Experiment 4 – Fixed and Fluidized Bed

Objective

Investigate the difference between different sizes granular material on fluidization

characteristics, using air as the fluidizing medium, to:
 To determine the pressure drop across the beds with different particle sizes
 To observe the onset of fluidization and differentiate between the characteristics of a
fixed bed and a fluidized bed for both particle sizes.
 To compare the onset of fluidization between the two particle sizes
Investigate the difference between different fluidizing medium on fluidization
characteristics, using air and water as the fluidizing mediums, to:
 To determine the pressure drop across the beds with different particle sizes
 To observe the onset of fluidization and differentiate between the characteristics of a
fixed bed and a fluidized bed for both fluidizing medium.
 To compare the onset of fluidization between the two fluidizing medium.

Introduction

The upward flow of fluid through a bed of granular material is a situation encountered both in
nature and in industry. Natural occurrences include the movement of ground water, the
movement of crude petroleum or the movement of natural gas through porous media. Industrial
occurrences include operations such as back-washing filters, ion-exchange processes, extraction
of soluble components from raw materials and certain types of chemical reactor.

It is well known that if the granules are loosely packed and the pressure drop due to the flow
through the bed is equivalent to the weight of the bed then the phenomenon of fluidization
occurs. The fluidized state occurs naturally in so-called 'quick sands' where an object on the
surface of the sand will quickly sink through the sand when an upward flow of water occurs
through the sand The high rate of solids mixing that accompanies fluidization is utilized in
various industrial operations such as drying, coating, heat transfer and chemical reaction.

The head loss across a bed of granules will increase proportionally with increasing flow of water
until the drag on the granules caused by the water matches the weight of the granules and the
granules become fluidized. From that point onwards, increasing flow of water will increase the
height of the bed but the head loss across the bed will remain almost constant (friction in the duct
will cause small increases in the losses but not the fluidized bed itself).
The Armfield CEL-MKII is designed to facilitate the study of flow through fixed and fluidised
beds of solid granules. Low flowrates allow the characteristics of a solid bed to be investigated.
Increasing flowrates allow the onset of fluidization and the characteristics of a fluidized bed to
be investigated. The CEL-MKII has three test columns, one for use with water and two for use
with air. With granules of the same size in the water column and one air column, the differences
between ‘particulate’ and ‘aggregative’ (‘bubbling’) fluidized beds can be demonstrated.
Electronic instrumentation is incorporated allowing all relevant flowrates and differential
pressures to be displayed.

This apparatus have been deliberately designed to be two-dimensional so that one can readily
observe the important phenomenon of 'bubbling' that occurs in gas-solid systems when the gas
velocity is in excess of that required for fluidization. Furthermore the transparent walls and
measuring scales allow studies to be made of the changes in bed height that accompany
fluidization.

Application of fludized beds include catalytic processes such as in the production of

acrylonitrile, processes involving the roasting of ores, drying of fine solids, removal of dust,
unwanted mist and suspended particles

Table 1: Fluidized beds

Advantages Disadvantages
 Solids is rigorously agitated  Uneven contacting of gas and solid is one problem.
when fluid passes through it and This is because most of the gas passes through the bed
efficient perfect mixing can be as bubbles and directly contacts only a small amount
achieved, hence there would be of solid in a thin shell known as the bubble cloud.
no temperature gradient  A small fraction of the gas passes through the dense
throughout the bed even if phase which nearly contains the entire solid. As a
exothermic or endothermic result, only a small overall conversion of reactant is
reactions take place. achieved if compared with a plug flow reactor.
 Interchange between bubbles and the dense bed may
 The violent movement of solid change with diameter because the size of bubbles
also provides efficient heat change, however scaling up fluidized reactor remains
transfer to the wall or tubes uncertain.
immersed in the bed.  Another problem is the erosion of vessels. This can be
avoided with proper design.

At low velocities the bed remains fixed since the drag force is not able to overcome the
gravitational forces exerted on the solid particles. The particles start to rise when the velocity is
increased and minimum velocity need to reach this point is called the minimum fluidization. At
higher velocities, the movement of particles is observed to be violent.
The fluidization of the solid particles depends on whether the medium is liquid or gas. In the
liquid medium, it is called particulate fluidization while in the gas medium it is called aggregate.
In the liquid medium, there is uniformity throughout the bed while in the gas bed, there are
violent jumps.

