ABSTRACT
After a brief review of state-of-the-art methods for the characterization of membrane structures, such as Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope (CLSM) and X-Ray Tomography, recent progress in the field of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in porous media is highlighted in this chapter. Subsequently, the concept of virtual material design (VMD) is presented and particular attention is given to the analysis of CFD occurring in membranes. Powerful virtual three-dimensional reconstructions of real porous media from imaging methods such as SEM or X-Ray tomography by Voronoi diagrams are discussed; This technique enables the investigation of the impact of porous structures on mass transfer and the prediction of local concentration gradients that may have a strong influence on the performance of desalination membranes.
