The spouted bed presents limitations in terms of scale-up. Furthermore, its stability depends on its geometry as well as the properties of the fluid and solid phases. CFD provides an important tool to improve understanding of these aspects, enabling a wide range of information to be obtained rapidly and at low cost. In this work, CFD simulation was used to evaluate the effects of different inlet air distributors (Venturi and straight tube) and the effects of static bed height on the fluid and solid dynamics of a conical spouted bed. Simulations were performed using the two-dimensional Euler-Euler approach. In order to evaluate the fluid dynamics model, static pressure data obtained by simulation were compared with experimental data obtained with the Venturi distributor. The fluid and solid dynamics of the conical spouted bed were obtained by CFD simulation. The results showed that the pressure drop was lower for the straight tube air distributor, while the Venturi air distributor provided higher stability and a more homogenous air distribution at the bed entrance.
The purpose of this study is to perform the fluid dynamic analysis of a modified mechanical stirring spouted bed, which has been proposed as a promising alternative to the conventional spouted bed. Thus, a comparison is also performed between the dynamic behaviors of such equipment. The addition of the stirrer to the spouted bed enhanced the movement of particles in the bed. The mechanical stirring spouted bed presented better performance than the conventional configuration at stirrer rotations above 90 rpm. Small particles were less susceptible to the effect of stirrer rotation than large particles, demanding a higher rotation to provide a lower minimum air flow rate. The proposed model provided good predictions in terms of maximum pressure drop and minimum air velocity in the modified mechanical stirring spouted bed. The findings of this study contribute to the development of versatile and promising equipment for different processes and operations, providing the key parameters for an appropriate design.
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