Fluidized Beds

FLUIDIZATION
Is the phenomena of fine solids being
transformed into a fluid like state by the
flow of an upflowing gas or liquid.
Liquid particulate fluidization
Gas aggregative fluidization

Flow Through a Bed of Particles

Fluidized Beds
Particulate

Aggregative

U = Umf Just fluidized

Just fluidized

U > Umf Bed expands

homogeneously

Bubbles or slug
appear
Turbulent/fast
fluidization

U = Ut

homogeneous
Liquid
(mostly)
U
2
mf

gd p

Gas
(mostly
U
2
mf

gd p

Fluidized Beds
Hydrodynamics
Pressure drop
Minimum fluidization velocity
Particulate vs aggregative
Bed expansion
Applications

Combustion
Heat exchange
Drying
Granulation
Coating
Etc.

Response to Superficial Flow

Low Velocity

Fluid does not impart enough drag to overcome gravity and particles do
not move. Fixed Bed.

High Velocity
At high enough velocities fluid drag plus buoyancy overcomes the
gravity force and the bed expands. Fluidized Bed.

p for Increasing u0
Until onset of fluidization p increases, then becomes constant.

Bed Length for Increasing u0

L is constant until onset of fluidization and then begins to increase.
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Response to Superficial
Velocities

Fluidization

Advantages
Solids can be removed from and added to the bed
continuously. This is an important advantage over the
fixed bed.
All the fine powders have a very large specific surface
area, which is good for high rates heat transfer.
The continuous stirring action of the gas bubbles in
fluidised beds generally provides good solid mixing, on
the other hand it can also provide segregation.
Combination of stirring action and high rate of heat
transfer provides isothermal conditions radially and
axially. This may be important in many chemical and
catalytic process.
10

Advantages
Fluidisation will eliminate catalyst pelleting, an
important cost item in many catalytic processes.
It is suitable for large-scale operations.
The smooth, liquid-like flow of particles allows
continuous automatically controlled operations
with easy handling.
Compared with a fixed bed of the same
powder operated at the same bed depth and gas
velocity, the pressure drop over a fluidised bed
is much smaller.
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Disadvantages
For some applications the gas bubbles
make scale-up more difficult and provide
a means whereby the reacting gases can
avoid contact with solids.
Particle entrainment, which is the
carryover of particles from bed by the
gas, is almost inevitable, installation for
fines recovery may be required.
12

Disadvantages
Particle attrition, size reduction and metal
surface erosion occur in regions where gas
velocities are high. Thus the fluidisation
properties of the material may become
different and require adjustment of the gas
rate. Expensive designs may be required to
minimise wear in reactor and transfer line.
The quick equilibration of temperature means
it is unsuitable for a reaction which is best
carried out in a reactor giving a temperature
gradient along the reaction path.
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Basic Setup
1. Shell
2. Powder
3. Blower
4. Gas distributor
5. Heat exchange
fluidizing gas
6. Internal heating or
cooling
7. External heating or
cooling
8. Cyclones
9. Solids feeder
10.Solids offtake
11.Spray feed

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Pressure drop versus fluid velocity for packed and fluidized beds
15

Bed pressure
drop, p

C
B

Umf

Gas velocity, U

Pressure drop versus fluid velocity for packed and fluidized beds
16

weight of particles - upthrust on particles

pressure drop =
bed cross sectional area

17

weight of particles - upthrust on particles

pressure drop =
bed cross sectional area

p H(1 )(p f )g

18

weight of particles - upthrust on particles

pressure drop =
bed cross sectional area

p H(1 )(p f )g

For gases:

weight of bed solids

bed cross - sectional area

19

weight of particles - upthrust on particles

pressure drop =
bed cross sectional area

p H(1 )(p f )g

For gases:

weight of bed solids

bed cross - sectional area

Eg: 200 kg in a 0.1 m2 bed

p 20 kPa
20

Minimum Fluidization
Velocity
(UthemfErgun
) equation
Can
be predicted using
( p)
(1 ) 2 U
(1 ) f U 2
150
1.75
3
2
H
x sv

x sv
3

Re-arrange to become:Ar 150

(1 )

2
Re

1.75
Re
mf
mf
3
3

where
Ar

3
f ( p f )gx sv

U mf x sv f

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Minimum fluidization velocity, Umf

Wen and Yu equation (xp > 100 m):

Remf 33.7(1 3.59 10 5 Ar )0.5 1

Umf x sv f

Remf

22

Minimum fluidization velocity, Umf

Wen and Yu equation (xp > 100 m):

Remf 33.7(1 3.59 10 5 Ar )0.5 1

Ar

f ( p f ) gd

3
sv

Remf

Umf x sv f

Baeyens and Geldart equation (xp < 100 m):

Umf

(p f )0.934 g0.934 x1p.8

1110 0.870g.066

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Particle properties for fluidized beds

24

Densities
Particle density

Absolute density

Bed density

Bulk density
25

solid material
pores

Particle density
26

solid material
pores
hydrodynamic volume

Particle density

mass of particle

hydrodynam ic volume of particle

27

solid material
pores

Absolute density

28

solid material
pores
material volume

Absolute density

mass of particle
volume of solids material making up the particle

29

Bed density =

Bulk density =
30

Bed cross-sectional area A

Bed height, H
Bed volume = HA

Bed density =

Bulk density =
31

Bed cross-sectional area A

Bed height, H
Bed volume = HA

Bed density =

mass of particles in a bed

volume occupied by particles and voids between them

Bulk density =

mass of particles
volume occupied by particles and voids between them
32

Relevant particle size:

hydrodynamic
diameter

equivalent sphere diameter

derived from a measurement
technique involving
hydrodynamic interaction
between the particle and fluid.

33

Relevant particle size:

hydrodynamic
diameter

equivalent sphere diameter

derived from a measurement
technique involving
hydrodynamic interaction
between the particle and fluid.

Or, from sieve diameter or similar:

xp

1
mi

xi
34

Relevant particle size:

hydrodynamic
diameter

equivalent sphere diameter

derived from a measurement
technique involving
hydrodynamic interaction
between the particle and fluid.

Or, from sieve diameter or similar:

xp

1
mi

xi

Harmonic mean
of the mass
distribution
35

Relevant particle size:

hydrodynamic
diameter

equivalent sphere diameter

derived from a measurement
technique involving
hydrodynamic interaction
between the particle and fluid.

Or, from sieve diameter or similar:

xp

1
mi

xi

Harmonic mean
of the mass
distribution

Surface-volume
mean diameter
D(3, 2)

36

Characteristics of fluidized beds

37

Beyond Umf
Fluidization may be bubbling or non-bubbling:

38

Beyond Umf
Fluidization may be bubbling or non-bubbling:
Some combinations of fluid and particle properties
Only bubbling

39

Beyond Umf
Fluidization may be bubbling or non-bubbling:
Some combinations of fluid and particle properties
Only bubbling

Some combinations of fluid and particle properties

Only non-bubbling

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