Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Timothy P. Szczykutowicz, Sean D. Rose, Alexander Kitt
Summary: The study introduces a new method called sub pixel encoding (SPE) for achieving spatial resolution on a scale smaller than the detector pixel without the need for motion of the object or detector. By introducing weighting of the photon energy spectrum, information can be synthesized at a spatial scale defined by the spectrum modulation. The method allows for an increase in spatial resolution and provides dual energy like information about the underlying photon-matter interactions.
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Sang-Hun Jang, Jiwon Lee, Onseok Lee
Summary: The researchers analyzed radiation images of mouse soleus muscle structure using microtomography and nanotomography techniques, obtaining 3D images of muscle tissue microstructures through phase-contrast X-ray microtomography. Additionally, they examined single muscle fibers using hard X-ray nano-imaging to observe the alignment of myofibrils in muscle fibers.
MICROSCOPY RESEARCH AND TECHNIQUE
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Hassnain Asgar, Sohaib Mohammed, Alexa Socianu, John Kaszuba, Pavel D. Shevchenko, Greeshma Gadikota
Summary: Advances in sustainable subsurface energy technologies are crucial for meeting our energy and resource needs for a climate-resilient future. Novel strategies to harness subsurface shale reservoirs for recovering valuable metals and for enabling CO2 storage are influenced by the morphological and mineralogical heterogeneities of these materials.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Vincent De Andrade, Viktor Nikitin, Michael Wojcik, Alex Deriy, Sunil Bean, Deming Shu, Tim Mooney, Kevin Peterson, Prabhat Kc, Kenan Li, Sajid Ali, Kamel Fezzaa, Doga Gursoy, Cassandra Arico, Saliha Ouendi, David Troadec, Patrice Simon, Francesco De Carlo, Christophe Lethien
Summary: In recent years, transmission X-ray microscopes have become excellent tools for non-invasive characterization of nanoscale materials, but their spatial resolution has lagged behind modern nanostructures. Recent optomechanical breakthroughs have enabled fast 3D tomographic acquisitions with sub-10 nm resolution, narrowing the gap between X-ray and electron microscopy.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yihuai Zhang, Qingyang Lin, Ali Q. Raeini, Yutaka Onaka, Hiroki Iwama, Katsumo Takabayashi, Martin J. Blunt, Branko Bijeljic
Summary: Researchers have developed an in situ micro-CT imaging technique to investigate asphaltene deposition during multiphase flow. Experimental observations and analysis show that asphaltene precipitation can significantly reduce rock permeability and alter wettability, which is important for reservoir characterization and remediation.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Loic Bertrand, Mathieu Thoury, Pierre Gueriau, Etienne Anheim, Serge Cohen
Summary: The chemical study of materials from natural history and cultural heritage presents challenges due to their complexity and non-reproducibility, but also offers innovative approaches for historical information. Synchrotron methods have been crucial in studying heritage objects, providing speciation information and high-resolution imaging. These developments have paved the way for novel approaches in characterizing ancient and historical materials, with implications for machine learning methods and related fields beyond heritage studies.
ACCOUNTS OF CHEMICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hongchang Wang, Kawal Sawhney
Summary: Researchers have successfully generated omnidirectional differential phase images using X-ray differential phase contrast imaging, providing more information for studying complex samples and enabling simultaneous extraction of omnidirectional dark-field images to study ordered scattering structures.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hongchang Wang, Kawal Sawhney
Summary: This article introduces a method for generating omnidirectional differential phase images by scanning a randomly structured modulator, which provides more information than traditional imaging methods and allows the simultaneous extraction of omnidirectional dark-field images for studying strongly ordered scattering structures.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Li Zhuang, Hyu-Soung Shin, Sun Yeom, Chuyen Ngoc Pham, Young-Jae Kim
Summary: A new method called statistical phase fraction (SPF) method is proposed to estimate the total porosity and spatial distribution of local porosities in porous materials. The method is validated on different components and shows high accuracy when compared with the ground truth.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Hu Zhou, Andrew B. Riche, Malcolm J. Hawkesford, William R. Whalley, Brian S. Atkinson, Craig J. Sturrock, Sacha J. Mooney
Summary: The study proposed a method to efficiently detect the 3D architecture of wheat spikes and component spikelets using X-ray Computed Tomography imaging. Morphometric characteristics of wheat spikelets and grains were determined, with modern cultivar Siskin having more grains per spike and greater total grain volume per spike compared to old cultivar Maris Widgeon. The method can contribute to a more detailed understanding of wheat grain yield factors.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Qingyang Lin, Takashi Akai, Martin J. Blunt, Branko Bijeljic, Hiroki Iwama, Katsumo Takabayashi, Yutaka Onaka, Hideharu Yonebayashi
