Three-dimensional multi-phase simulation of the mixing and segregation of binary particle mixtures in a two-jet spout fluidized bed

This study presents a three-dimensional numerical study of the mixing and segregation of binary particle mixtures in a two-jet spout fluidized bed based on an Eulerian-Eulerian three-fluid model.Initially,the particle mixtures were premixed and packed in a rectangular fluidized bed.As the calculation began,the gas stream was injected into the bed from the distributor and jet nozzles.The model was validated by comparing the simulated jet penetration depths with corresponding experimental data.The main features of the complex gas-solid flow behaviors and the mechanism of mixing and segregation of the binary mixtures were analyzed.Moreover,further simulations were carried out to evaluate the effects of operating conditions on the mixing and segregation of binary particle mixtures.The results illustrate that mixing can be enhanced by increasing the jet velocity or enlarging the difference of initial proportions of binary particle mixtures.     

Analysis of flow channeling near the wall in packed beds

The phenomenon of flow channeling in packed beds is investigated in the present analysis. A closed-form solution is obtained from the volume-averaged second-order momentum equation with the no-slip condition at the wall, using an exponential porosity distribution typical of packed beds. The predicted velocity profile shows the most important features of flow channeling: the sharp peak in the velocity near the wall, and the approach to the Darcy velocity far from the wall. The predictions are consistent with previous numerical results and with velocity measurements made downstream of a packed bed. The compact expression for the velocity given here is shown to be convenient for analyzing other packed-bed characteristics, such as the effective permeability of a finite-sized bed.     

Three-dimensional multi-phase simulation of the mixing and segregation of binary particle mixtures in a two-jet spout fluidized bed

This study presents a three-dimensional numerical study of the mixing and segregation of binary particle mixtures in a two-jet spout fluidized bed based on an Eulerian–Eulerian three-fluid model. Initially, the particle mixtures were premixed and packed in a rectangular fluidized bed. As the calculation began, the gas stream was injected into the bed from the distributor and jet nozzles. The model was validated by comparing the simulated jet penetration depths with corresponding experimental data. The main features of the complex gas–solid flow behaviors and the mechanism of mixing and segregation of the binary mixtures were analyzed. Moreover, further simulations were carried out to evaluate the effects of operating conditions on the mixing and segregation of binary particle mixtures. The results illustrate that mixing can be enhanced by increasing the jet velocity or enlarging the difference of initial proportions of binary particle mixtures.     

Continuous segregation of binary heterogeneous solids in fluidized beds

Continuous segregation of a binary mixture of heterogeneous (different density) solids is carried out in a gas–solid fluidized bed. We investigate how gas velocity, solids feed rate, flotsam feed composition, bottom discharge pipe diameter, and minimum fluidization velocity ratio of the flotsam to jetsam particles influence the solids holdup, separation factor, and product quality (flotsam purity at the top outlet). The results are interpreted in terms of solids holdup information. The results indicate that the separation factor decreases when the gas velocity, bottom discharge pipe diameter, flotsam feed composition, or the minimum fluidization velocity ratio increase, while the separation factor increases as the solids feed rate increases. The product quality decreases when the gas velocity, solids feed rate, or minimum fluidization velocity ratio increase, while the product quality increases as the bottom discharge pipe diameter or flotsam feed composition increase. Correlations for predicting the separation factor and product quality are proposed using a logistic model for individual flotsam feed compositions, which satisfactorily compares with the present experimental data.     

A numerical investigation into the solids phase chromatography using a combined continuous and discrete approach

Solids phase chromatography for particle classification is based on different retention times of particles with different properties when they are elutriated through a confined geometry.This work aims at a fundamental understanding of such a technology by using the combined continuous and discrete method.A packed bed is employed as the model confined geometry.The numerical method is compared first with experimental observations,followed by a parametric analysis of the effects on the flow hydrodynamics and solids behaviour of various parameters including the number of injected particles,the superficial gas velocity,the contact stiffness and the diameter ratio of the packed column to the packed particles.The results show that the modelling captures some important features of the flow of an injected pulse of fine particles in a packed bed. An increase in the number of injected particles or the superficial gas velocity reduces the retention time,whereas the contact stiffness does not show much effect over the range of 5×102 to5×104 N/m.It is also found that the effect on the retention time of the diameter ratio of the packed column to the packed particles seems complex showing a non-monotonous dependence.     

