Motion of a large object in a bubbling fluidized bed with a rotating distributor

This work studies the effect of a low-frequency rotating distributor on the motion of a large object immersed in a bubbling fluidized bed. The object size and density differ from those of the inert solids that conform the bed. Examples of objects moving in a bubbling fluidized bed include passive particles, catalysts and reactants. The rotation modifies the bed dynamics in the surroundings of the distributor and affects the motion of the object within the bed. A set of experiments was carried out in a lab-scale cylindrical bed, equipped with a perforated plate distributor that can rotate at around 1 Hz, for different bed aspect ratios, gas velocities, and object characteristics. Sizes were far larger than that of the solids of the dense phase and densities ranged from half the bed density to values around it. The experiments were video recorded, capturing the surface of the bed from above. As have often been noted, objects might remain in stagnant regions near the distributor and be lost or precluded to circulate. This can be avoided in most practical cases forcing the distributor to rotate. Also, the effect of rotation on the circulation time of the objects is presented, showing a general reduction of large circulation times. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.