A4 Fluidización

GRADO EN INGENIERÍA QUÍMICA INDUSTRIAL
School: ESCUELA SUPERIOR DE INGENIERÍA Y TECNOLOGÍA
Course: EXPERIMENTACIÓN EN INGENIERÍA QUÍMICA I
Lab Experiment PR-A4:

FLUIDIZATION
FLUIDIZATION Page -1-

INDEX:
1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 3
2. STEPS OF THE FLUIDIZATION PROCESS .................................................................. 3
3. DETERMINATION OF THE MINIMUM FLUIDIZATION VELOCITY .............................. 4
4. EXPERIMENT OBJETIVE ......................................................................................... 5
5. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE ................................................................................. 5
6. BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................... 6

1. INTRODUCTION
Fluidization is a unit operation, in which the action of a moving fluid causes a state of
agitation in a solid phase formed by a granular material. Two fundamental characteristics of
this operation are:
1. The great superficial development of the solid and, therefore, of the solid-fluid
interaction area.
2. The high degree of turbulence produced by this interaction.
Two of the basic phenomena studied by Chemical Engineering are heat and mass
transfer. Both depend fundamentally on the greater or lesser surface through which the
process takes place, and on the thickness of the layer in laminar regime that surrounds or
envelops the solid that is in relative motion with respect to the fluid.
Through this layer, heat transfer is carried out by conduction, and mass transfer by
diffusion, being both extraordinarily slow mechanisms. It is therefore understandable that, in
cases where it is desired a great development of these phenomena, two aspects should be
considered: the transmission surface to be as large as possible and the thickness of such layer
to be reduced to the maximum. Both circumstances, especially the first one, occur in fluidized
beds, hence their huge interest.
Since the indicated transport phenomena occur very fast, both concentration and
temperature gradients are very small, and therefore processes carried out in fluidized beds
take place under practically isothermal conditions.
Generally, reactors that work with fluidized beds are cylindrical, and they are provided,
at the bottom, with a grid or porous plate, designed to support the solid when the fluid does
not flow through it, or when its flow rate is very small, and at the same time to distribute the
fluid evenly in the mass of the granular solid, when the fluid is flowing through it.
2. STEPS OF THE FLUIDIZATION PROCESS

Initially, when no fluid is flowing through the bed, the solid fills the reactor up to a
certain height. In that case a fixed bed exists, which remains as such as the flow rate of the
fluid gradually increases. In this first step, the fluid circulates through a porous bed,
experiencing a head loss (P) that is a function of the bed's porosity, its height and section, the
porosity of the solid particles, and other fluid characteristics, such as as: density, viscosity and
velocity of the fluid, resulting in a straight line when plotting P versus velocity (log – log
graph).
As the fluid velocity increases, there is a time when its dynamic action allows a
rearrangement of solid particles, where they will be oriented just to offer the least resistance
to the fluid passage through the bed, increasing the porosity of the bed. The solid particles are
not yet in a state of agitation. The bed can then be considered as a "fixed bed" that has
reached its maximum volume or as a “fluidized bed” with zero agitation of particles,
represented by point "O" in Figure 1. At this moment the bed would not fall even if the bottom

plate is removed.
From that moment on, although we keep increasing the fluid velocity, the head loss
does not rise because the solid particles can only oppose their own weight to the ascending
fluid, and then, the state of "fluidized bed" is reached, presenting the solid the appearance of
a boiling liquid. If we continue increasing the fluid velocity and the system momentum, the
terminal velocity of particles will be reached and the bed will then be dragged, thereby
reducing the head loss to practically zero (Figure 1). The velocity at which the transition from
fixed bed to fluidized bed occurs is called the minimum fluidization velocity, and at that
moment it happens that:
P  S  F   peso del lecho  empuje 1

being S the cross-sectional area of the bed. In general, in industry, it is used a fluid velocity
between 2 to 5 times the minimum fluidization velocity.
Log
O LECHO FLUIDIZADO
P
P
V flu id iza ció n m íni ma Vt Log

