Sharif Digital Repository

Particle capture at porous media in cross-flow microfiltration is studied to investigate permeability reduction as a function of membrane pore size and particle size distribution. A new model in pore scale and its pertinent mathematical expressions, which consider pore and particle size distribution, are provided. Permeability reduction of the membrane because of size exclusion during particulate suspension flow was predicted using the developed model. It is assumed that the size exclusion is the dominant mechanism of particle retention causes pore blocking and permeability reduction in the porous media.The exact analytical solution of the stochastic model for size exclusion is used to... 

Monitoring conformational changes in ion channels is essential to understand their gating mechanism. Here, we explore the structural dynamics of four outer membrane proteins with different structures and functions in the slowest nonzero modes of vibration. Normal mode analysis was performed on the modified elastic network model of channel in the membrane. According to our results, when membrane proteins were analyzed in the dominant mode, the composed pores, TolC and α-hemolysin showed large motions at the intramembrane β-barrel region while, in other porins, OmpA and OmpF, largest motions observed in the region of external flexible loops. A criterion based on equipartition theorem was used... 

Particle capture at porous media in cross-flow microfiltration is studied to investigate permeability reduction as a function of membrane pore size and particle size distribution. A new model in pore scale and its pertinent mathematical expressions, which consider pore and particle size distribution, are provided. Permeability reduction of the membrane because of size exclusion during particulate suspension flow was predicted using the developed model. It is assumed that the size exclusion is the dominant mechanism of particle retention causes pore blocking and permeability reduction in the porous media.The exact analytical solution of the stochastic model for size exclusion is used to... 

The practical application of microfiltration in brewing industry is hindered by severe membrane fouling and subsequent permeate flux decline. A theoretical and experimental study on the effect of operating parameters, which influence the crossflow microfiltration of beer and beer quality was performed. A mathematical model is developed to better understanding of the fouling layer characteristics. The experiments were conducted for different ranges of pressures, temperatures and shear rates. An optimum transmembrane pressure of 1.1 bar is suggested to maximize both the steady state and average permeate fluxes. The results of numerical simulation were in a good accordance with the experimental... 

Pore network modeling of porous media has this advantage that can consider the pore structure incorporating any desired details, but it has not been studied sufficiently. In addition, most studies are limited to mathematical modeling only which need validation. In the present study, this approach was applied to hydrogen separation from syngas by nanoporous ceramic membrane to predict the membrane permeance theoretically based on its pore structure. Gas transport through nanoporous membrane was modeled with the aim of a 2D network model. A dusty gas model was used for gas transport in the individual pores. Model validation showed that the model predictions are in good agreement with the... 

A set of stress-strain relations for normal-strength concrete and mild steel bars embedded in concrete is presented in this paper. The salient features of the proposed constitutive laws are: 1) considering the effect of reinforcement ratio on average stressstrain relationships of cracked concrete; and 2) considering the gradual reduction of average stiffness of steel bars embedded in concrete. Equilibrium, compatibility, and constitutive relationships were incorporated into an algorithm to obtain a procedure for analyzing reinforced concrete membrane elements. Corroboration with data from panel test specimens shows that the presented model provides good predictions for the entire... 

This paper scrutinizes the magnetic field effect to deliver the superparamagnetic nanoparticles (SPMNs) through the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB). Herein we study the interaction between the nanoparticle (NP) and BBB membrane using Molecular Dynamic (MD) techniques. The MD model is used to enhance our understanding of the dynamic behavior of SPMNs crossing the endothelial cells in the presence of a gradient magnetic field. Actuation of NPs under weak magnetic field offers the great advantage of a non-invasive drug delivery without the risk of causing injury to the brain. Furthermore, a weak magnetic portable stimulator can be developed using low complexity prototyping techniques. Based on MD... 

A theoretical model was developed to describe a dynamic process involving an enzymatic reaction and diffusion of reactants and product inside glucose sensitive composite membrane. The composite membrane consisted of nanoparticles of a weakly acidic polymer, glucose oxidase and catalase embedded in a hydrophobic polymer. Time- and position-dependent diffusivity of involved species was considered in the model. Donnan equilibrium was used to find concentrations of buffer ions inside the membrane. The profiles of pH, species concentrations, volume fraction of swollen gel, polymer and water-filled space, as well as solute diffusivity inside the membrane were predicted by the model as a function... 

The cell membrane is responsible for the transportation of heat between inside and outside the cell. Whether the thermal properties of the cell membrane are affected by the cholesterol concentration or the membrane proteins has not been investigated so far. Although the experimental measurement of the membrane thermal conductivity was not available until very recently, computational methods have been widely used for this purpose. In this study, we carry out molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the relation between the concentration of cholesterol and the thermal conductivity of a model membrane. Our results suggest an increase in the membrane thermal conductivity upon increasing the... 

To describe immobilized cells in porous microcapsule membranes with straight pores, a novel model called corrugated parallel bundle model (CPBM) was utilized. In this model, a network was developed with 10 main pores each composing 10 pore elements. Cell growth kinetic in the network was examined using non-structural models. Effectiveness factor and pore plugging time were calculated by solving reaction-diffusion equation set via finite difference method. The findings revealed that diffusion coefficient for lower order reactions will create a lesser impact on the reduction of effectiveness factor. These findings also indicated that the use of such supporting carrier for cell immobilization... 

Recently, eliminating the gap between design and formability analysis of sheet metal parts has been studied to simulate sheet metal stamping processes. In this regard, a transfer-based inverse isogeometric formulation has been proposed. This method has various advantages such as solving the governing equations in two-dimensional networks without any concern about the convergence; however, it neglects the bending effect which is a major contributor in die/punch profile radii. The present work aims to consider the bending effects by introducing a bending-dependent inverse isogeometric formulation. The developed model deals with the minimization of potential energy, deformation theory of... 

A theoretical model concerning simultaneous diffusion and reaction was developed to describe the steady state behavior of a cationic glucose-sensitive membrane with consideration of oxygen limitation and swelling-dependent diffusivities of involved species inside the membrane. Donnan equilibrium was used to find concentrations of buffer ions inside the membrane. The profiles of species concentrations, pH, polymer volume fraction and solute diffusivity inside the membrane were predicted by the model in response to step changes of glucose concentration in the external solution. The influence of various factors on the responsiveness of the membrane was analyzed using the model. The results...