Maximum Particle Concentration Research Articles

Sensitivity of feedback effects in CBMZ/MOSAIC chemical mechanism

To investigate the impact of the aerosol effects on meteorological variables and pollutant concentrations two simulations with the WRF-Chem model have been performed over Europe for year 2010. We have performed a baseline simulation without any feedback effects and a second simulation including the direct as well as the indirect aerosol effect. The paper describes the full configuration of the model, the simulation design, special impacts and evaluation. Although low aerosol particle concentrations are detected, the inclusion of the feedback effects results in an increase of solar radiation at the surface over cloudy areas (North-West, including the Atlantic) and decrease over more sunny locations (South-East). Aerosol effects produce an increase of the water vapor and decrease the planet boundary layer height over the whole domain except in the Sahara area, where the maximum particle concentrations are detected. Significant ozone concentrations are found over the Mediterranean area. Simulated feedback effects between aerosol concentrations and meteorological variables and on pollutant distributions strongly depend on the aerosol concentrations and the clouds. Further investigations are necessary with higher aerosol particle concentrations. WRF-Chem variables are evaluated using available hourly observations in terms of performance statistics. Standardized observations from the ENSEMBLE system web-interface were used. The research was developed under the second phase of Air Quality Model Evaluation International Initiative (AQMEII). WRF-Chem demonstrates its capability in capturing temporal and spatial variations of the major meteorological variables and pollutants, except the wind speed over complex terrain. The wind speed bias may affect the accuracy in the chemical predictions (NO2, SO2). The analysis of the correlations between simulated data sets and observational data sets indicates that the simulation with aerosol effects performs slightly better. These results indicate potential importance of the aerosol feedback effects and an urgent need to further improve the representations in current atmospheric models to reduce uncertainties at all scales.

Tribodiagnostics of aircraft reduction gear elements

The paper is devoted to the tribodiagnostics of the technical condition of aircraft reduction gear elements (exemplified by the aircraft gear box). The following methods of testing the parameters of wear products are used: atomic-emission spectroscopy (ASTM D 6595-00), ferrography (ASTM D7690 – 11), dispersion and morphological analysis (ASTM D – 6786 – 002). Experimental and design increased and admissible-limit values of concentrations of wear product elements and particles in the lubricant oil have been determined by statistical analysis of 120 lubricant samples selected in the process of rig testing of ten gears of five KSA-33M accessory gear boxes. Statistical analysis of the samples has been carried out to determine the maximum permissible, increased and normal values of diagnostic parameters of wear and to carry out their standardization. As a result, design values of increased concentration (IC) and maximum permissible concentration (MPC) of wear elements and particles in the lubricant oil of the KSA-33M accessory gear box have been found. A method of tribodiagnostics of components of the KSA-33M accessory gear box has been developed on the basis of the research carried out and the data obtained earlier. The method makes it possible to assess the technical condition of the part without its disassembly and removal from the aircraft, and, in case of any deviations from the norm, to predict its running hours before the state of emergency.

Enhancing Groundwater Quality through Computational Modeling and Simulation to Optimize Transport and Interaction Parameters in Porous Media

There is a shortage of high quality drinking water caused by the introduction of contaminants into aquifers from various sources including industrial processes and uncontrolled sewage. Studies have shown that colloids, collections of nanoparticles, have the potential to remediate polluted groundwater. For such applications of nanoparticles, it is important to understand the movement of colloids. This study aims to enhance the previously developed MNM1D (Micro- and Nanoparticle transport Model in porous media in one-dimensional geometry) by making more realistic assumptions about physical properties of the groundwater-porous medium system by accounting for a non-constant flow velocity and the presence of electromagnetic interactions. This was accomplished by coupling the original model with the Darcy-Forchheimer fluid model, which is specific to transport in porous media, coupled with electromagnetic effects. The resulting model also accounts for attachment and detachment phenomena, both of the linear and Langmuirian type, as well as changes to hydrochemical parameters such as maximum colloidal particle concentration in the porous medium. The system of partial-differential equations that make up the model was solved using an implicit finite-difference discretization along with the iterative Newton’s method. A parameter estimation study was also conducted to quantify parameters of interest. This more realistic model of colloid transport in porous media will contribute to the production of a more efficient method to counteract contaminants in groundwater and ultimately increase availability of clean drinking water.

