| Abstract: | Local voidages were determined using optical fibre probes for 1.4 and 2.4 mm glass beads in slot‐rectangular spouted beds of width 150 mm. The effects of air inlet flow rate, slot width and bed thickness were investigated. Spout widths were determined from standard deviations of local voidage fluctuations. Both spout and annulus voidages increased with increasing air flow. Annulus voidages were usually higher than corresponding loose‐packed voidages and decreased with increasing height. Annulus and spout voidages were very sensitive to the air entry slot width and particle diameter. With increasing height, spouts became increasingly circular (three‐dimensional), despite the initial rectangular geometry. |
