Analytical model of flow-through-screen pressure drop for metal wire screens considering the effects of pore structures

Surface tension becomes the main force influencing the gas–liquid interface in microgravity environment. The instability of the gas–liquid distribution is a menace for spacecraft missions. Passive phase separation based on porous material is a promising technique for microgravity liquid management and advanced life support systems. Here, the mechanism of pressure-driven phase separation based on porous material is experimentally investigated, highlighting the synergistic influence of single-phase flow, breakthrough failure, and self-healing ability on liquid acquisition capability. The major parameters characterizing the separation efficiency are the breakthrough threshold pressure and the flow resistance. A fabrication strategy which elicits the surface wettability and maintains the original surface morphology is proposed and verified to increase the critical breakthrough threshold pressure without introducing extra flow resistance. Moreover, the modified mesh is integrated into a screen channel liquid acquisition device. The improvement of the overall separation performance is evaluated in an antigravity delivery experiment, where the acceleration of liquid is −g 0. It has been demonstrated that the fabrication strategy increases the achievable flow rate over 80% and the reseal flow rate over 200% for gas-free water delivery. This work enriches the understanding of phase separation based on porous material and provides an alternative method for liquid management in microgravity.

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“…The error bars denote the standard deviation of three repeating experiments. The solid line denotes the analytical model proposed in literature …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The scatters denote the measured pressure drop in current study. The solid line denotes the analytical model which is proposed in our previous work 34 to predict the flow resistance of SSM 325 × 2300. The experimental data is validated with the analytical model with an acceptable average relative error below 15%.…”

Section: ■ Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pressure-Driven Phase Separation Based on Modified Porous Mesh for Liquid Management in Microgravity

et al. 2022

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“…At low Reynolds numbers, Zampogna & Gallaire (2020) derived an analytical expression using homogenization tools. However, it is still an issue at moderate or high Reynolds numbers where no explicit relation has been derived directly from Navier-Stokes equations (Wang et al 2021). We propose here to use an empirical relation obtained for fibrous screens in the literature.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For porous screens composed of square fibre meshes, the inertial term of the Darcy–Forchheimer equation calculated with the method of Wang et al. (2021) has a value reasonably close to when . For a very thin porous surface, as discussed by Teitel (2010), the concept of permeability for porous media involved in the equation of Darcy, and Darcy–Forshheimer, may not always hold for the pressure loss through screens depending on the regime of the flow.…”

Section: Local Viscous Effectsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Three-dimensional flow around and through a porous screen

Marchand,

Ramananarivo,

Duprat

et al. 2024

J. Fluid Mech.

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We investigate the three-dimensional (3-D) flow around and through a porous screen for various porosities at high Reynolds number $Re = {O}(10^4)$ . Historically, the study of this problem has been focused on two-dimensional cases and for screens spanning completely or partially a channel. Since many recent problems have involved a porous object in a 3-D free flow, we present a 3-D model initially based on Koo & James (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 60, 1973, pp. 513–538) and Steiros & Hultmark (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 853, 2018 pp. 1–11) for screens of arbitrary shapes. In addition, we include an empirical viscous correction factor accounting for viscous effects in the vicinity of the screen. We characterize experimentally the aerodynamic drag coefficient for a porous square screen composed of fibres, immersed in a laminar air flow with various solidities and different angles of attack. We test various fibre diameters to explore the effect of the space between the pores on the drag force. Using PIV and hot wire probe measurements, we visualize the flow around and through the screen, and in particular measure the proportion of fluid that is deviated around the screen. The predictions from the model for drag coefficient, flow velocities and streamlines are in good agreement with our experimental results. In particular, we show that local viscous effects are important: at the same solidity and with the same air flow, the drag coefficient and the flow deviations strongly depend on the Reynolds number based on the fibre diameter. The model, taking into account 3-D effects and the shape of the porous screen, and including an empirical viscous correction factor that is valid for fibrous screens may have many applications including the prediction of water collection efficiency for fog harvesters.

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“…Woven screens have attracted considerable attention due to their physical durability and superior thermal resistance. − Ravi et al analyzed the physics of the capillary limit and dry out in a copper screen suspended over a homogeneous micropillar array, where the mass transport capacity is affected by the global change in the curvature of the liquid–vapor meniscus. Radial capillary transport within a metal woven screen was theoretically and experimentally investigated by Conrath et al An analytical solution is obtained in terms of time versus the wicking radius.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flow Physics of Wicking into Woven Screens with Hybrid Micro-/Nanoporous Structures

et al. 2021

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Wicking within woven screens has attracted considerable attention due to its important role in applications concerning phase-change heat transfer and phase separation. In the present study, horizontal spreading experiments are conducted to investigate the wicking performance of woven screens by measuring the volumetric liquid intake into the screens and the liquid propagation fronts through two perpendicular high-speed cameras. Woven screens with micro (single- and multilayer)- and nano (plain, etched, and fluoridated)-porous structures are manipulated through diffusion bonding and chemical processes. The macroscopic observation indicates the substantial enhancement of the wicking capability in multilayer structures, where the interlayer microchannels could compensate for the essential deficiency of single-layer screens by providing low-resistance flow passages. Wicking capability of water is enhanced by the hydrophilic nanograsses along the wires. Furthermore, flow mechanisms within the screens are analyzed by comparisons between apparent and saturated wicking distances. In multilayer structures, the liquid spreads along the entire cross-sectional area in etched screens, while it spreads primarily along the interlayer microchannels in plain and fluoridated screens. The influence of various fluids on the wicking behavior within the woven screens is found to be fully represented by a unique parameter that captures the effects of surface tension and dynamic viscosity in the radial flow model. This work deepens the understanding of the capillary-driven flow within the woven screens with hybrid micro-/nanoporous structures and provides guidance for the design and manufacture of highly efficient wicking structures.

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Analytical model of flow-through-screen pressure drop for metal wire screens considering the effects of pore structures

Cited by 16 publications

References 39 publications

Pressure-Driven Phase Separation Based on Modified Porous Mesh for Liquid Management in Microgravity

Pressure-Driven Phase Separation Based on Modified Porous Mesh for Liquid Management in Microgravity

Three-dimensional flow around and through a porous screen

Flow Physics of Wicking into Woven Screens with Hybrid Micro-/Nanoporous Structures

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