Experimental investigation on capillary force of composite wick structure by IR thermal imaging camera

A novel sintered–grooved composite wick structures has been developed for two-phase heat transfer devices. With ethanol as the working fluid, risen meniscus test is conducted to study the capillary force of wick structures. Infrared (IR) thermal imaging is used to identify and locate the liquid meniscus. The effects of sintered layer, V-grooves and powder size on capillary force are explored. The results show that the capillary force of composite wick structures is larger than that of grooved and sintered ones. Interaction wetting between groove and sintered powder happens during the liquid rise in composite wick, which provides an additional source of capillary force. It exhibits a variation of capillary force of composite wicks with different powder size due to the difference of open pore size and quantity in sintered porous matrix.     

Thermal performance of sintered miniature heat pipes

 Investigation has been carried out on the thermal performance of sintered miniature heat pipes with 3 mm outer diameter. In the theoretical analysis, the influence of wick structure parameters is determined by using the theory of capillary limitation. As a result, the degree of importance is found to be as follows: porosity, powder diameter and thickness of wick structure. In the experiments, heat pipes with sintered dendritic copper powder wicks were fabricated and tested. The maximum heat transfer rate is about 13 W with an effective heat pipe length of 20 cm. By adopting the formulae developed for both sintered spherical powder and fiber and adjusting their proportion, the agreement between experimental results and prediction is found to be quite good in the tested operation temperature range. Received on 26 February 2001     

Effect of pore size distribution in bidisperse wick on heat transfer in a loop heat pipe

The purpose of this article is to experimentally investigate the effect of different pore size distributions in bidisperse wicks upon the heat transfer performance in a LHP. Three bidisperse wicks and one monoporous wick were tested in a loop heat pipe. The pore size distributions of the bidisperse wicks were measured, and the results reflected the three different large/small pore size ratios. The experiments showed that the maximum heat load of the monoporous wick reached about 400 W; and the three bidisperse wicks showed improvements on the maximum heat load up to 570 W. For the monoporous wick, the evaporator heat transfer coefficients of 10 kW/m² K and total thermal resistance of 0.19°C/W were achieved at a high heat load of 400 W. For the better bidisperse wick, the evaporator heat transfer coefficients could attain about 23 kW/m² K and total thermal resistance of 0.13°C/W. The results also indicated that a smaller cluster size in a bidisperse structure created a small pore size ratio. It was also found that the bidisperse wick with smaller clusters had a better enhancement in terms of the evaporator heat transfer coefficient.     

A study of loop heat pipe with biporous wicks

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of various bimodal pore size distributions of biporous wicks for a loop heat pipe (LHP). The study was conducted following a statistical method using a two-level factorial plan involving three variables (particle size of pore former:74–88 and 125–149 μm Na₂CO₃, pore former content:20% by volume and 25% by volume, sintering temperature:700 and 750°C). Finally, the heat transport capability of the LHP between monoporous wicks and biporous wicks has been investigated. Experimental results show that, at the sink temperature of 10°C and the allowable evaporator temperature of 80°C, the heat transfer capacity of the better biporous wick achieved 200 W and the total thermal resistance was 0.31°C/W. The performance is enhanced about 60%, compared to a monoporous wick for 125 W and 0.53°C/W. Therefore, LHPs with biporous wicks are very attractive for high heat flux applications in the future.     

The Effect of Pore Structure on the Electrical Conductivity of Ti

Open-pore Ti foam samples with porosity in the range of 10–70% and average pore size of 150–400 μm was fabricated by powder metallurgy method using polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) as space holder initially. The resulting foam is anisotropic: the pores are spheroidal, being shorter along the pressing direction than in the pressing plane. The pore anisotropy decreases as the size of the polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) particles used increases and hence with pore size, which leads to a higher conductivity in the plane of the pressing. As the porosity increases, the conductivity of porous Ti decreases dramatically. The porosity e{\varepsilon} dependence of the electrical conductivity σ could be well described by Maxwell approximation, while the differential effective medium approximation is only suitable to porous Ti with finite size of 400 μm in the porosity range of 40–70%, i.e., high porosity metal with randomly oriented spheroids.     

Experimental study of air natural convection on metallic foam-sintered plate

The natural convection on metallic foam-sintered plate at different inclination angles was experimentally studied. Seven copper foam samples with different pore densities (10–40 pore per inch), porosities (0.90–0.95), and aspect ratios (the ratio of foam thickness to sample length, 0.1–0.5) were measured at inclination angles of 0° (vertical orientation), 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, 90° (horizontal orientation). The heat conduction and natural convection inside the foam both contributed to the total heat transfer. Although, the form and viscous drag, which are influenced by permeability and viscous friction in the thermal boundary layer respectively, tend to suppress the natural convection, the heat transfer was finally enhanced by the foam sintered surface due to large surface area extension. Optimum inclination range 60–75° corresponding to maximum average Nu number was found in the heat flux range of 600–1800 W/m². The sintered foam surface with lower porosity and pore density was recommended for heat transfer enhancement. Particularly, the sample with porosity 0.9, pore density of 10 PPI, aspect ratio of 0.5 offered the highest average Nu number among the studied samples. An empirical correlation for modified Nusselt number at isoflux boundary condition considering the foam morphology parameter and inclination angle was proposed within deviation ±15% between the correlation and the experimental data.     

