ELUCIDATION OF MEAN VOIDAGE IN PACKED-BEDS

Mean voidage is a global structural property of packed beds and its accurate prediction is therefore of great significance in any plug-flow type model. A general correlation has been developed which enables this parameter to be evaluated. The work reported here deals with mono-size non-porous spherical packing, but also tackles related issues such as size distribution and the way in which they influence the mean voidage. In addition, an attempt has been made to discuss the merits of alternative packing arrangements.