• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2010

This study demonstrated the synthesis of high-surface-area metal-free carbonaceous electrodes (CE) from anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates, and their application as supercapacitors. Multi-walled Carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were interwoven into a porous network sheet that was attached to one side of AAO template through a vacuum filtration of the homogeneously dispersed MWCNT toluene solution. Subsequently, the conducting polymer was electrochemically grown into the porous MWCNT network and nanochannels of AAO, leading to the formation of a carbonaceous metal-free film electrode with a high surface area in the given geometrical surface area. Typical conducting polymers such as polypyrrole (PPY) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) were examined as model systems, and the resulting electrodes were investigated as supercapacitors (SCs). These SCs exhibited stable, high capacitances, with values as high as 554 F/g, 1.08 F/$cm^2$ for PPY and 237 F/g, 0.98 F/$cm^2$ for PEDOT, that were normalized by both the mass and geometric area.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.447-455
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• 2013

A micro-mechanical pipe network model with the shape of a cube was developed to simulate the behavior of fluid flow through a porous medium. The fluid-flow mechanism through the cubic pipe network channels was defined mainly by introducing a well-known percolation theory (Stauffer and Aharony, 1994). A non-uniform flow generally appeared because all of the pipe diameters were allocated individually in a stochastic manner based on a given pore-size distribution curve and porosity. Fluid was supplied to one surface of the pipe network under a certain driving pressure head and allowed to percolate through the pipe networks. A percolation condition defined by capillary pressure with respect to each pipe diameter was applied first to all of the network pipes. That is, depending on pipe diameter, the fluid may or may not penetrate a specific pipe. Once pore pressures had reached equilibrium and steady-state flow had been attained throughout the network system, Darcy's law was used to compute the resultant permeability. This study investigated the sensitivity of network size to permeability calculations in order to find out the optimum network size which would be used for all the network modelling in this study. Mean pore size and pore size distribution curve obtained from field are used to define each of pipe sizes as being representative of actual oil sites. The calculated and measured permeabilities are in good agreement.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.44 no.10
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• pp.574-579
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• 2007

Porous $Al_2O_3$ ceramics were prepared by the gelcasting foams method (a slurry foaming process) with acrylamide monomer. The foaming and gelation behavior was investigated with the parameters such as the type and concentration of surfactant, solid loading of slurry, and the concentrations of initiator and catalyst. Density, porosity, microstructure, and strength of the green and sintered samples were characterized. Of the four kinds of surfactants tested, Triton X-114 showed the highest foaming ability for the solid loading of 55-30 vol%. The gelation condition giving the idle time off min was found to set the foamed structure without significant bubble enlargement and liquid lamella thinning. The green samples were fairly strong and machinable and showed maximum strength of 2.4 MPa in diametral compression. The sintered samples showed densities of 10-36% theoretical (i.e. porosity 90-64%) with a highly interconnected network of spherical pores with sizes ranging from 30 to $600{\mu}m$. The pore size and connectivity increased but the cell strut thickness decreased with decreasing the solid loading. Flexural strength of 37.8-1.7 MPa was obtained for the sintered samples.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.1574-1583
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• 2024

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are compact nuclear reactors designed to generate electric power up to 300 MWe. They could be assembled in factory, and then transported to be directly installed on-stie. CAREM (Central Argentina de Elementos Modulares) is a national SMR development project, based on light water reactor technology supervised by Argentina's National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA). It is a natural circulation-based SMR with an indirect-cycle, including specific items and parts that simplify the design and improve safety performance. In this paper, the thermal-hydraulic study of CAREM-25 advanced small modular reactor is conducted by using COBRA-EN modified code and the Porous Media Approach (PMA) for the first time. According to PMA approach, each fuel assembly is modeled and divided into a network of lumped regions. While complex geometries are defined, the thermal-hydraulic parameters such as temperature and density are calculated for coolant and fuel rods. The obtained results show that the temperature in the fuel center may reach a peak around 1280 K in the hottest fuel assembly. Finally, the comparison of results from both methods (modified COBRA-EN and PMA) presented an appropriate consistency.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.465-481
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• 2015

Three-dimensional simulation of flow through dam foundation is performed using finite element (Seep3D model) and artificial neural network (ANN) models. The governing and discretized equation for seepage is obtained using the Galerkin method in heterogeneous and anisotropic porous media. The ANN is a feedforward four layer network employing the sigmoid function as an activator and the back-propagation algorithm for the network learning, using the water level elevations of the upstream and downstream of the dam, as input variables and the piezometric heads as the target outputs. The obtained results are compared with the piezometric data of Shahid Abbaspour's Dam. Both calculated data show a good agreement with available measurements that demonstrate the effectiveness and accuracy of purposed methods.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.419-428
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• 2003

