Periodic open-cell foams: Pressure drop measurements and modeling of an ideal tetrakaidecahedra packing

Abstract

Periodic open-cell foams of ideal tetrakaidecahedron geometry were manufactured by selective electron beam melting (SEBM) and characterized with respect to the morphological parameters, namely strut diameter, window diameter and porosity. The pressure drop over these periodic foam samples of different pore size and porosity was determined experimentally. The basic form of the Ergun equation (which contains no empirical coefficients) was modified to develop a new correlation for the prediction of the pressure drop in periodic open-cell foams of ideal tetrakaidecahedron geometry. The correlation was successfully validated by the experimental results of the pressure drop measured for the periodic open-cell foam samples. With the new correlation it is possible to predict the pressure drop in periodic open-cell foams by using only two geometrical parameters, namely the open porosity and the window diameter. The applicability of the new correlation for a large range of porosities was examined by comparing the experimental and simulated friction factors for the porous media with both high (foam structure) and low porosities (packed beds) for a large range of the Reynolds number. It was demonstrated that the correlation can successfully predict the pressure drop of foam structures as well as packed beds.