Theoretical analysis of moisture transport in wood as an open porous hygroscopic material

Holzforschung ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomaz Hozjan ◽  
Staffan Svensson

Abstract Moisture transport in an open porous hygroscopic material such as wood is a complex system of coupled processes. For seasoned wood in natural climate three fully coupled processes active in the moisture transport are readily identified: (1) diffusion of vapor in pores; (2) phase change from one state to another, also called moisture sorption; and (3) diffusion of bound water in wood tissue (in the cell wall). A mathematical model for predicting moisture transport in wood for a given condition must at least consider the dominating active processes simultaneously to be considered accurate. In this study, a theoretical investigation is conducted on the influence of the model parameters on the model response to a known step change of ambient vapor pressure. The objective is twofold. First, to investigate if model simplification can be conducted in a transparent and stringent manner, not compromising required model accuracy and precision. Second, to show model characteristics that could enable tailored experimental studies to verify or discard variations of this type of transport model. The model sensitivity analyses clearly showed that there are large differences on the degree of influence of the three processes on the outcome of the coupled model. Least significant is the bound water diffusion. Based on the results from the sensitivity analyses, a simplified model for moisture transport in wood is proposed.

Holzforschung ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 563-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrik Lund Frandsen ◽  
Lars Damkilde ◽  
Staffan Svensson

Abstract This paper presents a study and a refinement of the sorption rate model in a so-called multi-Fickian or multi-phase model. This type of model describes the complex moisture transport system in wood, which consists of separate water vapor and bound-water diffusion interacting through sorption. At high relative humidities, the effect of this complex moisture transport system becomes apparent, and since a single Fickian diffusion equation fails to model the behavior, it has been referred to as non-Fickian or anomalous behavior. At low relative humidities, slow bound-water transport and fast sorption allow a simplification of the system to be modeled by a single Fickian diffusion equation. To determine the response of the system, the sorption rate model is essential. Here the function modeling the moisture-dependent adsorption rate is investigated based on existing experiments on thin wood specimens. In these specimens diffusion is shown to be negligible, allowing a separate study of the adsorption rate. The desorption rate has been observed to be slower at higher relative humidities as well, and an expression analogous to the adsorption rate model is proposed. Furthermore, the boundary conditions for the model are discussed, since discrepancies from corresponding models of moisture transport in paper products have been found.


2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 1465-1480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Li ◽  
W. Kinzelbach ◽  
J. Zhou ◽  
G. D. Cheng ◽  
X. Li

Abstract. The hydrologic model HYDRUS-1-D and the crop growth model WOFOST are coupled to efficiently manage water resources in agriculture and improve the prediction of crop production. The results of the coupled model are validated by experimental studies of irrigated-maize done in the middle reaches of northwest China's Heihe River, a semi-arid to arid region. Good agreement is achieved between the simulated evapotranspiration, soil moisture and crop production and their respective field measurements made under current maize irrigation and fertilization. Based on the calibrated model, the scenario analysis reveals that the most optimal amount of irrigation is 500–600 mm in this region. However, for regions without detailed observation, the results of the numerical simulation can be unreliable for irrigation decision making owing to the shortage of calibrated model boundary conditions and parameters. So, we develop a method of combining model ensemble simulations and uncertainty/sensitivity analysis to speculate the probability of crop production. In our studies, the uncertainty analysis is used to reveal the risk of facing a loss of crop production as irrigation decreases. The global sensitivity analysis is used to test the coupled model and further quantitatively analyse the impact of the uncertainty of coupled model parameters and environmental scenarios on crop production. This method can be used for estimation in regions with no or reduced data availability.


