Effect of elevated temperature and silica sand particle size on minimum fluidization velocity in an atmospheric bubbling fluidized bed

The impact of temperature and particle size on minimumfluidizing velocity was studied and analyzed in a small pilot scale of bubbling fluidized bed reactor.This study was devoted to providing some data about fluidization to the literature under high temperature conditions.The experiments were carried out to evaluate the minimum fluidizing velocity over a vast range of temperature levels from 20℃ to 850℃ using silica sand with a particle size of 300-425μm,425-500μm,500-600μm,and 600-710μm.Furthermore,the variation in the minimumfluidized voidage was determined experimentally at the same conditions.The experimental data revealed that the Umf directly varied with particle size and inversely with temperature,whileεmf increases slightly with temperature based on the measurements of height at incipient fluidization.However,for all particle sizes used in this test,temperatures above 700℃ has a marginal effect on Umf.The results were compared with many empirical equations,and it was found that the experimental result is still in an acceptable range of empirical equations used.In which,our findings are not well predicted by the widely accepted correlations reported in the literature.Therefore,a new predicted equation has been developed that also accounts for the affecting of mean particle size in addition to other parameters.A good mean relative deviation of 5.473% between the experimental data and the predicted values was estimated from the correlation of the effective dimensionless group.Furthermore,the experimental work revealed that the minimum fluidizing velocity was not affected by the height of the bed even at high temperature.

A model for predicting bubble rise velocity in a pulsed gas solid fluidized bed

Bed stability, and especially the bed density distribution, is affected by the behavior of bubbles in a gas solid fluidized bed. Bubble rise velocity in a pulsed gas-solid fluidized bed was studied using photographic and computational fluid dynamics methods. The variation in bubble rise velocity was investigated as a function of the periodic pulsed air flow. A predictive model of bubble rise velocity was derived: ub=ψ(Ut+Up-Umf)+kp(gdb)(1/2). The software of Origin was used to fit the empirical coefficients to give ψ = 0.4807 and kp = 0.1305. Experimental verification of the simulations shows that the regular change in bubble rise velocity is accurately described by the model. The correlation coefficient was 0.9905 for the simulations and 0.9706 for the experiments.

Temperature influence on minimum fluidization velocity:Complexity,mechanism,and solutions

Fluidized-bed reactors are widely employed in various high-temperature industrial processes.Thus,it is crucial to understand the temperature effect on various fluidization phenomena,specifically the minimum fluidization velocity(U_(mf))that governs various aspects of fluidized bed behavior.In this study,we comprehensively analyze U_(mf) data from the literature to unravel the complexity and underlying mechanisms of temperature influence on this critical velocity.The research examines experimental data encompassing a wide range of temperatures,pressures,and solid particles.The analysis reveals that the influence of temperature on U_(mf) is fundamentally determined by the relative importance of hydrodynamic forces and interparticle forces within fluidized beds and is realized by three distinctive temperature-induced changes:gas properties,bed voidage,and physiochemical characteristics of particles.On this basis,an equation is derived to enable predictions of temperature influences on the minimum fluidization velocity under broad temperature conditions.

Effect of agitation on the characteristics of air dense medium fluidization

In order to study the effect of agitation on the characteristics of air dense medium fluidization, we designed and constructed an agitation device. Analyses were then conducted on the fluidization characteristics curves, the bed density stability and the average bubble rise velocity Uaunder different agitation conditions. The results indicated that a lower bed pressure drop(without considering lower gas velocity in a fixed bed stage) and higher minimum fluidized velocity are achieved with increasing agitation speed.The height d(distance between the lower blades and air distribution plate) at which the agitation paddle was located had a considerable effect on the stability of the bed density at 9.36 cm/s < U < 10.70 cm/s. The higher the value of d, the better the stability, and the standard deviation of the bed density fluctuation r dropped to 0.0364 g/cm^3 at the ideal condition of d = 40 mm. The agitation speed also had a significant influence on the fluidization performance, and r was only 0.0286 g/cm^3 at an agitation speed of N = 75 r/min. The average bubble rise velocity decreased significantly with increasing agitation speed under the operating condition of 1.50 cm/s < U–U_(mf)< 3.50 cm/s. This shows that appropriate agitation contributes to a significant improvement in the fluidization quality in a fluidized bed, and enhances the separation performance of a fluidized bed.

