Study of the hydrodynamics within a draft tube spouted bed system

Two dimensional Darcy and Ergun models are used to describe the hydrodynamics within the annulus of a spouted bed equipped with a draft tube. Experimental pressure and stream function data for water spouting are shown to be in good agreement with theoretical predictions. Verification of a general spout-annulus interfacial boundary condition is also established and it is shown that the entry region below the draft tube functions as a classical spouted bed. In addition, an experimental procedure for determining the location of the spout-annulus interface is presented. Fluid residence time distributions are calculated for a few cases of practical interest.     

Flow regimes and vertical solids conveying in a spout‐fluid bed with a draft tube

Pressure fluctuation data were obtained in a semi‐cylindrical spout‐fluid bed with draft tube, and statistical analyses of them were employed to recognise flow regimes. Also, the effects of spouting‐gas and auxiliary‐gas velocities, and length of entrainment zone on solids loading ratio in a draft tube were examined. As a result, five flow regimes appeared by changing spouting‐gas and auxiliary‐gas velocities and it was found that the simplest method to determine flow regime is to measure pressure fluctuations in a draft tube. Moreover, solids loading ratio could be controlled flexibly by auxiliary‐gas velocity and length of entrainment zone.     

Hydrodynamics of a gas-driven gas-liquid-solid spouted bed with a draft tube

A cylindrical gas-liquid-solid spouted bed, driven exclusively by gas flow, has been developed with a high potential for use in biochemical processes, such as a biological wastewater treatment. A plexiglass column with a 152 mm inner diameter was used in combination with a 53 mm inner diameter plexiglass draft tube. Three particle types were studied with densities ranging from 1044 kg/m³-1485 kg/m³ and average particle sizes ranging from 0.7-2.5 mm. Four flow regimes were observed when increasing the gas velocity, including fixed bed, semispouted bed, full spouted bed, and internal circulating fluidized bed. The transition gas velocities between those regimes were experimentally measured and termed as minimum spouting velocity, full spouting velocity, and minimum circulating velocity, respectively. A measurement of the downward particle flux in the annulus was used to identify the minimum spouting velocity, while the particle velocity and dense phase retraction in the annulus were monitored for the full spouting and minimum circulating velocities. All regime transition velocities increased with more dense particles and longer draft tubes. The minimum spouting velocity and full spouting velocity were not affected when varying the nozzle-tube gap, while the minimum circulating velocity increased with longer nozzle-tube gaps. Experiments without a draft tube were carried, though the spouting stability was significantly reduced without the draft tube.     

循环喷动流化床颗粒抛射高度的计算

通过对循环喷动流化床顶部封闭空间气体射流及气固运动的理论分析 ,得出了循环喷动流化床中颗粒出循环管后抛射高度的计算方法 ,所得计算结果与实测结果误差小于 8% ,为循环喷动流化床的设计提供理论依据     

Simulations of flow behavior of gas and particles in spouted bed with a porous draft tube

Flow behaviors of particles in a two-dimensional spouted bed with a porous draft plates are studied using a fluid dynamic computation with kinetic-frictional stresses models. Gas flow through the porous draft tube is simulated by Brinkman-Darcy-Forchheimer formulation. The distributions of concentration and velocities of particles are predicted. Simulated results predict the solid circulation rate and gas flux rate measured in the spouted bed with a porous draft tube (Ishikura et al., 2003). The solid circulation rate in the spouted bed with a porous draft tube is larger than that with a non-porous draft tube. The predicted bed pressure drop with the porous draft tube is high in comparison to the spouted bed with non-porous draft tube. The effect of the porosity of the porous draft tube on distributions of gas flux rate through the annulus and solid circulation rate are discussed.     

