A simplified correlation for fixed bed pressure drop

An experimental study was conducted on the pressure drop characteristics of a variety of vertical packed beds in turbulent flow of air. The materials of different particle diameter, D_p, with a range of sphericity Φ, 0.55 ≤ Φ ≤ 1.00 were used in random loose packing to produce beds of different lengths, L, with a range of porosity, ε, 0.36 ≤ ε ≤ 0.56. In the covered test cases the cross-sectional velocity distribution at the exit plane of the packed beds and the pressure drop ΔP_Bed were measured in a particle Reynolds number range of Re_p, 675 ≤ Re_p ≤ 7772. The particular emphasis of the study was given to determine the influence of ε, Φ, D_p, L, Re_p on ΔP_Bed. In this respect the measurements of ΔP_Bed were compared with the well-known Ergun's Equation and the data were expressed in terms of correlations through introduced dimensionless parameters of pressure coefficient, ΔP^? and exit Reynolds number Re_exit. The proposed correlations of ΔP^? = ΔP^?(εRe_pD_p / L) and Re_exit = Re_exit(Re_pD_p / L) are found to be appropriate for the determination of ΔP_Bed and mean exit velocity, U, respectively with an acceptable fit of experimental data in an error margin less than ± 20%. The methodology is presented in this paper as an alternative approach to the available literature on packed beds.