Elasticity and strength of partially sintered ceramics

A discrete element model for the elastic and fracture behavior of partially sintered ceramics is presented. It accounts for the granular character of the material when a large amount of porosity (typically >0.2-0.4) is left after sintering. The model uses elastic force-displacement laws to represent the bond formed between particles during sintering. Bond fracture in tension and shearing is accounted for in the model. Realistic numerical microstructures are generated using a sintering model on random particle packings. In particular, packings with fugitive pore formers are used to create partially sintered microstructures with large pores. The effective elastic response and the strength of these microstructures are calculated in tension and compression. The link between important microstructural features such as bond size or coordination number and macroscopic behavior is investigated. In particular, it is shown that porosity alone is not sufficient to account for the mechanical properties of a partially sintered material.     

纯钼烧结体压缩变形本构模型建立

基于可压缩连续材料的屈服准则和塑性本构关系,推导了粉末烧结材料的压缩变形屈服条件,采用真空烧结技术制备了不同密度的钼,通过在MTS810实验机上进行单向压缩试验,研究了在不同的初始密度,变形温度和应变速率的条件下,纯钼烧结休压缩变形流变应力的变化规律.建立了其流变应力的经验回归模型,进而确定了纯钼烧结材料压缩变形的屈服...     

Permeability of Pore Networks Under Compaction

The characteristic pore length fixes the scale of permeability of a porous medium. For pore networks undergoing strong random compaction, this length becomes singular at transition porosities, revealing a change in the microstructure of the porespace controlling the transport. Nodal balances and lattice Boltzmann simulations of flow in pore networks under compaction show that the scaling between permeability and porosity changes near the transition porosities. Simulation results are compared with experimental permeability data from transparent two-dimensional micromodels of networks decorated with the same pore size distribution. Permeability?Cporosity data of media undergoing smooth compaction is well described by a single power law. Under strong compaction, however, the scaling between permeability and porosity is possible by traits only, the scaling exponent changes notably at given transition porosities. These behaviors are common to a wealth of permeability?Cporosity data thus far unexplained.     

Porosity dependence of strength in brittle solids

The effect of pore size and pore volume fraction on strength in brittle solids is evaluated. The analysis considers that the strength degradaton of a solid containing a large number of spherical pores is due to a strong effect of porosity on Young's modulus. Each pore is assumed to possess radial or annular flaws emanating from the pore surface whose lengths are considered to be independent of pore size. The effect of stress concentration induced by the presence of the pore is included in the equation for strength through the Young's modulus dependence of porosity originally developed using the concept of crack opening displacement. It is shown that the strength of a solid containing spherical pores is controlled by the pore size, pore volume fracton and the radial (or annular) crack size to pore size ratio. Predicted variation of strength with pore volume fraction is tested against experimental data for glass and polycrystalline alumina.     

T22铁基粉末冶金摩阻材料的研制与应用

重载机械的发展对摩阻材料提出了更高的技术要求。铁基粉末冶金摩阻材料是以铁为基体,含有适量摩擦组元和润滑组元的多相复合材料,成本较低,适用于制作重载机械制动瓦。作者介绍了自行研制的用于制作装甲履带车辆制动瓦的T22铁基粉末冶金摩阻材料的基本组成和性能,并将这种制动瓦与铸铁瓦进行了对比试验,表明前者不仅在热稳定性和耐磨性上都明显地比后者的好,而且它还具有车辆减速度高、制动距离短和使用寿命长等优点,可以满足转向灵活、使用可靠的要求,提高了装甲履带车辆的机动性。     

Investigation on the evolution characteristics of bed porous structure during iron ore sintering

To better understand the evolution characteristics of bed porous structure during iron ore sintering, X-ray computed tomography scanning technology was used to analyze the pore parameters in different areas of the sintering bed. A pore skeleton structure model was established to study the characteristics of the airflow channels in different zones. The absolute permeability of different areas was calculated through simulation, and the corresponding streamline and pressure drop distribution were analyzed. The results show that the porosity of raw material zone, high-temperature zone, and sintered zone increases gradually, which are 37.69%, 46.41%, and 55.57%, respectively. The absolute permeability calculation results of the raw material zone and sintered zones are 792.49 μm² and 20560.80 μm², while the tortuosity is 1.77 and 1.45, respectively. Compared with the raw material zone, the flow streamline in the sintered zone is thicker and denser, the airflow resistance and the pressure drop are minor.     

