Effect of distributors on Gas—Solid Fluidization

The efficient operation of a fluidized bed is very much dependent upon distributor performance, which in turn depends on its design parameters. The work reported here deals with the characteristics of such distributors as are commonly employed in laboratories, pilot plant and large scale operations. Specifically a porous plate distributor, two bubble cap distributors of different geometries and four Johnson screen distibutors of different percent open area have been investigated in a 30.5 cm by 30.5 cm square fluidized bed as a function of air fluidizing velocity and bed height. The pressure drop data for all the distributors have been correlated by a single equation with two unknown constants. The ratio of distributor pressure drop to bed pressure drop is found to increase rapidly with increase in fluidization velocity. The bed expansion ratio is found to increase with increase in excess fluidization velocity and distributor pressure drop but decreases with increase in bed height or weight.     

Pressure fluctuation characteristics of polyethylene particles in a gas-solid fluidized bed with different distributors

The effects of gas velocity (0.10–0.68 m/s), distributor geometry (opening area ratio, number of orifices and hole sizes) and the particle size distribution (wide and narrow) of polyethylene on the pressure fluctuation of the distributor and the local pressure drop in the beds have been determined in a gas-solid fluidized bed of 0.07-m I.D. and 0.7 m in height. The mean amplitude and the normalized standard deviation of the local pressure drop were determined by analyzing pressure fluctuation in the bed. The variation of the mean amplitude of the local pressure drop with the gas velocity is independent on the different distributors. The normalized standard deviation of the local pressure drop increased with increasing the ratio of the excess gas velocity to the minimum fluidization velocity and the lumped parameter of the distributor, hD. Also, the normalized standard deviation of the local pressure drop of polyethylene polymerized by Metallocene catalyst (narrow) is higher than that of polyethylene polymerized by Ziegler-Natta catalyst (wide). This paper is dedicated to Professor Dong Sup Doh on the occasion of his retirement from Korea University.     

Slug characteristics of polymer particles in a fluidized bed with different distributors

Pressure fluctuations in a fluidized bed (0.38 m-I.D.x4.4 m-high) of 1.23-mm polymer particles (LLDPE) were measured with different distributors. Slug characteristics (slug frequency and slug rising velocity) were determined by analyzing pressure fluctuations in the bed. The effects of gas velocity (0.6-1.2 m/s) and distributor geometry (opening area ratio, number of orifices and distributor types) on the slug characteristics were determined. The slug frequency decreases slightly with increasing gas velocity. However, slug rising velocity increases linearly with increasing excess fluidization velocity regardless of the distributors used.     

Detection of the minimum gas velocity region using Gaussian spectral pressure distribution in a gas-solid fluidized bed

The undesired phenomenon of partial or complete defluidizing can occur in industrial applications involving fluidized beds. That could be prevented by increasing the gas velocity, provided an adequate observation of changes in the hydrodynamic of the fluidized bed is detected early enough. Since the value of gas velocity on defluidization of bed is near the gas velocity at minimum fluidization condition, it is very important to use a methodology that can promptly detect the minimum fluidization velocity region, so that shutting down the process can be avoided. The literature shows that the methods to detect the region of such a velocity are limited, and in practice, the traditional method for determination of minimum fluidization velocity (pressure drop across the bed versus superficial gas velocity) is still the most used. In the present work, a methodology is proposed to detect the region where the minimum velocity takes place in a gas-solid fluidized bed, based on the spectral analysis of pressure fluctuation measurements using a Gaussian distribution curve. Results indicate that the method is satisfactory, and it could be used as a more practical indicator of the region where the defluidization phenomenon occurs.     

A parametric study of a horizontal rotating fluidized bed using slotted and sintered metal cylindrical gas distributors

The pressure drop in a horizontal rotating fluidized bed was measured using slotted and sintered metal cylindrical gas distributors as a function of rotating speed, gas velocity and bed thickness. Experiments were conducted using polydisperse alumina particles and nearly monodisperse glass beads. The pressure drop for the slotted distributor exhibited a much larger pressure overshoot at incipient fluidization than the sintered metal distributor. This behavior was also studied using high-resolution photography. Physically consistent explanations are presented for the observed phenomena. The experimental results are compared to theoretical models available in the literature.     

