AN ANALYSIS OF LAMINAR FLUID-FLOW IN POROUS TUBE AND SHELL SYSTEMS

The finite element method was used to study steady, incompressible, laminar flow in porous tube systems. The Navier-Stokes equations were used to describe the flow phenomena in the tube and shell space while the continuum theory of Brinkman was used to describe flow in the porous tube wall. The solution method, based on the Galerkin finite element and Newton iteration techniques, provided velocities and pressures for a wide range of Reynolds numbers and operational modes. The Darcy permeability was the only adjustable parameter used in the model and it was calculated a priori. The approach was justified by a comparison to previous experimental results for flow in a porous ceramic tube and shell system. The model was then used to investigate the effect of shell diameter and tube length on the flow field for closed shell, closed end, and cross flow operation.