Parameters influencing dilute‐phase pneumatic conveying through pipe systems: A computational study by the Euler/Lagrange approach

AbstractThe present contribution summarizes research related to the numerical computation of pneumatic conveying systems applying the Euler/Lagrange approach. For that purpose, a rigorous modelling of the particulate phase was aspired, including the relevant fluid dynamic forces, particle‐wall collisions with wall roughness and inter‐particle collisions. For the validation of the computations, experiments of Huber and Sommerfeld were selected for the conveying through a 80 mm stainless steel pipe with 5 m horizontal pipe, bend and 5 m vertical pipe. The majority of the computations were done for the same pipe system; however, in this instance, consisting of 150 mm stainless steel pipes. In these cases the average conveying velocity was 27 m/s and the particle mass loading was 0.3 (mass flow rate of particles/mass flow rate of air). For this configuration the influence of wall roughness, inter‐particle collisions, particle size, and mass loading on the resulting particle concentration distribution, the secondary flow as well as the pressure drop in the different pipe elements was analyzed. Moreover, a segregation parameter was defined which describes the location of the maximum particle concentration throughout the pipe system. The secondary flow intensity (SFI) was used to characterize the influence of the particle phase on the developing structure of the secondary flow.

Workplace personal exposure to respirable PM fraction: a study in sixteen indoor environments

The present paper focuses on respirable particulate matter (RPM) measurements conducted at the breathing zone of adult volunteers in sixteen different working environments: two offices, a house, a chemical laboratory, a non–smoking shop, a pharmacy store, a car garage, a hairdresser's store, a photocopy store, a taxi, a gym, a mall, a restaurant, a bar, a kiosk and a school. The sixteen different cases were categorized according to the location, the type of the activities taking place indoors, the number of occupants, the proximity to heavy traffic roads, the ventilation pattern etc. According to the results, the maximum particle concentration (in average 285μg m−3) was recorded at the hairdresser store while the minimum concentration was measured in the cases of the housewife and the employee in the non–smoking shop (in average 30μg m−3). The results indicated smoking as a factor which strongly influences the exposure levels of both smokers and passive smokers. Furthermore, it was found that the building ventilation pattern comprises an important factor influencing the exposure levels especially in cases of buildings with great number of visitors (resuspension) and smoking.

Aircraft observations of liquid and ice in midlatitude mixed-phase clouds

This paper reports airborne measurements of midlatitude altostratus clouds observed over Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China on 3 March 2007. The case demonstrates mixed-phase conditions at altitudes from 3200 to 4600 m (0°C to −7.6°C), with liquid water content ranging from 0.01 to 0.09 g m−3. In the observed mixed-phase cloud, liquid water content exhibited a bimodal distribution, whereas the maximum ice particle concentration was located in the middle part of the cloud. The liquid and ice particle data showed significant horizontal variability on the scale of a few hundred meters. The cloud droplet concentration varied greatly over the horizontal sampling area. There was an inverse relationship between the cloud droplet concentration and ice particle concentration.

Analysis of gas-particle flow characteristics in impinging streams

A three dimensional Euler–Lagrange model for the gas-particle two-phase impinging streams (GPIS) is developed based on the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method with consideration of particle rotation and collision. The gas-particle flow characteristics involved in GPIS as well as the effects of inlet gas velocity and particle rotation are analyzed. The results indicate that two pairs of counter-rotating gas vortices are developed at two sides of the opposite jet flows, which is able to entrain the particles and thus greatly weaken the deposition of particles. Interparticle collisions in the impingement zone produce two effects on the particle behaviors: the direct escaping of particles from impingement zone and the progressive accumulation of particles in impingement zone. Under the same inlet particle mass flow rate, the particle concentration in the impingement zone decreases with increasing inlet velocity of gas due to the increasing impinging reaction of interparticle collisions and growing entrainment of gas vortices. In addition, the rotation of particle provides an additional driving force to push the particles away from the impingement zone, leading to the higher speed of escaping particles and smaller maximum particle concentration at the center of impingement zone than those without particle rotation.