Summary: This experimental methodology combines core flooding experiments with X-ray micro-CT to visualize asphaltene precipitation in the pore space of rocks and assess the reduction in permeability. The study found that precipitated asphaltene occupied 39.1% of the pore volume and caused a 29-fold reduction in permeability. Furthermore, numerical analysis of the flow field showed that after precipitation, the flow was confined to narrow channels in the pore space, with good agreement between simulated and measured permeability.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
A. J. Cresswell-Boyes, G. R. Davis, M. Krishnamoorthy, D. Mills, A. H. Barber
Summary: Human teeth can be mechanically replicated using 3D printing to create biomimetic typodont teeth. The mechanical performance of the biomimetic teeth depends on the ratio of material mechanical properties rather than the absolute material properties.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Peter Winkel Rasmussen, Henning Osholm Sorensen, Stefan Bruns, Anders Bjorholm Dahl, Anders Nymark Christensen
Summary: Dynamic tomography is used to study fluid flow in porous media, but limited by low X-ray brilliance in laboratory instruments. A new reconstruction algorithm has been developed that maintains high image quality while reducing exposure time and number of projections. The algorithm initializes reconstruction with a high-quality scan and constrains regions using segmentation of the static system, allowing for faster flow process study and improved reconstruction quality.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Sonke Maus, Sara Bahafid, Max Hendriks, Stefan Jacobsen, Mette Rica Geiker
Summary: Frost salt scaling of concrete is caused by the cyclic freezing and melting of a deicer solution on the concrete surface. The formation of a saline ice layer plays a major role in this process. However, little is known about the properties of this saline ice layer. Through 3D X-ray microtomography, the microstructure of the saline ice layer was characterized and analyzed. The results showed that the morphology of the saline ice is similar to young, columnar sea ice, and the ice growth velocity and direction have a significant impact on its pore structure, which in turn affects the mechanical and transport properties relevant to frost salt scaling mechanisms.
COLD REGIONS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Giulia Massinelli, Elena Possenti, Chiara Colombo, G. Diego Gatta, Marco Realini, Nicoletta Marinoni
Summary: This study used synchrotron X-ray Microtomography to investigate the effect of Diammonium hydrogen phosphate (DAP) molarity on the crystalline structure and porous system of limestone. Through 4D image analysis, the microstructural modifications in terms of porosity, interconnection, and pore size distribution during the consolidation process were revealed, and the influence of DAP molarity was confirmed. This study provides insights into the consolidation mechanisms and the effects on the 3D microstructural features of porous materials induced by inorganic treatment.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Rodolfo Oliveira, Martin J. Blunt, Branko Bijeljic
Summary: A continuous-time random walk (CTRW) reactive transport model is used to study the impact of physical heterogeneity on the effective reaction rates in porous media. The study shows that both the physical heterogeneity and transport conditions have an influence on the reaction rates, and a higher initial heterogeneity leads to a lower late-time reaction rate.
TRANSPORT IN POROUS MEDIA
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Qi Xin, Yang Yang, Shaojun Liu, Xiao Zhang, Chenghang Zheng, Qingyang Lin, Xiang Gao
Summary: Mass transfer has a significant impact on the NOx removal process in SCR, but characterizing the transport of gaseous species involved in the process at the nano-scale remains challenging. This study investigates the use of non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations to study the mass transfer of multi-pollutants over a titania-based catalyst. A dual control-volume model is proposed to simulate the transport of typical gaseous molecules, and the effects of temperature, pore width, hydroxyl sites, and competitive diffusion on diffusivity are studied. The results show that temperature and surface sites have a greater impact on NH3 than NO and SO2, with the influence of surface sites strongly dependent on size.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
F. Amrouche, M. J. Blunt, S. Iglauer, M. Short, T. Crosbie, E. Cordero, D. Xu
Summary: A hybrid technique using magnetic field and magnesium oxide nanoparticles has the potential to enhance oil production from oil-wet carbonate reservoirs. The addition of MgO nanoparticles to water increased the recovery factor of oil from rock samples. This cleaner alternative can improve oil extraction efficiency from existing reservoirs.
MATERIALS TODAY CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Energy & Fuels
Hamed Hematpur, Reza Abdollahi, Shahin Rostami, Manouchehr Haghighi, Martin J. Blunt
Summary: The energy transition aims to reduce global dependence on fossil fuels and achieve net zero carbon emissions by adopting renewable energy sources. However, the intermittent nature of renewables such as wind and solar poses challenges in matching generation and demand. One solution is to convert excess renewable power into hydrogen through electrolysis for storage and later use, similar to the current practice with natural gas.
