Dear All,

I'm searching for a way to calculate the pressure drop across a woven
metal mesh (also called screen,sieve) immersed in oil. For instance
when the metal mesh is used as a sort of a filter in an oil pipe.

I have 3 different woven wire screens (stainless steel).

#1  Mask size 0.093mm (distance btw. threads), thread diameter 0,06mm,
(i.e. 37% "open" - you can see through the screen)
#2  Mask size 0.45mm, thread diameter 0,28mm, (38% open)
#3  Mask size 0.31mm, thread diameter 0,112mm  (54% open)

(so some variables are mask size and thread diameter - are there other
variables?)

I am looking for a formula/free modelling software, tables or
other means of determining the pressure drop across the metal screen.
Can you find that for me?

I don't know whether the pressure of the oil has a lot of influence,
and I don't know whether the flow will be laminar or turbulent. Let's
assume I'd like the answer for both situations! The influence of the
pipe wall can be neglected.

I hope you can help.

;-)
Henrik

A few links which may lead to answer:

    www.comppub.com/publications/MSM/99/pdf/W3104.pdf 

    www.mykrolis.com/.../022d027c71f97517852566f7006792e8/
2b86bfde8f8896348525675300545def/$FILE/ma030.pdf

    http://www.cr.org/publications/MSM99/html/W3104.html

  Although the above articles are not specific to metallic filters,
the pressure drop should be similar for similar micron openings in the
filter media.

seedy