The maximum spoutable bed heights of water-spouted fine particle systems

The maximum spoutable bed height of systems of fine glass spheres spouted with water is studied in a flat based, semi-circular column of 80 mm diameter using glass spheres of diameters 0.300, 0.377, and 0.450 mm. A new correlation is proposed to predict the maximum spoutable bed height in water spouted fine particle systems. The same correlation is suggested for use with air spouted fine particles larger than 0.5 mm. It is concluded that in fine particle systems the jet penetration is significantly lower than that in coarse particle systems. The influence of the column diameter on the maximum spoutable bed height is also decreased significantly compared to coarse particle systems. Data reported in the literature for other water spouted fine particle systems agree with the correlation proposed in this work.     

Jet penetration and pressure drops in water spouted beds of fine particles

New expressions for the maximum spoutable height and spout pressure drop ratio are developed for fine particles spouted in water. The maximum spoutable height in both water and air systems is found to be dependent upon two dimensionless parameters, β and A_Lim. For fine particles spouted with water, the dimensionless pressure drop ratio depends only upon the voidage, ? at the bottom of the spout.     

Flow in the annulus of a bed of fine particles spouted with water

The flow in the annulus of a water spouted bed of glass particles (275 to 774 μm) was studied experimentally in a cylindrical half-column 50.8 mm in diameter. An axisymmetric model, which assumes Darcy flow in the annulus and uses the experimental spout pressure distribution, predicts the flow and pressure fields in the annulus. The substantial differences between this flowfield and that for coarse particle beds that are observed are caused by differences in the normalized interfacial pressure profile. The model predicts that both the fluid velocity and the normalized fluid velocity at the top of the annulus decrease as the particle size and bed height are reduced. Particles are observed to enter the spout primarily near the spout inlet in agreement with predictions of the axial spout voidage distribution. The residence time distribution of the fluid in the annulus is relatively broad and the measured residence times are about 25% higher than those calculated.     

Prediction of the maximum spoutable bed height in spout-fluid beds

A model for predicting the ratio of the maximum spoutable bed height in a spout-fluid bed to the maximum spoutable bed height in a spouted bed is presented and experimentally verified. The model is a further extension of the basic Mamuro and Hattori force balance model. The ratio H_mSF/H_m is found to be a function of the external annular fluid flowrate and a parameter C, which is the ratio of fluid velocity at the top of the annulus to that at minimum fluidization. C = 0.935 gives a best fit of our data.     

双喷嘴矩形喷动床流动性能实验研究

在120 mm×240 mm的双喷嘴矩形不锈钢床内,对新型双喷嘴矩形导流管喷动床的最小喷动速度和喷动高度进行了研究,考察了喷动气速、粒径、静床层高度、导流管直径、导流管安装位置对最小喷动速度和喷动高度的影响。结果表明:最小喷动速度随颗粒直径、导流管直径、导喷距的增大而增大,随静床层高度的增大而减小;喷动高度随喷动气速的增大而增大,随导流管直径的增大而减小,受静床层高度和导喷距的影响不大,并得出了最小喷动速度的关联式。     

Minimum spouting velocity for binary mixture of particles in rectangular spouted beds

Minimum spouting velocity data are reported for seven mixtures of polystyrene, spouted with air in three rectangular spouted beds of square cross sectional areas, using nozzles of five sizes. Correlations for minimum spouting velocity in cylindrical columns were investigated for this geometry. A new dimensionless correlation for predicting the minimum spouting velocity is developed.     

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.     

Behaviour and removal of fine particles in a liquid-solid spouted bed consisting of binary mixtures

In a liquid-solid spouted bed system containing coarse and fine particles, the entrainment and elutriation of the separated fines were investigated with reference to variations in the pressure drop through the bed. The effect of operating parameters on the velocity corresponding to the beginning of entrainment of fines (U_be) was examined and a dimensionless correlation was proposed. The effect of operating parameters on the elutriation rate coefficient of fines at liquid velocities larger than their terminal settling velocity (U_l) also was studied. An empirical equation was proposed for a column height above TDH, the height of freeboard at which the elutriation rate becomes constant. It was recognized that the elutriation phenomenon was closely related to the length of the stratified particle transport bed when the ascending velocity of the elutriable particles at the top of bed becomes constant.     