A numerical investigation into the solids phase chromatography using a combined continuous and discrete approach

Solids phase chromatography for particle classification is based on different retention times of particles with different properties when they are elutriated through a confined geometry. This work aims at a fundamental understanding of such a technology by using the combined continuous and discrete method. A packed bed is employed as the model confined geometry. The numerical method is compared first with experimental observations, followed by a parametric analysis of the effects on the flow hydrodynamics and solids behaviour of various parameters including the number of injected particles, the superficial gas velocity, the contact stiffness and the diameter ratio of the packed column to the packed particles. The results show that the modelling captures some important features of the flow of an injected pulse of fine particles in a packed bed. An increase in the number of injected particles or the superficial gas velocity reduces the retention time, whereas the contact stiffness does not show much effect over the range of 5 × 10^2 to 5× 10^4 N/m. It is also found that the effect on the retention time of the diameter ratio of the packed column to the packed particles seems complex showing a non-monotonous dependence.     

Hydrodynamics of a bubble-induced inverse fluidized bed reactor with a nanobubble tray

This paper reports on the hydrodynamics of a bubble-induced inverse fluidized bed reactor, using a nanobubble tray gas distributor, where solid particles are fluidized only by an upward gas flow. Increasing the gas velocity, the fixed layer of particles initially packed at the top of the liquid starts to move downwards, due to the rise of bubbles in this system, and then gradually expands downwards until fully suspended. The axial local pressure drops and standard deviation were examined to delineate the flow regime comprehensively under different superficial gas velocities. Four flow regimes (fixed bed regime, initial fluidization regime, expanded regime, and post-homogeneous regime) were observed and three transitional gas velocities (the initial fluidization velocity, minimum fluidization velocity, and homogeneous fluidization velocity) were identified to demarcate the flow regime. Three correlations were developed for the three transitional velocities. As the fine bubbles generated from the nanobubble tray gas distributor are well distributed in the entire column, the bed expansion process of the particles is relatively steady.     

Blockage of constrictions by particles in fluid–solid transport

Blockage is an important phenomenon in particulate flow. Work was undertaken to provide a better understanding of key hydrodynamic multiphase flow factors which cause, or contribute to, stalling and blockage in particulate feeding systems such as those used for feeding biomass into reactors. Rubber and plastic particles were hydraulically conveyed along a horizontal rectangular duct leading to constrictions of different geometries. Experimental results showed that large size, irregular shape, high volumetric concentrations of particles, small constriction dimensions and particle compressibility all increased the likelihood of blockage. Reynolds number also had a significant effect on particle behaviour and blockage propensity. The pressure drop needed to break a blockage is also considered, based on a simple horizontal packed bed model.     

准直管磨料射流中各相介质在管内的流动机理与实验研究

介绍了准直管磨料射流的工作原理和特点,准直管磨料射流在准直管内的流动属于气（汽）、液、固多相混合介质的瞬变流动,分析了磨料在多相流体介质中的受力,推导了多相流体介质在准直管内有阻运动时的磨料运动方程式,提出了各种损失的经验计算方法,研究表明,气（汽）、液流体介质和磨料介质在准直管中的速度和密度是逐渐变化的,在０．４～３ｍ管长范围内磨料速度基本保持不变,短管时采用细磨粒,长管时长采用粗磨粒。     

A numerical model for thermal systems with helically-coiled tubes and its experimental verification

 A conjugate numerical model proposed by Nakayama et al. for the steady problem of cooling a fluid flowing through a coiled tube, has been successfully extended to investigate two distinctive thermal problems, namely, the transient cooling processes associated with a beer dispenser, and the transient processes of heat storage and recovery associated with a packed bed saturated with a molten salt. An axisymmetric numerical procedure is adopted for determining the velocity and temperature fields within the chilled water bath of the beer dispenser. A simplified one-dimensional heat transfer model is introduced for coupling the tube flow with the recirculating flow in the bath. A similar axisymmetric finite difference procedure is applied for the heat transfer analysis of the packed bed saturated with a molten salt. For the heat recovery process, a one-dimensional heat balance equation for the two-phase flow with a helically-coiled tube is introduced to update the wall surface temperatures, which are needed to calculate the temperature field in the saturated packed bed. The numerical results for both thermal systems associated with coiled tubes agree very well with the corresponding velocity and temperature data obtained from the experiments. Received on 28 August 2000 / Published online: 29 November 2001     

Gas flow in rotary kilns

This paper describes an experimental investigation on the flow characteristics within a rotating cylinder containing a rolling bed of sand. The axis of the cylinder was horizontal and there was no axial bulk flow of particles. The velocity field of the gas flowing through the cylinder was measured by hot-wire anemometry. The measurements indicate that the velocity field is asymmetric with respect to a diameter perpendicular to the granular bed. CFD calculations confirm this finding. The gas velocity profiles are crucial in determining heat transfer from gas to solid.     