Performance analysis of a 2D numerical model in estimating minimum fluidization velocity for fluidized beds

The minimum fluidization velocity of a fluid-solid particle fluidized bed is the primary focus of this paper.The computationally economic Eulerian Granular model has been used to analyze fluidization for both gas-solid particle and liquid-solid particle fluidized beds.The conventional approach of finding minimum fluidization velocity(umf)is either with a pressure drop across the particle bed or the change in bed height.However,these parameters are often unstable and cannot be used to generalize the degree of fluidization accurately.In this paper,the dominant factor of unstable pressure drop estimation in the 2D Two-Fluid Model(TFM)and a key non-dimensional Euler number has been investigated in deter-mining minimum fluidization velocity for different quasi-2D fluidized beds for different bed sizes,par-ticle sizes,and particle numbers.Averaging assumptions and limitations of these numerical models are discussed in detail for four different fluidized bed cases.A comparative study of the drag model shows little to no influence in unstable pressure drop estimation near fluidization velocity,and all drag models perform similarly.It is observed that particle-particle collision is not the dominant reason for unstable pressure drop near minimum fluidization.Instead,wall effects on the particle bed including frictional losses and wall-particle collision play a key role in unstable pressure drop calculation for the quasi-2D fluidized beds.Pressure drop characteristics alone do not suffice to obtain minimum fluidization ve-locity with 2D TFM using existing models.Thus,a different approach has been proposed to investigate minimum fluidization involving the Euler number,which has shown promising performance in deter-mining minimum fluidization velocity and characterizing fluidization with 2D TFM.Results show con-sistency in Euler number characteristics for all different fluidized bed cases considered in this paper.This can revitalize computationally economic 2D Eulerian simulations,increase the range of possible appli-cations,and provide guidance to the future development of computationally efficient and more accurate numerical models,and empirical correlations for minimum fluidization velocity.

Effect of Pressure on Minimum Fluidization Velocity

Minimum fluidization velocity of quartz sand and glass bead under different pressures of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 MPa were investigated. The minimum fluidization velocity decreases with the increasing of pressure. The influence of pressure to the minimum fluidization velocities is stronger for larger particles than for smaller ones. Based on the test results and Ergun equation, an experience equation of minimum fluidization velocity is proposed and the calculation results are comparable to other researchers＇ results.

Effect of Gaussian size distribution width on minimum fluidization velocity in tapered gas–solid fluidized beds

This paper investigated the effect of Gaussian distribution width,average particle diameter,particle loading,and the tapered angle on minimum fluidization velocity(U_(mf))by conducting extensive experiments in tapered fluidized beds.Three powders with Gaussian size distribution and different distribution widths were used in the experiments.An increase in U_(mf)with increasing the average particle diameter,particle loading,and the tapered angle was observed.There was also a nonmonotonic behavior of Umf as the Gaussian distribution width increased.An empirical correlation including dimensionless groups for predicting Umf in tapered beds was developed in which the effect of distribution width was considered.The proposed correlation predictions were in good agreement with the experimental data,with a maximum deviation of 16.5%and average and standard deviations of,respectively,6.4%and 7.4%.The proposed correlation was also compared with three earlier models,and their accuracy was discussed.

Modified correlation for minimum fluidization velocity of low-density particles in inverse liquid-solid fluidized beds

The minimum fluidization velocity(U_(mf))is a key parameter for the scale-up of inverse liquid-solid flu-idized beds.Theoretical predictions using common correlations were compared against experimental minimum fluidization velocity measurements of low density(28-638 kg/m^(3)),0.80-1.13 mm Styrofoam particles in a fluidized bed with a height of 4.5 m and 0.2 m diameter.The average absolute relative deviation for the predicted minimum fluidization velocity for particles below 300 kg/m^(3) was above 40%using the studied common correlations.A modified Wen and Yu correlation was thus proposed based on novel and past measurements with low-density and small-diameter particles,expanding the range for predicting U_(mf).The new correlation predicted U_(mf) with deviations below 15%for ST028,ST122 and ST300.This modified correlation also improved U_(mf) predictions for comparable particles from a previous study,demonstrating its validity for a larger range of low-density particles.

