A Three-dimensional Heterogeneous Mass Transfer Model for the Absorption of Gas into Multiphase System

A three-dimensional heterogeneous mass transfer model was proposed to investigate the enhancement of dispersed particles on gas absorption. The strategy to calculate local and overall enhancement factors is proposed. Instead of a global grid, the composite overlapping grid is adopted, which simplifies the setup and solution of the three-dimensional model equations. It is found that dispersed particle hold-up, particle size, liquid-solid partition coefficient of transported component, characteristic contact time, and the shortest distance between particles and gas-liquid interface have major influence on absorption enhancement factor. The particle-particle interaction on gas absorption and the lateral diffusion of transported component in liquid film were studied with the multi-particle simulation. The proposed model predicted the experimental data from the literature reasonably well.

Oxygen tension modulates cell function in an in vitro three-dimensional glioblastoma tumor model

Hypoxia is a typical feature of the tumor microenvironment,one of the most critical factors affecting cell behavior and tumor progression.However,the lack of tumor models able to precisely emulate natural brain tumor tissue has impeded the study of the effects of hypoxia on the progression and growth of tumor cells.This study reports a three-dimensional(3D)brain tumor model obtained by encapsulating U87MG(U87)cells in a hydrogel containing type I collagen.It also documents the effect of various oxygen concentrations(1%,7%,and 21%)in the culture environment on U87 cell morphology,proliferation,viability,cell cycle,apoptosis rate,and migration.Finally,it compares two-dimensional(2D)and 3D cultures.For comparison purposes,cells cultured in flat culture dishes were used as the control(2D model).Cells cultured in the 3D model proliferated more slowly but had a higher apoptosis rate and proportion of cells in the resting phase(G0 phase)/gap I phase(G1 phase)than those cultured in the 2D model.Besides,the two models yielded significantly different cell morphologies.Finally,hypoxia(e.g.,1%O2)affected cell morphology,slowed cell growth,reduced cell viability,and increased the apoptosis rate in the 3D model.These results indicate that the constructed 3D model is effective for investigating the effects of biological and chemical factors on cell morphology and function,and can be more representative of the tumor microenvironment than 2D culture systems.The developed 3D glioblastoma tumor model is equally applicable to other studies in pharmacology and pathology.

Three-dimensional structural models,evolution and petroleum geological significances of transtensional faults in the Ziyang area,central Sichuan Basin,SW China

With drilling and seismic data of Transtensional(strike-slip)Fault System in the Ziyang area of the central Sichuan Basin,SW China plane-section integrated structural interpretation,3-D fault framework model building,fault throw analyzing,and balanced profile restoration,it is pointed out that the transtensional fault system in the Ziyang 3-D seismic survey consists of the northeast-trending F_(I)19 and F_(I)20 fault zones dominated by extensional deformation,as well as 3 sets of northwest-trending en echelon normal faults experienced dextral shear deformation.Among them,the F_(I)19 and F_(I)20 fault zones cut through the Neoproterozoic to Lower Triassic Jialingjiang Formation,presenting a 3-D structure of an“S”-shaped ribbon.And before Permian and during the Early Triassic,the F_(I)19 and F_(I)20 fault zones underwent at least two periods of structural superimposition.Besides,the 3 sets of northwest-trending en echelon normal faults are composed of small normal faults arranged in pairs,with opposite dip directions and partially left-stepped arrangement.And before Permian,they had formed almost,restricting the eastward growth and propagation of the F_(I)19 fault zone.The F_(I)19 and F_(I)20 fault zones communicate multiple sets of source rocks and reservoirs from deep to shallow,and the timing of fault activity matches well with oil and gas generation peaks.If there were favorable Cambrian-Triassic sedimentary facies and reservoirs developing on the local anticlinal belts of both sides of the F_(I)19 and F_(I)20 fault zones,the major reservoirs in this area are expected to achieve breakthroughs in oil and gas exploration.

