Effective drag on spheres immersed in a fluidized bed at minimum fluidization—Influence of bulk solids properties

The aims of this work are to elucidate the effects that bulk solids properties have on the effective drag experienced by large spheres immersed in an emulsion of group-B solids under minimum fluidization conditions and to analyze the ways in which the different suspensions react towards different applied shear rates. To investigate this, magnetic particle tracking was applied to resolve the trajectory of falling-sphere measurements in which the size, density, and sphericity of the bulk solids were varied as well as the size and density of the spherical tracers. The resulting experimental scope included both rising and sinking tracers as well as full segregation and in-bed stagnation of the tracers. The set-up provided highly resolved tracer trajectories, from which the drag experienced by the sphere can be calculated. For sinking tracers, the results showed that an increase in bulk solids size, angularity, and density reduced the terminal velocity of the sphere. This effect correlated well with the bed expansion and Hausner ratio, indicating that a reduced void space among the bulk solids is the main reason for the increase in motion resistance. At lower shear rates, namely, during the de-acceleration towards the stagnant state, beds of larger, more angular, or denser bulk solids yield lower levels of shear stress. The angle of repose of the bulk solids correlated with the rate at which the emulsion thins with increasing shear rate. For rising tracers, shear stress did not show any significant dependency on the properties of the bulk solids.     

Two-area model for bubble distribution in a turbulent fluidized bed of fine particles

The flow behavior of gas and solid was investigated in FCC simulator of φ710×4000/φ870×11000mm.The axial and radial distributions were detected with matrix fiber-opticprobes.It was found that the distribution of bubble diameter in the turbulent region of the fluidizedbed of fine particles was different from the results reported for lab-scale experiments.Radially therewere three areas,i.e.,the central(r/R=0-0.4),the intermittent or stable(r/R=0.4-0.8)and thenear wall(r/R=0.8-1.0)areas respectively.It was noticed that bubbles were almost non-existing atthe near wall area.Hence,according to the coalescence and splitting theory of bubbles,a two-areamodel of bubble diameter distribution was proposed and a dimensionless parameter(γ_M)regarded asan index for'quality'of fluidization was deduced.     

Effect of vibration energy on fluidization and 1–6 mm coal separation in a vibrated dense medium fluidized bed

In this study, a uniform and stable vibrated dense medium fluidized bed (VDMFB) with Geldart B magnetite powder was formed, where it was considered suitable for 1–6 mm coal separation. The formation mechanisms of the best separation environment including the fluidization phenomena under different vibration parameters, the transfer process of the vibration energy, the pressure drop fluctuation and particle oscillation velocity distribution at different bed heights, as well as the corresponding effect on the uniformity and stability of the bed density were investigated. Furthermore, the separation experiment was carried out, and the results exhibited an efficient dry separation performance in the VDMFB.     

Methanation of carbon dioxide and fluidization quality in a fluid bed reactor—the influence of a decrease in gas volume

A large decrease of fluidization quality was observed when methanation of carbon dioxide was carried out in a fluid-bed reactor even if the catalyst particles had the optimal properties for good fluidization. The cause of this phenomenon was explored by measuring pressure fluctuations, bubble frequency and extent of CO₂ conversions. The results indicated that the decrease of the fluidity was caused by a reduction in volume of reactant gases due to the reaction. The voidage in the emulsion phase is considered to be an important factor affecting the fluidity. The fluidization quality and contacting efficiency could be improved by such devices as baffle internals or two-stage spargers.     

Studies of the evaporation and scaling mitigation in a recirculating three-phase fluidized bed

Heat transfer of liquid evaporation was studied in a recirculating three-phase fluidized bedin which an inert gas serving as"carrying gas"was introduced.The gas velocities,particle sizes,par-ticle densities and particle concentrations in the liquid were examined.Heat fluxes were measured aswell.Significant enhancement in heat transfer was resulted when an inert gas and solid particles wereintroduced into the flow boiling liquid.Scaling mitigation was to be expected in the process.     

Effect of the operation parameters on the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis in fluidized bed reactors

For the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS), this paper presents a numerical investigation in a 3D fluidized bed reactor. The effect of the operation parameters such as bed temperature, superficial gas velocities, particle size and bed heights is discussed. A 3D-CFD model coupled with FTS chemical kinetics was set up. The computational results are compared with experimental data in terms of the components production rates, etc. The analysis shows that the bed heights, the bed temperature, the superficial gas velocities and particle sizes affect the C_5 + selectivity and the reaction rates. Product yields are dependent on the operating conditions especially the temperature.     

Effect of the injection-nozzle geometry on the interaction between a gas–liquid jet and a gas–solid fluidized bed

In industrial fluid cokers, bitumen is first mixed with steam in a premixer, and then fed to the atomization nozzle. The objective of this work was to evaluate the impact of both the premixer and the nozzle geometrical configuration on the quality of the liquid–solid contact resulting from injections of liquid into a gas–solid fluidized bed. To assess the quality of the liquid–solid contact a method based on electric conductance measurements of the bed material previously developed by the authors [9] was used. Liquid atomization efficiency in open air, spray geometry, and spray stability were also characterized to evaluate their effects on the nozzle spraying performance within the fluidized bed. This study indicated that spray stability is highly beneficial to the liquid–solid contact efficiency. In particular, fluid constrictions such as the series of converging and diverging sections within the nozzle have a stabilizing effect on the spray. Future optimization of the existing liquid-injection systems should consider alternative gas–liquid premixers and nozzle geometries to enhance the jet stability.     

