The effect of biomass particles on the gas distribution and dilute phase characteristics of sand-biomass mixtures fluidized in the bubbling regime

The gas distribution between the dilute (bubble) and dense (emulsion) phases of a fluidized bed is studied locally and globally in the bubbling regime for mixtures composed of sand and different weight fractions of biomass (2-16%). The dilute phase has been characterized by analyzing the pressure and voidage signals. A suite of pressure transducers was used to measure pressure fluctuations at different locations along the bed. A reflective optical probe measured local voidage signals and was placed at different radii (0