Influence of vertical heat exchanger tubes,their arrangement and the column diameter on the hydrodynamics in a gas–solid bubbling fluidized bed

The hydrodynamic behavior of a cold-flow gas–solid fluidized bed with an inner diameter of 22 cm is investigated by means of an ultra-fast X-ray tomographic setup. In the case of an exothermal reaction, heat exchanger tubes are required to remove the reaction heat out of the bubbling fluidized bed reactor. For the examined cold-flow model, the heat exchanger tubes are replaced by vertical internals that serve as placeholder. The influence of vertical internals on the bubble properties for different spatial configurations (square and circular arrangements) is investigated in addition to measurements without internals. Furthermore, the hydrodynamic results of the Ø 22 cm column are compared with an available data set which is based on measurements that were conducted in a column with an inner diameter of 14 cm. The objective of this paper is to provide measurement data for the scale-up process as well as for various computer models simulating a bubbling fluidized bed with vertical internals. It was found that the scale-up process from pilot plants to an industrial scale may be simplified if vertical internals are present, independently of the geometric arrangement.     

Flow structure and bubble dynamics in supercritical water fluidized bed and gas fluidized bed: A comparative study

Supercritical water (SCW) fluidized bed is a new reactor concept for hydrogen production from biomass or coal gasification. In this paper, a comparative study on flow structure and bubble dynamics in a supercritical water fluidized bed and a gas fluidized bed was carried out using the discrete element method (DEM). The results show that supercritical water condition reduces the incipient fluidization velocity, changes regime transitions, i.e. a homogeneous fluidization was observed when the superficial velocity is in the range of the minimum fluidization velocity and minimum bubbling velocity even the solids behave as Geldart B powders in the gas fluidized bed. Bubbling fluidization in the supercritical water fluidized bed was formed after superficial velocity exceeds the minimum bubbling velocity, as in the gas fluidized bed. Bubble is one of the most important features in fluidized bed, which is also the emphasis in this paper. Bubble growth was effectively suppressed in the supercritical water fluidized bed, which resulted in a more uniform flow structure. By analyzing a large number of bubbles, bubble dynamic characteristics such as diameter distribution, frequency, rising path and so on, were obtained. It is found that bubble dynamic characteristics in the supercritical water fluidized bed differ a lot from that in the gas fluidized bed, and there is a better fluidization quality induced by the bubble dynamics in the supercritical water fluidized bed.     

Fluidization and bubbling behavior of potash particles in a deep fluidized bed

Most existing models for predicting bubble size and bubble frequency have been developed for freely bubbling fluidized beds. Accurate prediction of bubbling behavior in deep fluidized beds, however, has been a challenge due to the higher degree of bubble coalescence and break up, high probability of the slugging regime, partial fluidization, and chaotic behavior in the bubbling regime. In this work, the bubbling and fluidization behavior of potash particles was investigated in a deep fluidized bed employing a twin-plane electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) system. Solid volume fraction, average bubble velocity, average bubble diameter, and bubble frequency in both bubbling and slugging regimes were measured at two different bed height ratios (H/D = 3.5 and H/D = 3.78). This work is the first to illustrate a sequential view of bubbles at different superficial gas velocities in a fluidized bed. The results show that both the bubble diameter and rising velocity increased with increasing the superficial gas velocity for the two bed heights, with larger values observed in the deeper bed compared to the shallower one. Predicted values for bubble diameter, bubble rise velocity and bubble frequency from different models are compared with the experimental data obtained from the ECT system in this work. Good agreement has been achieved between the values predicted by the previous models and the experimental data for the bubble diameter and bubble rise velocity with an average absolute deviation of 16% and 15% for the bed height of 49 cm and 13% and 8% for the bed height of 53 cm, respectively.     

