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Volume 113
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Modelling of pressure drop in periodic square-bar packed beds (Open Access)
Hakan Demir *, Wojciech Sadowski, Francesca di Mare
Ruhr University Bochum, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bochum, 44801, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
10.1016/j.partic.2026.03.012
June 2026, Received 8 January 2026, Revised 1 March 2026, Accepted 13 March 2026, Available online 26 March 2026, Version of Record 31 March 2026., Pages 36-51
Volume 113
E-mail: H.Demir@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
Highlights

• Pressure drop systematically quantified across 19 rotation angles.

• Wetted surface area governs drag in non-spherical beds.

• Two analytical models predict permeability of complex geometries.

• Diameter ratio and tortuosity reliably classify packed-bed flow regimes.


Abstract

Understanding fluid flow through porous media with complex geometries is essential for improving the design and operation of packed-bed reactors. Most existing studies focus on spherical packings, having as a consequence that accurate models for irregular interstitial geometries are scarce. In this study, we numerically investigated the flow through a set of packed-bed geometries consisting of square bars stacked on top of each other and arranged in disk-shaped modules. Rotation of each module allows the generation of a variety of geometrical configurations at Reynolds numbers of up to 200 (based on the bar size). Simulations were carried out using the open-source solver OpenFOAM. Selected cases (e.g., α = 30°, Rep = 100, 200) were compared against Particle Image Velocimetry measurements. Results reveal that, based on the relative rotation angle, the realized geometries can be classified as channel-like (α ≤ 10°) and lattice-like (α ≥ 15°), fundamentally altering the friction factor. Furthermore, the maximum friction factor obtained in the creeping regime occurred at α = 25°, whereas in the inertial regime, this occurred at α = 60°. The module-equivalent diameter, based on the angle-dependent wetted surface area, collapses the friction factor onto the Ergun correlation and yields good permeability predictions for the lattice-like geometries.

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Pressure drop; Packed bed; Friction factor; Permeability; Tortuosity; Non-spherical porous medium
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