@article{banerjee_paul_2022, title={Heat transfer analysis using a duct filled with metal foams}, volume={8}, ISSN={["2148-7847"]}, DOI={10.18186/thermal.1149655}, abstractNote={Thick-walled pipe experiencing internal flow is widely used in a variety of applications in the industry. Some of the most prominent ones are heat exchangers, heat pipes, furnaces, etc. In this study, conjugate heat transfer has been examined in a pipe filled with a porous medium experiencing a constant external heat flux. Th e an al ysis is ba se d on a tw o- dimensional domain using a quasi-thermal equilibrium model. Effects of porosity, pore density, Reynold’s number and thermal conductivity of solid and fluid on the Nusselt number have been studied. Three types of porous foams based on the pore density have been chosen for the analysis: 10 PPI, 40 PPI and 60 PPI. The results have been generalized for use in a wide range of Newtonian fluids. Additionally, the pressure drops across the pipes fi ll ed wi th po ro us media have been studied as a function of pore density and Reynold’s number. Numerical results indicate augmented performance with porous foams of high pore densities. However, using a porous medium with higher pore density leads to higher pressure drop, thus needing pumping power. The computational model used in this manuscript predicts that Nusselt number is increased by 38.7 % with Reynold’s number < 10000, when the porous medium is changed from 10 PPI to 60 PPI. The numerical data presented in the manuscript supports the application of low porosity foam with low pore density to achieve better thermal transport at the cost of pressure drop.}, number={4}, journal={JOURNAL OF THERMAL ENGINEERING}, author={Banerjee, Abhisek and Paul, Diplina}, year={2022}, month={Jul}, pages={529–537} }
 @misc{paul_kolar_hall_2021, title={A review of the impact of environmental factors on the fate and transport of coronaviruses in aqueous environments}, volume={4}, ISBN={2059-7037}, DOI={10.1038/s41545-020-00096-w}, abstractNote={AbstractThe ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has triggered the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives worldwide. This virus spreads predominantly by human-to-human transmission via respiratory droplets. However, the presence of this virus in the fecal and anal swabs of infected patients has triggered the need for research into its waterborne transmission. The various environmental factors that impact the persistence of coronavirus in different water matrices include temperature, UV exposure, organic matter, disinfectants as well as adversarial microorganisms. This review summarizes the most recent research data on the effect of various factors on coronavirus in aqueous environments. The available data suggest that: (i) increasing temperature decreases the overall persistence of the virus; (ii) the presence of organic matter can increase the survivability of coronavirus; (iii) chlorine is the most effective and economic disinfectant; (iv) membrane bioreactors in wastewater treatment plants are hosts of competitive microorganisms that can inactivate coronaviruses; (v) ultraviolet irradiation is another effective option for virus inactivation. However, the inactivation disinfection kinetics of coronaviruses are yet to be fully understood. Thus, further research is needed to understand its fate and transport with respect to the water cycle so that effective strategies can be adopted to curb its effects. These strategies may vary based on geographic, climatic, technical, and social conditions around the globe. This paper explores possible approaches and especially the conditions that local communities and authorities should consider to find optimal solutions that can limit the spread of this virus.}, number={1}, journal={NPJ CLEAN WATER}, author={Paul, Diplina and Kolar, Praveen and Hall, Steven G.}, year={2021} }
 @article{paul_hall_2021, title={Biochar and Zeolite as Alternative Biofilter Media for Denitrification of Aquaculture Effluents}, volume={13}, ISSN={["2073-4441"]}, DOI={10.3390/w13192703}, abstractNote={Denitrification processes are crucial in aquaculture as they convert the undesirable nitrate to safer forms of nitrogen. Conventionally, plastic media are used for the biofiltration of wastewater. However, alternative media may be as effective/better than plastic and enhance the sustainability of the system. This study evaluated biochar and zeolite as alternatives for the denitrification of aquaculture effluents. Triplicates of laboratory-scale bioreactors were fabricated to compare the denitrification efficiencies of biochar and zeolite to that of plastic. The bioreactors were fed synthetic aquaculture wastewater having nitrate loading rates of 50, 125, and 150 mg/L. Zeolite exhibited highest values of surface roughness in terms of arithmetic mean height (0.89 µm), maximum height (6.52 µm), and root-mean-square height (1.17 µm), as corroborated by surface profilometry and scanning electron microscopy. The results revealed that under pseudo-steady-state conditions, zeolite displayed the highest nitrate removal efficiency (maximum 95.02 ± 0.01%), which was followed by biochar and plastic (maximum 92.91 ± 0.01% and 92.57 ± 0.02%, respectively) due to its extraordinary surface roughness that provided better adhesion to the bacteria. However, by the end of the study, all the media exhibited comparable rates. Thus, both zeolite and biochar are sustainable alternatives of biomedia for nitrate removal. However, time and labor constraints must be accounted for to scale-up such bioreactors.}, number={19}, journal={WATER}, author={Paul, Diplina and Hall, Steven G.}, year={2021}, month={Oct} }
 @misc{banerjee_paul_2021, title={Developments and applications of porous medium combustion: A recent review}, volume={221}, ISSN={["1873-6785"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.energy.2021.119868}, abstractNote={Global attention on fuel efficiency, reduced emissions and the ability to operate with a wide range of fuels having low calorific values, continues to drive research and development in the field of porous medium combustion (PMC). PMC is a modern technology where combustion occurs within voids of the solid porous matrix. Researchers worldwide have developed PMC technology for various applications: from classical fields like turbines, internal combustion engines, heat exchangers, oil and gas extraction devices to modern areas like food processors, thermoelectric generators, etc. Though the ability of PMC to internally regenerate heat makes it suitable for a wide range of applications, yet its development is challenged by bottlenecks in flame propagation, flammability limits, operating efficiency, etc. This study has compiled global PMC research for application in small-scale energy-efficient systems. Following the general background, fundamental and governing parameters modulating PMC are presented here. Numerous significant and recent developments in the fundamental challenge of flame stabilization in PMC are discussed. This review focuses on the research conducted so far in the field of porous medium combustion to enable its wide application. Finally, this review discusses the various challenges and scope of future research essential in the development of PMC technology.}, journal={ENERGY}, author={Banerjee, Abhisek and Paul, Diplina}, year={2021}, month={Apr} }