, the velocity potential and the function describing the shape and position of the free surface during time. The transformation of the boundary conditions leads to eliminating one of these unknown functions. So, the system of boundary singular integral equations is obtained to determine the velocity potential. The discrete singularity method and the boundary element method are applied for its numerical solution. The problem of determining own modes and frequencies is solved by using the techniques, where the surface tension effects are neglected. Then these modes are considered as basic functions to determine the modes and frequencies of the liquid taking into account the surface tension. Thus, in this work the method is developed which takes into account the surface tension effect on the frequency of fluid fluctuations in the rigid tank under low gravity conditions. The surface of the interaction between liquid media and gas is considered as a thin membrane, whose thickness is neglected. The fluid pressure on this surface is determined by the Laplace-Young equation. The developed method is useful for the investigation of free and forced fluid oscillations in rigid compound shells with arbitrary meridians.

Surface Effects on the Diffraction of P Wave by an Arbitrary Shaped Cavity

This paper presents the effects of surface effects in the cavity of variable curvature. The wave function expansion method and the conformal mapping method are used in the solution of dynamic stress concentration factor around an irregularly shaped cavity at nano-scale. The stress boundary conditions on the surface are obtained by using the generalized Young-Laplace equation. The results show that the degree of stress concentration becomes more obvious with curvature increasing. Taking the elliptical cavity as an example, the influence of the ration of the major and minor axis of the ellipse, the numbers of the incident wave and the surface effects on the dynamic stress concentration factor are analyzed. The ration of the major and minor axis, the incident wave frequency and the surface effects show the pronounced effects on the dynamic stress concentration distributions.

Surface Effects on a Coated Fiber with an Imperfect Interface Subjected to Plane Compressional Wave

With the rapid development of nanotechnology, nano-components and nano-materials will be widely concerned and applied. At the nano-scale, due to the obvious increase the ratio of surface area to the volume effect and surface effect of nano-components and nano-materials are significant, making their mechanical properties significantly different from the material properties under the macroscopic conditions. And in the practical cases, the interface is not always perfect and smooth, they always have a certain form of defects. Therefore, the wave function expansion method is used in the analytical solutions of dynamic stress concentration factor (DSCF) around a coated fiber with an imperfect interface at nano-scale. The stress boundary conditions on the interface are obtained by using the generalized Young-Laplace equation and the imperfect displacement boundary conditions on the interface are modeled by a spring model. Considering the effects of surface and spring model, the influence of spring stiffness, the number of incident wave and the surface effects on the DSCF are analyzed. The results show that the frequency of incident wave, the spring stiffness and the surface energy have significant effects on the dynamic stress concentration distributions of the nano-sized coated fiber. The smaller the spring coefficient is, the stronger the interface imperfection is, and the stronger the stress concentration at the boundary is. When the spring coefficient reaches a certain value, it is almost close to the dynamic stress value under the ideal interface. The DSCF are obviously different under different incident wave frequencies.

Mechanisms of pressure-induced water infiltration process through graphene nanopores

ABSTRACTUnderstanding the mechanism of water infiltration through nanopores is essential for wide applications ranging from membrane separation to gene therapy. In this paper, the molecular dynamics simulation method is used to investigate the pressure-assisted water transport process through graphene nanopores. Various factors including the hydrophobicity of nanopore surface, nanopore dimension, temperature as well as external electric field that affect water in permeation into graphene nanopores are discussed. It is found that classic Laplace-Young equation fails and the relationship between pressure and diameter (D) does not follow the 1/D dependence as the characteristic dimension of a nanopore is sufficiently small (smaller than 1 nm). The critical pressure significantly depends on both the pore length and electric field as D is smaller than 5 nm. Besides, enhancing temperature and electric field intensity are obviously beneficial for water infiltration through those nanopores with a diameter smaller than 5 nm.

Bubble formation on submerged micrometer-sized nozzles in polymer solutions: An experimental investigation

