Abstract

Recently, gelcast ceramic foams are being considered as potential diesel particulate filter substrates. Consequently, a mathematical model known as the Multiple Orifice Mathematical (MOM) model for the study of fluid flow and the determination of pressure gradients across the foam filters was developed and calibrated by some researchers. However, there was need to establish the model application on a wider range of pore sizes of the foam filters. Hence, this work is to establish the dynamic similarity of the physical scale model used for the calibration and the ceramic foams. Following the conceptual model employed in the development of the MOM model, generic physical scale foam models and a fluid flow rig was fabricated. The pressure drops across the generic physical model foam obtained from experiments over different ranges of low Reynolds number were graph-fitted against the MOM model to determine the kinetic correction factors. The values for the kinetic correction coefficient determined from the generic physical model at low Reynolds number is within the range obtained by other researchers in the calibration of the MOM model, which implies that the MOM model can be applied to a wide range of pore sizes found in gelcast ceramic foam filters.

Key words: Diesel particulate trap, gelcast ceramic foam, kinetic correction coefficient, generic foams, foam filters, pressure gradients.