Suman Chakraborty

Nanofiltration of textile plant effluent for color removal and reduction in COD

Abstract A membrane based separation process (nanofiltration, NF) is used to treat the effluent from a textile plant. The dye mixture contains reactive black dye (Cibacron Black B) and reactive red dye (Cibacron Red RB). An organic membrane with molecular weight cut-off of 400 is used for the experiments. The experiments are conducted in an unstirred batch and a rectangular cross flow cell. Separations with retentions up to 94 and 92% of the two dyes are achieved respectively in the cross flow cell where steady state is attained quickly. It is important to note that NF techniques achieve a sharp reduction in chemical oxygen demand (COD), (up to 94% in cross flow cell), as the dyes are removed from the permeate. A parametric study of the separation process is undertaken to characterize the effects of the operating variables, e.g., trans-membrane pressure, dye concentration in the feed and cross flow velocity in case of cross flow NF.

An enthalpy-based hybrid lattice-Boltzmann method for modelling solid-liquid phase transition in the presence of convective transport

An extended lattice Boltzmann model is developed for simulating the convection–diffusion phenomena associated with solid–liquid phase transition processes. Macroscopic hydrodynamic variables are obtained through the solution of an evolution equation of a single-particle density distribution function, whereas, the macroscopic temperature field is obtained by solving auxiliary scalar transport equations. The novelty of the present methodology lies in the formulation of an enthalpy-based approach for phase-change modelling within a lattice-Boltzmann framework, in a thermodynamically consistent manner. Thermofluidic aspects of phase transition are handled by means of a modified enthalpy–porosity formulation, in conjunction with an appropriate enthalpy-updating closure scheme. Lattice-Boltzmann simulations of melting of pure gallium in a rectangular enclosure, Rayleigh–Benard convection in the presence of directional solidification in a top-cooled cavity, and crystal growth during solidification of an undercooled melt agree well with the numerical and experimental results available in the literature, and provide substantial evidence regarding the upscaled computational economy provided by the present methodology.

Role of parasitics in humidity sensing by porous silicon

Abstract Humidity sensing by porous silicon (PS) layer is commonly reported either by capacitive sensing or by conductive sensing. A critical analysis of both capacitive and conductive sensing by microporous PS layer is presented here. The influences of parasitic capacitances and resistances unavoidably associated with the active porous layer on the measured changes in capacitance and resistance of the humidity sensor with variation of humidity are analysed. The role of contact geometry, signal frequency and porosity of PS layer are also discussed. It is shown that capacitive sensing is more sensitive in low frequency range owing to the relative contributions of parasitic components.

Microchannel flow control through a combined electromagnetohydrodynamic transport

A mathematical model is developed to study the combined influences of electromagnetohydrodynamic forces in controlling the fluid flow through parallel plate rectangular microchannels. The electric double layer (EDL) effects are modelled by employing the classical Poisson–Boltzmann equation. The governing fluid flow equations are subsequently solved, in an effort to obtain closed form expressions depicting the variations in the overall flow rate as a function of various influencing system parameters. It is revealed that, with the aid of a relatively low-magnitude magnetic field, a substantial augmentation in the volumetric flow rates can be achieved. However, with magnetic fields of higher strengths, strongly opposing volumetric forces might offset any further possibilities of flow rate augmentation. Certain critical non-dimensional parameters are also identified, which can play significant roles in the overall flow augmentation mechanism.

Three-dimensional computational modeling of momentum, heat, and mass transfer in a laser surface alloying process

A three-dimensional, transient model is developed for studying heat transfer, fluid flow, and mass transfer for the case of a single-pass laser surface alloying process. The coupled momentum, energy, and species conservation equations are solved using a finite volume procedure. Phase change processes are modeled using a fixed-grid enthalpy-porosity technique, which is capable of predicting the continuously evolving solid-liquid interface. The three-dimensional model is able to predict the species concentration distribution inside the molten pool during alloying, as well as in the entire cross section of the solidified alloy. The model is simulated for different values of various significant processing parameters such as laser power, scanning speed, and powder feedrate in order to assess their influences on geometry and dynamics of the pool, cooling rates, as well as species concentration distribution inside the substrate. Effects of incorporating property variations in the numerical model are also discussed.

Modelling of transport phenomena in laser surface alloying with distributed species mass source

In this paper, a three-dimensional transient macroscopic numerical model is developed for the description of transport phenomena during laser surface alloying. In order to make accurate estimates for the species composition distribution during the process, the addition of alloying elements is formulated by devising a species generation term for the solute transport equation. By employing a particle-tracking algorithm and a simultaneous particle-melting consideration, the species source term is estimated by the amount of fusion of a spherical particle as it passes through a particular control volume. Numerical simulations are performed for two cases. The first case corresponds to aluminium as alloying element on a nickel substrate, while the second case is for alloying nickel on aluminium substrate. It is observed for the latter case that the melting of the alloying element is not instantaneous, and hence it cannot be modelled as a species mass flux boundary condition at the top surface. The predicted results are compared with experiments, and the agreement is found to be good.

