title: Analysis of the flow field and pressure drop in fixed-bed reactors with the help of lattice Boltzmann simulations.
abstract: The pressure drop of technical devices is a crucial property for their design and operation. In this paper, we show how the results of lattice Boltzmann simulations can be used in science and engineering to improve the physical understanding of the pressure drop and the flow inhomogeneities in porous media, especially in sphere-packed fixed-bed reactors with low aspect ratios. Commonly used pressure drop correlations are based on simplified assumptions such as the capillary or tortuosity model, which do not reflect all hydrodynamic effects. Consequently, empirical correlations for certain classes of media have been introduced in the past to bridge the gap between the models and the experimental findings. As is shown in this paper by the detailed analysis of the velocity field in the void space of packed beds, the pressure drop is due to more complex hydrodynamics than considered in the above-mentioned models. With the help of lattice Boltzmann simulations, we were able to analyse the different contributions to the total dissipation, namely shear and deformation of the fluid, for different geometries over a wide range of Reynolds numbers. We further show that the actual length of the flow paths changes considerably with the radial and circumferential position.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Fluid Mechanics (LSTM), University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany. thzeiser@lstm.uni-erlangen.de
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zeiser
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Steven
authors.forename: Hannsjörg
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Freund
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lammers
authors.forename: Gunther
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brenner
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Durst
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bernsdorf
mesh_terms: D003102:Colloids / Q000737:chemistry*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004058:Diffusion; D005740:Gases / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D008956:Models, Chemical; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009038:Motion; D010316:Particle Size; D011312:Pressure; D011789:Quantum Theory; D012212:Rheology / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids; D005740:Gases