This research presents detailed formation of air bubbles on different submerged micrometer-sized nozzles in Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids. An experimental study is performed using the high-speed camera on three nozzles with diameters of 150, 450, and 600 μm under relatively low gas flow rate conditions (0.1∼1 ml/min). Distilled water and various concentrations of Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) aqueous solutions are utilized as the continuous phase for each type of fluid. Different characteristics of the bubble formation such as volume change, frequency, height, maximum width, and instantaneous contact angle are obtained using an image processing technique and the Young-Laplace equation. Effect of different parameters including gas flow rate, nozzle diameter, concentration, and rheological properties of the continuous phases are investigated. Also, a detailed dynamic force analysis is performed to survey the role of fluid properties on the effective forces. The force balance reveals that the surface tension force is dominant in the smallest orifice, while its influence decreases as the orifice diameter increases. Moreover, it was observed that the drag and hydrostatic forces have relatively noticeable contributions in this low gas flow rates. Furthermore, results show that under the conditions of this research, the characteristics of the bubble are weakly dependent on the gas flow rate. On the other hand, the concentration of the CMC and the rheological behavior of the non-Newtonian fluids so-obtained have a significant influence on bubble formation process. Also, observations made and predictions done as to the bubble’s curvature (say, based on Young-Laplace equation) suggest that the necking phenomenon does not exhibit itself at the top of the nozzle in non-Newtonian liquids flowing through micron-sized nozzles.

Evaporation and instability of an unbounded-axisymmetric liquid bridge between chemically similar and different substrates

HypothesisIn this manuscript we examine the stability of an evaporating-unbounded axisymmetric liquid bridge confined between parallel-planar similar or chemically different substrates using both theory and experiments. With a quasistatic assumption we use hydrostatics to estimate the minimum stable volume Vmin via the Young-Laplace equation for Bond numbers 0⩽Bo⩽1, and top/bottom wall contact angles 5°<θ<175° although the primary focus is on wetting and partial wetting fluids. Solving the Young-Laplace equation requires knowledge of appropriate capillary pressure values, which appear as a constant, and may not provide unique solution. To examine uniqueness of numerical solutions and volume minima determined from the Young-Laplace equation for unbounded-axisymmetric liquid bridges we analyzed capillary pressure for large and small liquid volume-asymptotic limits at zero Bond number. ExperimentsExperiments were performed to compare with the volume minima calculations for Bond numbers 0.04⩽Bo⩽0.65. Three substrates of varying surface energy were used, with purified water as the primary liquid. Volume estimates and contact angle data were extracted via image analysis and evaporation rates measured from this data are reported. FindingsVolume minima were in the range 0.1<Vmin<20 μl depending on Bond number. There was good agreement when comparing predicted volume minima and those determined from experiments for the range of parameters studied.

Right ventricular free wall stress after tricuspid valve annuloplasty in acute ovine right heart failure

BackgroundTricuspid annuloplasty rings may have a direct impact on right ventricular shape and free wall stress, potentially affecting chamber remodeling and recurrent regurgitation. In an acute model of ovine right heart failure, we investigated right ventricular free wall stress after annuloplasty with different prostheses. MethodsThirty-xix sheep underwent implantation of sonomicrometry crystals on the tricuspid annulus and right ventricle. Each group consisted of 9 animals that received a flexible (28 ± 1 mm), rigid (29 ± 1 mm), or flexible-rigid hybrid (28 ± 1 mm) ring. Nine control animals had no ring implanted. Hemodynamic, sonomicrometry, and echocardiographic data were collected before (baseline-control group) and during acute right heart failure (control and ring groups). Free wall stress was calculated using the modified Laplace formula for thick shells. Ventricular geometry was determined from 3-dimensional crystal coordinates. ResultsAcute right heart failure reduced right ventricular deformation and fractional volume change while increasing pressure, tricuspid regurgitation grade, cross-sectional area, and free wall stress in control animals versus baseline. All rings significantly decreased right ventricular free wall stress versus control except rigid ring at end-systole. There was no significant difference in free wall stress or tricuspid regurgitation between any ring group during acute heart failure and baseline-control group. No significant difference in free wall stress was observed between any of the ring groups. ConclusionsAcute right heart failure significantly increased right ventricular free wall stress, which was normalized with equal efficacy by all studied prostheses. Chronic studies are needed to evaluate long-term effects of annuloplasty rings on right ventricle free wall stress and remodeling.

A two-phase flash algorithm with the consideration of capillary pressure at specified mole numbers, volume and temperature

