Fluidization

CEDELYN L. INTANO

BS Chemical Engineering

College of Engineering and Architecture

Department of Chemical Engineering

Cebu Institute of Technology – University, N. Bacalso Ave. Cebu City, Philippines

ABSTRACT

Fluidization is an operation by which a bed of solid particles acquires fluid-like

properties by passing a gas or liquid through it. The difficulties in prediction stem in part
from the complexity and ambiguity in defining the fundamental parameters such as size,
shape and density of the particles. These parameters play an important role in the calculation
and prediction of dynamic behaviour in fluidized beds. Most physical properties of the
particles are estimated indirectly, such as estimating particle shape by the bed voidage. All
factors are explicitly and implicitly significant in the estimation of the behaviour of
fluidization operations.
 I. Introduction

When talking about a fluidized bed, mostly one refers to a bubbling fluidized bed
type as shown in Fig. 2.1C. Gas fluidized beds are characterized by the ‘bubbles’ which
form at superficial gas velocities only slightly higher than that required to just fluidize the
particles. This type of fluidization has been called ‘aggregative fluidization’, and under
these conditions, the bed appears to be divided into two phases, the bubble phase and the
emulsion phase. The bubbles appear to be very similar to gas bubbles formed in a liquid
and they behave in a similar manner. The bubbles coalesce as they rise through the bed.
The movement of particles in fluidized beds is known to depend largely on bubbles rising
through the bed. Therefore, special attention is paid to bubbles and their properties. To
give an impression of the processes occurring inside a fluidized bed reactor, the principles
of fluidization, the formation of bubbles, their path through the bed, the way they
transport particles concerning gas fluidized bed and important parameters are described
below.

The superficial gas velocity at which the bed of powder is just fluidized, is
normally called the minimum fluidization velocity or designated by Umf . This state of
incipient fluidization can be described by an equation giving the pressure drop in a gas
flowing through a packed bed, such as the so-called Ergun equation:

in which
∆P is equal to the bed weight per unit cross-sectional area, and the particle sphericity, φs, is
defined as the surface area of a volume equivalent sphere divided by the particle’s surface
area. When applying the Ergun equation, one has to know the minimum fluidization voidage,
εmf, although it is frequently an unknown. Wen and Yu (1966) developed an expression for
the minimum fluidization velocity for a range of particle types and sizes by assuming the
following approximations to hold based on experimental data:
 They combined these with the Ergun equation and obtained the relation:

This equation is valid for Re 10 mf ≤ , whereas for higher values of a correction

factor must be applied Remf.
II. Materials, Apparatus, and Equipment

Fluidization apparatus, tap water, tape measure and/or ruler, graduated cylinder, timer

III. Methodology

The weight of the bed and the average diameter of the particle were noted. The

water container was filled with water, sufficient enough to operate the apparatus. The

height of the mercury in the manometer was levelled before operating the fluidization

apparatus by removing the clip and slowly adjusting the pressure in the manometer. The

glove valve was closed properly before turning the pump on to avoid mercury spillage.

When the pump was turned on, the initial height of the particle was recorded. Starting

with the lowest possible flow-rate of water the pressure across the bed was then recorded.

The volumetric rate was also recorded by simultaneously collecting the liquid sample in

the exit tube using graduated cylinder and the time of collection was collected. The

volume of the liquid sample collected was measured. By increasing the flow-rate of

water, the pressure drop across the bed and that was noted down. When the bed expands,

the new height of the bed was measured. These steps are repeated until the allowable

maximum flow-rate is reached. This is determined when the particles are nearing the top

of the column.
IV. Data and Results

Time (sec) Pressure (mmHg) ∆P in ∆P in bed Volume Volumetric

mamometer (x10-3) (x10-6 m3) flow rate
Left Right
Initial 179 179 0 0 0 0
284.021 184 174 1230.7401 0 99 3.486x10-7
11.071 198 161 4553.7383 27.9056 101 9.123x10-6
8.048 209 148 7507.5144 151.8072 102 1.267x10-5
6.059 225 133 11322.8086 388.7691 100 1.650x10-5
5.061 251 108 17599.5829 635.6509 102 2.015x10-5
4.076 278 82 24122.5053 1253.8931 102 2.502x10-5
4.027 303 55 30522.3531 1347.2486 101 2.508x10-5
3.083 329 30 36799.1280 1347.2486 99 3.211x10-5
3.060 371 0 45660.4565 2258.3171 101 3.301x10-5
3-053 460 0 56614.0431 2931.7563 103 3.374x10-5