Investigation of drying characteristics of low rank coal of bubbling fluidization through experiment using lab scale

Lignite is a low rank coal which is evenly distributed throughout the world and accounts for 45% of the total coal reserves. As it has a higher moisture content, its moisture content must be reduced in order to utilize it in power plant. In the present work, experiments on lignite has been done using a lab scale fluidized-bed reactor. Drying lignite through fluidized-bed reactor has a higher drying rate because there is good contact between particles and gas in the fluidized-bed reactor. Fluidized-bed drying can use air of 1.5 times of the minimum fluidizing velocity performance at bubbling fluidized-bed. Experiments have been performed on coal particle sizes of 0.3-1 mm, 1-1.18 mm and 1.18-2.8 mm, with operating temperatures being 100℃, 125℃ and 150℃, respectively. It is found that fluidization has a higher drying rate due to the heat transfer rate through air velocity. Hence, moisture content in lignite can be dried to a desired value with a time interval of 10 rain. The experiment through fluidized-bed reactor is expected to be useful for saving money and time.

Hydrodynamic behavior of liquid-solid micro-fluidized beds determined from bed expansion

The bed-expansion characteristics of liquid-solid micro-fluidized beds were experimentally studied. Bed columns with inner diameters of 0.8, 1.45, and 2.3 mm were fabricated based on capillaries. Five parti- cle sizes in a range of 22-58 t^m were investigated. Bed-expansion curves were plotted using visually recorded bed-expansion heights. The bed expansion and initial fluidization behavior were compared with predictions for conventional-scale beds, Evident differences are reflected in lower expansion ratios and higher minimum fluidization velocities for micro-fluidized beds. These were attributed to the increase in the internal surface area of the particle beds and specific surface area of wall contact. The wall effect for micro-fluidized beds at higher particle/bed diameter ratios caused higher local voidage and an increase in expansion ratio. Correlations for the exponent and proportional coefficient in the Richardson-Zaki equation for micro-fluidized beds were proposed. The minimum fluidization velocities were correlated using a modification of the Ergun equation.

Fluidization of nano and sub-micron powders using mechanical vibration

The fluidization behavior of nano and sub-micron powders belonging to group C of Geldart＇s classification was studied in a mechanically vibrated fluidized bed （vibro-fluidized bed） at room temperature. Pretreated air was used as the fluidizing gas whereas SiO2. Al2O3, TiO2, ZrSi, BaSO4 were solid particles. Mechanical vibration amplitudes were 0.1, 0.25, 0.35, 0.45mm, while the frequencies were 5, 20, 30, 40 Hz to investigate the effects of frequency and amplitude of mechanical vibration on minimum fluidization velocity, bed pressure drop, bed expansion, and the agglomerate size and size distribution, A novel technique was employed to determine the apparent minimum fluidization velocity from pressure drop signals. Richardson-Zaki equation was employed as nano-particles showed fluid like behavior when fluidized. The average size of agglomerates formed on top of the bed was smaller than those at the bottom, Size distribution of agglomerates on top was also more uniform compared to those near the distributor. Larger agglomerates at the bottom of the bed formed a small fraction of the bed particles. Average size of submicron agglomerates decreased with increasing the frequency of vibration, however nano particles were less sensitive to change in vibration frequency. Mechanical vibration enhanced the quality of fluidization by reducing channeling and rat-holing phenomena caused by interparticle cohesive forces.

