(493e) Cluster Dynamics in a Circulating Fluidized Bed

A common hydrodynamic feature in industrial scale circulating fluidized beds is the presence of clusters. The continuous formation and destruction of clusters strongly influences particle hold-up, pressure drop, heat transfer at the wall, and mixing. In this paper fiber optic data is used to analyzed using discrete wavelet analysis to characterize the dynamic behavior of clusters. Five radial positions at three different axial locations under five different operating conditions were analyzed using discrete wavelets. Results are summarized with respect to cluster size and frequency.