This study investigates the use of X-ray microtomography (XMT) to reveal the structure of complex porous biological tissues and the fluid flow through them during wetting. It also evaluates fluid dynamical simulations based on XMT data to reproduce and analyse these flows, with a final aim of revealing fluid transport and void formation in such tissues. To fulfil the objectives, the wetting flow of a polymer liquid through an initially dry conditioned Norway spruce wood sample is visualised using XMT at the MAX IV synchrotron. The liquid flow front progression captured after 24 s and 48 s reveals uneven filling of longitudinal tracheids and flow between them via the tiny pits which connect tracheids. Most tracheids fill between 24 and 48 s, possibly due to removal of air inclusions. Large density gradients near cell walls suggest that the fluid followed and deposited along wall structures. Computational fluid dynamics simulations (CFD) of saturated flow through the tomography-based geometry indicate velocity profiles that resemble pipe flow in longitudinal tracheids and flow rate differences among them. The latter indicates that the geometry itself may cause the experimentally observed uneven flow. Streamlines show intra-tracheid flow development and clear flow direction change at the pits. Additionally, wetting simulations, using a constant contact angle, capture initial uneven filling between the tracheids on shorter time scales than could be capture by the experiments. These simulations furthermore show air entrapment during filling, consistent with experimental observations. Combining XMT with CFD enables detailed studies of flow in biological porous media. Faster X-ray scanning, incorporating dynamic contact angles and accounting for diffusion in simulations could further refine insights into fluid progression during capillary-driven flow into complex structures of porous biological tissues.

Real-time numerical simulations of data center air-cooling is achieved using a computational fluid dynamics research code executed on multiple graphics processing units (GPUs). The simulated thermal fields are validated against transient time-series data recorded during the experimental operation of a slab-floor data center that is thermally managed using computer room air handling units.A developed lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) simulation using the Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook (BGK) collision operator is employed to model both the momentum and energy transport equations of fluid dynamics. Airflow turbulence is captured using a large eddy simulation (LES) approach and the effects of natural convection of the air are included using the Boussinesq approximation.The BGK-LBM computation is distributed across 10 GPUs on a multi-GPU remote server. Using optimization strategies for synchronization between GPUs, the computational performance is shown to scale almost linearly with the number of GPUs involved. A parallel algorithm based on MapReduce is developed that can provide continuous measurements of the simulated macroscopic field variables. Agreement between the simulated and measured fields is shown. The numerical simulation can be executed in real-time or faster depending on the lattice resolution.

This review article provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals, modelling approaches, experimental studies, and challenges associated with hydrogen gas flow in pipelines. It elucidates key aspects of hydrogen gas flow, including density, compressibility factor, and other relevant properties crucial for understanding its behavior in pipelines. Equations of state are discussed in detail, highlighting their importance in accurately modeling hydrogen gas flow. In the subsequent sections, one-dimensional and three-dimensional modelling techniques for gas distribution networks and localized flow involving critical components are explored. Emphasis is placed on transient flow, friction losses, and leakage characteristics, shedding light on the complexities of hydrogen pipeline transportation. Experimental studies investigating hydrogen pipeline transportation dynamics are outlined, focusing on the impact of leakage on surrounding environments and safety parameters. The challenges and solutions associated with repurposing natural gas pipelines for hydrogen transport are discussed, along with the influence of pipeline material on hydrogen transportation. Identified research gaps underscore the need for further investigation into areas such as transient flow behavior, leakage mitigation strategies, and the development of advanced modelling techniques. Future perspectives address the growing demand for hydrogen as a clean energy carrier and the evolving landscape of hydrogen-based energy systems.

By comparing freezing and non-freezing water droplets with Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), this paper aims to further advance the knowledge of the internal movement in deposited water droplets. The experiments are carried out at substrate temperatures below 0 °C, and the onset of the freezing process is controlled by the structure of the plate. Results show similar flow patterns for the freezing and non-freezing case, indicating that the phase change is not the initial driving force of the internal movement or the directional change phenomena. The phase change will, however, decrease the volume of the liquid and generate a difference in heat transfer and temperature, hence introducing a faster decrease in velocity and sooner directional velocity change. In the non-freezing case, a stagnated period at the beginning of the internal movement is observed before the decrease in velocity.

A reliable battery thermal management system plays a crucial role in the safe, efficient, and long-term operation of a high-performance lithium battery system. This study evaluates the temperature rise, pressure drop, capacity loss, and cyclical cost of an air-cooled battery system consisting of 90 cylindrical battery cells placed ina staggered arrangement in the module. The effect of spacing between the adjacent cells and inflow velocity is investigated for the battery system operating at high charge/discharge rates of 3C and 5C. The results demonstrate that the hybrid model, which consists of the battery life model integrated with the simplified modeling approach for the thermal evaluation of battery packs, provides a cost-effective tool for multi-objective analysis and optimization of air-cooled battery packages.The results reveal that the air-based cooling system has the potential to fulfill the safety standards in all studied cases, and employing battery modules with larger cell spacing at a constant inflow velocity may reduce the maximum temperature, pressure drop, and cyclical cost by up to 2.14%, 93.36%, and 35.69%, respectively, while extending the lifespan of the battery system by up to 55.45%. However, it is found that the air-based cooling system approaches its limit of thermal performance at high inflow velocities. A novel index (MCR index) is proposed in this paper to characterize the limitationsassociated with adjusting cell spacing for air-based battery cooling systems. It is observed that for systems with an MCR index beyond 600, the effect of cell spacingon thermal performance becomes negligible. This can be used as a useful guideline for optimizing air-based battery thermal management systems or integratingthem with other cooling methods.

