Fluid-structure interaction in porous media for loaded filter pleats

Currently, the known simulation efforts with respect to fluid-structure interaction (FSI) are mainly restricted to the study of flow interacting with deformable solid bodies. On the other hand, there is extensive literature on simulation of flow through porous media. In particular, algorithms and software for CFD simulations of filtration processes in the case of rigid filtration medium were presented earlier by Fraunhofer ITWM, see, e.g., [1, 2]. In these papers the deformation of the solid skeleton is neglected. In many cases of water filtration, filtration for hydraulic applications, and even in certain air filtration regimes, the fluid pressure can be quite high, and the deformation of the pleats can be an issue. The deflection of pleats and its effect on the filtration process merits examination because under operating conditions (and especially after a partial loading of the media) the pleats often cannot be anymore considered as rigid porous media. Therefore, in this paper, the deflection is considered for clean media, as well as for partially loaded media. A new model describing the coupled flow and deformation, and corresponding numerical results are presented.