固定床流体流动特征数值模拟

为了研究固定床边壁效应、固定床床层数的变化以及颗粒的填充倾斜角度等参数对床内流体流动状况的影响,基于Ergun方程建立了轴对称多孔介质数学模型。同时对床内流体流动状况进行了研究:在床高确定的情况下,随着床层数的增加,压强降减少;随着颗粒填充倾斜角度的增加,压强降也减少,速度径向分布不均;在固定床边壁附近,气体速度明显增大。计算结果与实验值的比较表明模型能有效地描述固定床压强降和床内流体流动状况。     

Application of nano-particle coatings to carrier particles using an integrated fluidized bed supercritical fluid precipitation process

Production of active ingredients such as pharmaceuticals in nano-particulate form is highly desirable but the resulting product is difficult to handle and to use in applications. A novel process is described for coating nanoparticles onto excipient particles of c. 300 μm by rapid expansion of a supercritical solution (RESS) into two types of modified proprietary equipment: a Wurster coater and a fluidized bed. This novel approach has been demonstrated through the successful deposition of six mimics for active ingredients (benzoic acid, adamantane, ferrocene, phenanthrene, stearic acid and vitamin K3) on carrier excipient particles of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). Evidence from SEM, EDX and Confocal Raman microscopy suggests that the coating particles are below 30 nm in size. Unlike most conventional coating processes, this approach avoids the use of liquids and high temperatures. As a wide range of actives and excipients can potentially be employed, the approach is applicable across the process and product industries, in particular pharmaceutical, household goods, personal care and catalyst industries.     

Helping to choose operating parameters for a coating fluid bed process

The feasibility of solid particles coating in a fluid bed with a Wurster tube is studied for several types of particles and aqueous coating solutions. The model products are wheat semolina, beads of glass, alumina, resin polystyrene, plastic PMMA, with a size range between 125 and 1250 μm and densities between 500 and 2500 kg m⁻³. The chosen coatings are representative of those used for the food products, such as maltodextrin, acacia gum, and sodium chloride in aqueous solution.

The air flow rate suitable for a regular circulation of particles in the reactor is determined for each particle type. For each coating solution, the flow rate leading to agglomeration is considered as the maximal limit flow rate to use for coating. Then comparative coating experiments were realized.

For a similar initial load of particles, the same mass of coating was atomized (13.5 g min⁻¹) at 50 °C. The mass of coating deposit on particle surface is increased linearly during an atomization sequence lasting 33 min. For example, for every 100 g of alumina particles, the rates are 0.48, 0.51, and 0.53 g min⁻¹ for sodium chloride, maltodextrin, and acacia gum, respectively. We then obtain a coating efficiency between 87% and 98%.

In the specific case of sodium chloride on glass beads, the deposit of crystallized salt was linear during 10 min then stopped. Addition of acacia gum (50%) to the NaCl coating solution leads again to a linear deposit over 65 min.     

Top-spray fluid bed coating: Scale-up in terms of relative droplet size and drying force

Top-spray fluid bed coating scale-up experiments have been performed in three scales in order to test the validity of two parameters as possible scaling parameters: The drying force and the relative droplet size. The aim was to be able to reproduce the degree of agglomeration as well as the mechanical properties of the coated granules across scale. Two types of placebo enzyme granule cores were tested being non-porous glass ballotini cores (180–350 μm) and low porosity sodium sulphate cores (180–350 μm). Both types of core materials were coated with aqueous solutions of Na₂SO₄ using Dextrin as binder. Coating experiments were repeated for various drying force and relative droplet size values in three top-spray fluid bed scales being a small-scale (Type: GEA Aeromatic-Fielder Strea-1), medium-scale (Type: Niro MP-1) and large-scale (Type: GEA MP-2/3). The tendency of agglomeration was assessed in terms of particle size fractions larger than 425 μm determined by sieve analysis. Results indicated that the particle size distribution may be reproduced across scale with statistical valid precision by keeping the drying force and the relative droplet size constant across scale. It is also shown that none of the two parameters alone may be used for successful scaling. Morphology and microscope studies indicated that the coating layer is homogenous and has similar structures across scale only when both the drying force and the relative droplet size were fixed. Impact and attrition tests indicated that it is possible to produce granules with similar attrition and impact strength across scale and that the two types of mechanical properties are inversely related.     