V
FIGURE 1. Head loss versus gas velocity
3. DETERMINATION OF THE MINIMUM FLUIDIZATION VELOCITY

In practice, the representation of the head loss in the bed, P, against the fluid
velocity, V, is not exactly like the previously mentioned, but rather a small curve appears (in a
random critical zone), in forma of a small shoulder of maximum head loss because particles
resist starting moving as a consequence of their packing (see Figure 2).
Likewise, the section that theoretically should be horizontal is not exactly that way,
presenting a slight positive slope, due to the increase in energy loss for friction as velocity
increases.
The minimum fluidization velocity can be determined as the one corresponding to the
intersection point of the extension of the two straight lines mentioned, taking into account the
head loss corresponds only to the bed and not including the head loss caused by the plate.

Log
LECHO FLUIDIZADO
P
P
V fluidización mínima Vt Log

V
FIGURE 2. Real variation of head loss vs gas velocity
4. EXPERIMENT OBJETIVE
To determine the minumum fluidization velocity of two sand beds (perfectly sieved),
when air is used as fluid.
5. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
Figure 3 shows a scheme of the experimental system.
FIGURE 3. Scheme of the experimental installation

For carrying out the experiment it is necessary:
1.- To check the proposed calibration of the diaphragm (see Figure 4)
For this, at least three readings of the diaphragm head loss will be performed and the
corresponding air flow measured, with the help of a volume meter and a chronometer. The
three points will be represented and it will be verified how they fit the proposed calibration
curve (in calculations the current ambient temperature and pressure will be considered).
2.- In order to graphically obtain the mínimum fluidization velocity, we need to measure:
2.1 The head loss caused by the porous plate, h plate, for a series of gas flow rates large
enough to pass from fixed bed to a fluidized bed. The gas flow rates will be
obtained from the readings of the hdiaphragm and its calibration curve (Figure 4).
2.2 The head loss caused by the porous plate and the bed, for the same previous flows
used (flows used may be other alternative ones).
3.- With these experimental data it will be posible to calculate:
3.1 The gas flow velocity through the bed (from the circulating air flow and the bed cross-
sectional area), and
3.2 The head loss caused by the bed.
With all this it will be possible to represent
Pbed versus V gas
and thus to obtain the minimum fluidization velocity corresponding to the bed under study,
under the specific conditions used.
6. BIBLIOGRAPHY
 McCabe, W.L., Smith, J.C. y Harriott, P. Operaciones unitarias en ingeniería química. 7ª.
Ed., McGraw-Hill Interamericana, 2007.
 Coulson, J.M. & Richardson, J.F.. Ingeniería Química. Tomo II. Operaciones Básicas.
Reverté, 1981.
 McCabe, W.L., Smith J.C. Operaciones básicas de Ingeniería Química. Edición Reverte.

FIGURE 4. Calibration of the diaphragm of the fluidization system

A4 Fluidización

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GRADO EN INGENIERÍA QUÍMICA INDUSTRIAL

School: ESCUELA SUPERIOR DE INGENIERÍA Y TECNOLOGÍA

Course: EXPERIMENTACIÓN EN INGENIERÍA QUÍMICA I

Lab Experiment PR-A4:

FLUIDIZATION Page -1-

FLUIDIZATION Page -2-

2. STEPS OF THE FLUIDIZATION PROCESS

FLUIDIZATION Page -3-

P  S  F   peso del lecho  empuje 1

V flu id iza ció n m íni ma Vt Log

FIGURE 1. Head loss versus gas velocity

3. DETERMINATION OF THE MINIMUM FLUIDIZATION VELOCITY

FLUIDIZATION Page -4-

V fluidización mínima Vt Log

FIGURE 2. Real variation of head loss vs gas velocity

FIGURE 3. Scheme of the experimental installation

FLUIDIZATION Page -5-

1.- To check the proposed calibration of the diaphragm (see Figure 4)

3.- With these experimental data it will be posible to calculate:

3.2 The head loss caused by the bed.

With all this it will be possible to represent

Pbed versus V gas

FLUIDIZATION Page -6-

FLUIDIZATION Page -7-

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