Distributor effects near the bottom region of turbulent fluidized beds

The distributor plate effects on the hydrodynamic characteristics of turbulent fluidized beds are investigated by obtaining measurements of pressure and radial voidage profiles in a column diameter of 0.29 m with Group A particles using bubble bubble-cap or perforated plate distributors. Distributor pressure drop measurements between the two distributors are compared with the theoretical estimations while the influence of the mass inventory is studied. Comparison is established for the transition velocity from bubbling to turbulent regime, U_c, deduced from the pressure fluctuations in the bed using gauge pressure measurements. The effect of the distributor on the flow structure near the bottom region of the bed is studied using differential and gauge pressure transducers located at different axial positions along the bed. The radial voidage profile in the bed is also measured using optical fiber probes, which provide local measurements of the voidage at different heights above the distributor. The distributor plate has a significant effect on the bed hydrodynamics. Owing to the jetting caused by the perforated plate distributor, earlier onset of the transition to the turbulent fluidization flow regime was observed. Moreover, increased carry over for the perforated plate compared with the bubble caps has been confirmed. The results have highlighted the influence of the distributor plate on the fluidized bed hydrodynamics which has consequences in terms of comparing experimental and simulation results between different distributor plates.     

Fluidization of Group B particles with a rotating distributor

A novel rotating distributor fluidized bed is presented. The distributor is a rotating perforated plate, with 1% open-area ratio. This work evaluates the performance of this new design, considering pressure drop, Δp, and quality of fluidization. Bed fluidization was easily achieved with the proposed device, improving the solid mixing and the quality of fluidization.In order to examine the effect of the rotational speed of the distributor plate on the hydrodynamic behavior of the bed, minimum fluidization velocity, U_mf, and pressure fluctuations were analyzed. Experiments were conducted in the bubbling free regime in a 0.19 m i.d. fluidized bed, operating with Group B particles according to Geldart's classification. The pressure drop across the bed and the standard deviation of pressure fluctuations, σ_p, were used to find the minimum fluidization velocity, U_mf. A decrease in U_mf is observed when the rotational speed increases and a rise in the measured pressure drop was also found. Frequency analysis of pressure fluctuations shows that fluidization can be controlled by the adjustable rotational speed, at several excess gas velocities.Measurements with several initial static bed heights were taken, in order to analyze the influence of the initial bed mass inventory, over the effect of the distributor rotation on the bed hydrodynamics.     

组合约束型提升管出口气固分布器的压降

在一套组合约束型提升管冷态实验装置上,通过实验研究了不同操作条件下提升管出口气固分布器的压降,并与常规气体分布器压降进行了对比。实验结果表明,在零床层及有床层的操作模式下,气固分布器压降均随提升管内表观气速和颗粒循环强度的增加而增大,在颗粒循环强度较低时,气固分布器压降曲线变化的斜率随着表观气速的增加而增大,在颗粒循环强度较高时,气固分布器压降曲线变化的斜率随着表观气速的增加而减小;随着开孔率及上部流化床层压降增加,气固分布器压降呈降低趋势,当流化床层压降达到一定程度后,分布器各孔方可实现有效布气,此后气固分布器压降趋于近似不变;在相同表观气速及开孔率下,气固分布器压降大于常规气体分布器压降。     

离心流化床初始流化状态的研究(Ⅰ)基本理论

通过简化求解离心流化床连续介质模型基本控制方程,获得了初始流化速度、压力、空隙率、空隙气速、床层膨胀和床层压降的计算方程式。理论预报的临界流化速度和床层压降与实验结果吻合得很好。揭示了离心流化床随流速增大由表面逐层初始流化;流化后各半径处流化程度不同。理论分析还表明气体压缩性的影响随着床体转速的增大而增大。     

