CHE 435: Fluidized Bed Characteristics
35
When the packing has a shape different from spherical, an effective particle diameter is defined
Dp =
p
p
A
6V
=
As
6(1− ε )
(2)
where
As = interfacial area of packing per unit of packing volume, ft2/ft3 or m2/m3
The effective particle diameter Dp in Eq. (1) can be replaced by φsDp where Dp now represents
the particle size of a sphere having the same volume as the particle and φs the shape factor. The
bed porosity, ε, which is the fraction of total volume that is void is defined as
ε ≡ volume of entire bed
volume voids
ε ≡ volume of entire bed
volume of entire bed − volume of particles
=
R h
particle density
weight of all particles R h
2
2
π
π −
(3)
where R = inside radius of column, As and ε are characteristics of the packing. Experimental
values of ε can easily be determined from Eq. (3) but As for non-spherical particles is usually
more difficult to obtain. You can find values of As and ε for the common commercial packing in
various references. As for spheres can be computed from the volume and surface area of a sphere.
As the gas velocity increases, conditions finally occur where the force of the pressure
drop times the cross-sectional area just equals the weigh of the particles in the bed. A slight
increase in gas velocity, to increase the pressure drop, is required to unlock the intermeshed
fixed-bed particles. Once the particles disengage from each other, they begin to move. The
pressure drops to the point where the upward force on the bed is balanced by the downward
force due to the weight of the bed particles. Further increases in gas velocity fluidize the bed, the
pressure drop rises slightly until slugging and entrainment occurs.
The point of maximum pressure drop shown in Figure 1 is the point of minimum
fluidization. At this point
(∆P)(S) = W = (SLmf)(1 − εmf)[(ρp − ρf) g/gc] (4)
where
S = cross-sectional area of column
W = weight of bed
or
(∆P/Lmf) = (1 − εmf)[(ρp − ρf) g/gc] (4a)