Prediction of heat transfer to liquid-solid fluidized beds

Heat transfer coefficients to a liquid-solid fluidized bed in a cylindrical tube have been measured using water as liquid phase and three types of cylindrical steel particles, as well as glass, nickel, copper and lead spheres of different sizes as solid phase. The independent varaibles included heat flux, liquid velocity and particle physical properties. The experimental results as well as a data bank containing a large number of measured heat transfer coefficients for solid-liquid fluidization over a wide range of operational parameters have been compared with the predictions of most published correlations. A model for the prediction of heat transfer coefficients is proposed which predicts the present experimental data and the data of other investigators with good accuracy.     

A comparison of recent axial dispersion correlations in liquid-solid fluidized beds

The axial dispersion correlations in liquid-solid fluidized beds presented by Chung and Wen⁽¹⁾ and Krishnaswamy and Shemilt⁽⁸⁾ are compared and the applicability of the correlations are discussed.     

Effect of spray nozzle design on liquid-solid contact in fluidized beds

In industrial fluid cokers the feedstock, consisting of heavy bituminous hydrocarbons, is atomized with steam and injected into a hot fluidized bed of coke. Good and uniform contact of the liquid droplets with the solid particles is required to provide heat for the cracking reactions while minimizing mass transfer effects. Experiments in a pilot plant coker have suggested that the initial particle/liquid mixing, in the spray jet, is rather poor. Experiments in a X-ray scanner showed that liquid droplets and entrained particles accumulate just below the tip of the jet plume to form agglomerates.An experimental technique was used to quantitatively determine the quality of mixing with a variety of nozzle configurations including several novel designs. By improving spray stability, redistributing liquid droplets to the solids-rich region of the jet and increasing the surface area of the gas-liquid jet-fluidized bed interface, liquid/solid contact is improved.     

Hydrodynamics and scale-up of liquid-solid circulating fluidized beds: Similitude method vs. CFD

Hydrodynamics and scale-up of liquid-solid circulating fluidized beds (LSCFBs) are investigated using similitude method and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique. Similitude method is applied to establish the dynamic similarity among LSCFBs by tuning physical properties of liquids and solids, operating conditions and bed dimensions to match several scaling sets of dimensionless groups. The hydrodynamic behaviors in these constructed LSCFBs are simulated by a validated CFD model [Cheng, Y., Zhu, J., 2005. CFD modeling and simulation of hydrodynamics in liquid-solid circulating fluidized beds. Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering 83, 177-185] and compared in terms of the axial and radial flow structures characterized by the solids fraction, particle and liquid velocities and solids mass flux. The results demonstrate that only the full set scaling parameters obtained from similitude method, i.e., five dimensionless groups together with fixed bed geometry, particle sphericity, particle size distribution as well as particle collision properties, can ensure the similarity of hydrodynamics in the fully developed region of different LSCFBs. Developing flow structures in LSCFBs are strongly influenced by some parameters such as turbulent kinetic energy at the inlet so that the proposed similitude method may not always be applicable.     

CFD modelling of a liquid-solid fluidized bed

A multifluid Eulerian computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model with granular flow extension is used to simulate a liquid-solid fluidized bed. The numerical simulations are evaluated qualitatively by experimental data from the literature and quantitatively by comparison with new experimental data. The effects of mesh size, time step and convergence criteria are investigated. Varying the coefficient of restitution did not alter the results significantly. The Gidaspow drag relationship predicted a higher voidage than the Wen and Yu drag law. Two different liquid distributors (uniform and non-uniform) were simulated and compared, but a better representation of the geometry of the distributor plate did not greatly influence the results. Qualitatively, the simulations show trends similar to experimental trends reported by various authors. The predictions are also compared with new experimental results for 1.13 mm glass spheres at a wide variety of superficial liquid velocities (0.0085-0.110 m/s) and two different temperatures (12 and ) significantly affecting the liquid viscosity. The CFD model predictions are within 5% of the steady-state experimental data and show the correct trend with variation in viscosity.     

