CFD modeling of solid–liquid fluidized beds of mono and binary particle mixtures

Abstract

CFD simulation of bed expansion of mono size solid–liquid fluidized beds has been performed in creeping, transition and turbulent flow regimes, where Reynolds number ( R e ∞ = d p V S ∞ ρ L / μ L ) has been varied from 0.138 to 1718. It has been observed that the predicted values of bed voidage using the drag law of Joshi [1983. Solid–liquid fluidized beds: some design aspects. Chemical Engineering Research and Design 61, 143–161] and Pandit and Joshi [1998. Pressure drop in packed, expanded and fluidized beds, packed columns and static mixers—a unified approach. Reviews in Chemical Engineering 14, 321–371] (which has been derived from the first principals), exhibited an excellent agreement with the Richardson and Zaki equation. CFD simulations have also been performed for the prediction of segregation and/or intermixing of binary particle systems having the ratio of terminal settling velocity over a range from 3.2 to 1.06. The Reynolds number has also been varied over the range of 0.33 to 2080. It has been observed that the present CFD model explains all the qualitative and quantitative observations reported in the published literature (complete segregation, partial segregation, complete intermixing, etc) and these predictions are in good agreement with the experimental results. The present CFD model also predicts successfully the layer inversion phenomena which occur in the binary particle mixtures of different size as well as density. Further, the critical velocity at which the complete mixing of the two particle species occurs has also been predicted.