Bubble behaviors of geldart B particle in a pseudo two-dimensional pressurized fluidized bed

Pressurized fluidized beds have been developed in quite a few industrial applications because of intensified heat and mass transfer and chemical reaction. The bubble behaviors under elevated pressure, strongly influencing the fluidization and reaction conversion of the whole system, are of great research significance. In this work, the bubble behaviors of Geldart B particle in a pseudo two-dimensional (2D) pressurized fluidized bed were experimentally studied based on digital image analysis technique. The effects of pressure and fluidization gas velocity on the general bubble behaviors (i.e., size, shape and spatial distribution) and the dynamic characteristics, such as the time-evolution of voidage distribution and local flow regimes, were comprehensively investigated. Results show that increasing pressure reduces the stability of bubbles and facilitates gas passing through the emulsion phase, resulting in the “smoother” fluidization state with smaller bubbles and declined bubble fraction and standard deviation. The equivalent bubble diameter and bubble aspect ratio increase with the increasing gas velocity while decrease as pressure rises. The elevated pressure reduces bubbles extension in the vertical direction, prohibits the “short pass” of fluidization gas in large oblong bubbles/slugs and benefits the gas–solid interaction. The flow regimes variation with gas velocity is affected by the elevated pressure, and demonstrates different features in different local positions of the bed.     

BUBBLE CHARACTERISTICS IN A TWO-DIMENSIONAL VERTICALLY VIBRO-FLUIDIZED BED

Measurement of bubble size and local average bubble rise velocity was carried out in a vertically sinusoidal vibro-fluidized bed. Glass beads of Geldart group B particles were fluidized at different gas velocities, while the bed was vibrated at different frequencies and amplitudes to study their effects on the bubble behavior. This is compared with the case of no vibration in a two-dimensional bed and it is concluded that with vibration the local average bubble size, dbav, decreases significantly, especially at minimum bubbling velocity. The average bubble size increases slightly with increasing vibration frequency and amplitude. The local average bubble rise velocity is higher than that with no vibration, though with increasing vibration frequency and amplitude, it does not change significantly.     

Bottom bed regimes in a circulating fluidized bed boiler

This paper extends previous work on the fluidization regimes of the bottom bed of circulating flyidized bed (CFB) boilers. Pressure measurements were performed to obtain the time-average bottom bed voidage and to study the bed pressure fluctuations. The measurements were carried out in a 12 MW_th CFB boiler operated at 850°C and also under ambient conditions (40°C). Two bubbling regimes were identified: a “single bubble regime” with large single bubbles present at low fluidization velocities, and, at high fluidization velocities, an “exploding bubble regime” with bubbles often stretching all the way from the air distributor to the surface of the bottom bed. The exploding bubble regime results in a high through-flow of gas, indirectly seen from the low average voidage of the bottom bed, which is similar to that of a stationary fluidized bed boiler, despite the higher gas velocities in the CFB boiler. Methods to determine the fluidization velocity at the transition from the single to the exploding bubble regime are proposed and discussed. The transition velocity increases with an increase in particle size and bed height.     

Wake properties of a single gas bubble in three-dimensional liquid-solid fluidized bed

Experiments were performed to investigate the wake properties of a single gas bubble in a three-dimensional liquid-solid fluidized bed via a video camera moving at the same speed as the bubble. The solids holdup in the fluidized bed varied up to around 10%. The bubble size varied from 5 to 20 mm with corresponding bubble Reynolds numbers ranging from 1000 to 6500. The bubble was observed to have two types of wake configurations depending on the bubble size: the asymmetric/helical vortex wake for small bubbles and the symmetric wake for large bubbles. The bubble shape and relative rise velocity in the fluidized bed can be well-represented by correlations developed for single bubbles in liquid media, although the bubble shape in liquid-solid media is slightly more flattened compared to that in liquid media. The bubble rocking frequency was found to be independent of particle properties and to correspond in magnitude to the vortex shedding frequency in a two-dimensional liquid-solid fluidized bed. The average primary wake size in three dimensions is comparable to that in two dimensions.     