Multi-dimensional model of a spouted bed

A multi-dimensional model is developed to describe the fluid and particle dynamic behaviour of spouted beds. The position of the spout-annulus interface is determined by a variational analysis. Two-fluid equations are used to represent gas and solids motions in the spout while the vector Ergun equation and soil mechanics equations are employed to describe, respectively, gas and solids behaviour in the annulus. Using numerical finite difference methods, the set of governing equations is solved subject to carefully chosen boundary conditions. The model predictions of key hydrodynamic characteristics are in reasonable agreement with available measured data selected from the literature to represent a wide range of experimental conditions.     

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     

Side-outlet spouted bed with draft tube: Effect of varying the position of the outlet

The vector form of the Ergun equation was used to numerically predict gas phase streamlines, residence time distributions, chemical conversions and pressure drops in the annulus of a side-outlet spouted bed with an internal draft tube. By varying the position of the side-outlet, it was demonstrated that there exists an optimum location for this outlet at which conversion is a maximum and which shows a greatly improved gas phase residence time distribution in the annulus compared with a conventional spouted bed unit.     

Spouted bed hydrodynamics in a 0.91 m diameter vessel

Hydrodynamic measurements were obtained in a flat-based half-cylindrical column of diameter 0.91 m and inlet orifice diameters of 76 to 114 mm. Beds of 3.5 to 6.7 mm diameter particles with static depths of 0.53 to 1.83 m were spouted with air. In agreement with measurements by earlier workers in smaller columns, it was found necessary to operate with inlet orifice diameters less than about 30 times the mean particle diameter in order to be able to achieve stable spouting. Correlations for minimum spouting velocity developed on small vessels generally gave poor predictions for the large diameter vessel employed in this work and failed to predict the observed dependence of U_ms on the static bed height. Substantial dead regions where particles were stagnant were observed in the lower outer portion of the vessel. Other aspects of behaviour studied, including spout diameters and shapes, fountain heights, pressure profiles and gas velocities in the annulus, were qualitatively similar to those in smaller columns, although equations developed for the smaller vessels did not always provide accurate predictions.     

Spoutable bed height and pressure fluctuation of a novel annular spouted bed with V-shaped deflector

A novel annular spouted bed consisting of two homocentric upright cylinders with different diameters was developed. The nozzles and V-shaped deflectors were located in the bottom of annular space between the inner and outer cylinders. The effects of hold-up, bed material, total flowrate and nozzle structure on the hydrodynamic characteristics of the novel annular spouted bed were investigated. The results show that there exist three different zones for the particle flow in the annular spouted bed: the moving packed zone, the dense-phase spouted fluidizing zone and the dilute-phase zone. With the increase of hold-ups, the height of the dense-phase spouted fluidizing zone tends to increase in the annular spouted bed, while the moving packed zone is only limited within the V-shaped deflectors. The maximum spoutable amount for high air flowrate is larger than that for low air flowrate. Both the spoutable bed height and the local mean relative pressure for high air flowrate are higher than those for low air flowrate at the same hold-ups of particles. The nozzle structure also has important effects on the spoutable bed height and the local relative pressure in the annular spouted bed.     

Experimental investigation of solid particles flow in a conical spouted bed using radioactive particle tracking

Solid particles flow in a conical spouted bed is characterized by radioactive particle tracking. The influence of operating conditions on key parameters of this flow is evaluated and discussed: the morphology of the solid bed is not strongly influenced by the forces exerted by the gas on the solid particles, but rather by geometrical considerations; the particles spend approximately 8% of their time in the spout in all experiments; it is the force exerted on the solid particles by the gas that directly controls the volumetric flow rate between adjacent regions, and not the amount of particles in the bed; as U/U_ms increases, the volume of solid particles in the annulus decreases, the volume of solid particles in the fountain increases and the volume of solid particles in the spout remains constant. Correlations to predict key flow parameters as functions of operating conditions are also established and discussed. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 62: 26–37, 2016     

Hydrodynamics of a spouted bed with a porous draft tube containing a small amount of finer particles

