Overview
The Pressure Drop through Packed Bed apparatus provides a systematic study of single-phase (liquid or gas) flow pressure drop through beds of packed particles of different sizes and shapes. Pressure drop is measured at multiple flow rates using differential manometers or electronic pressure transducers, and data is used to test the Ergun equation and its component Blake-Kozeny and Burke-Plummer terms. Students determine bed void fraction (porosity), compare Ergun equation predictions with measured pressure drops, and study the effect of particle size, shape, and bed porosity. The experiment is foundational for the design of packed bed reactors, filters, ion exchange columns, and catalytic beds in chemical process industries.
Specifications
| Column | acrylic or glass |
| Column diameter | 50 to 100 mm |
| Bed height | 300 to 800 mm |
| Packing | glass beads, Raschig rings (multiple sizes) |
| Fluid | water or air |
| Flow measurement | rotameter, 1 to 100 LPM |
| Pressure measurement | manometer / differential pressure gauge |
| Power supply | 220V AC, 50 Hz |