Bed Expansion Characteristics of Annular Liquid-Fluidized Beds

Bed expansion data for annular liquid-fluidized beds have been obtained by using various sizes of glass spheres, iron balls, and lead shot fluidized by water and water-glycerol mixtures to cover wide range of variables. Generalized equations for predicting bed expansion have been obtained by extending the equation of motion of a single particle in a fluid to a multiparticle system of homogeneous fluidized bed. With the present experimental and literature data, the equation of motion for a single particle can be extended to a multiparticle system of homogeneous fluidized bed when the superficial velocity is modified by a factor [1-1.21 (1 — e)2/3]−1.56. The bed expansion characteristics in annular spaces are not different from those of tubes as long as the ratio of Deq/d/p > 8. © 1973, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.