| Random packings are prevalent in chemical engineering applications and they can serve as prototype models of particulate materials. In this research, comprehensive studies on tetrahedral packings were carried out experimentally.;Experiment was conducted on regular tetrahedral dice. MRI imaging was used to image the tetrahedral packs, an algorithm was developed which allowed us to retrieve each of the particle center positions as well as the 3D orientation from the digital data. To our best knowledge this is the first time that such an in-depth analysis was performed on non spherical objects. This numerical approach makes it possible to study detailed packing structure, packing density, the onset of ordering, and wall effects.;Important applications for tetrahedral packings include multiphase flow in catalytic beds, heat transfer, bulk storage and transportation, and manufacturing of fibrous composites. |
