Particle Measurement Sensor for in situ determination of phase structure of fluidized bed

Based on three-dimensional (3D) acceleration sensing, an intelligent particle spy capable of detecting, transferring, and storing data, is proposed under the name of Particle Measurement Sensor (PMS). A prototype 60-mm-dia PMS was tested to track its freefall in terms of velocity and displacement, and served as a particle spy in a fluidized bed delivering the in situ acceleration information it detects. With increasing superficial gas velocity in the fluidized bed, the acceleration felt by PMS was observed to increase. The variance of the signals, which reflect the fluctuation, increased at first, reaching a maximum at the gas velocity (Uc) which marks the transition from bubbling to turbulent fluidization. Through probability density distribution (PDD) analysis, the PDD peak can be divided into the emulsion phase peak and the bubble phase peak. The average acceleration of emulsion and bubble phase increased, while the variance of both phases reached a maximum at Uc, at the same time. However, the difference between the variances of two phases reached the maximum at Uc. Findings of this study indicate that PMS can record independent in situ information. Further, it can provide other in situ measurements when equipped with additional multi-functional sensors.