In this work, we develop an alternative two-phase flash algorithm with the consideration of capillary pressure at specified mole numbers, volume, and temperature. This algorithm is built upon the volume-temperature (VT) two-phase flash algorithm as proposed by Mikyška and Firoozabadi (2012), which relies on the use of the newly defined volume function and volume function coefficient. Our algorithm contains two loops: an inner loop and an outer loop. In the inner loop, the interior point method is used to solve the vapor-phase fraction by minimizing the objective function. In the outer loop, the volume fraction of the vapor phase is updated by solving the pressure equilibrium equation which simultaneously considers the capillary pressure between the two phases; herein, we first divide the interval (0, 1) to 1000 subintervals and then apply the bisection method in each subinterval. This method is used to robustly solve the pressure equilibrium equation. The capillary pressure is calculated using the Young-Laplace equation on the basis of the interfacial tension predicted by the parachor model. Eventually, knowing the volume fractions enables one to update the equilibrium ratios in the outer loop. We demonstrate the correctness and robustness of our algorithm by testing it against four fluid mixtures, including binary and ternary mixtures. The two-phase envelope obtained from the VT-flash algorithm with capillarity effect has shown excellent agreement with that calculated by the pressure-temperature (PT) flash algorithm with capillarity effect. In addition, we examine the influence of capillary pressure on the two-phase envelope in the molar-density/temperature (cT) space.

Penetration dynamics through nanometer-scale hydrophilic capillaries: Beyond Washburn’s equation and extended menisci

HypothesisRecently, the naoncapillary devices with the channel width about 2–3 water molecules have been fabricated. Water transport through these nanoslits showed unexpectedly fast flow, revealing the failure of Washburn’s equation. ExperimentsLiquid penetration into a nanocapillary made of two parallel walls is explored by many-body dissipative particle dynamics. Both partial wetting and total wetting walls are considered and the no-slip boundary condition is satisfied. FindingsThe wicking velocity generally obeys Washburn’s equation, but the dynamic contact angle (CA) has to be employed. The dynamic CA (θD) relies on the penetration rate and is always larger than the equilibrium CA. The breakdown of Washburn’s equation occurs under two conditions, (i) the channel width close to molecular size and (ii) the positive spreading coefficient is large enough. Both cases come about when the wicking velocity in a nanoslit exceeds the maximum value corresponding to cos(θD) = 1. The failure of Washburn’s equation is attributed to the invalidity of Young-Laplace equation associated with undefined meniscus. The extended meniscus will be developed as a wall of the nanoslit continues to extend outside the exit mouth. The shapes of extended menisci are discussed for both partial wetting and total wetting surfaces.

Comparison of micro- and macro-wettability measurements and evaluation of micro-scale imbibition rates for unconventional reservoirs: Implications for modeling multi-phase flow at the micro-scale

Significant advances have been made in the evaluation of micro- and nano-scale variations of pore structure in low-permeability (unconventional) reservoirs using imaging techniques. In parallel, digital rock physics (DRP) methods have been advanced so that pore structure information extracted from these images may be used, in combination with pore-scale modeling, to predict critical petrophysical rock properties such as porosity and permeability. Recent work using DRP applied to multi-phase flow of unconventional reservoirs has suggested that wettability variations at the micro-scale caused by mineralogical heterogeneity or aging can have a profound effect on simulated capillary pressure and relative permeability curves. However, wettability is typically measured at the macro-scale, with the resulting contact angles used for populating DRP models. Further, fluid imbibition rates are usually measured at the macro-scale to compare, for example, the impact of fracturing fluid additives on oil recovery.This study compares water contact angle measurements made at the micro-scale, using an environmental field emission scanning electron microscope (E-FESEM) combined with innovative procedures for contact-angle extraction, with a conventional macro-scale approach (sessile drop) for low-permeability samples obtained from the Montney Formation in Western Canada. For the first time, quantification of imbibition rates at the micro-scale is demonstrated. Two micro-wettability evaluation procedures developed previously are applied to these samples to evaluate water micro-contact angles: 1) imaging of condensation/evaporation experiments and 2) imaging of injected fluids using a micro-injection system. Micro contact angles were first estimated by extracting sessile droplet profiles (with user-guided software developed in-house) and then fitting a parameterized Young-Laplace equation to the droplet profile. For some of the micro-injection experiments, the geometry of the micro-droplet, as captured with the parameterized Young-Laplace equation, was used to compute the volume of the micro-droplet at different stages of imbibition, which in turn was used to evaluate imbibition rates at this scale. Macro contact angles were evaluated using the parameterized Young-Laplace equation and commercial software.This study suggests that laboratory-derived macro-droplet contact angles cannot be confidently and consistently applied at the micro-scale for use in DRP models for tight heterogeneous formations such as the Montney. Significant errors in simulating fluid displacement processes, fluid saturation distributions, capillary pressure and relative permeability curves using DRP methods will result if micro-scale variations in wettability are not taken into account. Finally, the study demonstrates that fluid imbibition measurements may be performed at the micro-scale, enabling fine-scale rock composition/pore structure controls on fluid imbibition to be explored.

