CFD-validated pore network modeling of packed beds of non-spherical particle

Abstract

In this work, the hydrodynamics inside packed beds of particles with different shapes are investigated: spherical, cylindrical, and cubical particles. The cylindrical and cubical geometries contain sharp ridges, which give rise to complicated pore geometries. In this study, Pore Network Modeling (PNM) validated with the Particle-Resolved Computational Fluid Dynamics (PR-CFD) simulations of packed beds with these non-spherical particles will be reported. The results show that the PNM predicts the same average flow behavior and pore pressure variations as PR-CFD. However, the PNM prediction of the pressure values is less accurate at the pore level compared to the PR-CFD for the cubical particles.