Influence of Porosity on Ultra-High Vacuum Gas-Tightness in Cold-Sprayed Aluminum Coatings

Vacuum chambers used in high-energy particle accelerator experiments are conventionally made of bulk beryllium, which shows significant drawbacks due to cost and toxicity. An alternative solution could be to develop chambers made of polymer-based composites. Since these materials exhibit high outgassing not compatible with an ultra-high vacuum environment, a suitable gas-tight coating is required. Cold spray deposition of aluminum can be a solution, provided that the coating behaves as a perfect vacuum barrier. Porosity, especially percolating porous networks, is key to coating gas tightness issues. This work addresses the relationship between porosity and gas-tightness in cold spray coatings. To do so, coatings with different porosity were achieved playing with powder morphology, composition, and process parameters. Their gas tightness was evaluated by helium leak tests. Classical microscopy, being essentially a 2D analysis, is strongly limited when dealing with 3D properties as porosity percolation. For this reason, 3D X-ray microtomography images of coatings were obtained and treated by image analysis methods: pores were compared in terms of size and shape. Overall porosity properties, including percolation and a homogeneity criterion, were also investigated. Percolating porosity was highlighted for several samples which showed poor gas-tightness properties. The permeability of percolating pore structures was then numerically computed by a fast Fourier transform-based method, to quantify the mass flow through the coating. Results of those computations were finally compared to experimental coating leak rate measurements, in an effort to elucidate the link between gas tightness and morphology of the pore space.

     

尼龙粉末在SLS预热温度下的离散元模型参数确定及其流动特性分析

尼龙粉末是增材制造中常用的粉体材料,温度对其流动性有重要影响. 探索尼龙粉末增材制造预热温度下的流动性是研究选择性激光烧结(selective laser sintering, SLS)工艺中粉体铺展成形的基础. 选取SLS技术中的尼龙粉末为原材料,采用离散元数值方法,研究尼龙粉末的流动行为,是增材制造工艺数值模拟和铺粉工艺优化的研究热点. 以Hertz-Mindlin模型为基础,基于Hamaker理论模型和库伦定律,在尼龙粉末的接触动力学模型中引入范德华力和静电力,建立预热温度下尼龙粉末流动的离散元模型(discrete element method, DEM),通过对比相应实验结果,标定了该模型的参数. 对加热旋转圆筒中尼龙粉末流动过程进行了DEM数值模拟,校核了所建模型的正确性,并研究了粉体粒径分布对尼龙粉末流动特性的影响规律. 研究表明,尼龙粉末黏附力是静电力与范德华力的共同作用结果;随着粉体粒径的增大,尼龙粉末崩塌角增大,流动性增强;相对于高斯粒径分布,粒径均匀分布的尼龙粉末颗粒流动性更强. 研究结果可指导SLS中铺粉工艺的优化.      

Pore Network Analysis of Resistivity Index for Water-Wet Porous Media

Pore network analysis is used to investigate the effects of microscopic parameters of the pore structure such as pore geometry, pore-size distribution, pore space topology and fractal roughness porosity on resistivity index curves of strongly water-wet porous media. The pore structure is represented by a three-dimensional network of lamellar capillary tubes with fractal roughness features along their pore-walls. Oil-water drainage (conventional porous plate method) is simulated with a bond percolation-and-fractal roughness model without trapping of wetting fluid. The resistivity index, saturation exponent and capillary pressure are expressed as approximate functions of the pore network parameters by adopting some simplifying assumptions and using effective medium approximation, universal scaling laws of percolation theory and fractal geometry. Some new phenomenological models of resistivity index curves of porous media are derived. Finally, the eventual changes of resistivity index caused by the permanent entrapment of wetting fluid in the pore network are also studied.Resistivity index and saturation exponent are decreasing functions of the degree of correlation between pore volume and pore size as well as the width of the pore size distribution, whereas they are independent on the mean pore size. At low water saturations, the saturation exponent decreases or increases for pore systems of low or high fractal roughness porosity respectively, and obtains finite values only when the wetting fluid is not trapped in the pore network. The dependence of saturation exponent on water saturation weakens for strong correlation between pore volume and pore size, high network connectivity, medium pore-wall roughness porosity and medium width of the pore size distribution. The resistivity index can be described succesfully by generalized 3-parameter power functions of water saturation where the parameter values are related closely with the geometrical, topological and fractal properties of the pore structure.     

