FLUIDIZATION

Chemical Engineering Lab-1

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 F l u i d i z at i o n : process whereby a granular material is converted from a static
solid-like state to a dynamic fluid-like state.

 Phenomenon occurring when a quantity of a solid

particulate substance is placed under appropriate
conditions to cause a solid/fluid mixture to behave as
a fluid.

 This process occurs when a fluid (liquid or gas) is passed

up through the granular material.

Fixed Bed
In a fixed-bed reactor the catalyst pellets are held in place and
do not move with respect to a fixed reference frame.
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 Fluidization Regimes

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 Fl u i d i z at i o n P ro c e s s :
 When a gas flow is introduced through the bottom of a bed of solid particles, it will move upwards
through the bed via the empty spaces between the particles.

 At low gas velocities, aerodynamic drag on each particle is also low, and thus the bed remains in a
fixed state.

 Increasing the velocity, the aerodynamic drag forces will begin to counteract the gravitational
forces, causing the bed to expand in volume as the particles move away from each other

 Further increasing the velocity, it will reach a critical value at which the upward drag forces will
exactly equal the downward gravitational forces, causing the particles to become suspended within
the fluid. At this critical value, the bed is said to be fluidized and will exhibit fluidic behavior.
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 Fl u i d i z at i o n P ro c e s s :
 By further increasing gas velocity, the bulk density of the bed will continue to decrease, and its
fluidization becomes more violent, until the particles no longer form a bed and are “conveyed”
upwards by the gas flow.

 When fluidized, a bed of solid particles will behave as a fluid, like a liquid or gas.

 Objects with a lower density than the bed density will float on its surface, bobbing up and down if
pushed downwards, while objects with a higher density sink to the bottom of the bed

 The fluidic behavior allows the particles to be transported like a fluid, channeled through pipes, not
requiring mechanical transport
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Conditions for Fluidization

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 If the superficial velocity, VO is gradually increased, the pressure drop will increases, but the particles do
not move and the height (L) remains the same.

 At a certain velocity, the pressure drop across the bed counterbalances the forces of gravity on the
particles or the weight of the bed

 At point A = Any further increase in velocity, causes the particles to move

 At point B = Further increase in velocity, the particles become separate enough to move about in the
bed and true fluidization begins.

 From point B to point C = Once bed is fluidized, the pressure drop across the bed stays constant , but
the bed heights continues to increase with increasing velocity.

 From point C to B = If the velocity is gradually reduced, the pressure drop remains constant and the bed
height decreases.
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 Fl u i d i z at i o n Fundamentals
o The force balance across the fluidized bed dictates that the fluid pressure loss across the bed of
particles is equal to the apparent weight of the particles per unit area of the bed
weight of particles  upthrust onparticles
Pr essure drop 
bedcross  sec tionalarea

o For a bed of particles of density rp, fluidized by a fluid of density rf to form a bed of depth H
and voidage e in a vessel of cross-sectional area A

HA (1  e)(rP  rF )g
P  P
A  g(1  eM )(rP  rF )
L
o Minimum velocity of fluidization took place at incipient fluidization.
o During this stage, the ratio of pressure drop to the vessel height (L) is
eM  minimum poroisty
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Applications of Fluidization

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Fluidization velocity
Fluid flowed through bottom of a fixed bed. Fluidization is the balance of gravity, drag and
buoyant forces. Suspended particles have larger effective surface area than a packed fixed bed.
The smallest velocity at which fluidization occurs is the minimum fluidization velocity.

Incipient Fluidization
Incipient fluidization occurs at the minimum fluidization velocity. Once the minimum velocity is
surpassed, the contents of the reactor bed begin to expand and swirl around much like an
agitated tank or boiling pot of water. The reactor is now a fluidized bed.

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 B u bbl i n g a n d N o n - bu bbl i n g Fl u i d i z at i o n
 Beyond the minimum fluidization velocity bubbles or particle-free voids may appear in the
fluidized bed

 At superficial velocities above the minimum fluidization velocity, fluidization may in general be
either bubbling or non-bubbling

 Some combinations of fluid and particles give rise to only bubbling fluidization and some
combinations give only non-bubbling fluidization

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 Most liquid fluidized systems do not give rise to bubbling
 Gas fluidized systems give either only bubbling fluidization or non-bubbling fluidization
beginning at Umf, followed by bubbling fluidization as fluidizing velocity increases
 Non-bubbling fluidization is also known as particulate or homogeneous fluidization
 Bubbling fluidization is often referred to as aggregative or heterogeneous fluidization

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 C l a s s i f i c at i o n o f Po wd e rs
 Geldart (1973) classified powders into four groups according
to their fluidization properties at ambient conditions
 The Geldart classification of powders is now used widely in
all fields of powder technology
 Group A – powders which when fluidized by air at ambient
conditions give a region of non-bubbling fluidization
beginning at Umf, followed by bubbling fluidization as
fluidizing velocity increases
 Group B – powders which under these conditions give only
bubbling fluidization
 Group C – powders which are very fine, cohesive and are
incapable of fluidization
 Group D – large particles distinguished by their ability to
produce deep spouting beds
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 A p p l i c at i o n s o f Fl u i d i ze d B e d s
 Physical processes include drying, mixing, granulation, coating, heating and cooling

 These processes take advantage of the excellent mixing capabilities of the fluidized bed

 One of the most important applications is to the drying of solids

 Fluidized beds are often used to cool particulate solids following a reaction

 Cooling may be by fluidizing air alone or by use of cooling water passing through tubes immersed in
the bed

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 Gas fluidized bed is also a good medium to carry out a chemical reaction involving a gas and a
solid

 Gas-solid contacting is generally good

 Excellent solids circulation within the bed promotes good heat transfer between bed particles and
fluidizing gas and between the bed and heat transfer surfaces immersed in the bed

 Gives rise to near isothermal conditions even when reactions are strongly exothermic or
endothermic

 Good heat transfer gives rise to ease of control of the reaction

 Fluidity of the bed makes for ease of removal of solids from reactor 15
A dva n t age s & D i s a dva n t age s o f Fl u i d i ze d b e d
o Compact, simple in construction and easily scalable.
o Thermal efficiency
o Continuous operation
o Ease of process control due to stable conditions

o Non-uniform flow patterns (difficult to predict).

o Agglomeration of particle decrease effective surface area.

o Possible breakage of fine particles.

o Bed walls erosion

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Fluidization Regimes

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Fluidization
Regimes

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