Numerical Investigation of Fluid Flow and Pressure Drop Through Metal Screens with Varying Structural Parameters

This paper considers the problem of fluid flow and pressure drop through wire mesh screens using three-dimensional numerical approaches based on the finite volume method (FVM) and lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The employed numerical methods were successfully validated and cross-verified for Plain Square, Full Twill, and Plain Dutch wire mesh screens, with a maximum deviation of 16.0% from experimental data over a wide Reynolds number range. Parametric simulations were performed for 20 wire mesh screens with different weave types and geometric parameters over the range 0.01≤ReAr≤100. Generalized relations were obtained for the pressure loss and for the relative contributions of pressure and viscous shear forces to the total drag for Plain Square and Full Twill screens. Correlations for the dimensionless pressure-loss coefficient showed maximum deviations of 21.0% for Full Twill and 23.6% for Plain Square relative to the numerical simulation results.