Large particle fluidisation

The fluidization characteristics of large particles (1000–2000 μm) have been studied using bed depths up to 30 cm in equipment having a cross-section 61 × 61 cm. Results are compared with data obtained earlier using a two-dimensional bed.The size of bubble eruptions, together with bubble frequencies and concentrations at the bed surface, were measured from cine film. Visible bubble flow rates were calculated using these data and found to be about 55 per cent of the excess gas flow. Empirical equations are presented relating these parameters with bed height and gas flow rate.The velocities of single bubbles measured using an inductance probe and simultaneous cine photography, agreed well with the Davies—Taylor equation.An unusual bubble formation mechanism gave rise to horizontally aligned swarms of bubbles. These appear to be peculiar to large particle systems and result in large vertical oscillations of the bed surface and severe vibration.Another unusual feature of this large particle system was that non-coalescing bubbles were observed to expand rapidly as they rose through the two-dimensional bed.     

气-液-固三相流化床中气泡大小分布的随机模型

本文利用马尔柯夫过程理论,建立了一个包括气泡上升速率、气泡大小以及气泡在床内出现位置的随机模型.利用热力学理论分析了模型参数.同时,本文利用四组元组合电导探针测定了气泡大小及其分布密度,验证了随机模型.结果表明,模型值与实验拟合很好.     

Discrete Bubble Model for Prediction of Bubble Behavior in 3D Fluidized Beds

A discrete bubble model has been developed taking into account multiple bubble‐bubble interactions and a delayed coalescence method. The obtained simulation results were compared with experimental data reported in literature. The simulation results predicted by the developed model indicate clearly that the multiple interactions of bubbles lead to more reasonable results than those predicted by a binary interaction model. In addition, two types of interaction models were applied and predicted results were compared. The frequency of gas bubbles passing through the bed cross section versus bed height follows the same trend as the experimental data.     

Euler multiphase-CFD simulation on a bubble-driven gas–liquid–solid fluidized bed

An integrated flow model was developed to simulate the fluidization hydrodynamics in a new bubble-driven gas–liquid–solid fluidized bed using the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) method. The results showed that axial solids holdup is affected by grid size, bubble diameter, and the interphase drag models used in the simulation. Good agreements with experimental data could be obtained by adopting the following parameters: 5 mm grid, 1.2 mm bubble diameter, the Tomiyama gas–liquid model, the Schiller–Naumann liquid–solid model, and the Gidaspow gas–solid model. At full fluidization state, an internal circulation of particles flowing upward near the wall and downward in the centre is observed, which is in the opposite direction compared with the traditional core-annular flow structure in a gas–solid fluidized bed. The simulated results are very sensitive to bubble diameters. Using smaller bubble diameters would lead to excessive liquid bed expansions and more solid accumulated at the bottom due to a bigger gas–liquid drag force, while bigger bubble diameters would result in a higher solid bed height caused by a smaller gas–solid drag force. Considering the actual bubble distribution, population balance model (PBM) is employed to characterize the coalescence and break up of bubbles. The calculated bubble diameters grow up from 2–4 mm at the bottom to 5–10 mm at the upper section of the bed, which are comparable to those observed in experiments. The simulation results could provide valuable information for the design and optimization of this new type of fluidized system.     

Observation of 3‐D Structure of Bubbles in a Fluidized Catalyst Bed

The interface area between the bubble and emulsion phases in a fluidized catalyst bed is one of the important parameters used to analyze and design the fluidized bed reactor. We used a fast‐scanning X‐ray CT system to observe the bubble shape and structure. We then obtained the transient 2‐dimensional cross sectional gas‐phase distribution in a fluidized catalyst bed. Using image‐processing techniques, pseudo 3‐dimensional images of the bubbles were reconstructed. The bubble structure was studied based on the 3‐dimensional images and the previously obtained results in a 2‐dimensional fluidized bed. It was found that the bubble shape was not spherical but complicated, and that the bubbles ascending in a fluidized catalyst bed consisted of some smaller bubbles.     