Statistical modeling and optimization of a multistage gas-solid fluidized bed for removing pollutants from flue gases

The present paper describes the statistical modeling and optimization of a multistage gas-solid fluidized bed reactor for the control of hazardous pollutants in flue gas. In this work, we study the hydrodynamics of the pressure drop and minimum fluidization velocity. The hydrodynamics of a three-stage fluidized bed are then compared with those for a single-stage unit. It is observed that the total pressure drop over all stages of the three-stage fluidized bed is less than that of an identical single-stage system. However, the minimum fluidization velocity is higher in the single-stage unit. Under identical conditions, the minimum fluidization velocity is highest in the top bed, and lowest in the bottom bed. This signifies that the behavior of solids changes from a well-mixed flow to a plug-flow, with intermediate behavior in the middle bed.

Predicting minimum fluidization velocities of multi-component solid mixtures

Employing well-established mixing rules for mean properties, appropriate expressions are derived for predicting minimum fluidization velocities of multi-component solid mixtures in terms of mono- component values for the velocity and the bed voidage at incipient fluidization. Based on flow regime and the mixing level of constituent species, it is found that these relationships differ significantly from each other, whether related to size-different or density-different mixtures. For mixed beds of size-different mixtures, the effect of volume contraction is accounted for by the mean voidage term, which is absent for segregated beds. Incorporating the volume-change of mixing leads to values of the mixture minimum fluidization velocities even lower than corresponding values for segregated bed, thus conforming to the trend reported in the literature. Size-different mixtures exhibit flow regime dependence irrespective of whether the bed is mixed or segregated. On the other hand, the mixing of constituent species does not affect the minimum fiuidization velocity of density-different mixtures, as the difference in the expres- sions for a segregated and a mixed system is rather inconsequential. Comparison with experimental data available in the literature is made to test the efficacy of the minimum fluidization velocity expressions derived here.

Effect of volume-contraction on incipient fluidization of binary-solid mixtures

Towards the development of a predictive model for computing the minimum fluidization velocity, the volume-contraction phenomenon arising from the mixing of unequal solid species is accounted for in the prediction of the bed void fraction of binary-solid mixtures at the incipient fluidization conditions. Com- parison with experimental data obtained from the literature clearly shows that significantly improved predictions are obtained except for cases where the stratification pattern whether arising from the slow defluidization or the difference in the densities of the two species affects the mixing of the constituent species.

Statistical and frequency analysis of the pressure fluctuation in a fluidized bed of non-spherical particles

In this paper, the pressure fluctuation in a fluidized bed was measured and processed via standard devia- tion and power spectrum analysis to investigate the dynamic behavior of the transition from the bubbling to turbulent regime. Two types （Geldart B and D） of non-spherical particles, screened from real bed materials, and their mixture were used as the bed materials. The experiments were conducted in a semi- industrial testing apparatus. The experimental results indicated that the fluidization characteristics of the non-spherical Geldart D particles differed from that of the spherical particles at gas velocities beyond the transition velocity Uo The standard deviation of the pressure fluctuation measured in the bed increased with the gas velocity, while that measured in the plenum remained constant. Compared to the coarse particles, the fine particles exerted a stronger influence on the dynamic behavior of the fluidized bed and promoted the fluidization regime transition from bubbling toward turbulent. The power spectrum of the pressure fluctuation was calculated using the auto-regressive （AR） model; the hydrodynamics of the flu- idized bed were characterized by the major frequency of the power spectrum of the pressure fluctuation. By combining the standard deviation analysis, a new method was proposed to determine the transition velocity Uk via the analysis of the change in the major frequency. The first major frequency was observed to vary within the range of 1.5 to 3 Hz.

Dynamic characteristics of bubbling fluidization through recurrence rate analysis of pressure fluctuations

Pressure fluctuations signals of a lab-scale fiuidized bed （15 cm inner diameter and 2 m height） at different superficial gas velocities were measured. Recurrence plot （RP） and recurrence rate （RR）, and the simplest variable of recurrence quantification analysis （RQA） were used to analyze the pressure signals. Different patterns observed in RP reflect different dynamic behavior of the system under study. It was also found that the variance of RR （a2R） Could reveal the peak dominant frequencies （PDF） of different dynamic systems： completely periodic, completely stochastic, Lorenz system, and fluidized bed. The results were compared with power spectral density. Additionally, the diagram of σ^2RR provides a new technique for prediction of transition velocity from bubbling to turbulent fluidization regime.