Contribution of the Dusty Gas Model to Permeability/Diffusion Tests on Partially Saturated Clay Rocks

Gas transfer experiments on claystone and numerical simulations have been conducted to enhance the knowledge of gas transport in nuclear waste repositories in the Callovo-Oxfordian clay formation in Bure, France. Laboratory Gas transfer experiments were performed with a specific device dedicated to very low permeability measurement (10^?23 to 10^?20 m²). Experiments were performed on both dry and close to saturation claystone. The Dusty Gas Model, based on multi-component gas transfer equations with Knudsen diffusion, was used to describe the experimental results. The parameters obtained are the effective permeability, the Knudsen diffusion (Klinkenberg effect) and molecular diffusion coefficients and the porosity accessible to gas. Numerical simulations were carried with various boundary conditions and for different gases (helium vs hydrogen) and were compared with experiments to test the reliability of the model parameters and to better understand the mechanisms involved in clays close to saturation. The numerical simulation fitted the experimental data well whereas simpler models cannot describe the complexity of the Knudsen/Klinkenberg effects. Permeabilities lie between 10^?22 and 10^?20 m². Claystones close to saturation have an accessible porosity to gas transfer that is lower than 0.1?C1% of the porosity. Analysis of the Klinkenberg effect suggests that this accessible pore network should be made of 50?C200?nm diameter pores. It represents pore networks accessible at capillary pressure lower than 4?MPa.     

Mechanical Properties of Transparent Polycrystalline Alumina Ceramics Processed Using an Environmentally Benign Thermal Gel Casting Process

Technological advancements in ceramic powder synthesis, shaping and sintering have made it possible to tailor the microstructural, mechanical and optical property relationships in the case of advanced transparent ceramic materials. Transparent polycrystalline alumina (TPCA) is the hardest known transparent ceramic and one of the emerging candidate materials for transparent armour applications. The prerequisites for obtaining transparency with the high hardness, is to achieve the sintered average grain sizes <1 μm in combination with density close to the theoretical value. This paper outlines the processing of TPCA by an environmentally benign methyl cellulose based thermal gel casting (MCTG) process, which is employed for the first time in shaping of the TPCA. The green specimens shaped through this technique were pressureless sintered (PLS) to >96 % density at an optimum temperature of 1350 °C. The post sintering by Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) at an optimum temperature of 1350 °C and a pressure of 195 MPa resulted in >99.5 % of the theoretical density and a grain size of 0.7 μm. For the sake of comparison, conventional polycrystalline alumina samples (non-transparent) were also processed by sintering at 1550 °C under PLS condition with nearly the same densities (designated as PCA). The TPCA thus developed exhibit a combination of high hardness of 21 GPa, flexural strength of 550 MPa and excellent fracture resistance properties as compared to conventional PCA samples.     

可压缩烧结材料滑移线场性质与构造

本文简要介绍了可压缩烧结材料平面应度的滑移线理论，导出了其滑移线场的几个基本性质，并与致密材料滑线场作了比较，以一个滑移场构造为例，说明了某些性质的应用。     

Hydrodynamic Characterization of Nickel Metal Foam,Part 2: Effects of Pore Structure and Permeability

In this article, the structural characterization of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) nickel metal foam is presented. Scanning electron microscope and post image processing were used to carefully analyze the surface of the nickel metal foams. Data on foam unit cell, ligament thickness, projected pore diameter, and averaged porosity was obtained. Unit cell and projected pore diameters of CVD nickel metal foam possess Gaussian-like distribution. Characteristics of pore structure and its effect on permeability in Darcian flow regime were analyzed. The relations between the permeability, pore size, and porosity are presented. Present and previous data are compared with these relations. Measurement results indicate that the permeability or the viscous conductivity of the CVD processed metal foam is affected not only by the pore size, and porosity but also by the ligament structure.     

Numerical Approach of the Permeability of a Macroporous Bioceramic with Interconnected Spherical Pores

Manufacturing a hybrid bone substitute requires a dynamic culture of the cells preliminarily seeded in a scaffold through a flow of physiological fluid. The velocity, pressure, and the distribution of fluid flow in this kind of macroporous medium are the important keys. Because of the difficulties in determining these parameters by experiment, a numerical approach has been chosen. One of the primary step of this study consists in the determination of permeability K. In this article, two types of structure of macroporous bioceramics are concerned. One is the interconnected pore spheres arranged either simple cubic, body-centered cubic or face-centered cubic systems. The other is the interconnected pore spheres randomly arranged. Based on Darcy??s law, the permeability K was calculated for many cases (type, porosity) by simulating the fluid flow through a small representative volume. These results are compared with some previous models such as Ergun, Carman?CKozeny, Rumpf?CGupte, and Du Plessis. The limits of Darcy??s law and the above-mentioned models have been determined using numerical simulation. The result showed that the porous media with spherical interconnected pores of BCC systems can be used to replace a complex random system in a range of porosity from 0.71 to 0.76 (i.e., porosity of our scaffolds). This assumption is validated for a pressure gradient lower the 1,000?Pa m^?C1 and a simple polynomial relation linking permeability and porosity (0.71?C0.76) has been established.