在具有锥形料腿的循环流化床中流化CaCO3超细颗粒

根据粘附性颗粒在流化过程中形成的聚团具有较宽粒径分布并因此导致大聚团在流化床中沉积和死床的问题,提出了循环流化床的锥形回料系统设计. 该回料系统包括两部分：锥形料腿和带辅助进气的V型阀. 实验证明,锥形料腿通过提供变化的表观流化气速,克服了流化聚团沉积死床等现象;而V型阀的辅助进气,对于保证V型阀顺利输送粘附性颗粒具有关键性作用. 借助这种回料系统,实现了高粘附性超细CaCO3颗粒在循环流化床的稳定快速流化. 从提升管内部拍摄的照片显示,尽管提升管采用较高的流化气体速度,但超细CaCO3颗粒仍然是以聚团的形式被流化. 对在提升管不同高度采集的聚团分析表明,处于快速流化状态的CaCO3聚团的直径远小于传统流化床中聚团的直径,并且在提升管高度方向聚团直径没有较大的变化. 同时实验还显示,提升管轴向空隙率呈S型分布,而径向则体现环-核结构,具有典型的快速床特征.     

摇摆流化床的气固流动特性

采用二维床及D类玻璃珠颗粒,在表观气速U_g=0.267~0.978 m/s、摇摆幅值Θ=5°~15°、摇摆周期T=8~20 s的实验条件下,对摇摆流化床内气固流动过程及气体通过流化床的时均总压降进行了研究,并通过与常规直立床和倾斜床进行对比,分析了床体摇摆对气固流动的影响。结果表明,在平均角速度ω_ave>2(°)/s的条件下,当初始装料量和表观气速相同时,气体通过摇摆流化床的时均总压降低于直立床,高于相同最大倾角时的倾斜床;惯性力所产生的压降在0.15 kPa以下,其对床层压降的影响较小,床体倾斜导致气体向边壁区域聚集是影响摇摆流化床内气固流动特性的主要因素,由此导致床内存在固定床和下行移动床状态的非流化区域,使得处于流化区域的颗粒量减少,同时还降低了流化床层在竖直方向的静压。非流化区域的存在还会造成流化区域的气速高于直立床表观气速,两者表观气速之比为1.04~1.49。     

High-temperature de fluidization

Operation of fluidized beds at high temperatures is limited by the tendency of the bed particles to agglomerate, causing defluidization. This operating limit is important in several processes, including coal conversion, iron ore reduction, and cement manufacture.At lower temperatures, the bed remains fluidized at velocities above the normal minimum fluidization velocity. Once the bed is operating above an ‘Initial Sintering Temperature’, the fluid velocity must be well above the normal minimum fluidization velocity in order to prevent defluidization. The defluidization velocity increases with increasing operating temperature. The ‘Initial Sintering Temperature’ can be estimated using a dilatometer to measure thermal expansion and contraction of a loosly packed sample of the bed particles.     

Comprehensive experimental investigation on biomass-glass beads binary fluidization: A data set for CFD model validation

Fluidization behavior of biomass and glass beads binary mixtures in a bubbling fluidized bed was experimentally investigated. Mixtures containing different mass fraction of Loblolly Pine white wood and glass beads were fluidized at different fluidization velocities. The particle properties were characterized in a QICPIC that uses a dynamic image processing method to measure both particle size and sphericity. The minimum fluidization velocity was determined using the pressure drop method. An image processing method was developed to capture the dynamic expanded bed height at a very high frequency. The effect of biomass mass fraction and inlet gas velocity on mixing and segregation behavior was studied and analyzed through pressure drop measurements. Pressure drop fluctuations and expanded bed height fluctuations via fast Fourier transform were analyzed and compared. The complete and accurate experimental data reported in this study could provide a benchmark data set for various computational fluid dynamics models validation, calibration, and identification.     

纳米TiO2在环隙流化床中流动特性的实验研究

在环隙流化(AFB)床中,应用实验测量技术研究了床层压降和床层膨胀曲线以及最小流化速度的变化规律.研究结果显示,在升速流化时,随着气速增大,床层压降和床层膨胀比也随之增大,当气速超过一定值时,纳米TiO2颗粒完全流化,压降波动和床层膨胀比趋于平稳.最小流化速度随着纳米TiO2质量的增加而增大.     

