Abstract
The effect of ambient air temperature on the minimum fluidization velocity Umf of glass beads is investigated by Distinct Element Method (DEM). Under different ambient air temperatures, the pressure drop curves are calculated by DEM to determine Umf. The mean kinetic energy E of particles is defined to judge whether the particles move or not. The fluidization characteristics of fluidized bed are investigated in details. The calculated Umf is compared with empirical data. The different behavior of Geldart B and D particles against temperature is reproduced numerically. Umf decreases with increasing ambient temperature for Geldart B particles, while it increases for Geldart D particles.
