(189i) Engineered Gas Adsorbents, Optimum Structure and Performance

This study presents the optimization procedure for the structure of gas adsorbents in micro-scale level (pore level) by taking into account the effect of pore geometry, porosity and size on diffusion rate of adsorptive molecules. The uniform and fractal structures are employed in this work as ?near' optimal structures for the adsorbent and their performance are compared. Molecular and Knudsen diffusion are considered as transport mechanisms in macropores while surface diffusion is also assumed to contribute into gas molecule transport in micropores. The attempt is to employ ?natural inspired engineering designs? with optimal structures in order to find an optimum adsorbent matrix with less resistance to gas transport. As a most remarkable finding of theoretical results by this optimization technique, the fractal tree-like structures with the porosity of less than 50% represent the optimum structure with less diffusional resistance to adsorptive molecules. The theoretical results of this study will be used as ?a priory' result for the design of adsorbents in macro-scale level.