Comparison of fibre optical measurements and discrete element simulations for the study of granulation in a spout fluidized bed

Spout fluidized beds are frequently used for the production of granules or particles through granulation. The products find application in a large variety of applications, for example detergents, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals and food. Spout fluidized beds have a number of advantageous properties, such as a high mobility of the particles, which prevents undesired agglomeration and yields excellent heat transfer properties.A discrete element model is used describing the dynamics of the continuous gas phase and the discrete droplets and particles. For each element momentum balances are solved. The momentum transfer among each of the three phases is described in detail at the level of individual elements.The results from the discrete element model simulations are compared with local measurements of time time-averaged particle volume fractions as well as particle velocities by using a novel fibre optical probe in a fluidized bed of 400 mm I.D. Simulations and experiments were carried out for three different cases using Geldart B type aluminium oxide particles: a freely bubbling fluidized bed; a spout fluidized bed without the presence of droplets and a spout fluidized bed with the presence of droplets. It is found that the experimental and numerical results agree in a qualitative manner.It is demonstrated how the discrete element model can be used to obtain information about the interaction of the discrete phases, i.e. the growth zone in a spout fluidized bed. Additional analysis of the numerical results indicates that liquid breakthrough does not take place for the studied test case.     

Numerical simulation of two-dimensional spouted bed with draft plates by discrete element method

A discrete element method (DEM)-computational fluid dynamics (CFD) two-way coupling method was employed to simulate the hydrodynamics in a two-dimensional spouted bed with draft plates. The motion of particles was modeled by the DEM and the gas flow was modeled by the Navier-Stokes equation. The interactions between gas and particles were considered using a twoway coupling method. The motion of particles in the spouted bed with complex geometry was solved by combining DEM and boundary element method (BEM). The minimal spouted velocity was obtained by the BEMDEM-CFD simulation and the variation of the flow pattern in the bed with different superficial gas velocity was studied. The relationship between the pressure drop of the spouted bed and the superficial gas velocity was achieved from the simulations. The radial profile of the averaged vertical velocities of particles and the profile of the averaged void fraction in the spout and the annulus were statistically analyzed. The flow characteristics of the gas-solid system in the two-dimensional spouted bed were clearly described by the simulation results. __________ Translated from Chemical Engineering (China), 2007, 35(6): 24–28 [译自: 化学工程]     

二维导流管喷动床离散颗粒动力学模拟

采用离散单元法(DEM)-计算流体力学(CFD)双向耦合数值方法对二维导流管喷动床进行了模拟,颗粒的运动通过DEM模型描述,而气体的运动用Navier-Stokes方程进行求解,气体和固体颗粒之间的相互作用通过曳力形式传递。文中将DEM和边界元方法(BEM)结合起来解决颗粒在具有复杂边界设备内的运动。通过采用BEM+DEM-CFD相结合的方法进行模拟计算,得到了喷动床的最小喷动速度,研究了不同表观气速下床内的流型,得到了二维导流管喷动床的床层压降与表观气速的关系,统计分析了喷射区、环隙区内颗粒的运动速度和相应的空隙率,全面地描述了二维导流管喷动床内的气固流动特征。     

Two-fluid spray atomisation and pneumatic nozzles for fluid bed coating/agglomeration purposes: A review

In fluid bed processing in the chemical, food or pharmaceutical industries, pneumatic nozzles are typically used to convert binder or coating liquids into droplets. Producing fine droplets from liquids in a gas phase is termed atomisation, and it involves complex phenomena which are not yet fully understood. This paper provides a systematic and up-to-date review of two-fluid nozzle designs and principles together with a presentation of nozzle fundamentals introducing basic nozzle theory and thermodynamics. Correlations for the prediction of mean droplet diameters are reviewed, compared and accompanied by a discussion of their use.     

导向管喷动流化床中废弃印刷线路板的非金属颗粒包覆改性

以3-氨基丙基三乙氧基硅烷(KH-550)为改性剂,在导向管喷动流化床内对废弃印刷线路板的非金属颗粒(NPWPCB)进行包覆改性,研究了颗粒包覆过程中KH-550溶液(体积分数20%)用量、喷雾速率、雾化气速、床层温度及喷动气速等操作参数对NPWPCB改性效果的影响。以聚丙烯(PP)为基体、改性NPWPCB为填料,采用挤出注塑工艺制备了PP/NPWPCB复合材料。通过红外光谱图和扫描电子显微镜对改性前后NPWPCB表面官能团及复合材料冲击断面微观形貌的分析表明,KH-550可以增加NPWPCB与PP基体之间的界面黏结强度,提高PP/NPWPCB复合材料的力学性能。当KH-550溶液用量为75 ml、喷雾速率为3.2 cm·s^-1、雾化气速为58.98 m·s^-1、床层温度为80℃、喷动气速为29.49 m·s^-1时,复合材料的弯曲、拉伸和冲击强度较改性前分别提高了15.07%、17.52%和16.32%。     

