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Porous Microstructure Analysis (PuMA)

A NASA software catalog entry available for reuse or request.

About this technology

Overview

The Porous Microstructure Analysis (PuMA) software has been developed in order to compute effective material properties and perform material response simulations on digitized microstructures of porous media. PuMA is able to import digital three-dimensional images obtained from X-ray microtomography or to generate artificial microstructures that mimic real materials. PuMA also provides a module for interactive 3D visualizations. Version 3 includes modules to compute simple morphological properties such as porosity, volume fractions, pore diameter, and specific surface area. Additional capabilities include the determination of effective thermal and electrical conductivity (including the ability to simulate local anisotropy), effective diffusivity and tortuosity from the continuum to the rarefied regime, and techniques to determine local material orientation.