Figure 1 - Pressure Drop Gradient vs. Fluid Velocity

From Figure 1 (left), in the case of a fixed bed, there is a linear relationship between the
superficial fluid velocity and the pressure drop. This reaches a maximum point wherin the bed
becomes fluidized. Then the bed starts to expand as the particles rearrange themselves by the
effect of increasing velocity. This is the point where the bed reaches minimum fluidization
velocity needed for the bed to start expanding. As the bed expands, the height of the bed and
porosity both increase, while the pressure drop gradient decreases. When transport starts to
occur, pressure drop increases due to friction between particles and wall of the bed.

Figure 1 (right) is another representation of the stages of the experiment. It is observed that there
is a linear relation between pressure drop and superficial velocity, up to the fluidization point.
Then the pressure drop decreases slightly and becomes constant where it becomes independent
of velocity.

The path ABC depicts the rearrangement of particles process. Here the porosity is not changed
much; the particles are able to rearrange their distribution right after fluidization has occurred.
Friction forces are to be overcome which on the other hand increases the pressure drop. This is
shown by point B. The line CD follows where a constant value of pressure drop is seen
independent of velocity.

Theory

The average superficial velocity (m/s) is given by:

Q
u= [Equation 1]
A
where,
Q = Flow rate (L/min)
A = Bed cross-sectional area (Column diameter = 0.05 m)

The bed porosity at minimum fluidization velocity can be calculated from:

W
=(1−emf ) ρs [Equation 2]
A L mf

where,
W is the weight of bed packing [kg]
A is the cross sectional area of the bed [m2]
Lmf is the length of the bed at minimum fluidization [m]
emf is the porosity at minimum fluidization
ρ s is the density of solid particles [kg/m3]

Since the volume of the bed is constant, the porosity at every fluidization state is found using:
Lmf ∗( 1−e mf )
L= [Equation 3]
1−e
where, L is length of the bed [m] and e is the porosity.

Pressure drop across a fluidized bed can be calculated using:

−ΔP=( 1−e ) ( ρ s−ρ ) L∗g∗A [Equation 4]
where,
ΔP is the pressure drop across the bed [Pa]
e is the porosity/bed voidage (Typically 0.4 for Ballotini)
kg
ρ s is the density of solid particles [kg/m3] = 2500 3 (using glass beads)
m
ρ is the density of fluid [kg/m3]
L is the height of the bed [m]
m
(
g is the acceleration due to gravity 9.81 2 )s

The Kunni – Levenspeil equation for calculation of Umf is given by:

 1−emf 1.75
Ga=150
( 3
emf Φ ) ( )
2
ℜmf + 3
emf Φ
ℜ2mf [Equation 5]

where
3
Galileo number ¿ Ga= d p∗ρ( ρ2 s− ρ)
μw [Equation 6]
d p is the size of granules (m)
μ w is the viscosity of water
ΦS is 1 for spherical particles

Re is the average Reynolds' number based on superficial velocity and is dimensionless.

umf d p ρ
ℜmf = [Equation 7]
μw

where umf is the velocity at minimum fluidization.

or
1
ℜmf =( 1135.7 +0.408 Ga ) 2 −33.7 [Equation 8]

The minimum fluid flow required for fluidization (flux) is given by:
kg
(
Gmf 2
m ∗s
=umf ρ
) [Equation 9]

The efficiency of the fluidized bed can be calculated using:

G mf −G e
Fluidization efficiency= ∗100 [Equation 10]
G mf
kg
where G e is the mass flux at first expansion ( m∗s2)

The Fronde group number is used in order to determine whether the fluidization is a particulate
or an aggregative type. If the Fronde number is less than one, it indicates that the fluidization is
particulate, whereas vice versa, it indicates that the fluidization is aggregative.It is given by:
u 2mf
Fr= [Equation 11]
g∗d p
Table 2: Properties of water

