(663e) Bubble Hydrodynamic Comparison for Geldart Group a and B Materials at Different Fluidization Regimes

Gas solids contacting in fluidized beds are an important parameter in determining the efficiency of chemical reactions. The bubbles are used to facilitate contact between the particles, and the gas is used to induce mixing of the particles, while increasing the mass and heat transfer efficiency. Studying the bubble hydrodynamics are therefore important in optimizing the reactor design. Scale is an important factor when it comes to fluidized bed operations. Tests were conducted in a 3.0 ft (0.9 m) diameter, 22.0 ft (6.5 m) tall bed and a comparative study was done using Geldart Group A FCC catalyst and Geldart Group B sand material, having a mean particle diameter of 93 m and 162 m respectively. The fluidization regimes ranged from bubbling to turbulent. A proprietary design optical probe was traversed across the column diameter at two different axial locations to determine the cross sectional radial and axial average of various bubble hydrodynamic properties such as gas holdup, bubble rise velocity and the average bubble dimension. The experimental data was then compared with various empirical correlations in literature