Study of Fluidization Regimes using OpenFOAM Computational Fluid Dynamics

The objective of this study was using computational fluid dynamics simulation with OpenFOAM to study the fluidization properties for four types of particles classified as Geldart A, B, C and D. Fluidization regimes were studied for particles with the same density but different diameters. The particle diameters were selected based on Geldart’s classification of particles. The simulation results were validated against experimental data. Pressure gradient, flow regime change, bubble rise, bubble splitting and bed expansion were studied for all four types of particles for different superficial velocities. Group-B and D particles easily produced bubbles. However, Group-C and A particles gave very high bed expansion, and no clear bubbles were observed. Bed with the Group-D particles, the bubbles was large and some of the bubbles reached the diameter of the bed. Group-B particles gave smaller and on average more stable bubbles than Group-D particles. There was no bubble formation from Group-C and Group-A until the inlet superficial velocity was 25 times and 5 times larger, respectively, than their minimum fluidization velocities.

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