Measurements and numerical predictions of gas vortices formed by single bubble eruptions in the freeboard of a fluidised bed

Gas vortices generated in the freeboard of a bubbling fluidised bed have become the centre of increasingly more research due to the advances in experimental technology. The behaviour of gas flow in the freeboard of a bubbling fluidised bed is of interest for applications such as the gasification of coal where reactions of gas mixtures, as well as gas–particle heat and mass transfer take place. Knowledge of the hydrodynamics of the gas within the freeboard can be hard to characterise, especially the detailed behaviour of gases escaping from bubbles that erupt at the bed surface. In the present study, experiments were conducted on a rectangular three-dimensional gas–solid fluidised bed. The experiments used a particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) measurement technique to visualise and measure the gas flow within the freeboard after a single bubble eruption. A computational study was carried out using Eulerian–Eulerian, kinetic theory of granular flow approach with a quasi-static flow model and with LES used to account for gas turbulence. Results from a three dimensional simulation of the experimental fluidised bed were compared with experimental velocity profiles of gas flow in the freeboard of the gas–solid fluidised bed after a bubble eruption. The CFD simulations showed a qualitative agreement with the formation of the gas vortices as the bubble erupted. Consistent with experimental findings the CFD simulations showed the generation of a pair of vortices. However, the simulations were unable to demonstrate downward flow at the centre of the freeboard due to particles in free fall after a bubble eruption event was observed in the experiments. Velocity profiles from the CFD data are in reasonably good agreement with the characteristic trends observed in the experiments, whereas the CFD model was able to predict the gas vortices phenomena and the velocity magnitudes were over-predicted.     

The effect of bed materials on the solid/bubble motion in a fluidised bed

Gas fluidisation provides good mixing and contact of the gas and particle phases as well as good heat transfer. These attractive features are achieved by the high degree of bubble-induced particle circulation within the bed. Bubble and particle motion vary with bed materials and operating conditions, as investigated in the present study, by the use of the non-intrusive positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) technique. The selected materials were spherical polyethylene and glass particles.The data obtained by the PEPT technique are used to determine the particle velocities and circulation pattern. Bubble rise velocities and associated sizes can be inferred from the particle velocity data, since particles travel upwards mostly in the bubble wake. The results indicate that the flow structure and gas/solid motion within the fluidised beds were significantly different, even at the same value of the excess gas velocity, U-U_mf. The solid circulation pattern within the beds differ: if for glass beads, a typical UCDW-pattern existed (upwards in the centre of the bed, downwards near the wall), the pattern in the polyethylene bed is more complex combining a small zone of UWDC movement near the distributor and a typical UCDW-pattern higher up the bed. Transformed data demonstrate that at the same value of excess gas velocity, U-U_mf, the air bubbles in the polyethylene fluidised bed were smaller and rose more slowly than in the fluidised bed of glass beads, thus yielding a longer bubble residence time and improved gas/solid contact. For polyethylene beads, the size and rise velocity of air bubbles did not increase monotonically with vertical position in the bed as would be predicted by known empirical correlations, which however provide a fair fit for the glass beads data. Bubble sizes and solid circulation patterns are important parameters in the design of a fluidised bed reactor, and vary with the bed material used.     

Prediction of bubble behaviour in fluidised beds based on solid motion and flow structure

It has been demonstrated that the non-intrusive positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) could be a potential technique for observing bubble flow pattern, measuring bubble size and rise velocity in bubbling fluidised beds according to the solid motion in bubble and its wake. The results indicate that the behaviour of air bubbles varies greatly with the bed materials and superficial gas velocity. Three types of bubbling patterns (namely A, B and C) have been reported in this study, in which the pattern C is observed when the polyethylene fluidised bed is operated at the superficial gas velocity (U − U_mf) of 0.25–0.5 m/s and the ratio of bed height to bed diameter is unity. After the comparison of the results measured by the PEPT technique with the values calculated by using a number of empirical correlations, two modified correlations are recommended to calculate the bubble size based on the PEPT data.     

An analysis of the distribution of flow between phases in a gas fluidised bed

A new and comprehensive theory is developed to describe the division of gas between the bubble and interstitial phases of a fluidised bed, something not satisfactorily predicted by existing theories. It is based on the hydrodynamic models of Davidson, Harrison and Murray and distinguishes between bubbles with and without clouds. It makes no assumptions about the value to be attributed to the average dense phase porosity but requires an expression relating it to permeability. An example of application is given using data obtained from a bed of silicon carbide particles of mean diameter 262 μm fluidised by air. In this case, the dense phase porosity and the interstitial gas velocity decrease with height. Near the distributor a large proportion of the bubbles are small, slow moving and therefore without clouds but this proportion decreases sharply with increase in height.     

