Journal of Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology (JONSAT)
In cooperation with the Iranian Nuclear Society

Possibility of using real time digital neutron radiography to study the evaporation of water in porous materials

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

E. Nazemi 1
A. Movafeghi 1
B. Rokrok 1
M. Dinca 2
M. H. Choopan Dastjerdi 1

1 Reactor and Nuclear Safety Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, AEOI, P.O.BOX: 14395-836, Tehran-Iran

2 Institute for Nuclear Research (INR), Mioveni 115400, Romania

https://doi.org/10.24200/nst.2021.1202
Abstract
The study of the process of absorption and evaporation of fluids in porous media is of particular importance in sciences such as geology, civil engineering, environment, etc. Neutron radiography is one of the most precise methods for investigation of the mentioned processes. Due to the high cross-section of the interaction of thermal neutrons with hydrogen, precise investigation of absorption and evaporation of fluids containing hydrogen, such as water, oil, etc., is possible. In the present work, using the real-time neutron radiography technique, the vaporization of water from a porous building sample at 10 °C in the laboratory was investigated. For this purpose, a building brick was immersed into water for 24 hours, and then was placed in front of the neutron beam. During 145 minutes of reactor operation, 30 images were recorded with a 5 minutes interval from the wet sample. The obtained images showed that using the utilized technique, the distribution variations and volumetric water content inside the sample are well visible. Also, the results indicated that the volumetric water content in the sample was evaporated with a rate of 3.94×10-4 percent per seconds in the laboratory environment.

Highlights

1‌.     R. J. Gummerson, et al., Unsaturated water flow within porous materials observed by NMR imaging. Nature, vol. 281(5726), p.56. 1979.

 

2.  S. S. Roels, et al., A comparison of different techniques to quantify moisture content profiles in porous building materials. Journal of Thermal Envelope and Building Science, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 261-276, 2004.

 

3.   P.H. Baker, et al., The application of X-ray absorption to building moisture transport studies. Measurement, vol. 40 no. 9-10, pp. 951-959, 2007.

 

4.   ‌‌ M.I. Nizovtsev, et al., Determination of moisture diffusivity in porous materials using gamma-method, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, vol. 51, no. 17-18, pp. 4161-4167, 2008.

 

5.    N. Shokri, et al., Drying front and water content dynamics during evaporation from sand delineated by neutron radiography. Water resources research, vol. 44, no. 6, 2008.

 

6.  N. Shokri ,‌P. Lehmann, and D. Or, Critical evaluation of enhancement factors for vapor transport through unsaturated porous media. Water resources research, vol. 45, no.10, 2009.

 

 
7.   A.G. Abd, et al., Neutron radiography studies of water migration in construction porous materials. IEEE transactions on nuclear science, vol. 52, no. 1, pp. 299-304. 2005.

 

8.   N. Shokri, , P. Lehmann, and D. Or, Characteristics of evaporation from partially wettable porous media. Water Resources Research, vol. 45, no. 2. 2009.

 

9.    F. C. De Beer, W. J. Strydom, and E. J. Griesel, The drying process of concrete: a neutron radiography study. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, vol. 61, no. 4, pp. 617-623. 2004.

 

10. A.E.G. El Abd, and J.J. Milczarek, Neutron radiography study of water absorption in porous building materials: anomalous diffusion analysis. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, vol. 37, no.16, p.2305. 2004.

 

11. R. Hassanein, et al.,‌ Investigation of water imbibition in porous stone by thermal neutron radiography. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, vol. 39, no. 19, pp. 4284, 2006.

 

12.   M. Dinca, Status of the Imaging Facility INUS at INR, Physics. Proc., vol. 88, pp.167-174. 2017.

 

13.  M. Dinca, M. Pavelescu, C. Iorgulis, Collimated neutron beam for neutron radiography, Rom. Journ. Phys., vol. 51, pp. 435–441, 2006.

 

 

Keywords

Real time digital neutron radiography
Porous media
Hydrogenous fluids
Evaporation
1‌.     R. J. Gummerson, et al., Unsaturated water flow within porous materials observed by NMR imaging. Nature, vol. 281(5726), p.56. 1979.
 
2.  S. S. Roels, et al., A comparison of different techniques to quantify moisture content profiles in porous building materials. Journal of Thermal Envelope and Building Science, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 261-276, 2004.
 
3.   P.H. Baker, et al., The application of X-ray absorption to building moisture transport studies. Measurement, vol. 40 no. 9-10, pp. 951-959, 2007.
 
4.   ‌‌ M.I. Nizovtsev, et al., Determination of moisture diffusivity in porous materials using gamma-method, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, vol. 51, no. 17-18, pp. 4161-4167, 2008.
 
5.    N. Shokri, et al., Drying front and water content dynamics during evaporation from sand delineated by neutron radiography. Water resources research, vol. 44, no. 6, 2008.
 
6.  N. Shokri ,‌P. Lehmann, and D. Or, Critical evaluation of enhancement factors for vapor transport through unsaturated porous media. Water resources research, vol. 45, no.10, 2009.
 
 
7.   A.G. Abd, et al., Neutron radiography studies of water migration in construction porous materials. IEEE transactions on nuclear science, vol. 52, no. 1, pp. 299-304. 2005.
 
8.   N. Shokri, , P. Lehmann, and D. Or, Characteristics of evaporation from partially wettable porous media. Water Resources Research, vol. 45, no. 2. 2009.
 
9.    F. C. De Beer, W. J. Strydom, and E. J. Griesel, The drying process of concrete: a neutron radiography study. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, vol. 61, no. 4, pp. 617-623. 2004.
 
10. A.E.G. El Abd, and J.J. Milczarek, Neutron radiography study of water absorption in porous building materials: anomalous diffusion analysis. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, vol. 37, no.16, p.2305. 2004.
 
11. R. Hassanein, et al.,‌ Investigation of water imbibition in porous stone by thermal neutron radiography. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, vol. 39, no. 19, pp. 4284, 2006.
 
12.   M. Dinca, Status of the Imaging Facility INUS at INR, Physics. Proc., vol. 88, pp.167-174. 2017.
 
13.  M. Dinca, M. Pavelescu, C. Iorgulis, Collimated neutron beam for neutron radiography, Rom. Journ. Phys., vol. 51, pp. 435–441, 2006.
 
 

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