Dual characters of interaction between particles and fluid

The unique characteristics of gas-solids two-phase flow and fluidization in terms of the flow structures and the apparent behavior of particles and fluid-particle interactions are closely linked to physical properties of the particles, operating conditions and bed configurations. Fluidized beds behave quite differently when solid properties, gas velocities or vessel geometries are varied. An understanding of hydrodynamic changes and how they, in turn, influence the transfer and reaction characteristics of chemical and thermal operations by variations in gas-solid contact, residence time, solid circulation and mixing and gas distribution is very important for the proper design and scale-up of fluidized bed reactors. In this paper, rather than attempting a comprehensive survey, we concentrate on examining some important positive and negative impacts of particle sizes, bubbles, clusters and column walls on the physical and chemical aspects of chemical reactor performance from the engineering application point of view with the aim of forming an adequate concept for guiding the design of multiphase fluidized bed chemical reactors.One unique phenomenon associated with particle size is that fluidized bed behavior does not always vary monotonically with changing the average particle size. Different behaviors of particles with difference sizes can be well understood by analyzing the relationship between particle size and various forces. For both fine and coarse particles, too narrow a distribution is generally not favorable for smooth fluidization. A too wide size distribution, on the other hand, may lead to particle segregation and high particle elutriation. Good fluidization performance can be established with a proper size distribution in which inter-particle cohesive forces are reduced by the lubricating effect of fine particles on coarse particles for Type A, B and D particles or by the spacing effect of coarse particles or aggregates for Type C powders.Much emphasis has been paid to the negative impacts of bubbles, such as gas bypassing through bubbles, poor bubble-to-dense phase heat & mass transfer, bubble-induced large pressure fluctuations, process instabilities, catalyst attrition and equipment erosion, and high entrainment of particles induced by erupting bubbles at the bed surface. However, it should be noted that bubble motion and gas circulation through bubbles, together with the motion of particles in bubble wakes and clouds, contribute to good gas and solids mixing. The formation of clusters can be attributed to the movement of trailing particles into the low-pressure wake region of leading particles or clusters. On one hand, the existence of down-flowing clusters induces strong solid back-mixing and non-uniform radial distributions of particle velocities and holdups, which is undesirable for chemical reactions. On the other hand, the formation of clusters creates high solids holdups in the riser by inducing internal solids circulations, which are usually beneficial for increasing concentrations of solid catalysts or solid reactants.Wall effects have widely been blamed for complicating the scale-up and design of fluidized-bed reactors. The decrease in wall friction with increasing the column diameter can significantly change the flow patterns and other important characteristics even under identical operating conditions with the same gas and particles. However, internals, which can be considered as a special wall, have been used to improve the fluidized bed reactor performance.Generally, desirable and undesirable dual characteristics of interaction between particles and fluid are one of the important natures of multiphase flow. It is shown that there exists a critical balance between those positive and negative impacts. Good fluidization quality can always be achieved with a proper choice of right combinations of particle size and size distribution, bubble size and wall design to alleviate the negative impacts.     

Relationships between distributions of chord lengths and distributions of bubble sizes including their statistical parameters

The performance of fluidized beds is strongly influenced by bubble behavior. Among various hydrodynamic properties, bubble size distributions are of prime concern, but in practice, bubble size is not readily measured. When a probe is used to determine bubble size, it intersects a bubble with a chord length other than the largest vertical dimension. The relationships between the size distribution of bubbles in the bed, the size distribution of bubbles touching the probe and the distribution of chord lengths must be resolved for correct interpretation of probe signals. A method for translating statistical parameters, namely mean and standard deviation of chord lengths to mean and standard deviation of bubble sizes, and an approach to infer the size distribution of bubbles touching the probe and the size distribution of bubbles in the bed system by using the distribution of chord lengths measured by a probe in closed form are proposed for the first time.     

Bubble characteristics in a bubbling fluidized bed with a rotating distributor

In this paper, the effect of a novel rotating distributor for fluidized beds on the bubble size is studied. The distributor is a perforated plate that rotates around the vertical axis of the column.The formation of the bubbles on the rotating distributor is theoretically analyzed. The pierced length of the bubbles ascending in the bed were measured using optical probes. The probability distribution of bubble diameter was inferred from these experimental measurements using the maximum entropy method. The radial profile of the bubble diameter is presented for the static and rotating configurations at different gas velocities. The frequency of bubble passage and the distribution of bubbles in the cross section of the bed are also reported. Results were finally shown for different heights above the distributor.A radial decrease in the bubble size when the distributor rotates is found. The bubble growth with the bed height is also lower in the rotating case.     

