Immersed boundary method (IBM) based direct numerical simulation of open‐cell solid foams: Hydrodynamics

A sharp interface implicit immersed boundary method is developed and used for direct numerical simulations of the flow through open‐cell solid foams with a cellular structure. The complex solid structure of the foam is resolved on a non‐boundary fitted Cartesian computational‐grid. A single representative unit cell of the foam is considered in a periodic domain, and its geometry is approximated based on the structural packing of a tetrakaidecahedron. Simulations are performed for a wide range of porosities (0.638–0.962) and Reynolds numbers (0–500). Flow is enforced by applying a constant body force (momentum source) for three different flow directions along the {100}, {110}, and {111} lattice‐vectors. The drag force on the foam is calculated and a non‐dimensional drag/pressure drop correlation is proposed that fits the entire data set with an average deviation of 5.6%. Moreover, the accurate numerical simulations have helped to elucidate the detailed fluid‐solid interaction in complex porous media. © 2016 The Authors AIChE Journal published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 1152–1173, 2017