Validated scale-up procedure to predict blockage condition for fluidized dense-phase pneumatic conveying systems

This paper presents results of an ongoing investigation into modelling fluidized dense-phase pneumatic conveying of powders. For the reliable design of dense-phase pneumatic conveying systems, an accurate estimation of the blockage boundary condition or the minimum transport velocity requirement is of sig- nificant importance. The existing empirical models for fine powder conveying in fluidized dense-phase mode are either based on only a particular pipeline and product or have not been tested for their accuracy under a wide range of scale-up conditions. In this paper, a validated test design procedure has been devel- oped to accurately scale-up the blockage boundary with the help of a modelling format that employs solids loading ratio and Froude number at pipe inlet conditions using conveying data of two different samples of fly ash, electro-static precipitation （ESP） dust and cement （particle densities： 2197-3637 kgJm3; loose poured bulk densities： 634-1070kg/m3; median size： 7-30 l^m）. The developed models （in power func- tion format） have been used to predict the blockage boundary for larger diameter and longer pipelines （e.g. models based on 69 mm I.D. ~ 168 m long pipe have been scaled up to 105 mm I.D. and 554 m length）. The predicted blockage boundaries for the scale-up conditions were found to provide better accuracy compared to the existing models.

A modified wake model in bubble-induced three-phase inverse fluidized bed(BIFB)

A modified wake model was proposed for the newly developed bubble-induced three-phase inverse fluidized bed(BIFB),by combining the generalized wake model and the gas-perturbed liquid model.On the basis of the modified wake model,the solids and liquid holdups and the complete fluidization gas velocity in BIFB system have been successfully predicted with two established correlations.The predictions achieved very good agreements with the experimental data.

Solids behavior in dilute zone of a CFB riser under turbulent conditions

The behavior of the solid phase in the upper zone of a circulating fluidized bed riser was studied using a phase Doppler anemometer. Glass particles of mean diameter 107μm and superficial gas velocities UE covering the turbulent and the beginning of the fast fluidization regime were investigated. Three static bed heights were tested. Ascending and descending particles were found co-existing under all oper ating conditions tested, and at all measurement locations. Superficial gas velocity proved/happened to have a larger effect on descending particles at the wall and on ascending particles in the central region. Transversal particle velocities in both directions （toward the center and toward the wall） behaved rela- tively equivalently, with only slight difference observed at the wall. However, observation of the number of particles moving in either transversal direction showed a change in bed structure when increasing Ug. Furthermore, a balance was constantly observed between the core zone and the annulus zone where the mutual mass transfer between these two zones occurred continuously. Transition from a slow to a fast particle motion was accompanied by a transition to high levels of velocity fluctuations, and was found corresponding to the appearance of significant solid particle flow rate.

Characterization of gas-liquid-solid fluidized beds by S statistics

The hydrodynamics of a gas-liquid-solid fluidized bed was investigated by applying the S statistics method to pressure fluctuations measured under various operating conditions in a laboratory-scale bed. S statistics tests reveal the existence of three transition velocities, especially at low gas velocities. Four distinct fluidization regimes, namely, the compacted bed, agitated bed and coalesced and discrete bubble regimes were detected. A comparison of reconstructed attractors of pressure fluctuations measured at different axial positions along the riser and with various solid loadings showed significant differences in the signals compared before fluidization, especially at minimum liquid agitation velocity. Close to the minimum liquid fluidization velocity and high liquid velocities, the variation in particle size has an insignificant effect on the bed hydrodynamics. Therefore, S statistics is a reliable method to demar- cate different fluidization regimes and to characterize the influence of various operating conditions on the hydrodynamics of gas-liquid-solid fluidized beds. The method is applicable in large-scale industrial installations to detect dynamic changes within a bed, such as regime transitions or agglomeration.