气固流化床气泡发生频率的研究

在单孔二维气固流化床中(292mm×16mm)用高灵敏度电容探针研究气泡发生频率.以频谱分析仪分析气泡频率分布曲线.考察了一系列参数对气泡频率功率分布密度曲线的影响,其中包括颗粒直径(0.105—0.590mm),颗粒重度(590—2990kg/m~3),颗粒最小流化速度(0.0072—0.481m/s),床层初始高度(205—565mm),探针离孔口垂直距离,孔口气体流率(0.5—35×10~(-4)m~3/s)以及床层辅助流化气速(0—3倍最小流化速度)等.对于重度低的小颗粒流化床,单孔气泡发生频率符合Davidson和Harrison早先推导的模型.随着颗粒直径和重度的增大,实验数据与上述模型呈有规律的偏差.本文提出气体从形成中气泡的顶半球以最小流化速度值向乳浊相泄漏的模型,推导了气泡发生频率的基本方程.以本研究的泄漏模型,用数值计算方法在计算机上计算的气泡发生频率与实验数据相吻合.     

C类物料磁场流态化(Ⅱ)──实验研究

本文研究了轴向磁场作用下C类物料的流态化行为，得出磁场能有效地阻止沟流的发生和限制气泡长大的结论．实验用双光纤探头测量三维流化床内气泡的平均大小，以所得到的气泡大小作为衡量流化质量的定量标准；借助CA5300系统及图象分析的方法对流化床内针状物大小进行了定量分析；并对前文导出的数学模型进行了求解，模型计算结果与实验结果基本相符．     

Bubble size distribution in the sparger region of bubble columns

It is well known that the gas distributor can play an important role on the evolution of the bubble size distribution (BSD) in gas-liquid reactors, strippers and absorbers. Therefore, the main subject of the present work was to study the influence of sparger design and process parameters on the BSD in the sparger region of the considered apparatus. For this purpose, both detailed measurements and prediction of the size of bubbles produced at the sparger were carried out in three different experimental apparatuses.The unique set of BSD curves were obtained by analyzing a large amount of bubbles with a measurement based on image analysis technique.Additionally, Colella's model of BSD evolution in bubble columns was further developed by implementing a detailed physical model for predicting the initial BSD at the sparger where the model input is only based on design/process parameters. A validation of the model was carried out using data from two different columns. The comparison between calculated and experimental BSD shows good agreement.     

Computational study of bubble coalescence/break-up behaviors and bubble size distribution in a 3-D pressurized bubbling gas-solid fluidized bed of Geldart A particles

A computational study was carried out on bubble dynamic behaviors and bubble size distributions in a pressurized lab-scale gas-solid fluidized bed of Geldart A particles. High-resolution 3-D numerical simulations were performed using the two-fluid model based on the kinetic theory of granular flow. A fine-grid, which is in the range of 3–4 particle diameters, was utilized in order to capture bubble structures explicitly without breaking down the continuum assumption for the solid phase. A novel bubble tracking scheme was developed in combination with a 3-D detection and tracking algorithm (MS3DATA) and applied to detect the bubble statistics, such as bubble size, location in each time frame and relative position between two adjacent time frames, from numerical simulations. The spatial coordinates and corresponding void fraction data were sampled at 100 Hz for data analyzing. The bubble coalescence/break-up frequencies and the daughter bubble size distribution were evaluated by using the new bubble tracking algorithm. The results showed that the bubble size distributed non-uniformly over cross-sections in the bed. The equilibrium bubble diameter due to bubble break-up and coalescence dynamics can be obtained, and the bubble rise velocity follows Davidson’s correlation closely. Good agreements were obtained between the computed results and that predicted by using the bubble break-up model proposed in our previous work. The computational bubble tracking method showed the potential of analyzing bubble motions and the coalescence and break-up characteristics based on time series data sets of void fraction maps obtained numerically and experimentally.     

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。     

Novel phenomenological discrete bubble model of freely bubbling dense gas–solid fluidized beds: Application to two‐dimensional beds

A phenomenological discrete bubble model has been developed for freely bubbling dense gas–solid fluidized beds and validated for a pseudo‐two‐dimensional fluidized bed. In this model, bubbles are treated as distinct elements and their trajectories are tracked by integrating Newton's equation of motion. The effect of bubble–bubble interactions was taken into account via a modification of the bubble velocity. The emulsion phase velocity was obtained as a superposition of the motion induced by individual bubbles, taking into account bubble–bubble interaction. This novel model predicts the bubble size evolution and the pattern of emulsion phase circulation satisfactorily. Moreover, the effects of the superficial gas velocity, bubble–bubble interactions, initial bubble diameter, and the bed aspect ratio have been carefully investigated. The simulation results indicate that bubble–bubble interactions have profound influence on both the bubble and emulsion phase characteristics. Furthermore, this novel model may become a valuable tool in the design and optimization of fluidized‐bed reactors. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012     

