Fluidization of Geldart Type-D Particles in a Swirling Fluidized Bed

Abstract

Geldart Type-D particles are often associated with poor fluidization characteristics due to their large sizes and higher densities. This paper reports the hydrodynamics of various Geldart Type-D particles when fluidized in a swirling fluidized bed (SFB). Four different sizes of particles ranging from 3.85 mm to 9.84 mm with respective densities ranging from 840 kg/m3 to 1200 kg/m3 were used as bed material to study the effect of various bed weights (500 gram to 2000 gram) and centre bodies (cone and cylinder) for superficial velocities up to 6 m/s. The performance of the SFB was assessed in terms of pressure drop values, minimum fluidization velocity, Umf and fluidization quality by physical observation on regimes of operation. The swirling fluidized bed showed excellent capability in fluidizing Geldart Type-D particles in contrast to the conventional fluidized beds. The bed pressure drop of increased with superficial velocity after minimum fluidization as a result of increasing centrifugal bed weight. It was also found that the particle size and centre body strongly influence the bed hydrodynamics.