1984 Volume 17 Issue 2 Pages 132-139
The flow regimes of a tapered fluidized bed were represented on a diagram with two lines which show positions of the minimum fluidization velocity and the terminal falling velocity. The diagram was used to calculate the bed height and pressure drop by a proposed method. The results were compared with measurements for two-dimensional tapered fluidized beds. Some hydraulic characteristics were discussed on the basis of the measured voidage distributions.
The results show that the proposed method predicts the bed height and pressure drop on the basis of the empirical voidage, which is expressed as a power function of the local superficial velocity. The calculation procedure is also applicable to multi-species particle systems with an assumption of complete segregation of the species. The voidage in a tapered fluidized bed of large apex angle is smaller and its dependence on velocity is less than that for a cylindrical fluidized bed. This suppresses bed expansion and promotes mixing between different solid species.