A small-size spouted bed with a porous draft tube was employed to obtain hydrodynamic data of binary mixtures of glass beads for a range of operating conditions and design factors. In this case, a small amount of finer particles was added mostly to the large majority of coarser particles. Under this condition, minimum spouting velocity, bed pressure drop, hold-up of solid particles within a draft tube, gas flow rate through the annulus and solids circulation rate were determined by changing the total gas flow rate and the mass fraction of finer particles as operating parameters, and by changing the height of the entrainment zone and the draft tube diameter as geometric parameters. The results show that the gas flow rate through the annulus increases by increasing the distance between the gas inlet nozzle and the bottom of the draft tube, that is, the height of the entrainment zone, but decreases with increasing draft tube diameter and mass fraction of finer particles. The porous draft tube shows a higher gas flow rate through the annulus than the non-porous draft tube, particularly in the case of the low height of the entrainment zone. The solids circulation rate increases with increasing gas velocity, the height of the entrainment zone and the porous draft tube diameter. Moreover, the porous draft tube leads to a higher solids circulation rate than the non-porous draft tube.     

Aerodynamics and heat transfer during coating of tablets in two-dimensional spouted bed

The two-dimensional spouted bed has been pointed out in recent research works as an improved configuration of spouted beds. The main advantages in relation to the conventional spouted beds are the easy construction and scale-up. In this work we begin the study of coating of tablets in two-dimensional spouted beds. An experimental system was constructed and the data obtained were used to determine the values of maximum pressure drop, minimum spout flowrate and gas-to-particle heat transfer coefficient, for 36 process conditions. The experimental results have been correlated with process and geometrical parameters.     

A priori modelling of an adiabatic spouted bed catalytic reactor

An a priori reactor model for an adiabatic spouted bed reactor has been developed. This model uses first-principles mass and energy balances to predict the concentration and temperature profiles in the spout, annulus and fountain regions of the reactor. The particle circulation and voidage profiles in the spout are calculated using previously developed analytical techniques. Particle circulation patterns in the annulus are determined by a minimum path-length analysis. The spout and fountain are shown to contribute significantly to the overall conversion in the bed. Predicted and experimental conversions at flowrates up to 1.2U_ms show that extension of the fountain reaction zone and increased particle circulation with increasing inlet flow makes up for the higher average voidage in the spout and fountain. Experimental data confirm the calculated results for a stably spouting bed with CO oxidation over a Co₃O₄/αAl₂O₃ catalyst. The effects of flowrate and inlet reactant concentration are confirmed.     

Oxygen-steam gasification of coals in a spouted bed

A bituminous and a sub-bituminous coal from Western Canada have been gasified in oxygen-steam and air-steam mixtures in a 0.30-m diameter, 50 kg coal/h continuous spouted bed reactor. Results are presented to show the effects of the blast composition and reactor temperature on gas heating value and carbon conversion. Operation in the ash agglomeration mode is illustrated, and the role of K₂CO₃ as catalyst explored. Results from a wide range of experimental gasification conditions are compared with predictions of an equilibrium model.     

Effect of interparticle forces on the conical spouted bed behavior of wet particles with size distribution

This paper aims to analyze air-solid flow behavior in conical spouted beds composed of glass bead mixtures coated by glycerol. Four mixtures of glass beads are used as the solid phase. Although these mixtures have the same mean Sauter diameter, each one is characterized by a different size distribution function (mono-sized; flat, Gaussian or binary size distribution). When glycerol is added to the bed of these particles, which are spouted by air, the gas-solid flow characteristics are changed due to the growth of interparticle forces; however, the trends of these changes are affected by the glass bead mixture type as well as by the concentration of glycerol. For beds of mono-sized particles, the minimum spouting velocity is maintained almost unchanged as the glycerol concentration rises; while, for beds of inert particle mixtures, this velocity increases, becoming greater for flat and binary size distribution particles. Conversely, the minimum spouting pressure drop decreases as the glycerol concentration rises for all beds of particles used. Based on theoretical prediction of interparticle forces, it is shown that these changes in the minimum spouting conditions can be explained by the magnitude of these forces.