Onset of an innovative gasless fluidized bed—comparative study on the fluidization of fine powders in a rotating drum and a traditional fluidized bed

Abstract

Geldart group C powders were found to be fluidized in rotating drums without requiring any external fluidizing gas. As a result, a rotating drum was proposed as a new gasless fluidized bed in contrast to a traditional fluidized bed, leading to a considerable amount of energy savings. In addition, the fluidization qualities of a series of Geldart group C powders were found to be further improved with the assistance of drum rotation because of the shearing movement among particles that eliminates channeling and cracks and possibly also breaks agglomerates. There is potential for the new gasless fluidized bed to replace some traditional fluidized beds where the fluidizing gas is not used as a reactant. In the gasless fluidized bed, a boundary layer of compacted powder adjacent to the drum wall was observed. The powder in this layer is carried up to the freeboard and then falls back to the powder bed, forming a powder circulation in the drum. The circulating powder leads to a circulation of internal gas in the drum, which essentially acts as fluidizing gas to realize the fluidization of Geldart C powders in the drum. In contrast to the fluidization of Geldart C powders, Geldart groups B and D powders show cascading and cataracting motions instead in the rotating drum due to their requirement of higher fluidization gas velocities. Geldart group A powders experience a transition of powder behavior between Geldart group B–D powders and C powders.