Dr.  Yan  Su
University of Macau,  China

Title: Heat Transport in Porous Media Simulated by a Mesoscale Non-dimensional Lattice Boltzmann Method

Abstract:

Simulations of heat transport in porous mediums are a challenge for computational study due to the multiple length and time scales.  The coupled porous structure generation and heat transport simulation methods in mesoscale is introduced. Both numerical schemes are based on probability distribution functions in Gaussian quadrature grid and velocity sets.  The mesoscale method for various structure generations, which named as the controllable structure generation scheme, can be applied to generate not only multiple-phase isotropic homogenous random structures, but also shape-constrained anisotropic heterogeneous structures through relatively simple constraint integer indexes with a high accuracy of global phase volume fractions no larger than the ratio of one grid volume size over the whole volume.  The non-dimensional lattice Boltzmann method for coupled transport equations for heat transfer and fluid flow can be applied for direct mesoscale simulations of thermal diffusion and natural convection in the generated structures described by the local phase volume fraction matrix. The variable time-step scheme with adjustable mesoscopic March numbers and the stretched mesh scheme with varying local coordinate transformation gradients are compared those fixed time and mesh methods. The effective parallel schemes with minimum information transferred during the data communication between subdomains will be illustrated. Various results of thermal diffusion and natural convection through porous mediums including sphere, fiber, foam, and random porous pellet packed structures are presented to provide a better understanding of the underlying mechanism of heat transport in porous media.

 

 

Reference: Y. Su, “Mesoscopic scale simulations of heat transport in porous structures”, Advances in Heat Transfer Vol. 55, Chapter 4, Elsevier, 2023.

Biography:

Dr. Su is currently an associate Professor of Electromechanical Engineering in University of Macau. She received his PhD degree from the Department of Mechanical Engineering from University of Minnesota in 2006.  In year 2000 and 2003, she obtained her Bachelor of Thermal Engineering from Tsinghua University, and Master of Mechanical Engineering from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, respectively. Dr. Su’s research interests include Thermal Dispersion in Porous Medium, Renewable Energy Systems, Oscillating Flows, and Indoor Air Quality. She also serves as the director of the solar energy laboratory of University of Macau and associate editors of Journal of Heat Transfer (ASME) and Case Studies in Thermal Engineering (Elsevier).