Design of conical spouted beds for the handling of low-density solids

A study has been carried on the applicability of correlations previously proposed for the design of conical spouted beds, for the treatment of materials of density similar to that of glass, and for the handling of plastic materials (polyethylene, polypropylene, and extruded and expanded polystyrene). The correlations proposed allow for calculation of the geometric factors (angle and design of the base) of conical spouted beds for stable operation, the minimum velocity for spouting and dilute spouting, the operating pressure drop in both regimes, the peak pressure, the bed voidage, and the evolution of this voidage as the gas velocity is increased between the regimes of a spouted bed and a dilute spouted bed.