Multiple-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann simulation for flow, mass transfer, and adsorption in porous media

Modeling CO2 Adsorption in a Thin Discrete Packing

Local dynamics of CO2 adsorption in a discrete packing contained in a thin tube was assessed by 3D modeling. Thin tube packed bed adsorbers are currently used over tube structures in thermochemical energy storage systems and atmospheric revitalization of confined spaces. Driven by the interplay between key factors such as the exothermicity and the fluid flow, the advective transport was found less effective than the diffusive one on the breakthrough trends of CO2 which displayed significant concentration gradients at both inter- and intraparticle scales. The lack of angular symmetry inside the particles by the reduction in resistance to mass transfer in the area of solid particles exposed to high velocities led to greater convective transports from the bulk of the gaseous phase to the pores. The result of the modeling agreed with the experimental data obtained at the exit of the adsorber, helping reduction in reliance on the empirical dispersion models used in the one-dimensional modeling.

A State of the Art Review on Sensible and Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage Processes in Porous Media: Mesoscopic Simulation

Sharing renewable energies, reducing energy consumption and optimizing energy management in an attempt to limit environmental problems (air pollution, global warming, acid rain, etc.) has today become a genuine concern of scientific engineering research. Furthermore, with the drastic growth of requirements in building and industrial worldwide sectors, the need for proper techniques that allow enhancement in the thermal performance of systems is increasingly being addressed. It is worth noting that using sensible and latent heat storage materials (SHSMs and phase change materials (PCMs)) for thermal energy storage mechanisms can meet requirements such as thermal comfort in buildings when selected correctly. However, as the operating temperature changes, a series of complex technical issues arise, such as heat transfer issues, leaks, corrosion, subcooling, supercooling, etc. This paper reviews the most recent research advances in the area of sensible and latent heat storage through the porous media as potential technology while providing useful information for researchers and engineers in the energy storage domain. To this end, the state and challenges of PCMs incorporation methods are drawn up, and an updated database of various research is provided while discussing the conclusions concerning the sensible and latent heat storage in porous media, their scopes of application and impact on energy consumption. In the light of this non-exhaustive review, it turns out that the adoption of porous matrices improves the thermal performance of systems, mitigates energy consumption and drops CO2 emissions while ensuring thermal comfort within buildings. In addition, at the representative elementary volume (REV) and pore scales, the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is examined as an alternative method to the commonly used, traditional numerical methods. These two approaches are compared based on results available in the literature. Through these means, their ability to handle latent and sensible heat storage process in a porous medium is demonstrated. To sum up, to be more complete, perspectives of sensible and latent energy storage technologies are covered.

A Review of Numerical Research on the Pressure Swing Adsorption Process

The pressure swing adsorption (PSA) process has been considered a promising method for gas separation and purification. However, experimental methods are time-consuming, and it is difficult to obtain the detailed changes in variables in the PSA process. This review focuses on the numerical research developed to realize the modelling, optimization and control of the cyclic PSA process. A complete one-dimensional mathematical model, including adsorption bed, auxiliary devices, boundary conditions and performance indicators, is summarized as a general modelling approach. Key simplified assumptions and special treatments for energy balance are discussed for model reliability. Numerical optimization models and control strategies are reviewed for the PSA process as well. Relevant attention is given to the combination of deep-learning technology with artificial-intelligence-based optimization algorithms and advanced control strategies. Challenges to further improvements in the adsorbent database establishment, multiscale computational mass transfer model, large-scale PSA facility design, numerical computations and algorithm robustness are identified.

Numerical study of mass transfer and desorption behaviors in deformable porous media using a coupling lattice Boltzmann model

The aim of this paper is to investigate the pore-scale mass transfer and desorption behaviors in deformable porous media using a coupling immersed boundary method (IBM)-lattice Boltzmann (LB) scheme. In this numerical model, a three-dimensional multiple-relaxation-time LB model is used to simulate fluid flow in porous media consisting of movable rigid adsorbent particles. To consider the effect of dynamic deformation of a porous structure, an improved immersed boundary method scheme is introduced to describe the fluid-structure interaction at the interface between the carrier gas and moving absorbent particles. Moreover, a LB model for the convection diffusion equation is adopted to consider the mass transfer of adsorbate into the macropores and micropores of the porous adsorbent. This coupled IBM-LB model is used to illustrate the mass transfer and desorption processes in shrinkage deformation of the porous structure caused by the movement of rigid adsorbent particles along different directions. At the initial time, these adsorbent particles have a saturation adsorption amount, and the adsorbate in the macropores has the uniform concentration distribution. The numerical results show that the time history curve of the adsorbate concentration in the macropores can be divided into an upturn period and a downturn period during the dynamic desorption process. In the concentration upturn period governed by Langmuir adsorption kinetics, the shrinkage deformation of the porous structure along different directions has no remarkable effect on the mass transfer and desorption behaviors. However, during the concentration downturn period governed by the mass transfer rate of the adsorbate, the shrinkage deformation of the porous structure obviously decreases the efficiency of the desorption process. In addition, the roles of the deformation direction and morphology of the porous media in the desorption process are illustrated in this work.

Insight into Foam Pore Effect on Phase Change Process in a Plane Channel under Forced Convection Using the Thermal Lattice Boltzmann Method

In this work, the two-dimensional laminar flow and the heat transfer in an open-ended rectangular porous channel (metal foam) including a phase change material (PCM; paraffin) under forced convection were numerically investigated. To gain further insight into the foam pore effect on charging/discharging processes, the Darcy–Brinkmann–Forchheimer (DBF) unsteady flow model and that with two temperature equations based on the local thermal non-equilibrium (LTNE) were solved at the representative elementary volume (REV) scale. The enthalpy-based thermal lattice Boltzmann method (TLBM) with triple distribution function (TDF) was employed at the REV scale to perform simulations for different porosities (0.7≤ε≤0.9) and pore per inch (PPI) density (10≤PPI≤60) at Reynolds numbers (Re) of 200 and 400. It turned out that increasing Re with high porosity and PPI (0.9 and 60) speeds up the melting process, while, at low PPI and porosity (10 and 0.7), the complete melting time increases. In addition, during the charging process, increasing the PPI with a small porosity (0.7) weakens the forced convection in the first two-thirds of the channel. However, the increase in PPI with large porosity and high Re number limits the forced convection while improving the heat transfer. To sum up, the study findings clearly evidence the foam pore effect on the phase change process under unsteady forced convection in a PCM-saturated porous channel under local thermal non-equilibrium (LTNE).