Seeding optimization for instantaneous volumetric velocimetry. Application to a jet in crossflow

Every volumetric velocimetry measurements based on tracer (particles, bubbles, etc.) detection can be strongly influenced by the optical screening phenomenon. It has to be taken into account when the statistical properties associated to the performances of the particle detection and tracking algorithms are significantly affected. It leads to a maximum concentration of particles in the images thus limiting the final spatial resolution of the instantaneous three-dimensional three-components (3D3C) velocity fields. A volumetric velocimetry system based on Defocused Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (DDPIV), named Volumetric 3-Components Velocimetry (V3V), is used to show that above a critical visual concentration of particles in the images, the concentration and accuracy of the final instantaneous raw velocity vector field drop. The critical concentration depends on physical parameters as well as on the processing algorithms. Three distinct regimes are identified. In the first regime, the concentration is well adapted to volumetric velocimetry, the largest concentration being optimal to maximize the number of valid velocity vectors. In the second regime, the performances of the detection and tracking algorithms are no longer optimal. Finally, the third regime is strongly influenced by optical screening. A rigorous methodology is proposed to optimize volumetric measurements taking into account the system specifications (pixel size, focal length, system magnification, etc.). An optimal particle concentration of 4.5×10−2particlespixel−1 (ppp) is found. A relationship between the imaged concentration and the optimal final spatial resolution for fully interpolated instantaneous velocity field is obtained. The present study can be used as a guideline to achieve the measurement of instantaneous three-dimensional velocity fields with a good spatial resolution. It is finally successfully applied to a complex 3D flow test case: a jet in cross-flow.

Effect of ammonia on ozone-initiated formation of indoor secondary products with emissions from cleaning products

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) emitted from cleaning products and air fresheners indoors are prone to oxidation resulting in the formation of secondary pollutants that can pose health risks on residents. Ammonia (NH3) is ubiquitous in ambient and indoor environments. In this study, we investigated the effect of ammonia (NH3) on secondary pollutants formation from the ozonolysis of BVOCs emitted from cleaning products including floor cleaner (FC), kitchen cleaner (KC) and dishwashing detergent (DD) in a large environmental chamber. Our results demonstrated that the presence of NH3 (maximum concentration is 240 ppb) could significantly enhance secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) formation from the ozonolysis of all the three categories of cleaning products. For example, for the FC sample, the maximum total particle concentration was up to 2.0 × 104 # cm−3 in the presence of NH3, while it was 1.3 × 104 # cm−3 which was 35% lower without NH3. However, it was found that the extent of NH3 effect on SOAs formation from the ozonolysis of BVOCs emissions was component-dependent. The presence of NH3 in the reaction systems could increase the consumptions of d-limonene that is the dominant BVOC species as identified in cleaning products. The percent yields (%) of secondary carbonyl compounds generated from the ozonolysis of BVOCs emitted from three categories of cleaning products were identified in the presence and absence of NH3, respectively. The increase in SOAs particle number concentration can be attributed to the formation of condensable salts from reactions between NH3 and organic compounds generated from the BVOCs ozonolysis processes. By investigating the NH3 effect on the ozonolysis of BVOCs mixtures in contrast to the chemistry of individual compounds, a better assessment can be made of the overall impact cleaning products have on real indoor environments.

Suspension separation with deterministic ratchets at moderate Reynolds numbers

Deterministic ratchets were evaluated in this study as continuous separation devices for suspensions. Compared to conventional microfluidic ratchets (gap width ≈10μm), ratchet designs in this study were 70 times larger. Apart from the hydrodynamic regime (2<Re<34 versus Re<1) no other changes were introduced. Three deterministic ratchet designs were constructed and evaluated for their separation efficiency with polystyrene particles having sizes between 309 and 532μm. The separation efficiency was defined as the ratio between the highest and the lowest outlet concentration.The separation efficiency increased with increasing flow rate from a ratio of 1 (Re=2) at the lowest flow rates up to a ratio of 47 at the highest flow rates (Re=18). An explanation for this strong dependence on flow rate may be the presence of inertial lift forces and a pair of vortices behind the obstacles (typically for Re>1), which lead to additional displacement. Furthermore, there was a maximum concentration of particles in the device above which the separation decreased, e.g., 12v/v% for a design with cylindrical-shaped obstacles. The high suspension concentrations did not lead to blockage of the device and were much higher compared to concentrations normally achieved for membrane separations.The up-scaled deterministic ratchets show potential for fractionation. Particles above a critical particle size were better separated than particles below that critical particle size.

