Usage of Porous Media instead of Mesh Plates – SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation

Dassault Systems is the proprietor of SOLIDWORKS, along with a suite of simulation software applications. This collection includes SOLIDWORKS Simulation, SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation, CATIA Analysis, and Abaqus, among others, all falling under the SIMULIA umbrella.

Problem statement

In computational fluid dynamics (CFD), mesh plates are commonly used to control fluid flow by creating a structured resistance that distributes or redirects flow patterns in applications like heat exchangers, filtration systems, and reactors. These plates consist of a network of perforations or openings, providing a controlled path for fluid while imposing resistance, which can improve mixing, reduce turbulence, or evenly distribute velocity profiles. However, explicitly modeling each perforation in a mesh plate can be computationally expensive, especially when analyzing complex flow behaviors. To simplify simulations, a porous media model can often replace the detailed mesh plate. This approach represents the plate as a homogenized material with specific resistance properties, allowing for faster computation while preserving key flow characteristics. The porous media approximation effectively captures the pressure drop and flow distribution effects of a mesh plate without the need for fine-scale meshing, making it a valuable simplification in the CFD analysis of systems with structured flow resistance.

In this lesson, we are going to study the flow pattern and pressure drop inside a rectangular duct of 60×60 mm2 cross-sectional area and 200 mm length. The thickness of the perforated plate is 5mm, and there are 16 square holes of 100mm2 area in it.



Two points are created at both sides of the mesh plate (at 10mm distance) to measure the pressure and velocity as point goal and comparison of two cases. The CFD analysis is carried out in SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation.

Results and Inference

The images can be saved to respective folders, and the comparison of cut plots are shown below:


The pressure contour and velocity contour seem to be matching. Now, let’s compare the results quantitatively with the help of goals in the table given below.

The velocity and pressure values at the given points are very close, and the percentage deviation is less than 2%. It implies that the results match when mesh plates are replaced by corresponding porous media. This indicates that the porous media model effectively replicates the flow behavior of the mesh plate, validating its use as a simplified and computationally efficient alternative.

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