Simulation and experimental studies on fluidization properties in a pressurized jetting fluidized bed

The influence of pressure on the bubble size and average bed voidage has been investigated experimentally and computationally in a circular three-dimensional cold-flow model of pressurized jetting fluidized bed of 0.2 m i.d. and 0.6 m in height with a central jet and a conical distributor, which roughly stands for the ash-agglomerating fluidized bed coal gasifier. The pressurized average bed voidage and bubble size in the jetting fluidized bed were investigated by using electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) technique. The time-averaged cross-sectional solids concentration distribution in the fluidized bed was recorded. The influence of pressure on the size of bubble and the average bed voidage in a pressurized fluidized bed was studied. Both experimental and theoretical results clearly indicate that there is, at the lower pressure, a small initial increase in bubble size decided by voidage and then a decrease with a further increase in pressure, which proves the conclusion of Cai et.al. [P. Cai, M. Schiavetti, G. De Michele, G.C. Grazzini, M. Miccio, Quantitative estimation of bubble size in PFBC, Powder Technology 80 (1994) 99-109]. At higher pressure, bubbles become smaller and smaller because of splitting. The average bed voidage increases gradually with the pressure at the same gas velocity. However, there is a disagreement between the experimental results and simulation results in the average bed voidage at the higher gas velocity, especially at the higher pressure. It suggests that the increase in density of gas with pressure may result in the drag increase and the drag model needs to be improved and revised at higher pressure.     

The Effect of Bed Temperature on Mass Transfer between the Bubble and Emulsion Phases in a Fluidized Bed

The rate of interphase mass transfer between the bubble and emulsion phases of a bubbling fluidized bed is of primary importance in all models for fluidized bed reactors. Many experimental studies have been reported, however, all these investigations have been carried out in fluidized beds operated at room temperature. In this work, the effect of the bed temperature on the interphase mass transfer is reported. Single bubbles containing argon – used as a tracer – were injected into an incipiently fluidized bed maintained at the required temperature. The change in argon concentration in the bubble was measured using a suction probe connected to a mass spectrometer. The effects of bed particle type and size, bubble size, and bed temperature on the mass transfer coefficient were examined experimentally. The interphase mass transfer coefficient was found to decrease with the increase in bed temperature and bubble size, and increase slightly with increase in particle size. Experimental data obtained in this study were compared with some frequently used correlations for estimation of the mass transfer coefficient.     

Circulation of an object immersed in a bubbling fluidized bed

The motion of a large object in a bubbling fluidized bed was experimentally studied using digital image analysis (DIA). The experiments were performed in a 2-D bubbling fluidized bed with glass spheres as bed material. The object motion was measured using non-intrusive tracking techniques, while independent measurements of the dense phase velocity (using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV)) and bubble velocity (using DIA) were carried out. The effect of the dimensionless gas velocity on the object motion was also analyzed.This work characterizes the circulation patterns of an object with a density similar to that of the bed, but much larger in size. Object size and density remained constant throughout the experiments. A comparison between the motion of sinking objects and the motion of the dense phase provided evidence of the feeble effect of buoyant forces on the motion of sinking objects. In contrast, the motion of rising objects is linked to the motion of bubbles. It was found that objects may be raised to the surface of the bed either by the action of a single bubble (one-jump) or by several passing bubbles (multiple-jumps). Based on these results, the circulation time of objects throughout the bed is a function of two parameters: the maximum depth attained by an object and the number of jumps during its rising path. This relationship is presented along and the multiple-jumps phenomenon is studied in detail. Finally, an estimate of the circulation time of an object based on semi-empirical expressions is presented for different dimensionless gas velocities. The probability density function of the circulation time shows two different modes as the object was less prone to be raised at moderate depths. The estimate of the circulation time was found to be in good agreement with our experimental data.     

Experimental and computational study on the bubble behavior in a 3-D fluidized bed

