An Efficient Model for Predicting the Segregation Profile of Binary Fluidized Beds

Abstract

In most cases, the stationary fluidized beds are composed of two different particle classes (inert and active particles), and the concentration profile of these binary beds along the vertical axis is crucial regarding the effectiveness of the reactor. The present study introduces a semi-empirical 1D mathematical model for predicting the vertical concentration profile of binary fluidized beds. The proposed model is a developed and applicable version of the so-called Gibilaro and Rowe two-phase model, in which the differential equations describing the jetsam movement in the bulk and wake phases were solved numerically. The main work was to determine the parameters of the basic model, which was carried out by means of an advanced multi-step parameter fitting procedure. A more general form was established, which is based on direct linkage with the operating parameters that can be directly set and measured on the system. Comparisons with very diverse measured data sets available in the literature prove the accuracy of this model. Additional comparisons pointed out that the realization of this model is numerically inexpensive as it is several orders of magnitude faster than the available 2D and 3D models.