99562 - Convection in Porous Media and Microchannels M

Learning outcomes

The course provides knowledge on the heat and mass transfer in porous media and microchannels. The student learns the methodologies for the thermal and dynamical analysis of fluid saturated porous media, and for the study of single and multiphase heat transfer in microfluidics.

Course contents

Module I.

Single-phase gas flow in microchannels

Single-phase liquid flow in minichannels and microchannels

Single phase electrokinetic flow in microchannels

Flow boiling in minichannels and microchannels

Condensation in minichannels and microchannels

Biomedical applications of microchannel flows.

Module II.

Heat and mass transfer in porous media. Description of the flow through a solid matrix - Darcy law - Permeability of a porous medium - Darcy-Forchheimer extension - Brinkman extension - Local mass and energy balance equations - Two-temperature model (Local Thermal Nonequilibrium, LTNE) - Internal and external flows.

Elementary introduction to stability analysis: linear/nonlinear. Convective instabilities and convection: description of the governing equations and effects triggering instability. Stability analysis: Horton-Rogers-Lapwood problem and Prats problem.

Readings/Bibliography

Introduction to Microfluidics: Second Edition. Patrick Tabeling. Oxford 2023.

Teaching methods

Classroom and laboratory lectures with guided solution of exercises.

Assessment methods

The exam consists in an oral test. The oral test is oriented to the evaluation of the achievement of an appropriate knowledge on the basic topics of the course, both under the theoretical perspective and for the capability to solve numerically elementary problems of heat and fluid flow.
The student will prepare a written report on one of the topics covered in the course, freely chosen, addressing both the theoretical aspects and the numerical simulation. The oral test will consist in the presentation and discussion of this written report.
The final mark, less or equal than 30 (positive outcome is greater or equal than 18), expresses the overall evaluation on the theoretical knowledge and on the practical ability with respect to problem solving.

Teaching tools

Blackboard lessons, pc presentations, examples of numerical solutions.

The software Mathematica is employed as a virtual blackboard for the manipulation of equations and for the determination of analytical and numerical solutions.

This course is part of the project on teaching innovation for the University.

Office hours

See the website of Beatrice Pulvirenti

See the website of Michele Celli