Welcome to the Amira-Avizo Software Use Case Gallery

Below you will find a collection of use cases of our 3D data visualization and analysis software. These use cases include scientific publications, articles, papers, posters, presentations or even videos that show how Amira-Avizo Software is used to address various scientific and industrial research topics.

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Evaluating microstructure evolution in an SOFC electrode using digital volume correlation

Evaluating microstructure evolution in an SOFC electrode using digital volume correlation

Degradation mechanisms within solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) during thermal cycling limit operational start-up times and cell lifetime, and must therefore be better understood and mitigated. This work explores such mechanisms using digital volume correlation (DVC) techniques applied to lab-based X-ray tomograms where the microstructural evolution is evaluated during the operational cycling of a Ni–YSZ/YSZ cell. To emulate reduced start-up times, five tomograms were collected over four operat... Read more

T. M. M. Heenan, X. Lu,, D. P. Finegan,, J. Robinson, F. Iacoviello, J. J. Bailey, D. J. L. Brett and P. R. Shearing

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Four-Dimensional Studies of Morphology Evolution in Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Four-Dimensional Studies of Morphology Evolution in Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Lithium sulfur (Li–S) batteries have great potential as a successor to Li-ion batteries, but their commercialization has been complicated by a multitude of issues stemming from their complex multiphase chemistry. In situ X-ray tomography investigations enable direct observations to be made about a battery, providing unprecedented insight into the microstructural evolution of the sulfur cathode and shedding light on the reaction kinetics of the sulfur phase. Here, for the first time, the mor... Read more

Chun Tan, Thomas M. M. Heenan, Ralf F. Ziesche, Sohrab R. Daemi, Jennifer Hack, Maximilian Maier, Shashidhara Marathe, Christoph Rau, Daniel J. L. Brett, Paul R. Shearing

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A novel approach for the quantification of inhomogeneous 3D current distribution in fuel cell electrodes

A novel approach for the quantification of inhomogeneous 3D current distribution in fuel cell electrodes

The electrode microstructural properties significantly influence the efficiency and durability of many electrochemical devices including solid oxide fuel cells. Despite the possibility of simulating the electrochemical phenomena within real three-dimensional microstructures, the potential of such 3D microstructural information has not yet been fully exploited. We introduce here a completely new methodology for the advanced characterization of inhomogeneous current distribution base... Read more

A.Bertei, V.Yufit, F.Tariq, N.P.Brandon

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Spatially resolved ultrasound diagnostics of Li-ion battery electrodes

Spatially resolved ultrasound diagnostics of Li-ion battery electrodes

The importance of reliable battery diagnostic systems has grown substantially in recent years as a result of the use of high power Li-ion battery packs in an increasingly diverse range of applications. Here, spatially resolved ultrasound acoustic measurements are used to analyse the condition of Li-ion electrodes. Ultrasonic measurements are performed on a commercial mobile phone battery over the full operating voltage window with the lithiation and delithiation of electrodes o... Read more

James B. Robinson, Maximilian Maier , George Alster , Tomos Compton , Dan J. L. Brett and Paul R. Shearing

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Investigation of pressure drop in 3D replicated open-cell foams: Coupling CFD with experimental data on additively manufactured foams

Investigation of pressure drop in 3D replicated open-cell foams: Coupling CFD with experimental data on additively manufactured foams

Open-cell foams as structured catalyst supports are promising candidates for the design of high throughput catalytic processes. In this contribution, we employ a coupled numerical and experimental approach to assess the pressure losses in foams. (…) we explore virtually-generated foam models and their 3D printed replicas for a combined CFD and experimental study of fluid dynamics in foams. In particular, we focus our analysis on the low Reynolds number regime, where deviations between t... Read more

Mauro Bracconi, Matteo Ambrosetti, Obinna Okafor, Victor Sans, Xun Zhang, Xiaoxia Ou, Claudio Pereira Da Fonte, Xiaolei Fan, Matteo Maestri, Gianpiero Groppi, Enrico Tronconi

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Characterisation of the diffusion properties of metal foam hybrid flow-fields for fuel cells using optical flow visualisation and X-ray computed tomography

Characterisation of the diffusion properties of metal foam hybrid flow-fields for fuel cells using optical flow visualisation and X-ray computed tomography

The flow distribution behaviour of open-cell metallic foam fuel cell flow-fields are evaluated using ex-situ optical analysis and X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT). Five different manifold designs are evaluated and flow distribution and pressure drop ... Read more

A.Fly, D.Butcher, Q.Meyer, M.Whiteley, A.Spencer, C.Kim, P.R.Shearing, D.J.L.Brett, R.Chen

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An Investigation of Fiber Reinforced Chemically Bonded Phosphate Ceramic Composites at Room Temperature

An Investigation of Fiber Reinforced Chemically Bonded Phosphate Ceramic Composites at Room Temperature