Rock physics modeling of heterogeneous carbonatereservoirs： porosity estimation and hydrocarbon detection

In heterogeneous natural gas reservoirs, gas is generally present as small patchlike pockets embedded in the water-saturated host matrix. This type of heterogeneity, also called "patchy saturation", causes significant seismic velocity dispersion and attenuation. To establish the relation between seismic response and type of fluids, we designed a rock physics model for carbonates. First, we performed CT scanning and analysis of the fluid distribution in the partially saturated rocks. Then, we predicted the quantitative relation between the wave response at different frequency ranges and the basic lithological properties and pore fluids. A rock physics template was constructed based on thin section analysis of pore structures and seismic inversion. This approach was applied to the limestone gas reservoirs of the right bank block of the Amu Darya River. Based on poststack wave impedance and prestack elastic parameter inversions, the seismic data were used to estimate rock porosity and gas saturation. The model results were in good agreement with the production regime of the wells.

DEVELOPMENT OF A HYBRID MODEL FOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL GIS

This paper presents a hybrid model for three-dimensional Geographical Information Systems which is an integration of surface- and volume-based models. The Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN) and octree models are integrated in this hybrid models. The TIN model works as a surface-based model which mainly serves for surface presentation and visualization. On the other hand, the octree encoding supports volumetric analysis. The designed data structure brings a major advantage in the three-dimensional selective retrieval. This technique increases the efficiency of three-dimensional data operation.

A three-dimensional semi-implicit unstructured grid finite volume ocean model

A new three-dimensional semi-implicit finite-volume ocean model has been developed for simulating the coastal ocean circulation, which is based on the staggered C-unstructured non-orthogonal grid in the hor- izontal direction and z-level grid in the vertical direction. The three-dimensional model is discretized by the semi-implicit finite-volume method, in that the free-surface and the vertical diffusion are semi-implicit, thereby removing stability limitations associated with the surface gravity wave and vertical diffusion terms. The remaining terms in the momentum equations are discretized explicitly by an integral method. The partial cell method is used for resolving topography, which enables the model to better represent irregular topography. The model has been tested against analytical cases for wind and tidal oscillation circulation, and is applied to simulating the tidal flow in the Bohal Sea. The results are in good agreement both with the analytical solutions and measurement results.

A cellular automata model of epidemics of a heterogeneous susceptibility

In this paper we present a model with spatial heterogeneity based on cellular automata （CA）. In the model we consider the relevant heterogeneity of host （susceptible） mixing and the natural birth rate. We divide the susceptible population into three groups according to the immunity of each individual based on the classical susceptible-infectedremoved （SIR） epidemic models, and consider the spread of an infectious disease transmitted by direct contact among humans and vectors that have not an incubation period to become infectious. We test the local stability and instability of the disease-free equilibrium by the spectrum radii of Jacobian. The simulation shows that the structure of the nearest neighbour size of the cell （or the degree of the scale-free networks） plays a very important role in the spread properties of infectious disease. The positive equilibrium of the infections versus the neighbour size follows the third power law if an endemic equilibrium point exists. Finally, we analyse the feature of the infection waves for the homogeneity and heterogeneous cases respectively.

A Three-Dimensional Model of Transport and Diffusion of Seeding Agents within Stratus

It is essential to learn the temporal and spatial concentration distributions and variations of seeding agents in cloud seeding of precipitation enhancement. A three-dimensional puff trajectory model incorporating a mesoscale nonhydrostatic model has been formulated, and is applied to simulating the transporting and diffusive characteristics of multiple line sources of seeding agents within super-cooled stratus. Several important factors are taken into consideration that affect the diffusion of seeding materials such as effects of topography and vertical wind shear, temporal and spatial variation of seeding parameters and wet deposition. The particles of seeding agents are assumed to be almost inert, they have no interaction with the particles of the cloud or precipitation except that they are washed out by precipitation. The model validity is demonstrated by the analyses and comparisons of model results, and checked by the sensitivity experiments of diffusive coefficients and atmospheric stratification. The advantage of this model includes not only its exact reflection of heterogeneity and unsteadiness of background fields, but also its good simulation of transport and diffusion of multiple line sources. The horizontal diffusion rate and the horizontal transport distance have been proposed that they usually were difficult to obtain in other models. In this simulation the horizontal diffusion rate is 0.82 m s(-1) for average of one hour, and the horizontal average transport distance reaches 65 km after 1 4 which are closely related to the background Fields.