1992 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ole H. Jacobsen ◽  
Feike J. Leij ◽  
Martinus Th. van Genuchten

Breakthrough curves of Cl and 3H2O were obtained during steady unsaturated flow in five lysimeters containing an undisturbed coarse sand (Orthic Haplohumod). The experimental data were analyzed in terms of the classical two-parameter convection-dispersion equation and a four-parameter two-region type physical nonequilibrium solute transport model. Model parameters were obtained by both curve fitting and time moment analysis. The four-parameter model provided a much better fit to the data for three soil columns, but performed only slightly better for the two remaining columns. The retardation factor for Cl was about 10 % less than for 3H2O, indicating some anion exclusion. For the four-parameter model the average immobile water fraction was 0.14 and the Peclet numbers of the mobile region varied between 50 and 200. Time moments analysis proved to be a useful tool for quantifying the break through curve (BTC) although the moments were found to be sensitive to experimental scattering in the measured data at larger times. Also, fitted parameters described the experimental data better than moment generated parameter values.


2019 ◽  
Vol 147 (5) ◽  
pp. 1429-1445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuchu Zhao ◽  
Zhengyu Liu ◽  
Fei Zheng ◽  
Yishuai Jin

Abstract We performed parameter estimation in the Zebiak–Cane model for the real-world scenario using the approach of ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) data assimilation and the observational data of sea surface temperature and wind stress analyses. With real-world data assimilation in the coupled model, our study shows that model parameters converge toward stable values. Furthermore, the new parameters improve the real-world ENSO prediction skill, with the skill improved most by the parameter of the highest climate sensitivity (gam2), which controls the strength of anomalous upwelling advection term in the SST equation. The improved prediction skill is found to be contributed mainly by the improvement in the model dynamics, and second by the improvement in the initial field. Finally, geographic-dependent parameter optimization further improves the prediction skill across all the regions. Our study suggests that parameter optimization using ensemble data assimilation may provide an effective strategy to improve climate models and their real-world climate predictions in the future.


Mathematics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (14) ◽  
pp. 1610
Author(s):  
Katia Colaneri ◽  
Alessandra Cretarola ◽  
Benedetta Salterini

In this paper, we study the optimal investment and reinsurance problem of an insurance company whose investment preferences are described via a forward dynamic exponential utility in a regime-switching market model. Financial and actuarial frameworks are dependent since stock prices and insurance claims vary according to a common factor given by a continuous time finite state Markov chain. We construct the value function and we prove that it is a forward dynamic utility. Then, we characterize the optimal investment strategy and the optimal proportional level of reinsurance. We also perform numerical experiments and provide sensitivity analyses with respect to some model parameters.


Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 272
Author(s):  
Ning Li ◽  
Junli Xu ◽  
Xianqing Lv

Numerous studies have revealed that the sparse spatiotemporal distributions of ground-level PM2.5 measurements affect the accuracy of PM2.5 simulation, especially in large geographical regions. However, the high precision and stability of ground-level PM2.5 measurements make their role irreplaceable in PM2.5 simulations. This article applies a dynamically constrained interpolation methodology (DCIM) to evaluate sparse PM2.5 measurements captured at scattered monitoring sites for national-scale PM2.5 simulations and spatial distributions. The DCIM takes a PM2.5 transport model as a dynamic constraint and provides the characteristics of the spatiotemporal variations of key model parameters using the adjoint method to improve the accuracy of PM2.5 simulations. From the perspective of interpolation accuracy and effect, kriging interpolation and orthogonal polynomial fitting using Chebyshev basis functions (COPF), which have been proved to have high PM2.5 simulation accuracy, were adopted to make a comparative assessment of DCIM performance and accuracy. Results of the cross validation confirm the feasibility of the DCIM. A comparison between the final interpolated values and observations show that the DCIM is better for national-scale simulations than kriging or COPF. Furthermore, the DCIM presents smoother spatially interpolated distributions of the PM2.5 simulations with smaller simulation errors than the other two methods. Admittedly, the sparse PM2.5 measurements in a highly polluted region have a certain degree of influence on the interpolated distribution accuracy and rationality. To some extent, adding the right amount of observations can improve the effectiveness of the DCIM around existing monitoring sites. Compared with the kriging interpolation and COPF, the results show that the DCIM used in this study would be more helpful for providing reasonable information for monitoring PM2.5 pollution in China.