Disclosing the origin of the postcoalescence compressive stress in polycrystalline films by nanoscale stress mapping

A method based on atomic force microscopy, which allows mapping the residual stress at nanoscale on the surface of crystalline solids [Polop et al., Nanoscale 9, 13938 (2017)], sheds light on the controversial origin of the intrinsic compression that arises in continuous polycrystalline films under high atomic mobility conditions. The maps of residual stress reveal that the compression is concentrated in narrow strips adjacent and parallel to the grain-boundary triple junctions, but not inside the grain boundary as usually assumed. We explain these findings in the light of Mullins's theory for surface diffusion of adatoms towards grain boundaries. As the surface slope at the grain-boundary triple junctions is constrained by the balance between interfacial tensions, the kinetic surface profile is different from the mechanical equilibrium profile predicted by the Laplace-Young equation. Where the curvatures of both profiles differ, an intrinsic stress is generated in the form of Laplace pressure. The average value of the stress profile is compressive. In turn, the resulting stress induces a Srolovitz-type surface diffusion, which counters the Mullins-type diffusion. The competition between both diffusion mechanisms addresses the main fingerprints of the intrinsic stress behavior in polycrystalline films, namely, the stabilization of the stress profile during growth, its reversibility with the flux, and the kinetics of the stress relaxation and recovery.

Practical models describing hysteresis behavior of unfrozen water in frozen soil based on similarity analysis

Hysteresis behavior of unfrozen water in frozen soil is investigated, and practical models which predict the soil thawing characteristic (STC) curve from the soil freezing characteristic (SFC) curve are developed. By comparing the Gibbs-Thomson equation in frozen soil with the Young-Laplace equation in unsaturated soil, a similarity theory is established, which indicates that formulas and models describing liquid water in unsaturated soil can be applied to describe unfrozen water in frozen soil using the same form. Five models describing hysteresis behavior of unfrozen water are then developed from theories of unsaturated soil. Comparisons between model predictions and measured results in literature are conducted. The predicted results of three models are in good agreement with measured data, and these three models are derived from the formulas of Pham et al. (2003), Van Genuchten (1980) and Fredlund and Xing (1994), respectively. The concept of average relative error is introduced to investigate the accuracy of different models in a quantitative way, and the results show that the model derived from the formula of Fredlund and Xing (1994) has the best performance in describing hysteresis behavior of unfrozen water in frozen soil.

A simplified model for numerical simulation of laser metal deposition process with beam oscillation

A model of laser metal deposition with beam oscillation has been developed. The proposed model consists of two coupled sub-models calculating the heat transfer in the deposited part and the free surface of the molten pool, respectively. The heat transfer simulation of the deposited part solves a three-dimensional quasi-stationary heat conduction problem. The free surface of the molten pool are determined by solving the Laplace-Young equation. The developed model enables the layer-by-layer prediction of the shape of the deposited part and the resulting temperature field. It is shown that for an oscillation amplitude equal to the beam radius the peak value of the heat flux decreases by about 53% and 73% in the case of lateral oscillation and circular oscillation, respectively. Lateral oscillating laser beam results in a higher penetration depth due to the higher thermal efficiency. The amplitude of the laser beam oscillation effects the shape of the deposited wall and the deposition rate. A good correlation between the numerically calculated and experimentally observed results is obtained.

Wetting states of two-dimensional drops under gravity

In this study we give an analytical model for the Young-Laplace equation of two-dimensional (2D) drops under gravity. Inspired by the pioneering work of Landau and Lifshitz [Fluid Mechanics, 2nd ed. (Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1987), pp. 242--243], we derive general analytical expressions of the profile of drops on flat surfaces, which is available for arbitrary contact angles and drop volumes. We then extend the theoretical model to drops on inclined surfaces and reveal that the contact line plays an important role in determining the wetting state of the drops: (1) when the contact line is completely pinning, the rear and front contact angles and the shape of the drop can be uniquely determined by the drop volume, the slope of the inclined surface, and the contact area; (2) when the contact angle hysteresis is taken into consideration, various mathematical solutions of the wetting state exist for a drop of given volume on a given surface, but there is only one wetting state corresponding to a minimum free energy which results from the competition between the capillary force and gravity. Our theory is in excellent agreement with numerical and experimental results.

