Fluidization regimes of dense suspensions of Geldart group A fluidized particles in a high aspect ratio column

Abstract

Fluidization regimes were studied in numerous papers with applications in risers in which gas velocity is the main driving force. The situation is different when a tube is immersed in a fluidized bed vessel in which a pressure is imposed to move the particle upward. The particle-in-tube solar receiver concept is based on this latter operation mode with the aim to heat particles at high temperature with concentrated solar energy. This study identifies the fluidization regimes in a pressure-driven system that includes a secondary aeration to control the air velocity in the tube. Bubbling, slugging, turbulent and fast fluidization regimes are determined thanks to temporal pressure signal processing methods and a regime map is plotted. The transition velocities are significantly lower than in classical risers. The local slip velocity is defined as the governing parameter of the flow structure and the variation of the local particle volume fraction is discussed.