Analyzing dominant particle-flow structures inside a bubbling fluidized bed

The particle phase of a gas-particle flow inside a bubbling fluidized bed is characterized by strong unsteady flow patterns and intense meso-scale fluctuations that give rise to an intense mixing rate. As such, it is important to gain a deeper insight into how particle-flow structures and the associated fluctuating velocity field contribute to the overall bed dynamics. To this end, advanced post-processing methodologies, i.e., the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) and the swirling strength criterion, are applied to the particle flow fields predicted by a “two-fluid model” of a cylindrical bubbling bed to identify and analyze the dominant spatio-temporal patterns of the particle phase. Three-dimensional POD results indicate that the dominant particle fluctuating velocity patterns are principally aligned in the axial direction, corresponding to particle mixing by the bubble wakes, with significant laterally directed fluctuating velocity vectors at the bed surface, corresponding to mixing caused by the bubbles bursting. The particle velocity gradient tensor is decomposed based on the swirling strength criterion and reveals formation of extended and flat structures that may be considered as a characteristic feature of the particle vortical motions in bubbling beds.