Sheet Moulding Compound (SMC) based composites have a large potential in industrial contexts due to the possibility of achieving comparatively short manufacturing times. It is however necessary to be able to numerically predict both mechanical properties as well as manufacturability of parts.

In this paper a fully 3D, semi-empirical model based on fluid mechanics for the compression moulding of SMC is described and discussed, in which the fibres and the resin are modelled as a single, inseparable fluid with a viscosity that depends on volume fraction of fibres, shear strain rate and temperature. This model is applied to an advanced carbon-fibre SMC with a high fibre volume fraction (35%). Simulations are run on a model of a squeeze test rig, allowing comparison to experimental results from such a rig. The flow data generated by this model is then used as input for an Advani-Tucker type of model for the evolution of the fibre orientation during the pressing process. Numerical results are also obtained from the software 3DTimon. The resulting fibre orientation distributions are then compared to experimental results that are obtained from microscopy. The experimental measurement of the orientation tensors is performed using the Method of Ellipses. A new, automated, accurate and fast method for the ellipse fitting is developed using machine learning. For the studied case, comparison between the experimental results and numerical methods indicate that 3D Timon better captures the random orientation at the outer edges of the circular disc, while 3D CFD show larger agreement in terms of the out-of-plane component. One of the advantages of the new image technique is that less work is required to obtain microscope images with a quality good enough for the analysis.

In recent years, wall-bounded cross-flow heat exchangers have gained significant attention for battery cooling applications. Due to similarities in geometry, these systems are often evaluated based on the heat and flow knowledge of free cross-flow heat exchangers. To determine the reliability of this assumption, this study performs a numerical comparison of the thermo-fluid behavior of wall-bounded and free cross-flow heat exchangers. Both heat exchangers have similar dimensions, with transverse and longitudinal pitch ratios of 2.074 and 1.037, respectively, and are investigated at a Reynolds number of 40000 using the Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) method. It is observed that the  transition model provides the most accurate predictions of the flow field when compared to available experimental data. The results suggest that for wall-bounded heat exchangers with an aspect ratio of 2 or larger, the flow behavior in the central flow region resembles that of a free heat exchanger, but with varying magnitudes due to the increase in velocity in the core region to counterbalance the reduction near the walls. The area-averaged mean Nusselt number from 2D and 3D models for free heat exchangers shows no significant difference compared to wall-bounded heat exchangers. However, there are considerable differences in the local Nusselt number distributions in the angular and spanwise directions. Overall, it is determined that certain conditions must be satisfied to ensure that applying the thermo-fluid characteristics of a free cross-flow heat exchanger to wall-bounded cross-flow heat exchangers in battery thermal management systems is accurate.

Recent studies have revealed that effective thermal management systems are necessary to maintain the performance, lifespan, and safety of lithium battery systems. A unique and novel modeling approach is presented in this work with the aim of estimating the thermal performance of air-based cooling systems for large-scale lithium battery packages. The overall model consists of sub-models, including an analytical model for battery cells and a numerical heat and flow model for the battery module, which are validated against experimental data and empirical correlations, respectively. The chosen approach implies that the sub-models can operate independently, allowing accurate transient simulations with reduced processing time. The model is employed to evaluate the effect of cell spacing on the thermal performance of an air-cooled battery system designed for a hybrid electric vehicle. The results demonstrate that the maximum temperature within the cells positively correlates with transverse and longitudinal pitch ratios; however, the maximum temperature difference in the module has a negative correlation with these pitch ratios. In contrast, temperature uniformity shows non-monotonic behavior, making it an applicable criterion to balance between temperature rise and thermal gradients. Moreover, considerable temperature non-uniformity is noted in the early rows, which becomes less significant as pitch ratios decrease.

Achieving energy and cooling efficiency in data center convective air flow and heat transfer can be a challenging task. Among different numerical methods to work with such issues is the Finite Volume Method in Computational Fluid Dynamics. This work evaluates the performance of two such solvers provided by OpenFOAM® in solving this type of convective heat-transfer problem, namely BuoyantBoussinesqPimpleFOAM and BuoyantPimpleFOAM. This is done for two different flow configurations of significantly different Richardson number. To sufficiently resolve the flow, grid sizing effects are elucidated by way of the kernel density estimate. It determines the volume distribution of the temperature in the data center configuration. For the k-epsilon turbulence model used here, it was found that the compressible solver performs faster and requires less grid resolution for both flow configurations. This is attributed to the nature of the boundary conditions which are set such that the mass flow conservation per server rack and cooling unit is achieved. Transient solutions are found to provide better iterative convergence for cases that involves buoyancy, compressibility and flow separation. This is, in comparison to steady-state solutions where artificial numerical pressure drop is found, to depend on the momentum relaxation factors for the convective case with a higher Richardson number.

Freezing of water droplets are of interest in areas such as de-icing and anti-icing of wind turbine blades, aircrafts and cars. On part of the ice build-up that has been less studied is the internal flow in water droplets and how it affects the freezing process. In this paper the aim is to investigate how the contact angle, substrate composition and temperature influences the internal flow. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) is used to determine the magnitude and direction of the internal flow, with specific emphasis on directional changes. Results show that a larger contact angle will increase the internal velocity, freezing time and time until the directional change. Cooler substrate temperature increase the internal velocity while reducing the freezing time, but the dependence on the time until the directional change is not as pronounced. The result thus indicate differences in the driving forces between freezing time, internal velocity and directional velocity change. Difference due to substrate composition, i.e. mixture of ice and metal versus only metal is furthermore compared.