Insights in hydrodynamics of bubbling fluidized beds at elevated pressure by DEM–CFD approach

A numerical simulation was conducted to study the effect of pressure on bubble dynamics in a gas–solid fluidized bed. The gas flow was modeled using the continuum theory and the solid phase, by the discrete element method (DEM). To validate the simulation results, calculated local pressure fluctuations were compared with corresponding experimental data of 1-mm polyethylene particles. It was shown that the model successfully predicts the hydrodynamic features of the fluidized bed as observed in the experiments. Influence of pressure on bubble rise characteristics such as bubble rise path, bubble stability, average bubbles diameter and bubble velocity through the bed was investigated. The simulation results are in conformity with current hydrodynamic theories and concepts for fluidized beds at high pressures. The results show further that elevated pressure reduces bubble growth, velocity and stability and enhances bubble gyration through the bed, leading to change in bed flow structure.     

Bubble chains in large diameter gas fluidized beds

Using statistically based measuring methods for the determination of local bubble size distributions and local average bubble shapes in gas fluidized beds, bubble characteristics have been measured in a fluidized bed column of 1 m diameter where quartz sand (minimum fluidizing velocity 0.0135 m/sec) was fluidized with air at velocities ranging from 0.05 to 0.30 m/sec. The results present experimental evidence that bubbles within large diameter fluidized beds do not rise completely randomly distributed in space but rather in the form of bubble chains which is in agreement with industrial operating experience in large scale fluid bed systems. Since the formation of bubble chains considerably reduces the residence time of the bubble gas this finding is of significance for the performance of fluidized bed reactors. The influence of the operating parameters on the extent of the bubble chain formation has been investigated and possible consequences of these results are discussed.     

A model of bubbles rising in a fluidized bed

A model for a single fully developed bubble moving in an unbounded fluidized bed is presented. The model allows bubble growth or shrinkage during the rise inside the bed, as well as dependence of the rise velocity upon specified bed parameters. Limiting cases of nearly spherical bubbles and of sufficiently large bubbles whose form resembles that of a spherical segment are considered in more detail. The form of bubbles rising in either fluidized beds or one-phase liquids, and its dependence on the effective “surface tension” acting on the bubble boundary are discussed.     

A novel dual-material probe for in situ measurement of particle charge densities in gas–solid fluidized beds

Particle charge density is vitally important for monitoring electrostatic charges and understanding particle charging behavior in fluidized beds. In this paper, a dual-material probe was tested in a gas–solid fluidized bed for measuring the charge density of fluidized particles. The experiments were conducted in a two-dimensional fluidized bed with both single bubble injection and freely bubbling, at various particle charge densities and superficial gas velocities. Uniformly sized glass beads were used to eliminate complicating factors at this early stage of probe development. Peak currents, extracted from dynamic signals, were decoupled to determine charge densities of bed particles, which were found to be qualitatively and quantitatively consistent with charge densities directly measured by Faraday cup from the freely bubbling fluidized bed. The current signals were also decoupled to estimate bubble rise velocities, which were found to be in reasonable agreement with those obtained directly by analyzing video images.     

Bubbling behavior of cohesive particles in a two-dimensional fluidized bed with immersed tubes

Fluidization hydrodynamics are greatly influenced by inter-particle cohesive forces. This paper studies the fluidization of large cohesive particles in a two-dimensional fluidized bed with immersed tubes using “polymer coating” to introduce cohesive force, to gain better understanding of bubbling behavior when particles become cohesive and its effect on chemical processes. The results show that the cohesive force promotes bubble splitting in the tube bank region, thereby causing an increase in the number and a decline in the aspect ratio of the bubbles. As the cohesive force increases within a low level, the bubble number increases and the bubble diameter decreases, while the aspect ratio exhibits different trends at different fluidization gas velocities. The difference in the evolution of bubble size under various cohesive forces mainly takes place in the region without tubes. When the cohesive force is large enough to generate stable agglomerates on the side walls of the bed, the bubble number and the bed expansion sharply decrease. The tubes serve as a framework that promotes the agglomeration, thus accelerating defluidization. Finally, the bubble profile around tubes was studied and found to greatly depend both on the cohesive forces and the location of tubes.     

