Yu Bo-Ming

Fractal Character for Tortuous Streamtubes in Porous Media

An analytical model for fractal dimension of tortuous streamtubes in porous media is derived. The proposed fractal dimension for tortuous streamtubes in porous media is expressed as a function of porosity and scale, and there is no empirical constant in the proposed expression. The model predictions for the fractal dimension of tortuous streamtubes in porous media are in good agreement with those by the box-counting method and with the observations of other researchers.

Fractal Analysis of Surface Roughness of Particles in Porous Media

A fractal dimension for roughness height (RH) is introduced to characterize the degree of roughness or disorder of particle surface characters which significantly influence physical-chimerical processes in porous media. An analytical expression for the fractal dimension of RH on statistically self-similar fractal surfaces is derived and is expressed as a function of roughness parameters. The specific surface area (SSA) of porous materials with spherical particles is also derived, and the proposed fractal model for the SSA of particles with rough surfaces is expressed as a function of fractal dimension for RH and fractal dimension for particle size distribution, relative roughness of particle surface, and ratio of the minimum to the maximum particle diameters of spherical particles.

Capillary Rise in a Single Tortuous Capillary

The impact of convolutedness of capillary on the capillary rise of wetting liquid in a single tortuous capillary is studied. By introducing tortuosity and fractal dimension for a tortuous capillary, analytical expression for time evolution of the height/weight of capillary rise is obtained. It is found that the accumulated weight of liquid imbibed into a single tortuous capillary is independent of the shape of a capillary in the early rising stage.

Fractal Analysis of Power-Law Fluid in a Single Capillary

The fractal expressions for flow rate and hydraulic conductivity for power-law fluids in a single capillary are derived based on the fractal nature of tortuous capillaries. Every parameter in the proposed expressions has clear physical meaning. The flow rate and hydraulic conductivity for power-law fluids are found to be related to the tortuosity fractal dimension and the power-law index. The flow rate for power-law fluids increases with the increasing power-law index but decreases with the increasing tortuosity fractal dimension. Good agreement between the model predictions for flow in a fractal capillary and in a converging-diverging duct is obtained. The results suggest that the fractal capillary model can be used to model the power-law fluids with different rheological properties.

Tortuosity of Flow Paths through a Sierpinski Carpet

Sierpinski carpet is an exactly self-similar fractal, which is often used to simulate fractal porous media. A simple recursive model for the tortuosity of flow path in Sierpinski carpet is derived based on the self-similarity of the carpet. The proposed model is related to the stage of the carpet, and there is no empirical constant in this model. The model predictions are compared with those from available correlations by both numerical and experimental methods as well as analysis. Good agreement is found between the present model predictions and those from the available correlations. The present model may have the potential in analysis of transport properties in self-similar fractals.

Effect of Clusters on Thermal Conductivity in Nanofluids

We propose a new model for the effective thermal conductivities of nanofluids, which is derived from the fact that nanoparticles and clusters coexist in the fluids. The effects of the compactness and the perfectness of the contact between nanoparticles in clusters on the effective thermal conductivity of nanofluids are analysed. The proposed model indicates that the effective thermal conductivity of nanofluids decreases with the increasing concentration of clusters. The model predictions are compared with and are in good agreement with the available experimental data.

Characteristics of Plasma Shock Waves Generated in the Pulsed Laser Ablation Process

We modify the Sedov theory to describe plasma shock waves generated in a pulsed laser ablating process. We also study the propagation characteristics of plasma shock waves during the preparation process of functional thin films deposited by a pulsed laser. In particular, we discuss in detail the temporal behaviour of energy causing the difference of the propagation characteristics between the plasma shock wave and the ideal shock wave in the point explosion model. Under the same experimental conditions, the theoretical results calculated with our modified Sedov theory are in good agreement with the existing experimental data.

A Model for Fractal Dimension of Rough Surfaces

We report a model for the fractal dimension Ds of rough surfaces based on the fractal distribution of roughness elements on surfaces and the fractal character of surface profiles. The proposed model for the fractal dimension Ds is expressed as a function of the fractal dimensions D for conic roughness diameter/height and Dp for surface profile, maximum roughness base diameter λmax, the ratio β of conic roughness height to its base radius as well as the ratio λminλmax of the minimum to the maximal base diameter.

A Fractal Model for the Transverse Thermal Dispersion Conductivity in Porous Media

A quasi-analytical model, i.e. the fractal model, for the transverse thermal dispersion conductivity in porous media is presented based on the fractal characteristics of tortuous flow paths/streamlines in porous media. The fractal dimension of tortuous flow paths, the spatial deviation velocity and the transverse thermal dispersion conductivity are derived. The proposed model is expressed as functions of the fractal dimension of tortuous flow paths/streamlines, Peclet number, porosity and structural parameters. The present results are compared with those from the existing correlation, and good agreement is found between the present model predictions and those from the existing correlation.

A Geometrical Model for Tortuosity of Tortuous Streamlines in Porous Media with Cylindrical Particles

We present a three-dimensional geometry model for tortuosity of streamlines in porous media with randomly placed cylindrical particles. The proposed model is expressed as functions of porosity and geometrical parameters with no empirical constant. This might be helpful for understanding the physical mechanism for tortuosity of streamlines in three-dimensional porous media. The model predictions are found to be in good agreement with the experimental data available.