Fluid Bed Reactors

Chapter (Not in book)

CH EN 4393
Terry A. Ring
 Fluidization
Minimum Fluidization
Void Fraction
Superficial Velocity
Bubbling Bed Expansion
Prevent Slugging
Poor gas/solid contact
 Fluidization
Fluid Bed
Particles
mean particle size, Angular
Shape Factor
Void fraction = 0.4 (bulk density)

Geldart, D. Powder Technology

7,285(1973), 19,133(1978)
Fluidization
Regimes
 Fluidization Regimes
Packed Bed
Minimum Fluidization
Bubbling Fluidization
Slugging (in some cases)
Turbulent Fluidization
 Minimum Fluidization
Bed Void Fraction at Minimum Fluidization
 Overlap of phenomenon
Kinetics
Depend upon solid content in bed
Mass Transfer
Depends upon particle Re number
Heat Transfer
Depends upon solid content in bed and gas Re
Fluid Dynamics
Fluidization function of particle Re
Particle elution rate terminal settling rate vs gas
velocity
Distribution Plate Design to prevent channeling
 Packed Bed
Pressure Drop

vo 1
1.75 v o
150 ( 1 )
P v o LR
Dp 3 Dp

5
110

4
Void Fraction, =0.2-0.4, Fixed 110

P v
ft
3
s 110
psi
100

10
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8
v
 Now if particles are free to move?
Void Fraction
Dp S g
2 2 3
15 ( 1 ) v o Dp 1.75 v o Dp
0

3

3
2
f vo
ft 0.8

Bed Void Fraction

s
0.6
Void Fraction, =0.2-0.4 packed mf
0.4
Becomes
MF=0.19 to F=0.8.
f vR
0.2

0
0 0.2 0.4
MF Pressure drop equals the weight of Bed Gmf
vR
vo
ft ft
s s

Superficial Gas Velocity (ft/s)

50 1 f v o vo 1 150 ( 1 )
 Fluid Bed Pressure Drop
Lower Pressure Drop ft
P f vo
@ higher gas velocity s 60

Pressure Drop (psi)

psi
Highest Pressure P mf
40
Drop at onset of psi

fluidization
P f vR 20
psi

0
0 0.2 0.4
Gmf
vR
vo
ft ft
s s

Superficial Gas Velocity (ft/s)

 Bed at Fluidization Conditions
Void Fraction is High
Solids Content is Low
Surface Area for Reaction is Low
Pressure Drop is Low
Good Heat Transfer
Good Mass Transfer
 Distributor Plate Design
Pressure Drop over the Distributor Plate
should be 30% of Total Pressure Drop
( bed and distributor)
Pressure drop at distributor is bed pressure
drop.
Bubble Cap Design is often used
 Bubble Caps
Advantages
Weeping is reduced or totally avoided
Sbc controls weeping
Good turndown ratio
Caps stiffen distributor plate
Number easily modified
Disadvantages
Expensive
Difficult to avoid stagnant regions
More subject to bubble coalescence
Difficult to clean
Difficult to modify

From Handbook of Fluidization and Fluid-Particle Systems By Wen-Ching Yang

 Bubble Cap Design
Pressure drop controlled by
number of caps
stand pipe diameter
number of holes
Large number of caps
Good Gas/Solid Contact
Minimize dead zones
Less bubble coalescence
Low Pressure Drop
 Pressure Drop in Bubble Caps
Pressure Drop Calculation Method
Compressible Fluid
Turbulent Flow
Sudden Contraction from Plenum to
Bottom of Distributor Plate
Flow through Pipe
Sudden Contraction from Pipe to hole
Flow through hole
Sudden Expansion into Cap
 Elution of Particles from Bed
Terminal Settling Velocity
Particle Terminal 4
Setting Velocity
3
4 g Dp S Dp
2
S g
vt 2
3 f 2 9

elocity(ft/s)
2

inal SettlingV
When particles are 1
small they leave bed Term

0
0 50 100 150 200
Gas Velocity
Particle Diameter (microns)
 Cyclone
Used to capture
eluted particles and
return to fluid bed
Design to capture
most of eluted
particles
Pressure Drop
2
P i( V) 0.24 V
Big particles
 Cyclone Equations
Cyclone Design Perry's HB 5th ed,
+7th ed,
Inlet Velocity as a function of 17-28
Cyclone Size QR
Vin Dc
2
Dc
Dc = Cyclone diameter

Cut Size (D50%) 4 2

1

Dc
2
9
Dc
4
D50 Dc D
N Vin Dc Vin Dc Si
N Vi
50

 Cyclone Cut Size
Diameter where 100

Cut Size Particle Diameter (microns)

90
50% leave, 50% 80
captured 70
60
50
1 40
2 30
Dc 20
9 10
4
D50 0

N Vin S 0 1 2 3 4

Cyclone Diameter(ft)
 Size Selectivity Curve
3.12
SS( D) 1 exp 0.693
D

D50

0.8
Size Selectivity

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
20 40 60

Particle Diameter (microns)

24 in cyclone
14 in cyclone
D50 for 24 in Cyclone
20 in cyclone
Diameter of Eluted Particles
 Mass Transfer
Particle Mass Transfer
Sh= KMTD/DAB = 2.0 + 0.6 Re1/2 Sc1/3
Bed Mass Transfer
Complicated function of
Gas flow
Particles influence turbulence
Particles may shorten BL
Particles may be inert to MT
 Fluid Bed Reactor Conclusions
The hard part is to get the fluid dynamics
correct
Kinetics, MT and HT are done within the
context of the fluid dynamics
 Heat Transfer
Particle Heat Transfer
Nu= hD/k = 2.0 + 0.6 Re1/2 Pr1/3
Bed Heat Transfer
Complicated function of
Gas flow
Particle contacts