InterPore2026

Container wall corrugation as a means to reduce fluid flow maldistribution in random packed beds

20 May 2026, 10:05

1h 30m

Poster Presentation (MS09) Pore-Scale Physics and Modeling Poster

Speaker

MACIEJ MAREK (Czestochowa University of Technology)

Description

Flow maldistribution is a persistent limitation of narrow packed beds, where wall effects can dominate the internal structure and create preferential high-velocity channels. These channels lead to non-uniform residence times, reduced heat and mass transfer efficiency, and uneven reactor performance. This study investigates a simple passive strategy to mitigate this problem: introducing a regular sinusoidal corrugation to the container wall [1].

We employ a validated numerical framework combining random packing generation of monodisperse spheres with fully resolved pore-scale computational fluid dynamics. Packed beds spanning a range of container-to-particle diameter ratios typical of narrow industrial systems are analysed. The corrugated wall geometry is designed to be manufacturable and does not require any internal inserts or active elements.

The simulations show that wall corrugation disrupts the ordered packing patterns that normally form near flat walls. This structural change translates directly into a more uniform flow field. Radial velocity profiles become smoother, and the strong oscillations together with near-wall velocity peaks characteristic of flat-wall beds are largely suppressed. High-speed flow pathways are broken into smaller regions that are distributed more evenly across the cross-section, yielding a substantially more homogeneous fluid flow. An entropy-based measure applied to the velocity distribution confirms this homogenisation. The utility of the entropy-based measure is demonstrated by comparison of the entropy gain with respect to the flat-wall reference for two cases: a) the efficient wall corrugation and b) resonant configuration, in which the organisation of particles near the wall is even more pronounced than in the reference case.

In addition to improved flow uniformity, beds packed in corrugated containers exhibit a slight reduction in pressure drop (up to 10%) compared with flat-wall references - a benefit linked to a modest increase in global void fraction. The effect is most pronounced in the narrowest beds, where wall-induced maldistribution is strongest, but remains significant across the entire range of investigated ratios.

Overall, sinusoidal wall corrugation emerges as an effective and low-complexity design modification for improving flow uniformity in narrow packed beds. The results highlight its potential for enhancing the performance of packed-bed reactors, heat exchangers, and other porous systems where the flow maldistribution restricts efficiency, offering a practical pathway to better operation without changing the packing material or adding complex internals.

Acknowledgements. The investigation was supported by the Polish National Science Centre under Grant No. UMO-2023/51/B/ST8/01624.