流化床中气泡的汇合长大和床层膨胀

根据文中提出的沿单位床层高度气泡平均直径的长大与气泡在水平面内的平均分开程度成比例的简化模型和已有的大量实验数据,获得了气泡沿床高长大的计算方程 本文还根据两相邻生成的初始气泡的垂直中心距与初始气泡直径成正比的简化模型及已有的实验数据,提出了初始气泡直径D_B_0的计算方程 基于上述获得的方程式以及假定鼓泡流化床的床层膨胀纯因气泡存在所造成,本文还导得了自由鼓泡流化床膨胀高度的计算式     

Hydrodynamics and steel tube wastage in a fluidized bed at elevated temperature

Hydrodynamic measurements were made in a bubbling fluidized bed operated at 550°C at three different excess gas velocities (0.15, 0.40 and ). The bed has a cross-sectional area of with an immersed tube bank consisting of 59 horizontal stainless steel tubes (AISI 304L), 21 of which are exchangeable, thus allowing erosion studies. Capacitance probe analysis was used to determine the mean bubble rise velocity, the mean bubble frequency, the mean pierced bubble length, the mean bubble volume fraction and the mean visible bubble flow rate. Tube wastage was calculated from roundness profiles obtained by stylus profilometry.A redistribution of the bubble flow towards the center of the bed occurs when the excess gas velocity is increased. Measurements along a target tube, situated next to the capacitance probe, usually show greater material wastage at the central part of the tube, since the mean bubble rise velocity and the mean visible bubble flow rate are higher there. It is suggested that the greater material degradation is also an effect of the through-flow of a particle-transporting gas stream in the bubbles. With increasing height above the distributor plate the circumferential wastage profiles for the lowest excess gas velocity show a gradual change from an erosion pattern with one maximum (Type B behavior) to a pattern with two maxima (Type A behavior). Power spectral density distributions of the fluctuating pressure signals show that this is a result of the formation of larger bubbles, when the fluidization regime is changed in the upper part of the bed. At the highest excess gas velocity the bubble flow becomes more constrained due to a more rapid coalescence of the bubbles and the tubes show Type A wastage profiles throughout the bed.     

Influence of the lift force on the stability of a bubble column

This work investigates the role of the lift force for the stability of a homogeneous bubble column. Instabilities caused by the lift force may be one important reason for the transition from homogeneous to heterogeneous bubble column. On rising bubbles the lift force acts in a lateral direction, when gradients of the liquid velocity are present. Non-uniform liquid velocity fields may be induced if the gas fraction is not equally distributed, e.g. caused by local disturbances. This feedback mechanism is studied in the paper. It was found, that a positive lift coefficient (small bubbles) stabilizes the flow, while a negative coefficient (large bubbles) leads to unstable gas fraction distributions, and thus it favours the appearance of a heterogeneous bubble column regime. The turbulent dispersion force has always a stabilizing action, i.e., it partially compensates the destabilization induced by a negative lift coefficient. A stability analysis for a mono-dispersed system nevertheless showed, that influence of the lift force is much larger, compared to the influence of the turbulent dispersion force, if only bubble induced turbulence is considered. Thus, the stability condition is practically the positive sign of the lift force coefficient. The extension of the analysis to two bubbles classes, from which one being small enough to have a positive lift coefficient, results in a minimum fraction of small bubbles needed for stability. Finally a generalized criterion for N bubble classes and for a continuous bubble size distribution is given.     

THE EFFECTS OF DISTRIBUTOR DESIGN ON FLUIDIZED-BED HYDRODYNAMIC BEHAVIOR

should be addressed. The distributor was investigated for the purpose of design and scale up of large fluidized-bed combustors. Four orifice plates with different configurations were used to study the effect of distributor design on bubble formation and solid mixing. Experiments were carried out on a three-dimensional fluidized bed of 27.94 cm diameter and a two-dimensional bed with dimensions of 30.48cm ×1.27 cm. Motion pictures were used to study bubble formation and coalescence. Pressure profiles inside the three-dimensional bed were measured for several distributors to study bubble flow patterns, and tracer particles were used to study mixing patterns at various superficial velocities and particle sizes. The results show that the distributor plate with two-size orifices causes a non-uniform gas bubble flow inside the bed. This non-uniform gas bubble flow is associated with variations in local bed density and local voidage. Horizontal or radial solid circulation is also caused by this non-uniform gas bubble flow. The local bed density and voidage variations and the radial solid circulation cause the bubbles to move toward the area above the smaller orifices as the bubbles rise up and coalesce. This reduces the wall effect, and the bed is very uniformly fluidized when the two-size orifice plate with small holes in the center is employed.     