Table 3: Properties of air at atmospheric pressure

Equipment Set-Up

CEL-MKII consists of a single water circuit and dual air circuits mounted on a support plinth
manufactured from durable ABS plastic. The water test column is located at the left-hand side
when looking at the front of the equipment and is recognizable by the vertical overflow pipe
alongside the column. The water and air circuits are independent of each other and therefore may
be operated separately or together according to choice.
 Figure 2 - Layout of the CEL-MKII

Water Circuit
Water is drawn from a channel, moulded into the top of the plastic support plinth, by a
submersible centrifugal pump. The pump delivers water to the base of the water column via a
flow regulator located in front of the column. A turbine type flowmeter measures the flow of
water entering the column and the flow rate is displayed on the electrical console in units of
l/min. The water flows vertically upwards through the bed of solid granules in the test column
then discharges from the top of the column via a rigid overflow pipe that returns the water to the
channel for recycling. The water pump is switched on or off as required using the switch marked
‘Pump’ on the front of the electrical console. A drain tap at the end of the plinth allows water to
be drained from the channel after use.
Test Columns

Figure 3 - Section through Water Column (left) and Air Column (right)

Figure 4 - CEL-MKII with the standard set-up

  Left hand H2O column filled to 300 mm height with coarse Ballotini i.e. glass beads with
a nominal diameter of 625 microns / 0.625 mm (814g)
 Middle Air 1 column filled to 300 mm height with coarse Ballotini i.e. glass beads with a
nominal diameter of 625 microns / 0.625 mm (854g)
 Right hand Air 2 column filled to 300 mm height with fine Ballotini i.e. glass beads with
a nominal diameter of 250 microns / 0.250 mm (828g)

The base of the test column incorporates a coarse sintered brass disk that supports the bed of
granules inside the test column and helps to distribute the water uniformly across the section of
the test column. The test column is circular in cross section with an inside diameter of 50mm and
is manufactured from clear acrylic to allow visualization of the bed of granules when in
operation. The test column is mounted on top of a white plastic base plate that is common to the
water and air columns. The test column can be removed easily for emptying / cleaning by
unscrewing the two knurled screws on the flange at the base of the column. The test column is
sealed to the base plate by a reusable 'O' ring located in a groove.

The height of the bed inside the test column can be measured directly on a scale that is attached
to the front of the column. In normal operation the bed of material should not exceed a height of
300 mm to avoid loss of granules from the top of the column. The test column incorporates two
pressure tappings, located at the rear, that allow the pressure drop across the bed of granules to
be monitored. The pressure tappings incorporate sintered brass plugs to prevent the bed material
from escaping. This pressure drop is measured using a differential pressure sensor that is
mounted at the rear of the electrical console. The measured differential pressure is indicated on
the display at the front of the electrical console in units of mBar.

Air Circuit
Compressed air from an appropriate supply is connected to the push-in connector at the rear of
the inlet pressure regulator, located at the right hand end of the base plate supporting the test
column. The connector is designed to accept rigid plastic pneumatic tubing with an outside
diameter of 6 mm. The air supplied to the equipment is filtered and regulated to the required
operating pressure by the inlet pressure regulator before it is fed to the two air columns via a
flow regulator located in front of each air column. The regulator works backwards compared
with a conventional control valve so maximum flow is obtained with the knob on the regulator
turned fully clockwise.

The base of each test column incorporates a coarse sintered brass disk that supports the bed of
granules inside the test column and helps to distribute the air uniformly across the section of the
test column. All details about the air test columns and tapping points are the same as those for
the water test column described above except that the air discharges directly to atmosphere via
an orifice in the cap at the top of the column. The cap is secured to the top of the column by a
Nylon screw at the side and incorporates a ‘O’ ring seal to eliminate leakage of air between the
column and the cap. A pressure tapping below the orifice is connected to a pressure sensor at the
rear of the electrical console that measures the differential pressure across the orifice allowing
the flow of air through the column to be determined. The calculated flow rate through each air
column is indicated on the display at the front of the console, indicated in units of l/min.
The height of the bed inside each air column can be measured directly on a scale that is attached
to the front of the column.