Simulations of vertical jet penetration using a filtered two-fluid model in a gas–solid fluidized bed

The influence of a vertical jet located at the distributor in a cylindrical fluidized bed on the flow behavior of gas and particles was predicted using a filtered two-fluid model proposed by Sundaresan and coworkers. The distributions of volume fraction and the velocity of particles along the lateral direction were investigated for different jet velocities by analyzing the simulated results. The vertical jet penetration lengths at the different gas jet velocities have been obtained and compared with predictions derived from empirical correlations; the predicted air jet penetration length is discussed. Agreement between the numerical simulations and experimental results has been achieved.     

Experimental investigation of horizontal air–water bubbly-to-plug and bubbly-to-slug transition flows in a 3.81 cm ID pipe

The present study seeks to investigate horizontal bubbly-to-plug and bubbly-to-slug transition flows. The two-phase flow structures and transition mechanisms in these transition flows are studied based on experimental database established using the local four-sensor conductivity probe in a 3.81 cm inner diameter pipe. While slug flow needs to be distinguished from plug flow due to the presence of large number of small bubbles (and thus, large interfacial area concentration), both differences and similarities are observed in the evolution of interfacial structures in bubbly-to-plug and bubbly-to-slug transitions. The bubbly-to-plug transition is studied by decreasing the liquid flow rate at a fixed gas flow rate. It is found that as the liquid flow rate is lowered, bubbles pack near the top wall of the pipe due to the diminished role of turbulent mixing. As the flow rate is lowered further, bubbles begin to coalesce and form the large bubbles characteristic of plug flow. Bubble size increases while bubble velocity decreases as liquid flow rate decreases, and the profile of the bubble velocity changes its shape due to the changing interfacial structure. The bubbly-to-slug transition is investigated by increasing the gas flow rate at a fixed liquid flow rate. In this transition, gas phase becomes more uniformly distributed throughout the cross-section due to the formation of large bubbles and the increasing bubble-induced turbulence. The size of small bubbles decreases while bubble velocity increases as gas flow rate increases. The distributions of bubble size and bubble velocity become more symmetric in this transition. While differences are observed in these two transitions, similarities are also noticed. As bubbly-to-plug or bubbly-to-slug transition occurs, the formation of large elongated bubbles is observed not in the uppermost region of bubble layer, but in a lower region. At the beginning of transitions, relative differences in phase velocities near the top of the pipe cross-section to those near the pipe center become larger for both gas and liquid phases, because more densely packed bubbles introduce more resistance to both phases.     

Horizontal boundary-layer natural convection in a porous medium saturated with a gas

Boundary-layer analysis is performed for free convection flow over a hot horizontal surface embedded in a porous medium saturated with a gas of variable properties. The variable gas properties are accounted for via the assumption that thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity are proportional to temperature. A similarity solution is shown to exist for the case of constant surface temperature. Numerical results for the stream function, horizontal velocity, and temperature profiles within the boundary layer as well as for the mass of entrained gas, surface slip velocity, and heat transfer rate at different values of the wall-temperature parameter are presented. Asymptotic solutions for large heating are also available to support the numerical work.     

Experimental and computational studies on flow behavior of gas–solid fluidized bed with disparately sized binary particles

This paper presents experimental and computational studies on the flow behavior of a gas-solid fluidized bed with disparately sized binary particle mixtures. The mixing/segregation behavior and segregation efficiency of the small and large particles are investigated experimentally. Particle composition and operating conditions that influence the fluidization behavior of mixing/segregation are examined. Based on the granular kinetics theory, a multi-fluid CFD model has been developed and verified against the experimental results. The simulation results are in reasonable agreement with experimental data. The results showed that the smaller particles are found near the bed surface while the larger particles tend to settle down to the bed bottom in turbulent fluidized bed. However, complete segregation of the binary particles does not occur in the gas velocity range of 0.695-0.904 m/s. Segregation efficiency increases with increasing gas velocity and mean residence time of the binary particles, but decreases with increasing the small particle concentration. The calculated results also show that the small particles move downward in the wall region and upward in the core. Due to the effect of large particles on the movement of small particles, the small particles present a more turbulent velocity profile in the dense phase than that in the dilute phase.     