Observations of the Cross-Lake Cloud and Snow Evolution in a Lake-Effect Snow Event

AbstractWhile the total snowfall produced in lake-effect storms can be considerable, little is known about how clouds and snow evolve within lake-effect boundary layers. Data collected over Lake Michigan on 10 January 1998 during the Lake-Induced Convection Experiment (Lake-ICE) are analyzed to better understand and quantify the evolution of clouds and snow. On this date, relatively cold air flowed from west to east across Lake Michigan, creating a quasi-steady-state boundary layer that increased from ≈675 to ≈910 m in depth over a distance of 80 km. Once a cloud deck formed 14–18 km from the upwind shoreline, maximum cloud particle concentrations and liquid water content increased from west to east across the lake. Correspondingly, maximum ice water contents, snowfall rates, and maximum snow particle diameters also increased across the lake. Maximum particle concentrations were found below the mean top of the boundary layer and above the cloud base for both cloud and snow particles.Surprisingly, snow particles were observed 3–7 km upwind of the upwind edge of the lake-effect cloud deck. These snow particles were observed to be rather spatially uniform throughout the boundary layer. Based on available observations, it is hypothesized that of the mechanisms that could produce this snow, the majority of it originated from transient clouds located near the upwind shore. In addition, maximum snow particle concentrations peaked near the middle of the lake before decreasing toward the downwind shore, indicating the location after which aggregation became an important snow growth mechanism. These results show that the evolution of clouds and snow within lake-effect boundary layers may not occur in the uniform manner often depicted in conceptual models.

Climatological variability of surface particulate organic carbon (POC) and physical processes based on ocean color data in the Gulf of Mexico

The purpose of this study is to investigate climatological variations from the temporal and spatial surface particulate organic carbon (POC) estimates based on SeaWiFS spectral radiance, and to determine the physical mechanisms that affect the distribution of pac in the Gulf of Mexico. 7-year monthly mean values of surface pac concentration (Sept. 1997 - Dec. 2004) were estimated from Maximum Normalized Difference Carbon Index (MNDCI) algorithm using SeaWiFS data. Synchronous 7-year monthly mean values of remote sensing data (sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface wind (SSW), sea surface height anomaly (SSHA), precipitation rate (PR)) and recorded river discharge data were used to determine physical forcing factors. The spatial pattern of POC was related to one or more factors such as river runoff, wind-derived current, and stratification of the water column, the energetic Loop Current/Eddies, and buoyancy forcing. The observed seasonal change in the POC plume's response to wind speed in the western delta region resulted from seasonal changes in the upper ocean stratification. During late spring and summer, the low-density river water is heated rapidly at the surface by incoming solar radiation. This lowers the density of the fresh-water plume and increases the near-surface stratification of the water column. In the absence of significant wind forcing, the plume undergoes buoyant spreading and the sediment is maintained at the surface by the shallow pycnocline. However, when the wind speed increases substantially, wind-wave action increases vertical motion, reducing stratification, and the sediment were mixed downward rather than spreading laterally. Maximum particle concentrations over the outer shelf and the upper slope during lower runoff seasons were related to the Loop Current/eddies and buoyancy forcing. Inter-annual differences of POC concentration were related to ENSO cycles. During the El Nino events (1997-1998 and 2002-2004), the higher pac concentrations existed and were related to high runoffs in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, but the opposite conditions in the western Gulf of Mexico. During La Nina conditions (1999-2001), low Poe concentration was related to normal or low river discharge, and low PM/nutrient waters in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, but the opposite conditions in the western Gulf of Mexico.

The effect of aerosol layers on convective cloud microphysics and precipitation

The effects of aerosols transported at different altitudes on the microphysical and dynamic processes of clouds formed on different background aerosol concentrations have been investigated using a dynamic cloud model with spectra-resolved microphysics. Two scenarios are conducted to represent the continental and maritime aerosol types. Under the same initial thermodynamic conditions, the continental case generates larger number of liquid drops compared to the maritime case due to the enhancement of background aerosol load, whereas the consumption of water vapor weakens the deposition nucleation and growth of ice particles, leading to reduced number and mass concentration of ice crystals and graupel particles. Aerosols transported either in the boundary layer (0–2 km) or mid-troposphere (2–6 km) can change the characteristics of cloud and precipitation. For continental cases, these transported aerosol particles lead to an increase in the drop number concentration, but decrease in the updraft velocity during cloud development stage, the maximum effective radius of drops, the maximum number concentration of ice crystals and graupel particles, and suppress the ground rainfall. The rainfall shows high sensitivity to changes in microphysics due to enhanced aerosol load. Aerosols transported in the boundary layer have more significant effect on the cloud microphysics and precipitation than that at mid-troposphere. For maritime cases, the transported aerosol particles show similar enhancement effect on number concentration of drops with longer cloud lifetime and hence delayed and suppressed precipitation occurring when aerosol concentration is enhanced in boundary layer, whereas the precipitation increases when aerosols transport in mid-troposphere due to larger maximum effective radius of drops, contributed by melting of larger graupel particles with efficient accretion growth. The results from marine cases and different initial aerosol concentration of continental cases show that the effect of transport of aerosols exhibits more notable effects for lower initial aerosol concentrations. The influence of the environmental wind shear has not been included in the present study.