Three-dimensional numerical modeling of gravity anomalies based on Poisson equation in spacewavenumber mixed domain

In gravity-anomaly-based prospecting, the computational and memory requirements for practical numerical modeling are potentially enormous. Achieving an efficient and precise inversion for gravity anomaly imaging over large-scale and complex terrain requires additional methods. To this end, we have proposed a new topography-capable By performing a two-dimensional Fourier transform in the horizontal directions, threedimensional partial differential equations in the spatial domain were transformed into a group of independent, one-dimensional differential equations engaged with different wave numbers. These independent differential equations are highly parallel across different wave numbers. differential equations with different wave numbers, and the efficiency of solving fixedbandwidth linear equations was further improved by a chasing method. In a synthetic test, a prism model was used to verify the accuracy and reliability of the proposed algorithm by comparing the numerical solution with the analytical solution. We studied the computational precision and efficiency with and without topography using different Fourier transform methods. The results showed that the Guass-FFT method has higher numerical precision, while the standard FFT method is superior, in terms of computation time, for inversion and quantitative interpretation under complicated terrain.

Comprehensive security risk factor identification for small reservoirs with heterogeneous data based on grey relational analysis model

Identification of security risk factors for small reservoirs is the basis for implementation of early warning systems.The manner of identification of the factors for small reservoirs is of practical significance when data are incomplete.The existing grey relational models have some disadvantages in measuring the correlation between categorical data sequences.To this end,this paper introduces a new grey relational model to analyze heterogeneous data.In this study,a set of security risk factors for small reservoirs was first constructed based on theoretical analysis,and heterogeneous data of these factors were recorded as sequences.The sequences were regarded as random variables,and the information entropy and conditional entropy between sequences were measured to analyze the relational degree between risk factors.Then,a new grey relational analysis model for heterogeneous data was constructed,and a comprehensive security risk factor identification method was developed.A case study of small reservoirs in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in China shows that the model constructed in this study is applicable to security risk factor identification for small reservoirs with heterogeneous and sparse data.

Three-dimensional cell culture systems as an in vitro platform for cancer and stem cell modeling

Three-dimensional(3D)culture systems are becoming increasingly popular due to their ability to mimic tissue-like structures more effectively than the monolayer cultures.In cancer and stem cell research,the natural cell characteristics and architectures are closely mimicked by the 3D cell models.Thus,the 3D cell cultures are promising and suitable systems for various proposes,ranging from disease modeling to drug target identification as well as potential therapeutic substances that may transform our lives.This review provides a comprehensive compendium of recent advancements in culturing cells,in particular cancer and stem cells,using 3D culture techniques.The major approaches highlighted here include cell spheroids,hydrogel embedding,bioreactors,scaffolds,and bioprinting.In addition,the progress of employing 3D cell culture systems as a platform for cancer and stem cell research was addressed,and the prominent studies of 3D cell culture systems were discussed.

Seismic attenuation relationship with homogeneous and heterogeneous prediction-error variance models

Peak ground acceleration(PGA) estimation is an important task in earthquake engineering practice.One of the most well-known models is the Boore-Joyner-Fumal formula,which estimates the PGA using the moment magnitude,the site-to-fault distance and the site foundation properties.In the present study,the complexity for this formula and the homogeneity assumption for the prediction-error variance are investigated and an effi ciency-robustness balanced formula is proposed.For this purpose,a reduced-order Monte Carlo simulation algorithm for Bayesian model class selection is presented to obtain the most suitable predictive formula and prediction-error model for the seismic attenuation relationship.In this approach,each model class(a predictive formula with a prediction-error model) is evaluated according to its plausibility given the data.The one with the highest plausibility is robust since it possesses the optimal balance between the data fi tting capability and the sensitivity to noise.A database of strong ground motion records in the Tangshan region of China is obtained from the China Earthquake Data Center for the analysis.The optimal predictive formula is proposed based on this database.It is shown that the proposed formula with heterogeneous prediction-error variance is much simpler than the attenuation model suggested by Boore,Joyner and Fumal(1993).

