Review on pressure drop through a randomly packed bed of crushed rocks

Abstract

Predicting the pressure drop across a packed bed of crushed rock is regarded as a crucial parameter for estimating pump power and packed bed capacity. This paper critically evaluates the most prominent correlations for predicting the pressure drop across a packed bed of crushed rock, drawing from both numerical and experimental studies found in the literature. It also explores the various parameters that significantly affect the measurement of pressure drop. The study identifies that the size and shape of the particles, bed dimensions, and packing arrangement are key determinants in the measurement of pressure drop. Additionally, it is observed that the orientation of the particles within the bed plays a crucial role, indicating that traditional correlations may not provide accurate predictions for pressure drops in crushed rock. The paper demonstrates that applying the porous media approach, where the inertial and viscous terms in the pressure drop correlation are treated as tensors rather than constants, offers superior results. Finally, the study underscores the necessity for further research to comprehensively comprehend the flow within packed beds of crushed rock.