Bed Porosity Velocity Superficial Fanning NRe,bed NRe,particle

height (m) (ἐ) (x10-3m/s) velocity v’ Friction
(x10-3 m/s) (f)

0.0855 0.7127 0 0 0 0 0

0.08255 0.7127 0.277 0.198 0 2.8527 6.0037

0.08575 0.7235 7.3 5.252 0.7288 78.6979 163.1864

0.09525 0.7510 10.09 7.574 0.5933 126.1135 251.8800

0.10795 0.7803 13.13 10.25 0.5276 193.3845 371.7391

0.1143 0.7925 16.04 12.71 0.4977 253.9509 480.6474

0.1333 0.8222 19.91 16.37 0.4817 381.6314 696.2665

0.1397 0.8302 19.96 16.57 0.4845 404.6413 731.054

0.14605 0.8376 25.55 21.41 0.4703 546.4380 978.5426

0.1778 0.8666 26.27 22.76 0.4852 707.4376 1224.4702

0.1905 0.8755 26.85 23.51 0.4897 782.6992 1340.9878

Figure 1: Friction Factor VS Reynolds Number

0.8
0.7
0.6
Friction Factor

0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0 200 400 600 800 1000
Reynolds Number

V. Discussion and Conclusion

The relationship between the Reynolds Number and friction factor can be written

as fp= 180/NRe. As shown in Figure 1, it follows the equation. This relationship is for the

fixed bed and the pressure drop is still before the point of fluidization and the pattern of

flow is that of a uniform, porous medium. The pressure drop is proportional to the square

of the flow velocity. In determining the critical velocity and superficial velocity of the

particle, the area of the column is needed and the size of the particle. In order to get an

accurate result, it is recommended to fix the fluidization apparatus.

VI. References

 Reynolds Number.
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/R/Reynolds_number.html(Retrieved
January, 2016)
 Laminar and Turbulent Flow.
http://udel.edu/~inamdar/EGTE215/Laminar_turbulent.pdf (Retrieved January, 2016)
 APPENDIX

Vparticle= 2.98x10-5

Ρwater = 995.68

ΡHg = 13545.8

Sample Calculations:

Porosity

(𝑉𝑏𝑒𝑑−𝑉𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒)
𝜀= 𝑉𝑏𝑒𝑑
= (1.0374 ∗ 10𝑒4 – 2.98*10e-5)/1.037*10e4 = 0.7127

Pressure Drop in the mamometer

∆𝑃 = ∆ℎ𝑔 (𝜌𝐻𝑔 − 𝜌𝐻2 𝑂)

Pressure drop in the bed

150µ𝑣 , ∆𝐿 (1 − 𝜀)2 1.75 𝜌𝑣 ,2 ∆𝐿 (1 − 𝜀)

∆𝑃 = +
𝐷𝑝2 𝜀 3 𝐷𝑝𝜀

Superficial velocity

𝑣 ´ = 𝜀𝑣

Reynolds Number of particle

𝐷𝑝 𝑣′𝜌
𝑁𝑅𝑒,𝑝 =
(1 − 𝜀)𝜇

Reynolds Number of bed

4𝐷𝑝 𝑣′𝜌
𝑁𝑅𝑒,𝑏𝑒𝑑 =
6(1 − 𝜀)𝜇

Friction factor (laminar flow)

16
𝑓=
𝑁𝑅𝑒

Friction factor

∆𝑃𝐷𝑝 𝜀 3
𝑓=
3𝜌𝑣′∆𝐿(1 − 𝜀)