Bubble and particle dynamics in a thin rectangular bubbling fluidized bed under emulated marine instabilities

Abstract

Floating fluidized beds are affected by swell/sea waves, limiting their effectiveness in seagoing applications as an alternative to fixed beds for the removal of exhaust pollutants. To address this, experiments were conducted using a rectangular fluidized bed mounted on a hexapod to emulate marine operation. The bed was subjected to dynamic perturbations, and Digital Image Analysis and Particle Image Velocimetry were used to analyze the effects of motion on fluidization, bubble growth/shape, void/velocity fields, and gas/solids circulations. Our investigation showed that non-vertical orientations resulted in a decrease in minimum fluidization velocity, but the most significant effect was seen in the trajectory and shape of the bubbles near both static and dynamic walls. This resulted in a slug regime with a high degree of gas bypass. These outcomes have important implications for the design/operation of marinized fluidized beds, and for process intensification solutions to address the constraints associated with ship emissions.