Diffusion enhancement for damaged porous media with fractal geometry using a generalized tree-like bifurcation network model

Zhang Chijin; Teng Jiawei; Wang Chuanming; Liao Zuwei; Xie Zaiku

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Diffusion enhancement for damaged porous media with fractal geometry using a generalized tree-like bifurcation network model

Updated：2026-05-14

- Diffusion enhancement for damaged porous media with fractal geometry using a generalized tree-like bifurcation network model
- Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol. 90, Issue 2, Pages: 203-213(2026)
- Affiliations：
  
  State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and Low-Carbon Technology, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
  State Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering and Industrial Catalysis, SINOPEC Shanghai Research Institute of Petrochemical Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201208, China
- Author bio：
  
  Corresponding authors. E-mail addresses: wangcm.sshy@sinopec.com (C. Wang)
  Corresponding authors. E-mail addresses: liaozw@zju.edu.cn (Z. Liao).
- Funds：
- DOI：
  CLC：
- Received：01 July 2025，
  
  Revised：2025-09-12，
  
  Accepted：16 September 2025，
  
  Online First：28 November 2025，
  
  Published：2026-02
- Accepted：
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Zhang Chijin, Teng Jiawei, Wang Chuanming, et al. Diffusion enhancement for damaged porous media with fractal geometry using a generalized tree-like bifurcation network model[J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2026, 90(2): 203-213.
DOI：

Zhang Chijin, Teng Jiawei, Wang Chuanming, et al. Diffusion enhancement for damaged porous media with fractal geometry using a generalized tree-like bifurcation network model[J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2026, 90(2): 203-213. DOI：

摘要

Abstract

The effective diffusion coefficient (EDC) is a fundamental parameter for characterizing gas transport in porous media. Structural damages within the pore network significantly affect the EDC due to the alterations in diffusion pathways. To advance the understanding of these effects

we introduce a novel

physics-based model that explicitly captures the complex morphology of damaged porous structures. Utilizing a generalized tree-like bifurcation network framework combined with Monte Carlo simulations

our approach models gas diffusion according to Fick's law

deriving a comprehensive expression for EDC as a function of critical geometric parameters: porosity

fractal dimension of pore space

surface roughness

connectivity

total branching level

branching angle

and pore damage extent. This methodology eschews empirical assumptions

relying solely on fundamental physical principles

thus ensuring high model fidelity and predictive robustness for complex porous systems. Validation against extensive experimental datasets demonstrates strong agreement

confirming the model's accuracy. Key findings reveal that pore damage shifts the optimal diameter ratio (ODR) from 0.772 into a broader range of 0.788—0.876 under damage scenarios. Moreover

higher branching levels and smaller angles increase the sensitivity of EDC to diameter ratio variations. Tailored pore morphology

particularly in designing different diameter ratios for damaged versus undamaged zones

can significantly enhance gas diffusion efficiency. These results offer a theoretical basis for designing damage-tolerant catalyst porous media during the lifecycle

improving diffusion efficiency by 0.86% to 3.81% compared to traditional designs across three damage models.

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Keywords

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