Probing the Interaction Mechanism between Oil-in-Water Emulsions and Electroless Nickel–Phosphorus Coating with Implications for Antifouling in Oil Production

Fouling issues are highly undesirable in oil industries, and stable water–oil emulsion is one of the major causes of fouling on pipelines, upgrading equipment, and other surfaces in oil production. Studying the interfacial interactions between emulsion drops and various metal substrates is of significant importance in the fundamental understanding of fouling mechanisms. In this work, surface force measurements using a drop probe atomic force microscope technique and fouling tests were applied to investigate the fouling and antifouling mechanisms of electron-beam-deposited iron substrates with and without electroless nickel–phosphorus (EN) coatings. The effects of oil or aqueous solution conditions have been systematically investigated, including the asphaltene concentration, salinity, pH, and presence of divalent ions. A theoretical model based on the Reynolds lubrication equation and augmented Young–Laplace equation has been applied to analyze the measured force profiles. Our results indicate that the at...

Exact calculation of axisymmetric capillary bridge properties between two unequal-sized spherical particles

A calculation method for the meridional profile of axisymmetric bridges between two spheres of different size is introduced in this manuscript. From geometrical data of the capillary bridge, such as the neck radius and boundary conditions (filling and contact angle), the shape of the capillary bridge is calculated analytically as a solution of the Young–Laplace equation. Its free surfaces, of constant mean curvature, may be classified into portions of nodoid, unduloid, and other limit cases. Moreover, other properties of the liquid bridge can be computed analytically, such as the associated capillary force exerted on the solid surfaces, liquid volume, mean curvature, and free surface area.

Design of Solder Connections for Self-Assembly of Optoelectronic Devices

Abstract The cost of optoelectronic assemblies is significantly higher than that of electronic assemblies due in large part to the method of assembly. A typical computer circuit board is built by screen printing solder paste onto a printed wiring board, placing components on the board at rates of several thousand per hour, and then reflowing the solder paste in a conveyor oven. By contrast, optoelectronic assemblies are built up in a sequential process in which epoxy is dispensed for a single component, which is placed and held in position until the epoxy is cured. Many minutes are required to build an optoelectronic assembly, such as a laser module, by this approach, also the precision robotic placement tool needed for this process costs in excess of a million dollars. The demand for all types of optoelectronic components in communications, computing, automotive, medical and aerospace applications is great, but the high cost of manufacture is constraining growth, so clearly a better method of assembly is needed. In surface mount assembly, advantage is taken of the high surface tension of molten solder to self-align ball grid array packages and flip chip die. However, in these applications, the volume of solder applied as paste by stencil printing is not sufficiently well controlled to achieve the precise alignment required for optoelectronic devices. We believe that the requirement on solder volume control for assembly of optoelectronic devices can be relaxed by designing the bond pads so that the height or alignment of connections is controlled by surface tension of the solder rather than its volume. Our design approach to accomplishing this is to connect auxiliary pads to the primary attachment pad, which act as solder reservoirs. Surface tension causes solder to be redistributed among these pads to achieve a uniform pressure throughout the solder volume. This phenomena is governed by the Young-Laplace equation, ΔP = γκ, in which ΔP represents the difference in pressure within and outside the solder, γ the surface tension of the solder and κ the local curvature of the solder surface. Thus, the design of the set of primary and auxiliary pads is critically important to realizing the desired control of joint height. In this paper we describe the use of the Surface Evolver software package in combination with analytical models, to analyze the behavior of various connection configurations with respect to variations in printed solder volume. Specifically, we calculate the equilibrium shape of the solder surface over the connected set of pads and examine how control of joint height is affected by the number, size and geometry of auxiliary pad configurations. We also discuss results from some preliminary experiments that we are conducting to validate our modeling results.

A network model links wood anatomy to xylem tissue hydraulic behaviour and vulnerability to cavitation.

Plant xylem response to drought is routinely represented by a vulnerability curve (VC). Despite the significance of VCs, the connection between anatomy and tissue-level hydraulic response to drought remains a subject of inquiry. We present a numerical model of water flow in flowering plant xylem that combines current knowledge on diffuse-porous anatomy and embolism spread to explore this connection. The model produces xylem networks and uses different parameterizations of intervessel connection vulnerability to embolism spread: the Young-Laplace equation and pit membrane stretching. Its purpose is upscaling processes occurring on the microscopic length scales, such as embolism propagation through pit membranes, to obtain tissue-scale hydraulics. The terminal branch VC of Acer glabrum was successfully reproduced relying only on real observations of xylem tissue anatomy. A sensitivity analysis shows that hydraulic performance and VC shape and location along the water tension axis are heavily dependent on anatomy. The main result is that the linkage between pit-scale and vessel-scale anatomical characters, along with xylem network topology, affects VCs significantly. This work underscores the importance of stepping up research related to the three-dimensional network structure of xylem tissues. The proposed model's versatility makes it an important tool to explore similar future questions.