Single phase flow modeling in packed beds: discrete cell approach revisited

• Published in: Chemical engineering science 2000-05, Vol.55 (10), p.1829-1844
• Main Authors: Jiang, Y., Khadilkar, M.R., Al-Dahhan, M.H., Dudukovic, M.P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemical engineering; Computational fluid dynamics (CFD); Discrete cell model (DCM); Exact sciences and technology; Flow distribution; Hydrodynamics of contact apparatus; Internal structure nonuniformities; Minimization of energy dissipation rate; Packed beds
• ISSN: 0009-2509; 1873-4405
• DOI: 10.1016/S0009-2509(99)00453-4

A discrete cell model (DCM), based on the minimization of the total rate of energy dissipation, is applied to compute the fluid velocity field in two-dimensional packed beds. The analysis of the individual terms of the energy dissipation rate equation is also presented. The results obtained by DCM are validated both by comparing them with the solutions of ensemble-averaged momentum and mass conservation equations (CFDLIB code) and by available experimental results. The differences between DCM and CFD simulations were found to be confined to within a 10% band over a wide range of Reynolds numbers ( Re′=5–171). Thus, a reasonable agreement between the predictions of the two methods can be claimed for engineering applications. An acceptable agreement of DCM/CFD predictions and the available experimental data in the literature is also achieved. The presented case studies justify the use of DCM for predicting the fluid velocity fields in packed beds with complex internal structures and with irregular distributed gas feeding points.