Model of coupled gas flow and deformation process in heterogeneous coal seams and its application

The heterogeneity of coal was studied by mechanical tests. Probability plots of experimental data show that the mechanical parameters of heterogeneous coal follow a Weibull distribution. Based on elasto-plastic mechanics and gas dynamics, the model of coupled gas flow＇ and deformation process of heterogeneous coal was presented and the effects of heterogeneity of coal on gas flow and failure of coal wcrc investigated. Major findings include： The effect of the heterogeneity of coal on gas flow and mechanical thilure of coal can be considered by the model in this paper. Failure of coal has a great effect on gas flow.

Experimental determination of grain density function of AZ91/SiC composite with different mass fractions of SiC and undercoolings using heterogeneous nucleation model

The grain density,Nv,in the solid state after solidification of AZ91/SiC composite is a function of maximum undercooling,ΔT,of a liquid alloy.This type of function depends on the characteristics of heterogeneous nucleation sites and number of SiC present in the alloy.The aim of this paper was selection of parameters for the model describing the relationship between the grain density of primary phase and undercooling.This model in connection with model of crystallisation,which is based on chemical elements diffusion and grain interface kinetics,can be used to predict casting quality and its microstructure.Nucleation models have parameters,which exact values are usually not known and sometimes even their physical meaning is under discussion.Those parameters can be obtained after mathematical analysis of the experimental data.The composites with 0,1,2,3 and 4wt.% of SiC particles were prepared.The AZ91 alloy was a matrix of the composite reinforcement SiC particles.This composite was cast to prepare four different thickness plates.They were taken from the region near to the thermocouple,to analyze the undercooling for different composites and thickness plates and its influence on the grain size.The microstructure and thermal analysis gave set of values that connect mass fraction of SiC particles,and undercooling with grain size.These values were used to approximate nucleation model adjustment parameters.Obtained model can be very useful in modelling composites microstructure.

Three-Dimensional Tidal Model and Its Application to Numerical Simulation of Water Quality in Coastal Waters

The turbulence mechanism plays an important part in the mixing process and momentum transfer of turbulence. A three-dimensional Prandtl mixing length tidal model has been developed to simulate tidal flows and water quality. The eddy viscosities and diffusivities are computed from the Prandtl mixing length model. In order to model the water quality of an estuary or coastal area many interdependent processes need to be simulated. These may be conveniently separated into three main groups: transport and mixing processes, biochemical interaction of water quality variables and the utilization and re-cycling of nutrients by living matter. The model simulates full oxygen and nutrient balance, primary productivity and the transport, reaction mechanism and fate of pollutants over tidal time-scales. The model is applied to numerical simulation of tidal flows and water quality in Dalian Bay. The model has been calibrated against a limited data set of historical water quality observations and in general demonstrates excellent agreement with all available data.

A Spatially Heterogeneous Expert Based (SHEB) Urban Growth Model using Model Regionalization

Urbanization changes have been widely examined and numerous urban growth models have been proposed. We introduce an alternative urban growth model specifically designed to incorporate spatial heterogeneity in urban growth models. Instead of applying a single method to the entire study area, we segment the study area into different regions and apply targeted algorithms in each subregion. The working hypothesis is that the integration of appropriately selected region-specific models will outperform a globally applied model as it will incorporate further spatial heterogeneity. We examine urban land use changes in Denver, Colorado. Two land use maps from different time snapshots (1977 and 1997) are used to detect the urban land use changes, and 23 explanatory factors are produced to model urbanization. The proposed Spatially Heterogeneous Expert Based (SHEB) model tested decision trees as the underlying modeling algorithm, applying them in different subregions. In this paper the segmentation tested is the division of the entire area into interior and exterior urban areas. Interior urban areas are those situated within dense urbanized structures, while exterior urban areas are outside of these structures. Obtained results on this model regionalization technique indicate that targeted local models produce improved results in terms of Kappa, accuracy percentage and multi-scale performance. The model superiority is also confirmed by model pairwise comparisons using t-tests. The segmentation criterion of interior/exterior selection may not only capture specific characteristics on spatial and morphological properties, but also socioeconomic factors which may implicitly be present in these spatial representations. The usage of interior and exterior subregions in the present study acts as a proof of concept. Other spatial heterogeneity indicators, for example landscape, socioeconomic and political boundaries could act as the basis for improved local segmentations.

