Characterization of a convection-based support microstructure through a flow resistance parameter

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Fluid Dynamics
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Convection-based supports exhibit significant variability in pore size, porosity, and microstructure topology.
• This heterogeneity complicates the assessment of how specific microstructural features influence flow resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish the flow resistance parameter (κ) as a criterion for evaluating microstructure topology's effect on pressure drop.
• To compare calculated κ values for simple cubic packing with existing models and experimental data for various supports.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the flow resistance parameter (κ) with pore size as a characteristic dimension.
• Calculated κ for simple cubic packing across the full spectrum of open porosity.
• Compared these values against literature data for pressure drop models and experimental results.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated that κ effectively evaluates microstructure topology's impact on pressure drop.
• Found that plotting supports by κ and open porosity reveals distinct clusters.
• Showed that this clustering allows for the discrimination of different convection-based supports.

Conclusions:

• The flow resistance parameter (κ) is a valuable tool for analyzing the influence of microstructure topology on flow resistance in convection supports.
• The κ-porosity plot provides a method for categorizing and differentiating various support materials based on their flow characteristics.