In this study, chemically bonded phosphate ceramic (CBPC) fiber reinforced composites were made at indoor temperatures. The mechanical properties and microstructure of the CBPC composites were studied. The CBPC matrix of aluminum phosphate binder, metakaolin, and magnesia with different Si/P ratios was prepared. The results show that when the Si/P ratio was 1.2, and magnesia content in the CBPC was 15%, CBPC reached its maximum flexural strength. The fiber reinforced CBPC composites were prep... Read more

Zhu Ding; Yu-Yu Li; Can Lu; Jian Liu

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3-D micro-architecture and mechanical response of soil cemented via microbial-induced calcite precipitation

3-D micro-architecture and mechanical response of soil cemented via microbial-induced calcite precipitation

We introduce the application of microbial-induced calcite precipitation via the ureolytic soil bacterium Sporosarcina Pasteurii in freeze-dried form, as a means of enhancing overall MICP efficiency and reproducibility for geotechnical engineering applications. We show that the execution of urea hydrolysis and CaCO3 precipitation persist as a “cell-free” mechanism upon the complete breakdown of rehydrated cell clusters. Further, strength and stiffness parameters of bio-cemented ... Read more

Dimitrios Terzis, Lyesse Laloui

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X-ray Tomographic Imaging of Tensile Deformation Modes of Electrospun Biodegradable Polyester Fibers

X-ray Tomographic Imaging of Tensile Deformation Modes of Electrospun Biodegradable Polyester Fibers

Electrospun constructs for the repair of load-bearing tissues are required to have adequate mechanical properties. However, the failure mechanisms of electrospun fibrous materials are not well understood. Existing literature focuses on failure modes of individual fibers and/or on bulk mechanical properties of whole fiber mats.

Electrospinning allows the production of fibrous networks for tissue engineering, drug delivery, and wound healing in health care. It enables the production of c... Read more

Jekaterina Maksimcuka; Akiko Obata ; William W. Sampson ; Remi Blanc ; Chunxia Gao ; Philip J. Withers ; Olga Tsigkou ; Toshihiro Kasuga ; Peter D. Lee ; Gowsihan Poologasundarampillai

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Stochastic reconstruction of carbon fiber paper gas diffusion layers of PEFCs: A comparative study

Stochastic reconstruction of carbon fiber paper gas diffusion layers of PEFCs: A comparative study

Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that convert the chemical energy of fuels into electrical energy. An ideal option for a wide variety of portable, stationary, and automotive applications is using the polymer electrolyte
fuel cells due to their modular design, high efficiency, and environmental benefits.

A 3D microstructure of the non-woven gas diffusion layers (GDLs) of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) is reconstructed using a stochastic method. For a commercial GDL, ... Read more

Sepehr Sima Afrookhteh, Jalil Jamali, Mohsen Shakeric, Majid Baniassadi

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The Application of Hierarchical Structures in Energy Devices: New Insights into the Design of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells with Enhanced Mass Transport

The Application of Hierarchical Structures in Energy Devices: New Insights into the Design of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells with Enhanced Mass Transport

Mass transport can significantly limit the rate of reaction and lead to concentration polarization in electrochemical devices, especially under the conditions of high operating current density.

In this study we investigate hierarchically structured micro-tubular solid
oxide fuel cells (MT-SOFC) fabricated by phase inversion technique and quantitatively assess the mass transport and electrochemical performance improvement compared to a conventional tubular SOFC. We present pioneer... Read more

Xuekun Lu, Tao Li, Antonio Bertei, Jason I S Cho , Thomas M.M. Heenan , Rabuni Mohamad, Kang Li, Dan JL Brett, Paul R Shearing

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Correlation between triple phase boundary and the microstructure of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell anodes

Correlation between triple phase boundary and the microstructure of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell anodes

This study aims to correlate the active triple phase boundaries (TPBs) to the variation of as-prepared anode microstructures and Ni densifications based on the reconstructed 3D volume of an SOFC anode, providing a point of comparison with theoretical studies that reveal the relationship of TPBs and the material microstructure using randomly packed spheres models.

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Xuekun Lu, Thomas M.M. Heenan, Josh J. Bailey, Tao Li, Kang Li, Daniel J.L. Brett, Paul R. Shearing, Electrochemical Innovation Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London

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The fractal nature of the three-phase boundary: A heuristic approach to the degradation of nanostructured solid oxide fuel cell anodes

The fractal nature of the three-phase boundary: A heuristic approach to the degradation of nanostructured solid oxide fuel cell anodes

Nickel/zirconia-based nanostructured electrodes for solid oxide fuel cells suffer from poor stability even at intermediate temperature.

This study quantifies the electrochemical and microstructural degradation of nanostructured electrodes by combining 3D tomography, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and mechanistic modeling. For the first time, the electrochemical degradation of nanostructured electrodes is quantified according to the fractal nature of the three-phase bounda... Read more

A. Bertei, E. Ruiz-Trejo, K. Kareh, V. Yufit, X. Wang, F. Tariq, N.P. Brandon,

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New Method for the Deposition of Nickel Oxide in Porous Scaffolds for Electrodes in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers

New Method for the Deposition of Nickel Oxide in Porous Scaffolds for Electrodes in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers

A simple chemical bath deposition is used to coat a complex porous ceramic scaffold with a conformal Ni layer.