A fundamental CFD study of the gas–solid flow field in fluidized bed polymerization reactors

A Eulerian–Eulerian model incorporating the kinetic theory of granular flow was applied to describe the gas–solid two-phase flow in fluidized bed polymerization reactors. The model parameters were examined, and the model was validated by comparing the simulation result with the classical calculated data. The effects of distributor shape, solid particle size, operational gas velocity and feed manner on the flow behavior in the reactor were also investigated numerically. The results show that with the increase of solid particle diameter, the bubble numbers decrease and the bubble size increases, resulting in a smaller bed expansion ratio. Bed expansion ratio increases with increasing the gas inlet velocity. Moreover, the final fluidized qualities are almost the same for the plane distributor case and the triangle distributor case. There exists a tempestuous wiggle from side to side in the bed at the continuous feed manner, which could not be obtained at a batch feed manner.     

Modeling of gas–liquid flow in a rotating packed bed using an Eulerian multi-fluid approach

Rotating packed beds (RPBs) are ideal candidates for CO₂ removal from offshore natural gas due to their good mass transfer performance and significant volume savings. This article proposes an Eulerian multi-fluid approach to simulate the gas–liquid flow in RPBs. Three new multiphase drag force models are constructed based on single-phase drag force models for wire mesh packings. Based on the Eulerian multi-fluid approach, a new RPB simulation framework is developed. The predicted results using the new simulation framework with the new drag force models are compared with the experimental data. When using the Kołodziej model and the modified Kołodziej model, the predicted overall liquid holdup shows good agreement with the experimental data with errors less than 20%. In addition, the pressure drop predicted by these three models are reasonable compared with the experimental data. This work lays a foundation for RPB simulation of gas–liquid flow using Eulerian multi-fluid approach.     

Three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study of the gas–particle circulation pattern within a fluidized bed granulator: By full factorial design of fluidization velocity and particle size

The fluidization velocity and mean particle size were selected to be numerically investigated pertaining to their effects on the gas–particle circulation pattern within a fluidized bed granulator by three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation applying an Eulerian–Eulerian two-fluid model. The CFD simulations were designed by full factorial design method and the developed CFD model was experimentally validated. The fluidization process was proved to reach a quasi-steady state. The gas–particle circulation pattern and particle concentration distribution were analyzed based on fluidization velocity and mean particle size. A mathematical model was developed to provide guidance on how to change fluidization level during one experiment.     

Multiplicity of the steady state in fluidized bed reactors—VIII. Partial oxidation of o-xylene

A model is derived for the case of a fluidized bed reactor in which partial oxidation of o-xylene occurs. The use of fluidized beds instead of fixed bed reactors allows for higher feed concentrations and lower feed temperatures. However, multiple steady states arise and it is shown that the maximum yield is obtained when the reactor is operated at the unstable middle steady state. However, for maximum productivity, the reactor must be operated at a lower temperature than that corresponding to maximum yield. This is due to the pathological dependence of the middle steady state on feed temperature and concentration.     

Development and verification of coarse-grain CFD-DEM for nonspherical particles in a gas–solid fluidized bed

Computational fluid dynamics coupled with discrete element method (CFD-DEM) has been widely used to understand the complicated fundamentals inside gas–solid fluidized beds. To realize large-scale simulations, CFD-DEM integrated with coarse-grain model (CG CFD-DEM) provides a feasible solution, and has led to a recent upsurge of interest. However, when dealing with large-scale simulations involving irregular-shaped particles such as biomass particles featuring elongated shapes, current CG models cannot function as normal because they are all developed for spherical particles. To address this issue, a CG CFD-DEM for nonspherical particles is proposed in this study, and the morphology of particles is characterized by the super-ellipsoid model. The effectiveness and accuracy of CG CFD-DEM for nonspherical particles are comprehensively evaluated by comparing the hydrodynamic behaviors with the results predicted by traditional CFD-DEM in a gas–solid fluidized bed. It is demonstrated that the proposed model can accurately model gas–solid flow containing nonspherical particles, merely the particle dynamics are somewhat lost due to the scaleup of particle size. Finally, the calculation efficiency of CG CFD-DEM is assessed, and the results show that CG CFD-DEM can largely reduce computational costs mainly by improving the calculation efficiency of DEM. In general, the proposed CG CFD-DEM for nonspherical particles strikes a good balance between efficiency and accuracy, and has shown its prospect as a high-efficiency alternative to traditional CFD-DEM for engineering applications involving nonspherical particles.     