Elutriation from fluidized beds

Elutriation characteristics of widely different solids (density from 920 to 5900 kg/m³) were measured in fluidized beds (up to 0.9 m in size) having high freeboard (7.5 m), using gas velocities up to 4 m/s.The experimental findings were compared with previously reported results and all the variables were well correlated with a simple empirical expression     

The viscosity of fluidized beds

The apparent shear viscosities of a number of fluidized systems have been estimated using an empirical approach based on the shape of spherical-cap bubbles rising in real liquids. Values range between 4 and 13 poise, and agreement with direct experimental results is very good.     

Grid leakage in fluidized beds

Solids leakage rates through different grids in two-dimensional and cylindrical beds of cracking catalyst fluidized with air have been measured. Single and multihole perforated plate grids and single nozzle grids were studied. Leakage fluxes were related to the average air velocity through the grid holes. The effects of superficial gas velocity and grid loading were also investigated. The decisive advantage of using nozzles to mini- mize solids leakage in fluidized beds has been observed.     

Scaling relationships for fluidized beds

The independent nondimensional parameters governing the dynamics of fluidized beds are found by nondimensionalizing the differential equations governinBy proper adjustment of the length scales, the particle density, and the bed superficial velocity it is possible to obtain exact similitude between geo     

Fluid mechanics of circulating fluidized beds

A fluid mechanical model of segregated vertical gas-solids flow has been developed. Mass and force balances were set up with the aid of this model and, finally, a dimensionless state and pressure drop diagram was calculated. In this diagram, the pressure gradient caused by the solids transport is plotted in dimensionaless form versus the superficial gas velocity in the form of a particle Froude number. Parameter is the ratio of the solids volumetric flow rate at minimum fluidization to the gas volumetric flow rate. The state and pressure drop diagram is valid for a given gas-solids system, i.e. for a given Archimedes number and given minimum fluidization porosity. The fluid mechanical behaviour of different types of circulating fluidized beds can be explained with the aid of the state and pressure drop diagram for segregated vertical gas-solids flow. As an example, the operating behaviour of circulating fluidized bed with a syphon in the solids downcomer is discussed. Measurements of the circulating solids mass flow rates are compared with calculation results.     

Magnetic Resonance Imaging of fluidized beds

This paper reviews recent developments in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) which enable it to follow particle motion in fluidized beds. Imaging with a spatial resolution of 400 μm and a temporal resolution of 1 ms is now feasible; particle velocities of order 1 m/s can be measured with good accuracy. The technique provides voidage fractions on a motion-picture basis and particle velocity fields. Limitations are: (i) the particles must contain appropriate atoms e.g. C or H; and (ii) currently the fluidized bed diameter cannot exceed 50 mm, though measurements from larger units will doubtless become available. MR studies on fluidized beds are described: results are reported for (i) air jets entering the bed (ii) bubbling and slugging beds and (iii) dispersion in a bubbling bed. The data are consistent with published measurements. Study (i) helps to resolve the longstanding puzzle about the behaviour of an air jet entering a fluidized or partly-fluidized bed, answering the question: does the entering air form bubbles or a continuous jet?     

振动流化床(VFB)的研究进展

在总结国内外有关振动流化床基础理论最新成果的基础上,系统地综述了振动流化床的流体力学、干燥特性及传热传质的研究进展状况。     

Wake characteristics of three-phase fluidized beds

Wake volumes in three-phase fluidized beds hae been computed from phase holdup and bubble rising velocity data over a wide range of experimental conditions. The ratio of the wake to gas holdup k? increased with liquid velocity and decreased with gas velocity and surface tension. A correlation relating k? to these variables was derived. Both a stable wake and vortex shedding appeared to contribute to the measured wake volume.     

液固循环流化床换热器中固体颗粒分布

利用CCD图像测量与数据处理系统对多管液固循环流化床换热器中的两相流动特性进行了研究。探讨了下管箱中的分布板结构对固体粒子的体积分数分布、固体粒子的速度分布,以及液固两相流压降的影响。实验结果表明:在循环流化床换热器进口段安装适当结构的多孔板分布器,即多孔板的面积小于床层截面积,且床中心处的遮挡面积大于边缘处的遮挡面积,可以有效地提高固相速度的均匀程度,在较高流速下,能较好地改善固体颗粒在管束中的不均匀分布。