Two new papers: evaporation without tuning coefficients, and switchable flow in porous media
Published:
This fall brought two new publications from UCLID students.
Computational Modeling of Evaporation without Tuning Coefficients, Applied Thermal Engineering. Ayaaz Yasin
CFD models of evaporation in commercial and research codes usually include an empirical coefficient that is adjusted until the simulation matches experiment or stops going unstable. That makes the model descriptive rather than predictive. Ayaaz’s paper replaces the tuning with a physics-based evaporation model and validates it against experiments, which is an important step toward CFD that can be trusted before the experiment is run.
A Computational Model for Pore-Scale Flow Regime Tuning with Thermally Responsive Surfactants, Colloids and Surfaces A. Amirhosein Sarchami
How a liquid moves through a porous material (spreading evenly or fingering through a few channels) is normally fixed by the material. Amirhosein’s model shows that thermally responsive surfactants can change the wettability enough to switch between flow regimes with a modest temperature change. This opens a route to actively controlled wicking and imbibition.
Great work, both of you!