A critique on “An efficient numerical model for liquid water uptake in porous material and its parameter estimation”

Abstract

In February 2019 this journal published the article "An efficient numerical model for liquid water uptake in porous material and its parameter estimation", (re)introducing the Scharfetter-Gummel numerical model for simulation of moisture transfer in building materials, and applying it for the inverse characterisation of hygric properties based on a capillary absorption experiment. This critique voices concerns on the moisture transfer model defined and on the moisture transfer simulations performed. It moreover formulates doubts on the obtained identification and intended identifiability of the moisture transfer properties. This critique invites the article's authors to address these concerns, to confirm their outcomes' reliability.

A comment on “Accurate numerical simulation of moisture front in porous material”

“…It should be mentioned that [1] also introduces the Scharfetter-Gummel method for solving the coupled diffusion and advection equation, which is not touched upon here. It should be noted however that the efficiency claims regarding this method have already been shown to be overstated [3]. [1] presumes that advective vapour transport is possible in the experimental configuration of [2], given that they impose a constant air velocity (of 0.005 m/s) through the sample.…”