Abstract
The axial dispersion characteristics of liquid phase in two (gas-liquid, liquid-solid) and three (gas-liquid-solid) phase fluidized beds were studied in a 14.5 cm-I.D. column.
The effects of liquid velocity (2-13 cm/s), gas velocity (0-12 cm/s), liquid viscosity (1-27 cP), surface tension (38.5-76 dyn/cm) and particle size (1.7-6.0 mm) on axial dispersion of liquid phase were examined.
Liquid-phase axial dispersion in terms of Peclet numbers were correlated empirically by equations involving the ratio of fluid velocities and the ratio of particle-to-column diameters. The dispersion coefficients increased with gas flow rate, liquid surface tension and viscosity. However, liquid viscosity generally reduced the coefficient in beds of smaller particles at higher gas rates.