The results from a two-fluid Eulerian–Eulerian three-dimensional (3-D) simulation of a cylindrical bed, filled with Geldart-B particles and fluidized with air in the bubbling regime, are compared with experimental data obtained from pressure and optical probe measurements in a real bed of similar dimensions and operative conditions. The main objectives of this comparison are to test the validity of the simulation results and to characterize the bubble behavior and bed dynamics. The fluidized bed is 0.193 m internal diameter and 0.8 m height, and it is filled with silica sand particles, reaching a settle height of 0.22 m. A frequency domain analysis of absolute and differential pressure signals in both the measured and the simulated cases shows that the same principal phenomena are reproduced with similar distributions of peak frequencies in the power spectral density (PSD) and width of the spectrum. The local dynamic behavior is also studied in the present work by means of the PSD of the simulated particle fraction and the PSD of the measured optical signal, which reveals as well good agreement between both the spectra. This work also presents, for the first time, comparative results of the measured and the simulated bubble size and velocity in a fully 3-D bed configuration. The values of bubble pierced length and velocity retrieved from the experimental optical signals and from the simulated particle fraction compare fairly well in different radial and axial positions. Very similar values are obtained when these bubble parameters are deduced from either simulated pressure signals or simulated particle volume fraction. In addition, applying the maximum entropy method technique, bubble size probability density functions are also calculated. All these results indicate that the two-fluid model is able to reproduce the essential dynamics and interaction between bubbles and dense phase in the 3-D bed studied.     

Heat transfer between an isolated bubble and the dense phase in a fluidized bed

Heat transfer between the bubble and dense phases of a bubbling fluidized bed plays a very important role in the system performance, especially for applications involving solids drying and gas‐phase combustion. However, very few experimental data are available on this subject in the literature. An experimental and modelling investigation on the heat transfer behaviour of isolated bubbles injected into an incipiently fluidized bed is reported in this paper. A new single‐thermocouple technique was developed to measure the heat transfer coefficient. The effects of bed particle type and size, and bubble size on the heat transfer coefficient were examined. The heat transfer coefficient was found to exhibit a maximum as the bubble size increased in the bubble size range investigated. The bed particle size had a comparatively small effect on the heat transfer coefficient. A simple mathematical model was developed which provides good agreement with experimental data.     

双组分颗粒鼓泡流化床内气泡形状参数

在二维双组分鼓泡床实验装置上,采用高速摄像技术,对床内气泡的形状特性进行了研究,考察了不同形状气泡在床内的轴径向分布,探索了颗粒组成和操作气速对气泡形状的影响。结果表明:不同形状的气泡在鼓泡床内呈正态分布,球形度较好的气泡主要分布于床层底部和壁面附近,而细长的气泡则主要集中于床层中心区域。随着气体速率的增加,气泡的球形度和宽纵比降低,气泡形状趋于细长和不规则;随着重组分增加,气泡的球形度增大而宽纵比减小。双组分颗粒鼓泡流化床内气泡球形度的概率密度较单组分的分布更宽,而宽纵比的概率密度分布与添加的颗粒密度有关。     

Numerical simulation of bubble and particles motions in a bubbling fluidized bed using direct simulation Monte-Carlo method

Flow behavior of bubbles and particles in a bubbling fluidized bed were numerically computed using Euler-Lagrange approach. Particle collision was simulated by means of the direct simulation Monte-Carlo (DSMC) method and hard-sphere model. The computed velocities and fluctuations of particles were in agreement with experimental data of Yuu et al. [S. Yuu, H. Nishikawa, T. Umekage, Numerical simulation of air and particle motions in group-B particle turbulent fluidized bed, Powder Technol. 118 (2001) 32-44]. The distributions of velocity, concentration, granular temperature and collision frequency of particles in a bubbling fluidized bed were analyzed. The wavelet multi-resolution analysis was used to investigate flow behavior of bubbles and particles. The bubble frequency of random-like bubble fluctuation was determined from the wavelet multi-resolution analysis over a time-frequency plane.     

BUBBLE MOTION IN A THREE-PHASE LIQUID FLUIDIZED BED

This paper presents results for the rise velocities of air bubbles in liquids and liquid-solid fluidized beds. The bubble sizes ranged from approximately 0.03 to 0.45 cm radius. Tap water and distilled water were used as the fluidizing liquids. The solid phase consisted of low density alginate gel beads of mean radius 0.04 cm. The gel beads were translucent which permitted observation of bubbles inside the bed even at large solids volume fractions. Experiments were conducted for solids volume fractions ranging from 15% to 52% and in clear liquids. The goal of the experiments was to determine rise velocities of bubbles and to develop and evaluate correlations of bubble rise velocity based on bubble size, solids volume fraction and liquid properties. It was determined that, for moderate solids fractions (ranging from 28% to 45% solids), a semi-empirical correlation that treated the fluidized bed as a pure liquid with a higher viscosity than the liquid phase could be used to represent the data. The Thomas effective viscosity model was used to predict the viscosity. Provided that one restricts attention to a water fluidized bed, a second empirical correlation can be used to represent the data over a broader range of solids fractions.