Injection of gas–liquid jets into gas–solid fluidized beds: A review

Abstract

Injection of gas–liquid sprays into gas–solid fluidized beds finds application in many industries. Effective mixing and distribution of liquid feed and solid bed material is paramount to ensure an efficient and profitable process. Despite its long-term use, the mechanism of liquid injection into gas–solid fluidized beds continues to raise questions and is only partially understood. This paper provides a thorough and up-to-date review of experimental and numerical investigations of gas–liquid sprays into gas–solid fluidized beds conducted over the past decades. Based on the surveyed literature, a phenomenological description of the prevalent mechanisms of gas–liquid injection under different operating conditions is presented. This review identifies suitable computational fluid dynamic models for simulating the mechanisms involved in gas–liquid–solid interactions along with recommendations for future numerical and experimental work.