As with the water column, the pressure drop across the bed of granules in the air test columns is
measured using differential pressure sensors at the rear of the electrical console. The measured
differential pressure is indicated on the display at the front of the electrical console in units of
mBar. The air circuits have been designed for safe operation provided that each air test column is
filled to a maximum height of 300 mm with the grade of Ballotini (glass beads) that is
recommended. Provided that the inlet pressure regulator is not readjusted to increase the
available pressure, the glass beads will not be 'blown out' of the test columns when the air flow
rate is set to maximum.

Instrumentation
The following instrumentation is installed on CEL-MKII:
 Water flow rate in Column H2O Turbine flow sensor at base of column indicating water
flow in the range 0 – 2.5 l/min
 Air flow rate in Column Air 1 4.5 mm orifice in cap at top of column connected to 50 mBar
differential pressure sensor at rear of console, indicating air flow in the range 0 – 60.2 l/min
 Air flow rate in Column Air 2 2.0 mm orifice in cap at top of column connected to 50 mBar
differential pressure sensor at rear of console, indicating air flow in the range 0 – 11.9 L/min
 Pressure drop in Column H2O Tappings 450 mm apart, connected to 50 mBar differential
pressure sensor at rear of console, indicating pressure drop in the range 0 - 50 mBar
 Pressure drop in Column Air 1 Tappings 450 mm apart, connected to 50 mBar differential
pressure sensor at rear of console, indicating pressure drop in the range 0 - 50 mBar
 Pressure drop in Column Air 2 Tappings 450 mm apart, connected to 50 mBar differential
pressure sensor at rear of console, indicating pressure drop in the range 0 - 50 mBar

Solid granules for the beds

Two samples of granular material are supplied with the equipment to allow immediate use. The
samples provided are different sizes of glass beads (called Ballotini) that provide spherical
granules of a regular size to allow comparison of theory with practical results.
The two sizes of glass bead supplied are as follows:
1x 1 kg pack of Ballotini Grade 5216 (Catalogue no. 136-001) Range 0.20 to 0.30mm (250
micron nominal).
2x 1 kg packs of Ballotini Grade 4502 (Catalogue no. 136-014) Range 0.50 to 0.75mm (625
micron nominal).
Procedure

Set the flow regulators in front of the column to minimum flow (fully anticlockwise).

Water
1) Switch on the water pump via the switch on the console.
2) Adjust the water flow rate in increments of 0.1 L/min by slowly turning the flow regulator
clockwise and observing the flow reading on the display.
3) At each setting allow the conditions to stabilize then record the:
i. Flowrate
ii. Differential pressure
iii. Height of the bed
iv. Observe and record the state of bed i.e. any movement of the granules.
4) Continue increasing the flow until the bed is fully fluidized and the pressure drop across
the bed remains constant for several readings.
5) Start decreasing the flow rate and record the parameters at each stabilized setting.

Air
1) Switch on the air compressor.
2) Adjust the air flow rate in increments of either 5 L/min (for large particles) or 0.5 L/min
(for small particles), by slowly turning the flow regulator clockwise and observing the
flow reading on the display.
3) At each setting allow the conditions to stabilize and then record the parameters.
4) Continue increasing the flow until the bed is fully fluidized (around 35 L/min for large
particles or 9.5 L/min for small particles)
5) Start decreasing the flow rate and record the parameters at each stabilized setting.

Measured Flow Measured Pressure Measured Bed Observed Bed State

Rate (L/min) Drop (mBar) Height (mm)
Calculations

Using experimental data:

1. Plot graphs for:
a. ΔP (Pa) vs log uc (m/s)
b. H vs uc & ΔP vs uc .Use the same x-axis scale for both graphs
c. Log (ΔP/L) vs log uc
2. Determine Lmf and emf
a. Find Lmf through interpolation from the data collected [Hint: See Plot (b) to find umf]
b. Use Equation 2 to solve for emf
3. Use Equation 3 and find e. Plot ln (u/umf) vs ln (e/emf)
4. Solve for Ga, Remf, Gmf, Ge, FE% and Fr.

Theoretical calculations:

1. Using an assumption of emf = 0.4

I. Solve Equation 5 to find Remf [Hint: Rearrange Equation 5 to equal to zero and
find the value of Remf which ensures that result]
II. Find umf using Equation 7.

2. Without using an assumption:

I. Use Equation 8 to solve for Remf
II. Find umf
III. Solve Equation 5 to find emf