循环流化床锅炉用耐火材料

综述了国内外循环流化床锅炉内衬用耐火材料的现状,指出了应针对循环流化床锅炉内衬中温、热震及冲剧磨损的工作条件,在不同部位合理选择耐火材料。     

Monte Carlo simulations to determine coating uniformity in a Wurster fluidized bed coating process

This paper presents a coating model to predict the mass coating uniformity in a Wurster fluid bed coater using a Monte Carlo method. The velocity and voidage data obtained using imaging techniques on the same Wurster coater are used as inputs to the model. The semi-circular Wurster fluid bed used in this work was 22.9 cm in diameter. A batch of 3.6 kg tablets was used to conduct coating experiments and the coating weight gain distribution results were compared to predictions from the simulation. The model rigorously considers the sheltering effect of particles as they move in the spray zone. Good agreement was obtained when comparing the results with an analytical model.Spray shape and orientation of discretization were found to play an important role in predicting the coating uniformity. A simple spray experiment in a particle-free bed showed that the direction of spray material, in general, was vertically upward. Simulation results confirmed that an upward cylindrical spray model gives better agreement with experimental results compared to a solid cone spray model. Finally, the model was used to predict the changes in coating uniformity with bed operating conditions such as gas velocity and gap height. A wider coating distribution was found for the case with the lower gas velocity and gap height.     

CFD–DEM simulation of tube erosion in a fluidized bed

The erosion of the immersed tubes in a bubbling‐fluidized bed is studied numerically using an Eulerian–Lagrangian approach coupling with a particle‐scale erosion model. In this approach, the motion of gas and particles is simulated by the CFD–DEM method, and an erosion model SIEM (shear impact energy model) is proposed to predict the erosion of the tubes. The model is validated by the good agreement of the simulation results and previous experimental data. By analyzing the simulation results, some characteristics of the tube erosion in the fluidized bed are obtained, such as the distribution of the erosion rate around the tube, the variation of the erosion rate with the position of the tube, the effect of the friction coefficient of particles on the erosion, the relationship between the maximum and the average erosion rate, etc. The microscale behavior of particles around the tubes is also revealed and the linear relationship between the erosion and the shear impact energy is confirmed by the simulation results and experiment. The agreement between simulation and experiment proves that the microscale approach proposed in this article has high accuracy for predicting erosion of the tubes in the fluidized bed, and has potential to be applied to modeling the process in other chemical equipment facing solid particle erosion. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 418–437, 2017     

双喷嘴矩形导流管喷动床脱硫性能的研究

针对半干法烟气脱硫方法,提出了一种新型的双喷嘴矩形导流管喷动床半干法烟气脱硫装置。在不同的钙硫摩尔比、静床层高度、表观气速、绝热饱和温差下,以消石灰为脱硫剂,研究了该装置的脱硫性能,并与未加导流管的双喷嘴矩形喷动床的脱硫性能进行了比较;研究了不同脱硫剂流量下导流管喷动床的喷动压降。实验结果表明:脱硫率与钙硫摩尔比、静床层高度成正比,与绝热饱和温差、表观气速成反比;喷动压降与脱硫剂流量成反比。并最终得出了实验条件下双喷嘴矩形导流管喷动床的最佳操作范围和脱硫率关联式。     

管式固定床反应器柱状颗粒床层流体流动模拟与实验研究

针对管式固定床反应器内管束数量多、规模大等特点,选取单个管束作为特征结构。对装填不同直径柱状颗粒的管束,采用程序坐标定位的方法,建立柱状颗粒床层的物理模型。采用DEM与CFD联合数值仿真方法,探究反应管内径与柱状颗粒的等比表面积球当量直径之比(管径比Di/dp)对柱状颗粒床层流体流动的影响,并建立单管固定床反应器试验台,采用差压测试方法进行实验研究。结果表明,当Di/dp由5.37增至12.75时,床层空隙率和流体分布均匀性均得到改善,壁面效应的影响由床层中心减弱到管壁。基于数值模拟及实验结果对Di/dp=12.75的柱状颗粒床层进行床层压降Ergun公式常系数修正,CFD模拟计算的结果与拟合公式吻合较好。研究结果能为固定床反应器压降预测提供参考。