Investigation of Temperature Distribution and Heat Transfer in Fluidized Bed Using a Combined CFD-DEM Model

Abstract

Fluidized beds are widely used in many industries because they are effective for both mixing and drying. The distinct element method (DEM) has recently received more attention for investigating the phenomena of multiphase flow because the technique is effective in gathering detailed information on complex phenomena without physically disturbing the flows. However, most studies have focused on the aerodynamics of the particles. In this study, a combined computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-DEM model, which allows prediction of gas and particle temperature profiles and heat transfer coefficients in a two-dimensional fluidized bed, was developed. The predicted results were compared with the experimental results at the superficial gas velocities of 2.04, 2.22, and 2.41 m/s and at the controlled inlet temperature of 343 K. Based on the comparison between the predicted and experimental results, it was found that the developed model performed adequately in predicting the gas temperature profiles, and the predicted particle temperature profiles were higher than the experimental data. The predicted heat transfer coefficient was slightly higher than the experimental data. However, the predicted and experimental results had a similar trend in which the heat transfer coefficient increased as a function of an increase in superficial gas velocity. In addition, the minimum fluidization velocity predicted by the developed model agreed well with the experimental data. Such predictions can provide essential information on temperature and heat transfer coefficients inside the fluidized bed for design and scale-up.