Rheology of Aqueous Magnetorheological Fluid Using Dual Oxide-Coated Carbonyl Iron Particles

A rheological study is performed for a new, aqueous magnetorheological (MR) fluid based on dual oxide-coated carbonyl iron (CI), which has the potential of increasing the MR fluid lifetime due to its strong corrosion resistance to water. The paper describes the preparation and characterization of a pumpable MR fluid based on this corrosion-resistant CI with a high solids concentration for polishing of optical materials. The viscosity is studied as a function of pH of initial liquids, dispersant type, combination of two dispersants and concentration. The dual oxide-coated CI particles exhibit hydrophilic properties, resulting in a high MR fluid viscosity. The addition of glycerol significantly reduces the viscosity. The combination of diammonium citrate (DAC) polyelectrolyte with glycerol produces the lowest viscosity, which can be explained by the electrosteric effect of the surfactants and the short-chain molecular structure of DAC. There is an optimum concentration of surfactants where a maximum concentration of CI particles can be reached while maintaining a low fluid viscosity.

CFD Investigation of Particle Deposition in a Horizontal Looped Turbulent Pipe Flow

This paper presents comprehensive 3D numerical investigations on depositions of particles flowing through a horizontal pipe loop consisting of four bends. The multiphase mixture model available in FLUENT 6.2 was used in this study. In this numerical simulation, five different particle sizes have been used as secondary phases to calculate real multiphase effect in which inter-particle interaction has been considered. The deposition of particles along the periphery of the pipe wall was investigated as a function of particle size and fluid velocity. The simulations showed that near the upstream of the bends, maximum particle concentration occurred at the bottom of the pipe. However, downstream the bends, the maximum particle concentration occurred at an angle of 60° from the bottom. The larger particles clearly showed deposition near the bottom wall except downstream. As expected, the smaller particles showed less tendency of deposition and lesser at higher velocity. This numerical investigation showed qualitative agreement with the experiments conducted by Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Melbourne team for similar conditions.

Numerical prediction effects of particle–particle collisions on gas–particle flows in swirl chamber

In this paper, a unified-second-order-moment two-phase turbulent model incorporating into the kinetic theory of granular flows for considering particle–particle collision (USM-θ) is proposed to study the turbulent gas–particle flows in swirl chamber. Anisotropy of gas–solid two-phase stress and the interaction between two-phase stresses are fully considered by constructing a two-phase Reynolds stress model and a transport equation of two-phase stress correlation. Sommerfeld et al. (1991) experimental data is used to quantitatively validate USM-θ and USM model for analysis the effects of particle–particle collision. Numerical predicted results show that time-averaged velocity and fluctuation velocity of gas and particle using particle temperature model are better than those of without particle temperature model. Maximum particle concentration and temperature located at thin shear layer adjacent to wall surface due to particle inertia. Small-scale particle fluctuation due to particle–particle collision is smaller than large-scale gas–particle turbulence fluctuation. Particle–particle collision leads to the redistribution dissipation of Reynolds stress and particle turbulence kinetic energy.

Atmospheric organochlorine pesticide (OCP) levels in a metropolitan city in Turkey

Air concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were measured at four different sites in Bursa, Turkey to determine current levels. For this purpose, about 35 samples were collected from June 2008 to June 2009 using a high volume air sampler (HVAS) equipped with particle and gas-phase units. Ten OCP compounds (alpha-, beta-, gamma-, delta-hexachlorocyclohexane, Heptachlor epoxide, Endrin, Endosulfan beta, Endrin aldehyde, p,p′-DDT and Methoxychlor) were reported within the scope of this study. The average concentrations of total (particle + gas) ∑OCPs were 550.9 ± 277.6 pg m −3 (coastal), 1030.7 ± 453.5 pg m −3 (urban/traffic), 519.7 ± 277.5 pg m −3 (semi-rural) and 722.8 ± 351.8 pg m −3 (urban/residential). The individual OCP concentrations were in line with reported concentrations. The maximum particle and gas-phase concentrations were determined for Endosulfan beta and beta-HCH for all sites, respectively. Available gas/particle partitioning models were applied in order to investigate the compatibility of the experimental data and the significant relationships were observed.

