Combined resistance bubbling bed model for drying of solids in fluidized beds

Fluidized bed drying kinetics of highly porous material which offers free flow of moisture to surface of the material is modeled utilizing the simplified bubbling bed model. The simplification step utilizes estimation of the overall transfer resistance, by summing all the resistances from the bubble phase to the emulsion phase. The model predictions are compared with the published experimental data covering the operating variables such as the inlet air temperature, the air flow rate, material characteristics and are found to match satisfactorily. The model highlights the importance of bubble size estimation, as it largely dictates the drying kinetics.