2015 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Freezing-based desalination: A molecular approach to understanding and optimisation.
| Project/Area Number |
26820059
|
|---|
| Research Institution | Kyushu University |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
Cannon James 九州大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (80648866)
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
|
| Keywords | Viscosity / Thermo-physical / Molecular / Simulation |
|---|
| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
In order to realise freezing-based desalination, an understanding of the properties of water in the presence of impurities is essential. During the first year, advances in understanding thermal conduction of such mixtures were made. While useful, this is only the first step in total system design. Thus, during this year, efforts were made to broaden the scope of understanding by considering an additional thermo-physical property; viscosity; and incorporating it into a complete model.
Viscosity is important because it impacts the efficiency of pumping seawater around the system. Software was developed further to be able to measure the viscosity using molecular dynamics simulation, resulting in accurate calculation under a range of impurity conditions and the obtaining of significant insight into physical mechanisms leading to its variation under different conditions.
For total system design however, treatment of thermal conductivity and viscosity separately is insufficient since alteration of the system to improve the conditions for one property can lead to a deterioration of the system for the other. Consequently, research into understanding the coupling of the two thermo-physical properties was also performed. Using machine-learning statistical techniques, the properties of impurities that give rise to independent and concerted changes in each property were investigated, resulting in significant insight into physical mechanisms leading to independent and concerted variation.
|
| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
Overall the research is judged to be progressing smoothly. As mentioned, building the code required for the viscosity calculation was successful, as well as implementation of the statistical model required to understand its relation to thermal conductivity.
|
| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
It has become clear that further refinement and understanding regarding the liquid-phase thermo-physical properties is important, and thus efforts will continue in this area. At the same time, understanding of the impurities in relation to the ice surface is also important, and thus if time permits efforts will be made to understand this more clearly.
|