Transport and retention of microparticles in packed sand columns at low and intermediate ionic strengths: experiments and mathematical modeling

Functional relationships correlating particle filtration coefficients and porewater ionic strength are herein proposed and validated, based on deposition experiments of micrometer-sized particles onto siliceous sand. Experiments were conducted using one-dimensional laboratory columns and stable monodisperse aqueous suspensions of negatively charged latex particles with a mean size of 1.90 μm. The role of ionic strength was systematically investigated and six different monovalent salt concentrations (1, 3, 10, 30, 100, 300 mM) were employed by addition of sodium chloride to the aqueous solution. A mathematical advection–dispersion-deposition transport model was adopted assuming that attachment and detachment of particles in the porous medium are concurrent mechanisms of particle filtration, and including a Langmuir-type blocking function to account for availability in deposition sites. The system of equations modeling colloid transport was solved numerically. Attachment rate and detachment rate coefficients were thereby determined for each employed ionic strength, as well as a blocking coefficient in the form of a maximum particle concentration in the solid phase. Therefore, functional relationships expressing the dependence of these coefficients on ionic strength were proposed, based on literature findings and present experimental observations. The existence of a critical salt deposition concentration (and release concentration) separating a favorable attachment (and detachment) regime from an unfavorable condition is assumed. In respect to the blocking coefficient, a power–law dependence on ionic strength is hypothesized. The proposed functional relationships proved adequate to reproduce the coefficient trends extrapolated from data fitting by the transport model. They may represent a powerful tool to describe and predict microparticle mobility in saturated porous media if embedded a priori in the related mathematical transport models.

Stability of Soft Colloidal Particles in a Salt-Free Medium

The stability of a salt-free dispersion containing soft spherical colloidal particles is investigated theoretically. Here, a particle comprises a rigid core and an ion-penetrable membrane layer; the ionic species in the liquid phase come solely from those dissociated from the functional groups in the membrane layer. We show that, similar to the case of a salt-free rigid dispersion, the total energy, which comprises the electrical energy and the van der Waals energy, is always positive far away from the surface of a particle and does not have a secondary minimum. Both the Derjaguin approximation for the estimation the electrical energy of two spheres and the criteria for the critical coagulation concentration in the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory are inapplicable. If the molar concentration of the fixed charge in the membrane layer exceeds ca. 0.1 M, the stability of a dispersion remains roughly the same. The maximum allowable particle concentration for a stable dispersion for the case of soft particles is lower than that for the case of the corresponding rigid particles.

Numerical simulation on fluidization characteristics of tobacco particles in fluidized bed dryers

Three-dimensional simulations have been carried out to examine the gas–particle flow behavior of tobacco material in a fluidized bed dryer. The Euler–Euler model has been used to study the distribution of particles in the fluidized bed dryer. The simulation results indicate that tobacco particles usually concentrate in the near-wall region, and there exists a maximum particle concentration in the feed pipe. The predictions on the regions with high concentration of particles in the fluidized bed dryer agree well with the experimental findings. Moreover, this kind of dynamic particle aggregation might lead to particle clusters, and investigations of the particle motion and mixing behavior in the simulated systems indicate that there are particle clusters during fluidization. The diverse nature of clusters enriches the flow behaviors of particles and consequently leads to the macro-scale heterogeneity featuring fast fluidization: dilute at the top and dense at the bottom in the axial direction as well as the core–annulus structure in the radial direction. Therefore, the particle clusters is one of the key problems in drying processes, which must be known for understanding the material distribution inside the dryer, as well as for the system design of fluidized bed dryers. According to the results, some improvements on the fluidized bed dryer have been brought out and the relative numerical experiments have been performed. The numerical experiments show that the improvements can realize better uniformity and lead to a decrease in the particle concentration, which provides useful ways to solve the clustering problem.