Measurement and simulation of bubbling fluidised beds

The effective control of systems requires the formulation of suitably robust models of their behaviour. The work described in this paper describes the simulation and modelling of the behaviour of a bubbling fluidised bed. A simple system is investigated consisting of a vertical planar bed. The performance of the bed is characterised by measuring the proportion of the bed occupied by the voids associated with bubbles. From these measurements it is possible to evaluate the response of the bed to changes in the gas flow rate into it in the time domain and through transformation into the frequency domain. These techniques allow a simulation of the bed based on the work of Clift and Grace [R. Clift, J. Grace, Coalescence of bubbles in fluidised beds, A.I.Ch.E. Symp. Ser. 67 (116) (1970) 23–33.] to be validated. The simulation can then be used to evaluate a simple but effective physical model of a bubbling fluidised bed which treats it as being primarily a temporary store of gas. The model represents the dynamics of the bed well and in the form of a transfer function which can be used successfully as a basis for controlling the bed.     

Modelling of batch fluidised bed drying of pharmaceutical granules

This paper presents a mathematical model based on a three-phase theory, which is used to describe the mass and heat transfer between the gas and solids phases in a batch fluidised bed dryer. In the model, it is assumed that the dilute phase (i.e., bubble) is plug flow while the interstitial gas and the solid particles are considered as being perfectly mixed. The thermal conductivity of wet particles is modelled using a serial and parallel circuit. The moisture diffusion in wet particles was simulated using a numerical finite volume method. Applying a simplified lumped model to a single solid particle, the heat and mass transfer between the interstitial gas and solid phase is taken into account during the whole drying process as three drying rate periods: warming-up, constant rate and falling-rate. The effects of the process parameters, such as particle size, gas velocity, inlet gas temperature and relative humidity, on the moisture content of solids in the bed have been studied by numerical computation using this model. The results are in good agreement with experimental data of heat and mass transfer in fluidised bed dryers. The model will be employed for online simulation of a fluidised bed dryer and for online control.     

基于EMMS模型的气固鼓泡床的模拟及气泡特性的分析

基于EMMS曳力模型,采用双流体的方法对气固鼓泡床内的气固流动特性进行模拟,建立基于图像处理气泡特性的分析方法,重点研究了不同表观气速下气泡在床层内分布特性,包括气泡平均当量直径、气泡速度和气泡球形度的轴向分布,以及气泡的生命周期。研究结果表明,小气泡多集中在床层底部和壁面区域,而大气泡多集中在床层中间区域。随着表观气速的增加,床层高度不断增加,气泡的球形度降低,气泡的大小、出现频率、上升速度以及生命周期均增加;然而,当表观气速增大到一定程度,继续增加气速对气泡的上升速度影响不大。     

A bubbling bed model for elutriation of fine particles

A model for elutriation of fine particles from a bubbling dense fluidised bed is developed, assuming that fine particles percolate into the bubble along with the through flow gas and move into the freeboard along with the bubble. Particles whose terminal velocity is less than the superficial gas velocity are considered to elutriate out of the freeboard. The equations developed are compared with some recent data and agreement is good.     

高密度浓相流化床中气泡的兼并与分裂特性

利用先进的高速动态分析系统对二维床中气泡的行为进行了研究,通过对所拍摄图象的分析处理．得到了不同介质流化床内形成的气泡形状、大小、聚并及分裂的基本规律和特点．实验研究表明．气泡的兼并主要是两气泡问的合并、被合并气泡总是从气泡的尾涡区曳入气泡;气泡分裂主要发生在操作气速较大或大气泡中,是由于其顶部粒子流(或“剪切流”)的侵入造成的;操作气速较低,粒度、密度较大粒子形成的流化床更易于造成气泡的湮灭。     

Study of bubble induced flow structure using PIV

An experimental investigation of the flow structure induced by a chain of gas bubbles was carried out in a rectangular bubble column using particle image velocimetry (PIV). It is observed that the bubble rising trajectory changes from one dimension to three dimension as liquid viscosity reduces. The variation of bubble rising trajectory associates with the alternation of bubble motions—with or without oscillatory and rotational motion depending the bubble rising trajectory is 3-D or 1-D. The different behaviors of gas bubbles introduce various instantaneous and averaged liquid flow structures. In general, complex fluid velocity fields present in liquid system of low viscosity where free vortex, cross flow, and irregular circular flow can be observed. The liquid pseudo-turbulence measured in terms of turbulence intensity and Reynolds stress is more intense in liquid of low viscosity. The turbulence is also enhanced by the frequency of bubble formation.     

