Gas Back-Mixing in a Two-Dimensional Baffled Turbulent Fluidized Bed

Abstract

The effect of louver baffles on gas back-mixing was investigated in a large-scale two-dimensional fluidized bed of fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) particles with helium as tracer gas. The axial gas dispersion coefficient of the baffle-free fluidized bed first increased with increasing superficial gas velocity and then decreased after reaching a maximum near the onset of the turbulent flow regime. “Gulf streaming” of emulsion flow in the baffle-free bed determined the lateral profiles of tracer gas concentration. Solids back-mixing flux was greatly reduced by the addition of a layer of louver baffles, while solids mixing above the baffle layer was enhanced. The modified baffled fluidized bed with multilayer louver baffles not only provided a high efficiency of gas−solids contacting but also greatly suppressed the back-mixing of both gas and solids.