气固搅拌流化床压力脉动的小波分析

在内径188 mm、静床高400 mm的搅拌流化床中,采用Geldart D类颗粒为实验物料,通过小波分析研究了不同气速和搅拌桨转速下搅拌流化床的压力脉动行为.实验发现,搅拌桨的转动作用促使在普通流化床中不易散式流态化的D类颗粒形成了散式流态化.随着气速的增加,第1尺度的小波能量特征值在某一个气速范围内发生急剧变化,进而提出了将该气速范围的下限和上限分别定义为临界鼓泡速度和充分鼓泡速度的判据.随搅拌转速的增加,散式流态化的气速操作范围线性增加.在鼓泡流态化状态下,气速是流化床气泡行为的主导因素,搅拌桨转速的增加对气泡产生的频率无明显影响但可使气泡的直径变小.     

垂直筛板流化床中FCC催化剂的流化性能

以FCC催化剂颗粒研究垂直筛板流化床内构件对气固两相流化性能的影响,考察了板孔气速、颗粒循环量和帽罩开孔比等筛板结构对流化床压降和提升量强度的影响. 结果表明,气固两相总体逆流流动条件下,帽罩内气速达4 m/s,气固高速并流喷射无气泡,两相接触好、返混小,属快速流态化. 由于没有气泡,床层压力波动小,在塔板上颗粒返混小. 垂直筛板压降随板孔气速、帽罩底隙高度增大而增大,随帽罩开孔比、板孔径增大而减小,颗粒提升量大,床层压降大. 提升量强度随板孔气速、帽罩底隙高度、颗粒循环量增加而增大,随帽罩高度与塔节高度比增大而减少,随帽罩筛孔孔径变化存在最大值. 当帽罩开孔比为1.2~2.5、板孔面积与帽罩截面积比为0.42、帽罩底隙高与板孔孔径比为0.36~0.64时帽罩流化性能较好.     

振动流化床中流动结构的混沌分析

在内径90mm、静床高800mm的高床层流化床中,用动态压力传感器检测了不同气速条件下普通流化床和振动流化床中沿轴向的压力脉动信号,通过小波变换对信号除噪后,用混沌理论对信号进行了分析.通过关联维数和Kolmogorov熵定量表征振动流化床中的流动结构特征.结果表明:压力脉动信号的关联维数和Kolmogorov熵能够描述振动流化床中的流化状态;振动流化床中床层的流动结构存在两个区,在近分布板区域为射流区,床层主体部分为均匀流化区.     

分布板压降对流化状态的影响

本文分析了分布板压降对流化状态的影响.提出了避免床层发生局部死床和沟流的数学模型.划分了在床层中发生沟流、局部死床和完全流态化的区域.为分布板的合理设计提供了新的依据.     

Influence of multiple gas inlet jets on fluidized bed hydrodynamics using Particle Image Velocimetry and Digital Image Analysis

A rectangular fluidized bed setup was developed to study the evolution of inlet gas jets located at the distributor. Experiments were conducted with varying distributor types and bed media to understand the motion of particles and jets in the grid-zone region of a fluidized bed. Particle Image Velocimetry and Digital Image Analysis were used to quantify the parameters that characterize these jets. A grid-zone phenomenological model was developed to compare these parameters with those available in the literature. It was determined from this study that jet penetration length behavior is consistently different for fluidization velocities below and above the minimum fluidization. For velocities above minimum fluidization, jet lengths were found to increase more rapidly with increase in orifice velocity than for operating conditions below minimum fluidization.     

Performance characteristics of multijet tuyere distributor plates

A new multijet tuyere type gas distributor is examined for its operational characteristics and appropriateness for gas—solid fluidized bed systems. Tuyeres of different number of slits and slit widths are investigated and their pressure drop data are correlated in terms of tuyere gas velocity. The fluidization quality of silica sand beds of average particle diameter 451 μm is assessed in conjunction with such distributor plates. It is found that such tuyeres service a bed area nearly twice their own size.