The resulting composite is used as a solid oxide fuel cell electrode, and its electrochemical response is measured in humidified hydrogen. X‐ray tomography is used to determine the microstructural characteristics of the uncoated and Ni‐coated porous structure, which include the surface area to total volume, the radial pore size, and the size of the necks between the pores.... Read more

Dr. Enrique Ruiz‐Trejo, Milla Puolamaa, Brian Sum, Dr. Farid Tariq, Dr. Vladimir Yufit, Prof. Nigel P. Brandon

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A Structure and Durability Comparison of Membrane Electrode Assembly Fabrication Methods: Self-Assembled Versus Hot-Pressed

A Structure and Durability Comparison of Membrane Electrode Assembly Fabrication Methods: Self-Assembled Versus Hot-Pressed

The most common means of fabricating membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) involves a hot-press step. The conditions used to perform the hot-press impacts the performance and durability of the fuel cell.

However, the hot-press process is not essential for achieving operational MEAs and some practitioners dispense with the hot-press stage altogether by using a self-assembled approach. By performing the integration of the components in-situ durin... Read more

Jennifer Hack, T. M. M. Heenan, F. Iacoviello, N. Mansor, Q. Meyer, P. Shearing, N. Brandon and D. J. L. Brett

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Quantification of the degradation of Ni-YSZ anodes upon redox cycling

Quantification of the degradation of Ni-YSZ anodes upon redox cycling

Ni-YSZ anodes for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells are vulnerable to microstructural damage during redox cycling leading to a decrease in the electrochemical performance.

 

  • Quantification of redox damage by coupling 3D tomography, EIS and nanoindentation.
  • YSZ fracture, Ni detachment and agglomeration led to irreversible mechanical damage.
  • Ni nanoparticles obtained upon redox cycling improve electrochemical performance.
  • Loss in TPB densi... Read more

Bowen Song, Enrique Ruiz-Trejo, Antonio Bertei, Nigel P.Brandon

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Multi-length scale tomography for the determination and optimization of the effective microstructural properties in novel hierarchical solid oxide fuel cell anodes

Multi-length scale tomography for the determination and optimization of the effective microstructural properties in novel hierarchical solid oxide fuel cell anodes

Our parametric study shows that increasing the porosity in the spongy layer beyond 10% enhances the effective transport parameters of the spongy layer at an exponential rate, but linearly for the full anode. For the first time, local and global mass transport properties are correlated to the microstructure, which is of wide interest for rationalizing the design optimization of SOFC electrodes and more generally for hierarchical materials in batteries and membranes.

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Xuekun Lu, Oluwadamilola O. Taiwo, Antonio Bertei, Tao Li, Kang Li, Dan J.L. Brett, Paul R.Shearing

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Durable and self-hydrating tungsten carbide-based composite polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Durable and self-hydrating tungsten carbide-based composite polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Proton conductivity of the polymer electrolyte membranes in fuel cells dictates their performance and requires sufficient water management. Here, we report a simple, scalable method to produce well-dispersed transition metal carbide nanoparticles. We demonstrate that these, when added as an additive to the proton exchange Nafion membrane, provide significant enhancement in power density and durability over 100 hours, surpassing both the baseline Nafion and platinum-containing recast Nafion ... Read more

Weiqing Zheng, Liang Wang, Fei Deng, Stephen A. Giles, Ajay K. Prasad, Suresh G. Advani, Yushan Yan & Dionisios G. Vlachos

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X-ray tomography-assisted study of a phase inversion process in ceramic hollow fiber systems – Towards practical structural design

X-ray tomography-assisted study of a phase inversion process in ceramic hollow fiber systems – Towards practical structural design

In this study, a series of alumina hollow fibers have been prepared with varied polymer binder (polyethersulfone, PESf) concentration and new polymer-based internal coagulant (aqueous solution of polyvinyl alcohol, PVA). For the first time, the micro-channels were characterized in 3D using X-ray CT to determine micro-channel densities and diameters in the radial direction, as well as the 2D measurement of the pore size in the sponge-like layer.

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Tao Li, Xuekun Lu, Bo Wang, Zhentao Wu, Kang Li, Dan J.L. Brett, Paul R. Shearing

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Hydraulic properties of porous sintered glass bead systems

Hydraulic properties of porous sintered glass bead systems

In this paper, porous sintered glass bead packings are studied, using X-ray Computed Tomography (XRCT) images at 16μm16μm voxel resolution, to obtain not only the porosity field, but also other properties like particle sizes, pore throats and the permeability. The influence of the sintering procedure and the original particle size distributions on the microstructure, and thus on the hydraulic properties, is analyzed in detail. The XRCT data are visualized and studied by advanced image fil... Read more

University of Twente, Enschede | Ruhr-University Bochum; Eindhoven University of Technology | Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy | University of Stuttgart

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