In order to evaluate groundwater movement and the infiltration of contaminants, such as petroleum products, the determination of porosity and effective porosity is very important. Porosity and effective porosity are important physical parameters that determine the transfer and movement of water and solutes in porous media. Various methods of determining these parameters have been developed, with varying degrees of accuracy and applicability. Most of the existing methods produce static results. They do not produce instantaneous and real time of porosity and effective porosity in a porous media. In this study, we used a new permittivity method called Frequency Domain Reflectometry with Vector analyzer (FDR-V) to determine the porosity and effective porosity of some sand samples in the laboratory. The advantage of the FDR-V method is that it instantaneously determines the temporal variation of dielectric constants of porous media. Then, the porosity and the effective porosity of porous media are computed using well established empirical equations. Results obtained from the FDR-V method compared favorably with results from other permittivity methods such as gravimetric, injection and replacement tests. The ratio of effective porosity to porosity was 85 - 92 %, when FDR-V was used. This value compared favourably with 90 %, which has been usually quoted in previous studies. Considering the convenience and its applicability, the EDR-V permittivity holds a great potential in porous media and contaminant transport studies.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.310-317
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• 2003

Two-component ceramic (alumina-zirconia) composites were fabricated by a soft-solution process in which polyethylene glycol (PEG) was used as a polymeric carrier. Metal salts and PEG were dissolved in ethyl alcohol without any precipitation in 1:1 volume ratio of alumina and zirconia. In the non-aqueous system, the flammable solvent made explosive, exothermic reaction during drying process. The reaction resulted in formation of volume expanded, porous precursor powders by a vigorous decomposition of organic components in the precursor sol. The PEG content affected the grain size of sintered composites as well as the morphology of precursor powders. The difference of microstructure in sintered composite was attribute to the solubility and homogeneity of metal cations in precursor sol. At the optimum amount of the PEG polymer, the metal ions were dispersed effectively in solution and a homogeneous polymeric network was formed. It made less agglomerated particles in the precursor sol and affected on uniform grain size in sintered composite.

• Advances in biomechanics and applications
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.227-237
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• 2014

The in vitro construction of osteo-articular large implants combining biomaterials and cells is of great interest since these tissues have limited regeneration capability. But the development of such organoids is particularly challenging, especially in the later time of the culture, when the extracellular matrix has almost filled the initial porous network. The fluid flow needed to efficiently perfuse the sample can then not be achieved using only the hydraulic driving force. In this paper, we investigate the interest of using an electric field to promote mass transport through the scaffold at the late stage of the culture. Based on the resolution of the electrokinetics equations, this study provides an estimation of the necessary electric driving force to reach a sufficient oxygen perfusion through the sample, thus analyzing the feasibility of this concept. The possible consequences of such electric fields on cellular activities are then discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.336-340
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• 2002

Pure and nano-sized $TiO_2$ and $CaTiO_3$ powders were fabricated by a polymeric steric entrapment route and planetary milling process. An ethylene glycol was used as a polymeric carrier for the preparation of organic-inorganic precursors. Titanium isopropoxide and calcium nitrate were dissolved in liquid-type ethylene glycol without any precipitation. At the optimum amount of the polymer, the metal cations were dispersed in solution and a homogeneous polymeric network was formed. The dried precursor ceramic gels were turned to porous powders through calcination process. The porous powders were crystallized at low temperatures and the crystalline powders were planetary milled to nano size.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.318-322
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• 2007

Porous ${\beta}-tricalcium$ phosphate $({\beta}-TCP)$ bioceramic was fabricated by pressureless sintering using commercial HAp and different volume percentages of PMMA powders (30-60 vol.%). The range of spherical pore size was about $200-250\;{\mu}m$ in diameter. By increasing the PMMA content, the number of pores and their morphology were dramatically changed as well as decreased the material properties. In case of using 60 vol.% PMMA content, network-type pores were found, due to the necking of the PMMA powders. The values of relative density, elastic modulus, bending strength and hardness of the 60 vol.% PMMA content sample, sintered at $1500^{\circ}C$, were about 46%, 22.2 GPa, 5MPa and 182 Hv respectively. Human osteoblast-like MG-63 cells and osteoclast-like Raw 264.7 cells were well grown and fully covered all of the porous ${\beta}-TCP$ bodies sintered at $1500^{\circ}C$.