Experimental and simulation study of the temperature distribution in a bench-scale fixed bed Fischer–Tropsch reactor

The temperature distribution in a bench-scale fixed bed Fischer–Tropsch reactor using Co-based catalyst was investigated under conditions of 2 MPa and 458 K at various syngas partial pressures and space velocities. The single-tube reactor had a diameter of 0.05 m, which is representative of the diameters used in industrial applications. With a special designed temperature measurement, the detailed temperature distribution in a bench-scale reactor was reported for the first time. The changes of maximum temperature in the bed and hot spot region were discussed at different N₂ flow rate and gas hourly space velocity. A 2D pseudo-homogeneous fixed bed reactor model was developed using ANSYS Fluent. A position-dependent heat-transfer coefficient, which considered more accurate in temperature prediction, was applied. The model was validated against both the reaction results and the measured temperatures. The inferred properties within the reactor were analyzed to give insight as to how to increase the reactor production capacity.     

Numerical simulation of local and global mixing/segregation characteristics in a gas–solid fluidized bed

Researches on solids mixing and segregation are of great significance for the operation and design of fluidized bed reactors. In this paper, the local and global mixing and segregation characteristics of binary mixtures were investigated in a gas–solid fluidized bed by computational fluid dynamics-discrete element method (CFD-DEM) coupled approach. A methodology based on solids mixing entropy was developed to quantitatively calculate the mixing degree and time of the bed. The mixing curves of global mixing entropy were acquired, and the distribution maps of local mixing entropy and mixing time were also obtained. By comparing different operating conditions, the effects of superficial gas velocity, particle density ratio and size ratio on mixing/segregation behavior were discussed. Results showed that for the partial mixing state, the fluidized bed can be divided into three parts along the bed height: complete segregation area, transition area and stable mixing area. These areas showed different mixing/segregation processes. Increasing gas velocity promoted the local and global mixing of binary mixtures. The increase in particle density ratio and size ratio enlarged the complete segregation area, reduced the mixing degree and increased the mixing time in the stable mixing area.     

Dynamic characteristics of the volatile cloudy zone in a gas–solid fluidized bed with hydrocarbon liquid spray

In a gas–solid fluidized bed with continuous hydrocarbon liquid spray, a volatile “cloudy zone” could be formed, defined as a dynamically steady liquid-affected zone, including droplets, wet particles, and the gas which passes through the zone. A new flow pattern with the dynamic coexistence of cloudy zone and non-cloudy zone (gas–solid zone), is accordingly established. The temperature, particle concentration, and particle velocity fields are measured in real-time via infrared thermography and particle imaging velocimetry, respectively. Results show that the area and range of central position of the cloudy zone illustrate a heavier fluctuant trend with the increasing velocity of liquid spray, and the main frequency of area fluctuation is close to that of the bubble rising. Moreover, the particle concentration and particle velocity in the cloudy zone are lower than those in the non-cloudy zone, breaking the conventional symmetrical distributions of hydrodynamic parameters of particles in a gas–solid fluidized bed.     

Experimental studies and empirical models for the prediction of bed expansion in gas–solid tapered fluidized beds

Studies in the expansion behaviour of tapered fluidized bed systems are important for specifying the height of the bed. Data have been obtained on the expanded heights of tapered fluidized beds and bed expansion ratios for spherical and non-spherical particles have been calculated. Based on dimensional analysis, models have been developed as a function of geometry of tapered bed, static bed height, particle diameter, density of solid and gas and superficial velocity of the fluidizing medium. The data used to derive the models cover a wide range of operating conditions, with varying fluidization velocities. Effects of static bed height, particle diameter, density, tapered angle and superficial gas velocity over minimum fluidization velocity on bed expansion ratios have been investigated experimentally. A comparison has been made between the calculated values of bed expansion ratios using proposed models and the experimental data. It has been seen that calculated values by models agree well with the experimental values. Models have also been compared with literature data of conventional bed and found its applicability at higher gas velocities with good accuracy.     

Hydrodynamics of three-phase fluidization of homogeneous ternary mixture in a conical conduit——Experimental and statistical analysis

Hydrodynamics of conical fluidized bed differ from that of columnar beds by the fact that a velocity gradient exists along the axial direction of the bed.The gas–liquid–solid fluidized bed has emerged in recent years as one of the most promising devices for three-phase operations.Such a device is of considerable industrial importance as evident from its wide applications in chemical,refining,petrochemical,biochemical processing,pharmaceutical and food industries.To explore this,a series of experiments have been carried out for homogeneous well-mixed ternary mixtures of dolomite of varying compositions in a three-phase conical fluidized bed.The hydrodynamic characteristics determined included the bed pressure drop,bed fluctuation and bed expansion ratios.The single and combined effects of operating parameters such as superficial gas velocity,superficial liquid velocity,initial static bed height,average particle size and cone angle on the responses have been analyzed using response surface methodology(RSM).A 25 full factorial central composite experimental design has been employed.Analysis of variance(ANOVA) showed a high coefficient of determination value and satisfactory prediction second-order regression models have been derived.Experimental values of bed pressure drop,bed fluctuation and bed expansion ratios have been found to agree well with the developed correlations.