ADVANCES IN GEO-ENERGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ramin Moghadasi, Sajjad Foroughi, Farzad Basirat, Steven R. McDougall, Alexandru Tatomir, Branko Bijeljic, Martin J. Blunt, Auli Niemi
Summary: Pore-network modeling is used to understand the physics of remobilization of trapped CO2. The study reveals that gas remobilization occurs at a higher saturation than residual trapping, and is influenced by network properties and mechanisms. The findings also show a reduction in gas relative permeability, indicating a slow release of trapped gas due to remobilization. These results have important implications for underground gas and CO2 storage.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Luke M. Giudici, A. Qaseminejad Raeini, Martin J. Blunt, Branko Bijeljic
Summary: This study extends the quasi two-dimensional approximations of interfacial curvature to three dimensions in multiphase flow network models. The new expressions for threshold capillary pressure are validated and calibrated using direct numerical simulations. The effects of pore-space expansion and sagittal interface curvature on displacement are quantified, leading to improved physical accuracy of network models. The calibrated model is then used to predict relative permeability and capillary pressure in a water-wet Bentheimer sandstone, with the inclusion of three-dimensional interfacial curvature resulting in more accurate predictions.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Water Resources
Ramin Moghadasi, Sepideh Goodarzi, Yihuai Zhang, Branko Bijeljic, Martin J. Blunt, Auli Niemi
Summary: The process of remobilizing CO2 trapped under pressure depletion was studied using high-resolution 3D X-ray microtomography. The results showed that an increase in saturation beyond the residual value is required for the gas to be mobilized, and Ostwald ripening and continuing exsolution can significantly change the fluid saturation, leading to gas flow upwards. This has important implications for CO2 storage, as it enhances gas migration and reduces the potential for gas trapping during storage operations.
ADVANCES IN WATER RESOURCES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Ming-Liang Qu, Martin J. Blunt, Xiaolei Fan, Sajjad Foroughi, Zi-Tao Yu, Qingyang Lin
Summary: A dual-network model (DNM) was developed to study incompressible water flow and heat transport from pore-scale to mesoscale. It considered the effect of temperature-dependent fluid viscosity and successfully simulated the pore-scale fluid flow and heat transfer. By varying the pore volume, the effect of bed porosity on transport processes was demonstrated, providing insights into the trade-off between flow conditions and heat transfer.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Ahmed M. Selem, Nicolas Agenet, Sajjad Foroughi, Martin J. Blunt, Branko Bijeljic
Summary: This study investigates the emulsification kinetics of oil and its migration process in porous rock during low salinity waterflooding using high-resolution three-dimensional X-ray imaging. The research finds that emulsification is a crucial step in improving oil recovery.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Mehdi Mahdaviara, Mohammad Javad Shojaei, Javad Siavashi, Mohammad Sharifi, Martin J. Blunt
Summary: High-resolution X-ray computed tomography (micro-CT) is widely used to characterize fluid flow in porous media, including gas diffusion layers (GDLs) in fuel cells. This study evaluates the performance of 2D and 3D U-Net deep learning models for multiphase segmentation of unfiltered X-ray tomograms of GDLs with varying percentages of hydrophobic PTFE. The U-Net models demonstrate superior performance compared to conventional segmentation methods, leading to more accurate calculation of porous media properties.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Catherine Spurin, Gareth G. Roberts, Conor P. B. O'Malley, Takeshi Kurotori, Samuel Krevor, Martin J. Blunt, Hamdi Tchelepi
Summary: Complex pore-scale dynamics during multiphase flow through porous rocks are not accounted for in large-scale models. However, we demonstrate that pressure fluctuations measured at the core-scale can reflect fluid displacements at the pore-scale. The spectral characteristics of pressure data provide information about flow dynamics, sample size, and rock heterogeneity. Understanding fluid flow in porous rocks is crucial for the safe storage of CO2 and hydrogen.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Guanglei Zhang, Sajjad Foroughi, Branko Bijeljic, Martin J. J. Blunt
Summary: Traditionally, relative permeability is calculated assuming a homogenous saturation profile and constant capillary pressure, but this is seldom accurate due to inhomogeneities and the capillary end effect. We have introduced a new method to correct the relative permeabilities for an inhomogeneous saturation profile. Our method only requires pressure drop measurements, an estimate of capillary pressure, and saturation profiles. The corrections are significant for strongly wetting media with capillary end effects, but less significant for mixed-wet media with lower capillary pressure.
TRANSPORT IN POROUS MEDIA
(2023)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Luke M. Giudici, Ali Q. Raeini, Takashi Akai, Martin J. Blunt, Branko Bijeljic
Summary: Despite recent advances in pore-scale modeling of two-phase flow through porous media, the relative strengths and limitations of different modeling approaches remain largely unexplored. This study compares two-phase flow simulations from the generalized network model (GNM) and the lattice-Boltzmann model (LBM) for drainage and waterflooding in two different samples. The results show that the GNM captures the effect of layers and provides predictions closer to experimental observations, while the LBM fails to capture layer flow and shows discrepancies with experimental data. The importance of small-scale flow features in accurate pore-scale physics representation is highlighted.
