Particle arrangement using external magnetic field and its effect on pressure drop in a tightly packed ferromagnetic porous bed

The pressure drop inside a fixed bed can be varied using external magnetic fields that affects the permeability of the bed. In the present work, the effect of uniform AC and DC magnetic fields on the pressure drop across a tightly packed bed of microsized nickel particles was investigated. The magnetic field was generated using a Helmholtz coil at different angular orientations to the axis of the bed. It was found that the pressure drop across the packed bed can be altered significantly by changing the orientations of the external magnetic field. In addition, the pressure drop value across the bed remained the same once the steady state is reached suggesting that the continuous application of the magnetic field is not necessary to maintain the pressure drop. The arrangement of particles can enable obtaining energy-efficiency in several applications such as nuclear reactors, industrial reactors, regenerators and hydrogen storage systems. [Display omitted] •Pressure drop across packed beds can be increased or decreased by magnetic field.•Magnetic field need not be continuously applied to maintain the pressure drop.•Pumping power can be reduced by applying magnetic field axially.