Fluid Bed Reactors

Chapter (Not in book)

CH EN 4393
Terry A. Ring

Fluidization
Minimum Fluidization
Void Fraction
Superficial Velocity

Bubbling Bed Expansion

Prevent Slugging
Poor gas/solid contact

Fluidization
Fluid Bed
Particles
mean particle size, Angular
Shape Factor
Void fraction = 0.4 (bulk density)

Geldart, D. Powder Technology

7,285(1973), 19,133(1978)

Fluidization
Regimes

Fluidization Regimes

Packed Bed
Minimum Fluidization
Bubbling Fluidization
Slugging (in some cases)
Turbulent Fluidization

Minimum Fluidization
Bed Void Fraction at Minimum Fluidization

Overlap of phenomenon
Kinetics
Depend upon solid content in bed

Mass Transfer
Depends upon particle Re number

Heat Transfer
Depends upon solid content in bed and gas Re

Fluid Dynamics
Fluidization function of particle Re
Particle elution rate terminal settling rate vs gas
velocity
Distribution Plate Design to prevent channeling

Packed Bed
Pressure Drop
vo 1
P v o LR

Dp
3

150 ( 1 )

Dp

1.75 v o

110

Void Fraction, =0.2-0.4, Fixed

ft

110

P v

110

psi
100
10

0.2

0.4

0.6
v

0.8

Now if particles are free to move?

Void Fraction
2

Dp S g
3

Void Fraction, =0.2-0.4 packed

Becomes
MF=0.19 to F=0.8.

Bed Void Fraction

2
15 ( 1 ) v o Dp
1.75 v o Dp

ft 0.8

f vo
mf

f vR

0.6
0.4
0.2
0

0.2

MF Pressure drop equals the weight of Bed

50 1 f v o

vo

0.4
Gmf

ft
s

vR
ft
s

Superficial Gas Velocity (ft/s)

vo

150 ( 1 )

Fluid Bed Pressure Drop

ft

P f vo
Pressure Drop (psi)

Lower Pressure Drop

@ higher gas velocity
Highest Pressure
Drop at onset of
fluidization

60

psi
P mf

40

psi

P f vR

20

psi
0

0.2
vo

0.4
Gmf

ft
s

vR
ft
s

Superficial Gas Velocity (ft/s)

Bed at Fluidization Conditions

Void Fraction is High

Solids Content is Low
Surface Area for Reaction is Low
Pressure Drop is Low
Good Heat Transfer
Good Mass Transfer

Distributor Plate Design

Pressure Drop over the Distributor Plate
should be 30% of Total Pressure Drop
( bed and distributor)
Pressure drop at distributor is bed pressure
drop.

Bubble Cap Design is often used

Bubble Caps
Advantages
Weeping is reduced or totally avoided
Sbc controls weeping

Good turndown ratio

Caps stiffen distributor plate
Number easily modified

Disadvantages

Expensive
Difficult to avoid stagnant regions
More subject to bubble coalescence
Difficult to clean
Difficult to modify

From Handbook of Fluidization and Fluid-Particle Systems By Wen-Ching Yang

Bubble Cap Design

Pressure drop controlled by
number of caps
stand pipe diameter
number of holes

Large number of caps

Good Gas/Solid Contact
Minimize dead zones
Less bubble coalescence

Low Pressure Drop

Pressure Drop in Bubble Caps

Pressure Drop Calculation Method
Compressible Fluid
Turbulent Flow
Sudden Contraction from Plenum to
Bottom of Distributor Plate
Flow through Pipe
Sudden Contraction from Pipe to hole
Flow through hole
Sudden Expansion into Cap

Elution of Particles from Bed

Terminal Settling Velocity

Particle Terminal
Setting Velocity
Dp

S g
9

When particles are

small they leave bed

Term
inal SettlingV
elocity(ft/s)

vt

4 g Dp S

3 f

Gas Velocity

50

100

150

Particle Diameter (microns)

200

Cyclone
Used to capture
eluted particles and
return to fluid bed
Design to capture
most of eluted
particles
Pressure Drop

P i( V) 0.24 V

Big particles

Cyclone Equations
Cyclone Design
Perry's HB 5th ed,
+7th
ed,
17-28
Inlet Velocity as a function of
Cyclone Size
QR
Vin Dc
2
Dc

Dc = Cyclone diameter

Cut Size (D50%)

D50 Dc

Dc
4

N Vin Dc Vin Dc Si

Dc
D
50

4 2

N Vi

 Diameter where
50% leave, 50%
captured
1

D50

Dc

N Vin S

Cut Size Particle Diameter (microns)

Cyclone Cut Size

100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Cyclone Diameter(ft)

Size Selectivity Curve

D
SS( D) 1 exp 0.693

D50

3.12

Size Selectivity

0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0

20

40
Particle Diameter (microns)

24 in cyclone
14 in cyclone
D50 for 24 in Cyclone
20 in cyclone
Diameter of Eluted Particles

60

Mass Transfer
Particle Mass Transfer
Sh= KMTD/DAB = 2.0 + 0.6 Re1/2 Sc1/3

Bed Mass Transfer

Complicated function of

Gas flow
Particles influence turbulence
Particles may shorten BL
Particles may be inert to MT

Fluid Bed Reactor Conclusions

The hard part is to get the fluid dynamics
correct
Kinetics, MT and HT are done within the
context of the fluid dynamics

Heat Transfer
Particle Heat Transfer
Nu= hD/k = 2.0 + 0.6 Re1/2 Pr1/3

Bed Heat Transfer

Complicated function of
Gas flow
Particle contacts