Experimental investigation of fluid flow around a porous cube for Reynolds numbers of 400-1400

Porous particles with different shapes are commonly used in chemical reactors. Flow characteristics and drag coefficients of these porous particles, affecting heat and mass transfers essentially, have received less attention at the single particle level. This work provides the particle image velocimetry investigation of flow around a porous cube with Darcy number Da = 1.52 x 10-3 and Reynolds numbers Re = 400 -1400. It is found that the recirculation region behind the porous cube is significantly enlarged compared with that behind its solid counterpart owing to the strong push effect of penetration flow. Meantime, drag coefficients of the porous cube appear to be much higher than that of the solid cube at larger Re. This might be due to the transition of external flow to internal flow through the porous cube in the presence of permeability on the one hand, and the existence of rough surface of porous cube on the other hand.(c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Porous particles, commonly used in chemical reactors, have not been extensively studied in terms of their flow characteristics and drag coefficients at the single particle level. This study investigates the flow around a porous cube using particle image velocimetry, revealing an enlarged recirculation region and higher drag coefficients compared to a solid cube. These findings are attributed to the strong push effect of penetration flow and the transition of external flow to internal flow through the porous cube.