Continuous segregation of binary heterogeneous solids in a fast-fluidized bed

Continuous segregation of binary heterogeneous solids (different density mixtures) is carried out in a gas–solid fluidized bed to study the effects of gas velocity, solids feed rate, feed composition and density difference of solids on the separation factor (recovery of flotsam at top outlet) and the quality of the product (purity of flotsam at top outlet) in a continuous fast-fluidized bed. The holdup of the bed material is obtained in each experimental run. It is observed that the separation factor decreases with increase in solids feed rate or density difference of solids, and increases with gas velocity or proportion of flotsam in the feed. The quality of the product decreases with increase in gas velocity or solids flow rate, and increases with feed composition or density difference of solids. The experimental results show that the separation factor and the quality of the product are more sensitive to gas velocity than to other operating parameters. Empirical correlations for predicting the separation factor and quality of the product are proposed based on the Richards model for individual flotsam mass fraction in the feed, and the predictions agree satisfactorily with the present experimental data.     

Experimental and numerical investigations on the performance of dehumidifying desiccant beds composed of silica-gel and thermal energy storage particles

Enhanced efficiency of the adsorption process in the dehumidifier is a key element for improved performance of desiccant cooling systems. Due to the exothermic nature of the adsorption process, the dehumidification and cooling capacity are limited by significant temperature changes in the adsorption column. In the present study, the effects of integration of sensible and latent heat storage particles in the desiccant bed for in situ management of released adsorption heat are investigated. For this purpose, column experiments are performed using an initially dry granular bed made of silica-gel particles or a homogeneous mixture of silica gel and inert sensible or latent heat storage particles. The packed bed is subject to a sudden uniform air flow at selected values of temperature and humidity. Also, a packed bed numerical model is developed that includes the coupled non-equilibrium heat and moisture transfer in the solid and gas phases. Investigations of the heat and mass transfer characteristics are reported using the composite structure and the results are compared with the base case of simple silica gel bed. Improved desiccant cooling system performance can be obtained by appropriate adjustment of desiccant cycle operation and proper choice of the volume ratio of thermal energy storage particles.     

CFD–DEM simulation of the pneumatic conveying of fine particles through a horizontal slit

Fine particles play a significant role in many industrial processes. To study the dynamic behavior of fine particle and their deposition in rock fractures, the pneumatic conveying of fine particles (approximately 100 μm in diameter) through a small-scale horizontal slit (0.41 m × 0.025 m) was studied, which is useful for the sealing technology of underground gas drainage in coal mining production. The CFD–DEM method was adopted to model the gas-particle two-phase flow; the gas phase was treated as a continuum and modeled using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), particle motion and collisions were simulated using the DEM code. Then, the bulk movement of fine particles through a small-scale horizontal slit was explored numerically, and the flow patterns were further investigated by visual inspection. The simulation results indicated that stratified flow or dune flow can be observed at low gas velocities. For intermediate gas velocities, the flow patterns showed pulsation phenomena, and dune flow reappeared in the tail section. Moreover, periodic flow regimes with alternating thick and sparse stream structures were observed at a high gas velocity. The simulation results of the bulk movement of fine particles were in good agreement with the experimental findings, which were obtained by video-imaging experiments. Furthermore, the calculated pressure drop versus gas velocity profile was investigated and compared with relative experimental findings, and the results showed good agreement. Furthermore, the particle velocity vectors and voidage distribution were numerically simulated. Selected stimulation results are presented and provide a reference for the further study of fine particles.     

填充床中气体渗流与化学波耦合问题的研究

研究等温和显著气固反应条件下填充床内反应气体浓度(物质)波推进与混合气体渗流的相互作用,指出化学反应对流动的影响包括两个方面,反应过程中混合气体质量的变化和密度的变化。混合气体流动将反过来影响反应进程。分析表明,按耦合模型和非耦合模型得到的速度场完全不同;按耦合模型,反应气体的浓度(物质)波阵面的推进对混合气体的流场有显著影响,因此按耦合模型计算的混合气体流场强烈地依赖于时间;忽略化学反应引起的混合气体密度变化的耦合模型,将导致一个质量消失的汇(或质量生成的源),因此将引起混合气体渗流速度的明显变化,并可能导致物理上不合理的结果;按耦合模型和非耦合模型计算的浓度场也有很大差别;当反应气体与惰性气体摩尔质量相差较大时,不能忽略反应过程中混合气体密度的变化;研究表明对于显著气固反应不能忽略化学反应与气体渗流的相互作用。     

Analysis of dryout in horizontal and inclined tubes

The infrared thermography technique was used to study the thermal and hydrodynamic phenomena in intermittent two-phase air–water flow in horizontal and inclined tubes at atmospheric pressure. The study was aimed at elucidating the relationship between the hydrodynamic parameters and dryout phenomena. It focuses on the empirical evaluation of the wall temperature distribution in a uniformly heated pipe. The results reveal the existence of dryout phenomena in horizontal pipe flow only. The flow parameter based on the frequency, length and velocity of elongated bubble is presented for the prediction of dryout.