Characterization of the bubbling fluidization of nanoparticles

The dynamic features of an agglomerate bubbling fluidization of nanoparticles were investigated through the analysis of pressure fluctuations. Experiments were carried out in a lab-scale fluidized bed at ambient conditions using 10-15 nm silica nanoparticles without any surface modification. Pressure fluctuation signals were processed in both frequency and time-frequency domains to characterize the behavior of various scales of phenomena （i.e.. macro-, meso-, and micro-structures） during fluidization. Due to the aggregation of nanoparticles, three separate broad peaks were observed in the frequency spectra of the pressure signals measured in the bubbling fluidized bed of nanoparticles. A non-intrusive method based on the decoupling of pressure fluctuations recorded simultaneously in the plenum and in the bed was used to determine the approximate size of the bubbles in the bed.     

鼓泡流化床中流动特性的多尺度数值模拟

鼓泡流化床因其较高的传热特性以及较好的相间接触已经被广泛应用于工业生产中,而对鼓泡流态化气固流动特性的充分认知是鼓泡流化床设计的关键.在鼓泡流化床中,气泡相和乳化相的同时存在使得床中呈现非均匀流动结构,而这种非均匀结构给鼓泡流化床的数值模拟造成了很大的误差.基于此,以气泡作为介尺度结构,建立了多尺度曳力消耗能量最小的稳定性条件,构建了适用于鼓泡流化床的多尺度气固相间曳力模型.结合双流体模型,对A类和B类颗粒的鼓泡流化床中气固流动特性进行了模拟研究,分析了气泡速度、气泡直径等参数的变化规律.研究表明,与传统的曳力模型相比,考虑气泡影响的多尺度气固相间曳力模型给出的曳力系数与颗粒浓度的关系是一条分布带,建立了控制体内曳力系数与局部结构参数之间的关系.通过模拟得到的颗粒浓度和速度与实验的比较可以发现,考虑气泡影响的多尺度曳力模型可以更好地再现实验结果.通过A类和B类颗粒的鼓泡床模拟研究发现,A类颗粒的鼓泡床模拟受多尺度曳力模型的影响更为显著.      

Vibration time series analysis of bubbling and turbulent fluidization

A non-intrusive vibration monitoring technique was used to study the hydrodynamics of a gas–solid fluidized bed. Experiments were carried out in a 15 cm diameter fluidized bed using 226, 470 and 700 μm sand particles at various gas velocities, covering both bubbling and turbulent regimes. Auto correlation function, mutual information function, Hurst exponent analysis and power spectral density function were used to analyze the fluidized bed hydrodynamics near the transition point from bubbling to turbulent fluidization regimes. The first pass of the autocorrelation function from one half and the time delay at which it becomes zero, and also the first minimum of the mutual information, occur at a higher time delay in comparison to stochastic systems, and the values of time delays were maximum at the bubbling to turbulent transition gas velocity. The maximum value of Hurst exponent of macro structure occurred at the onset of regime transition from bubbling to turbulent. Further increase in gas velocity after that regime transition velocity causes a decrease in the Hurst exponent of macro structure because of breakage of large bubbles to small ones. The results showed these methods are capable of detecting the regime transition from bubbling to turbulent fluidization conditions using vibration signals.     

Motion of bubbles in a fluidized bed

The steady-state motion of a bubble (a cavity free from suspended particles and occupied solely by the liquid phase) in a fluidized bed of uniform concentration is considered. The change in the shape of the bubble which takes place as it rises through the fluidized bed is established; the rising velocity is determined for both large and small bubbles. The basic parameter characterizing the shape of a large bubble in either a fluidized bed or a homogeneous liquid is calculated. This, in particular, enables the well-known Taylor problem of a large drop or bubble in an unlimited medium to be solved.     

Validation of a Two-Dimensional Hyperbolic System Modelling a Gas Fluidized Bed

Numerical solutions of a gas fluidized bed model in two space dimensions are presented. This model is hyperbolic and contains particle pressure, but no particle viscosity. The results are compared with experimental data available in the literature for a wide variety of phenomena. Investigated are: the rise velocity of a single, isolated bubble; the frequency of variation of bubble diameter with time; bubble splitting; bubble frequency and the coalescence of a bubble chain formed by gas injected through a single orifice; analysis of the coalescence of bubbles aligned vertically, as well as that of those not in vertical alignment; the formation of slugs in narrow beds; and, eruption at the bed surface. The simulation results show both qualitative and quantitative agreement with the literature. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.