Steric-effect induced alterations in streaming potential and energy transfer efficiency of non-newtonian fluids in narrow confinements

In this work, we explore the possibilities of utilizing the combined consequences of interfacial electrokinetics and rheology toward augmenting the energy transfer efficiencies in narrow fluidic confinements. In particular, we consider the exploitation of steric effects (i.e., effect of finite size of the ionic species) in non-Newtonian fluids over small scales, to report dramatic augmentations in the streaming potential, for shear-thickening fluids. We first derive an expression for the streaming potential considering strong electrical double layer interactions in the confined flow passage and the consequences of the finite conductance of the Stern layer, going beyond the Debye-Hückel limit. With a detailed accounting for the excluded volume effects of the ionic species and their interaction with pertinent interfacial phenomena of special type of rheological fluids such as the power law fluids in the above-mentioned formalism, we demonstrate that a confluence of the steric interactions with the non-Newtonian transport characteristics may result in giant augmentations in the energy transfer efficiency for shear-thickening fluids under appropriate conditions.

Effect of conductivity variations within the electric double layer on the streaming potential estimation in narrow fluidic confinements.

In this article, we investigate the implications of ionic conductivity variations within the electrical double layer (EDL) on the streaming potential estimation in pressure-driven fluidic transport through narrow confinements. Unlike the traditional considerations, we do not affix the ionic conductivities apriori by employing preset values of dimensionless parameters (such as the Dukhin number) to estimate the streaming potential. Rather, utilizing the Gouy-Chapman-Grahame model for estimating the electric potential and charge density distribution within the Stern layer, we first quantify the Stern layer electrical conductivity as a function of the zeta potential and other pertinent parameters quantifying the interaction of the ionic species with the charged surface. Next, by invoking the Boltzmann model for cationic and anionic distribution within the diffuse layer, we obtain the diffuse layer electrical conductivity. On the basis of these two different conductivities pertaining to the two different portions of the EDL as well as the bulk conductivity, we define two separate Dukhin numbers that turn out to be functions of the dimensionless zeta potential and the channel height to Debye length ratio. We derive analytical expressions for the streaming potential as a function of the fundamental governing parameters, considering the above. The results reveal interesting and significant deviations between the streaming potential predictions from the present considerations against the corresponding predictions from the classical considerations in which electrochemically consistent estimates of variable EDL conductivity are not traditionally accounted for. In particular, it is revealed that the variations of streaming potential with zeta potential are primarily determined by the competing effects of EDL electromigration and ionic advection. Over low and high zeta potential regimes, the Stern layer and diffuse layer conductivities predominantly dictate the streaming potential variations whereas ionic advection governs the streaming potential characteristics over intermediate zeta potential regimes. It is also inferred that traditional considerations may grossly overpredict the magnitude of streaming potential for narrow confinements in which significant conductivity gradients may prevail across the EDL.

Augmentation of peristaltic microflows through electro-osmotic mechanisms

The present work aims to theoretically establish that the employment of an axial electric field can substantially augment the rate of microfluidic transport occurring in peristaltic microtubes. For theoretical analysis, shape evolution of the tube is taken to be arbitrary, except for the fact that the characteristic wavelength is assumed to be significantly greater than the average radius of cross section. First, expressions for the velocity profile within the tube are derived and are subsequently utilized to obtain variations in the net flow rate across the same, as a function of the pertinent system parameters. Subsequently, the modes of interaction between the electro-osmotic and peristaltic mechanisms are established through the variations in the time-averaged flow rates for zero pressure rise and the pressure rise for zero time-averaged flow rates, as expressed in terms of the occlusion number, characteristic electro-osmotic velocity and the peristaltic wave speed. From the simulation predictions, it is suggested that a judicious combination of peristalsis and an axial electrokinetic body force can drastically enhance the time-averaged flow rate, provided that the occlusion number is relatively small.

Giant augmentations in electro-hydro-dynamic energy conversion efficiencies of nanofluidic devices using viscoelastic fluids

We report a mechanism of massive augmentations in energy harvesting capabilities of nanofluidic devices, through the combined deployment of viscoelastic fluids and oscillatory driving pressure forces. Our analyses demonstrate that when the forcing frequency of a pressure-driven flow matches with the inverse of the relaxation time scale of a typical viscoelastic fluid, the energy conversion efficiency may get giantly amplified because of a complex interplay between the fluid rheology and ionic transport within the electrical double layer, which may open up the realm of highly efficient operating regimes of electro-hydrodynamicenergy conversion in nanofluidic devices of practical relevance.