Computational Modeling Of Fluid Flow Through Open Cellular Structures
Date
2021-05
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Porous media have long been used for chemical engineering applicationsthat require mass and heat transfer, including catalysis and separations. Recently, additive manufacturing has allowed for the design of structured mesoscale porous structures, including open cellular structures and lattices,which can be used for applications ranging from biomedical implants to drug delivery to aeroelastic wing design. These structures have also garnered interest as a means to generate ordered porous media which can exhibit desired surface properties and imparts predictability. However, limited work has investigated the flow dynamics through these structures. This thesis leveraged computational fluid dynamics (CFD) as a tool to simulate fluid flow through open cellular structures. The flow phenomena through individual unit cells was investigated, and flow conditioning through unit cell pores was observed. The influence of unit cell geometry and flow conditions on pressure drop was also investigated for cubic unit cells. Theoretical model fits were evaluated, and it was found that the Darcy-Weisbach model may be a useful tool to evaluate pressure drop over individual unit cells. Pressure drop was shown to be decoupled for cubic unit cells under laminar flow in lattice structures, suggesting the feasibility of implementing optimization for the design of lattice structures with specific flow dynamics. Finally, a portable optimization workflow was developed to optimize lattice designs with a minimum pressure drop.
Description
Keywords
Flow dynamics, Cellular structures, Porous media, Darcy-Weisbach model