1990 ◽  
Vol 259 (2) ◽  
pp. H626-H634
Author(s):  
C. F. Starmer ◽  
V. V. Nesterenko ◽  
F. R. Gilliam ◽  
A. O. Grant

Models of ion channel blockade are frequently validated with observations of ionic currents resulting from electrical or chemical stimulation. Model parameters for some models (modulated receptor hypothesis) cannot be uniquely determined from ionic currents. The time course of ionic currents reflects the activation (fraction of available channels that conduct in the presence of excitation) and availability of channels (the ability of the protein to make a transition to a conducting conformation and where this conformation is not complexed with a drug). In the presence of a channel blocking agent, the voltage dependence of availability appears modified and has been interpreted as evidence that drug-complexed channels exhibit modified transition rates between channel protein conformations. Because blockade and availability both modify ionic currents, their individual contributions to macroscopic conductance cannot be resolved from ionic currents except when constant affinity binding to a bindable site is assumed. Experimental studies of nimodipine block of calcium channels and lidocaine block of sodium channels illustrate these concepts.


2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. R. Furnass ◽  
R. P. Collins ◽  
P. S. Husband ◽  
R. L. Sharpe ◽  
S. R. Mounce ◽  
...  

The erosion of the cohesive layers of particulate matter that causes discolouration in water distribution system mains has previously been modelled using the Prediction of Discolouration in Distribution Systems (PODDS) model. When first proposed, PODDS featured an unvalidated means by which material regeneration on pipe walls could be simulated. Field and laboratory studies of material regeneration have yielded data that suggest that the PODDS formulations incorrectly model these processes. A new model is proposed to overcome this shortcoming. It tracks the relative amount of discolouration material that is bound to the pipe wall over time at each of a number of shear strengths. The model formulations and a mass transport model have been encoded as software, which has been used to verify the model's constructs and undertake sensitivity analyses. The new formulations for regeneration are conceptually consistent with field and laboratory observed data and have potential value in the proactive management of water distribution systems, such as evaluating change in discolouration risk and planning timely interventions.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Jutkowitz ◽  
Laura N. Gitlin ◽  
Laura T. Pizzi ◽  
Edward Lee ◽  
Marie P. Dennis

Evaluating cost effectiveness of interventions for aging in place is essential for adoption in service settings. We present the cost effectiveness of Advancing Better Living for Elders (ABLE), previously shown in a randomized trial to reduce functional difficulties and mortality in 319 community-dwelling elders. ABLE involved occupational and physical therapy sessions and home modifications to address client-identified functional difficulties, performance goals, and home safety. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), expressed as additional cost to bring about one additional year of life, was calculated. Two models were then developed to account for potential cost differences in implementing ABLE. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted to account for variations in model parameters. By two years, there were 30 deaths (9: ABLE; 21: control). Additional costs for 1 additional year of life was $13,179 for Model 1 and $14,800 for Model 2. Investment in ABLE may be worthwhile depending on society's willingness to pay.


2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 283-292
Author(s):  
Daniel Way ◽  
Frederick A. Kamke ◽  
Arijit Sinha

Abstract Development of moisture gradients within wood and wood-based composites can result in irreversible moisture-induced damage. Accelerated weathering (AW), generally employing harsh environmental conditions, is a common tool for assessing moisture durability of wood composite products. Use of milder AW conditions, such as cyclic changes in relative humidity (RH), may be of interest to the wood-based composites industry in assessing moisture durability under more realistic conditions. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether moisture profile development in oriented strand board and plywood during cyclic RH changes could be reasonably predicted with a simple moisture transport model, which may be practical for wood-based composite industry members seeking to develop new AW protocols. The diffusion model based on Fick's second law with empirically determined moisture transport parameters fits the experimental data reasonably well for the purpose of screening RH parameters.


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