Experimental and numerical investigation of liquid circulation induced by a bubble plume in a baffled tank

Bubble induced liquid circulation is important in applications such as bubble columns and air-lift reactors. In this work, we describe an experimental and numerical investigation of liquid circulation induced by a bubble plume in a tank partitioned by a baffle. The baffle divides the tank into two compartments. Liquid can flow from one compartment to the other through openings at the top and the bottom of the baffle. Gas (air) was injected in the riser section in the form of bubbles at one corner of the tank. The temporal and spatial variation of velocity field in the liquid as a function of the gas flow rate was measured using particle image velocimetry (PIV). At a constant gas flow rate, the liquid flow field is unsteady due to the interaction with the bubbles. The time scales associated with the velocity-time series and the bubble plume thickness variation were calculated. The time averaged-velocity field was used to quantify the variation of the liquid circulation rate with gas flow rate. The turbulence in the liquid was measured in terms of turbulent intensities. These were calculated from the experimental data and were observed to be less than 3 cm/s. A 2-d Euler-Euler two-fluid model with buoyancy and drag as the interaction terms was used to simulate the flow. The parameters chosen for the simulations were selected from literature. It is shown that inclusion of turbulence model such as k-ε is necessary to capture the overall flow behavior. Good agreement was observed between experimentally obtained velocity profiles and the recirculation rates with the simulation results.     

The bubbling behaviour of fine powders when fluidised

Narrow size cuts of particles in the range 40–260 μm have been examined by X-rays when fluidised by air. No discontinuity in behaviour was observed with decreasing particle size. The bubbles behave the same in all materials except that their velocity increases with decreasing particle size. The visible bubble flow is generally less than the excess over minimum fluidisation flow. Almost all flow occurs interstitially near the bottom of the bed but the proportion decreases with height to approach U_mf near the top of the bed. Appreciable changes in dense phase voidage occur with fine particles and this varies with bed height.     

Distribution of the gas flow in fluidized beds with a slugging behaviour

Capacitance probe measurements of the visible bubble flow rate have been made in a pressurized fluidized bed burning coal. The bed, of 0.3 × 0.3 m cross-section, was operated at pressures between 1.0 and 2.0 MPa and at temperatures between 750 and 900°C. The fluidizing velocity was 0.95 m/s and the mean particle diameter was 0.9 mm. Based on the experimental results, a model of the gas distribution between the bubble phase and the particulate phase in fluidized beds with a slugging behaviour was developed. The model accounts for the lack of bubble flow obtained if the two-phase theory is employed. In order to verify the model, simultaneous measurements of the visible bubble flow rate and of the gas flow rate through the bubbles were carried out in a bed of similar geometry but operating at ambient conditions. In this bed the fludizing velocity was varied between 1.6 and 2.7 m/s and the mean particle diameter was 1.0 mm. The through-flow of gas was measured with the aid of pressure probes. Evaluation of the experimental results using the model showed that this gas through-flow in the bubble phase subsequently increases the superficial gas velocity in the particulate phase between the vertically aligned bubbles (slugs), and that this gas velocity in excess of the incipient fluidization velocity is responsible for the large deviation from the two-phase theory. The associated increase of the particulate phase voidage was calculated via the Ergun equation.     

非牛顿流体中的两并行运动气泡周围流场及气泡间相互作用的PIV研究

The flow fields surrounding two parallel moving bubbles rising from two identical orifices submerged in non-Newtonian fluid of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) solution of three different mass concentration were measured experimentally by the use of particle image velocimetry (PIV). The influences of gas flowrate, solution mass concentration, orifice interval and the angle between two bubble centers line and vertical direction on the flow field surrounding bubbles were discussed respectively by analyzing the velocity vector, velocity contours as well as individual velocity components. The results show that the liquid velocity both in front of two bubbles and behind increases with gas flowrate duo to shear-thinning effect of previous bubbles, whereas decreases with the increase of CMC concentration due to the increase of drag force acting on bubbles. The effect of the orifice interval on the flow field around two moving bubbles becomes gradually obvious as the interval becomes closer. Moreover, two adjacent side-by-side bubbles repulse each other during rising, leading to the practical interval between them increased somewhat above the orifice interval. When the distance between bubbles is less than the orifice interval l0 mm, the interaction between two neighboring bubbles changed from mutual repellence to attraction with the decrease of the angle of the line of linking two bubble centers to the vertical direction.     

Bubble sizes produced by shear and turbulence in a bubble column

Measurements of bubble sizes for co-current upward air-water flow in a recirculating loop bubble column are described. The bubble sizes were determined with a two electrode conductivity detector. The effectiveness of two different designs of baffle in reducing the bubble size is assessed. The first type of baffle was a perforated plate placed across the air-water flow, which broke the bubbles by the shear flow and turbulence it caused. The measurements with this type of baffle are consistent with a recently developed theory of bubble break-up in shear flow. The second type of baffle consisted of a series of wire arrays placed across the flow. These broke the bubbles by a cutting action. The rate of bubble coalescence downstream of this baffle was determined, over a range of gas hold-up.