Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-21T17:25:04.749Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The propagation of a voidage disturbance in a uniformly fluidized bed

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 April 2006

D. J. Needham
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Mathematical Studies, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, England
J. H. Merkin
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Mathematical Studies, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, England

Abstract

By considering the evolution of a localized voidage disturbance imposed on an otherwise uniformly fluidized bed we are able to determine the dominant effects of the many terms in the continuum equations of motion governing a fluidized bed. For small perturbations a linearized theory is developed, showing that the stability of the uniform state is critically dependent upon the particle-phase collisional pressure and the flow rate of the uniform state, while the effect of particle phase viscosity is shown to be purely dispersive. When the uniform state is stable, the disturbance is shown to develop into a decaying pulse followed by a decaying wavetrain.

For finite-amplitude disturbance, nonlinear effects are considered. These are shown to give rise to the propagation of high voidage gradients through the bed. Having established that such voidage fronts will develop, a detailed study of their structure is made. This gives strong indications that, for flow rates at which the uniform state is unstable, the bed will restabilize into a quasisteady periodic state.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 1983 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anderson, T. B. & Jackson, R. 1967 Ind. Engng Chem. Fund. 6, 527.
Anderson, T. B. & Jackson, R. 1968 Ind. Engng Chem. Fund. 7, 12.
Drew, D. A. & Segal, L. A. 1971 Stud. Appl. Maths 50, 205.
Fanucci, J. B., Ness, N. & Yen, R. 1979 J. Fluid Mech. 94, 353.
Garg, S. K. & Pritchett, J. W. 1975 J. Appl. Phys. 46, 4493.
Homsy, G. M., EL-KAISSEY, M. M. & Didwania, A. 1980 Int. J. Multiphase Flow 6, 305.
Murray, J. D. 1965 J. Fluid Mech. 21, 465.
Nayfeh, A. H. 1973 Perturbation Methods. Wiley-Interscience.
Richardson, J. F. 1971 In Fluidization (ed. J. F. Davidson & D. Harrison). Academic.
Saffman, P. G. 1973 Stud. Appl. Maths 15, 115.
Whitham, G. B. 1974 Linear and Nonlinear Waves. Wiley-Interscience.
Zenz, F. A. 1971 In Fluidization (ed. J. F. Davidson & D. Harrison). Academic.
Zenz, F. A. & Othmer, D. F. 1960 Fluidization and Fluid–Particle Systems. Reinhold.