LAUSR

Abstract Numerical studies on random packed beds require information on pellet arrangement. Often, the packing structure is taken for granted and not given much attention. This study presents an investigation of the influence of bed height 17 H / d 164 , pellet insertion height 40 d , 200 d and material properties such as friction 0 ⩽ μ ⩽ 1.1 and restitution 0.1 ⩽ e ⩽ 0.9 on the resulting voidage of beds of spheres in cylindrical containers with diameter aspect ratios of 5.6 ⩽ D / d ⩽ 8.41 , numerically generated using LIGGGHTS® and Blender™. The results reveal a wide range of obtained arrangements from loose to dense packings, emphasising the importance of parameter settings in numerical packing generation as the bed structure may have a significant influence, particularly on fluid flow and heat transfer. Though limited to spherical pellets, it is anticipated that the observed trends hold for other pellet and wall geometries.