Three-dimensional land FD-CSEM forward modeling using edge finite-element method

A modeling tool for simulating three-dimensional land frequency-domain controlled-source electromagnetic surveys,based on a finite-element discretization of the Helmholtz equation for the electric fields,has been developed.The main difference between our modeling method and those previous works is edge finite-element approach applied to solving the three-dimensional land frequency-domain electromagnetic responses generated by horizontal electric dipole source.Firstly,the edge finite-element equation is formulated through the Galerkin method based on Helmholtz equation of the electric fields.Secondly,in order to check the validity of the modeling code,the numerical results are compared with the analytical solutions for a homogeneous half-space model.Finally,other three models are simulated with three-dimensional electromagnetic responses.The results indicate that the method can be applied for solving three-dimensional electromagnetic responses.The algorithm has been demonstrated,which can be effective to modeling the complex geo-electrical structures.This efficient algorithm will help to study the distribution laws of3-D land frequency-domain controlled-source electromagnetic responses and to setup basis for research of three-dimensional inversion.

The study on three-dimensional numerical model and fronts of the Jiulong Estuary and the Xiamen Bay

Applying the methods of on-site observation and dynamic model, the research on the fronts at the Jiulong Estuary has been carried out, during which spatial and temporal distribution, dynamic characteristics and formation mechanism of salinity fronts are analyzed and discussed. The research shows that the estuarine fronts mainly lie in the area from the Jiyu Islet to the Haimen Island, outside of Yuweizai to Hulishan cross-section, the near coast of Yuweizai and the south of the Songyu-Gulangyu Channel. The fronts in the former two regions are formed directly by plume, while the one near the coast of Yuweizai is a tidal intrusion front caused by flood current and the one at the south of the Songyu-Gulangyu Channel is the result of current shear transformation. Under normal circumstances, fresh water of the Jiulong River mainly influences the inside of the Xiamen Bay, and when it is in typhoon seasons, plume front can affect the Taiwan Strait and has an effect on the biogeochemical Drocesses in the strait.

Microstructure modeling and virtual test of asphalt mixture based on three-dimensional discrete element method

The objective of this work is to model the microstructure of asphalt mixture and build virtual test for asphalt mixture by using Particle Flow Code in three dimensions(PFC^(3D))based on three-dimensional discrete element method.A randomly generating algorithm was proposed to capture the three-dimensional irregular shape of coarse aggregate.And then,modeling algorithm and method for graded aggregates were built.Based on the combination of modeling of coarse aggregates,asphalt mastic and air voids,three-dimensional virtual sample of asphalt mixture was modeled by using PFC^(3D).Virtual tests for penetration test of aggregate and uniaxial creep test of asphalt mixture were built and conducted by using PFC^(3D).By comparison of the testing results between virtual tests and actual laboratory tests,the validity of the microstructure modeling and virtual test built in this study was verified.Additionally,compared with laboratory test,the virtual test is easier to conduct and has less variability.It is proved that microstructure modeling and virtual test based on three-dimensional discrete element method is a promising way to conduct research of asphalt mixture.

Three-dimensional forward modeling for magnetotelluric sounding by finite element method

A finite element algorithm combined with divergence condition was presented for computing three-dimensional(3D) magnetotelluric forward modeling. The finite element equation of three-dimensional magnetotelluric forward modeling was derived from Maxwell's equations using general variation principle. The divergence condition was added forcedly to the electric field boundary value problem, which made the solution correct. The system of equation of the finite element algorithm was a large sparse, banded, symmetric, ill-conditioned, non-Hermitian complex matrix equation, which can be solved using the Bi-CGSTAB method. In order to prove correctness of the three-dimensional magnetotelluric forward algorithm, the computed results and analytic results of one-dimensional geo-electrical model were compared. In addition, the three-dimensional magnetotelluric forward algorithm is given a further evaluation by computing COMMEMI model. The forward modeling results show that the algorithm is very efficient, and it has a lot of advantages, such as the high precision, the canonical process of solving problem, meeting the internal boundary condition automatically and adapting to all kinds of distribution of multi-substances.