Wall effects in laminar flow of fluids through packed beds

A model which accounts for the effect of a confining wall and the resulting voidage variations near it on the flow behavior in packed columns is proposed. The model, which is restricted to columns randomly packed with spheres of uniform size, reasonably describes the pressure drop‐flow rate relationship for both linear and non‐Newtonian fluids. The mass flux distribution is also studied in order to provide an insight into processes in which the flow behavior near the wall may be important.