Entrainment of FCC particles from a pilot scale bubbling fluidized bed. Part 2: A mechanistic model

•The model takes into account the particle size distribution along the freeboard.•It considers particle agglomeration due to interparticle forces.•The model reproduced the exponential trend of entrainment flux decay.•The model predicts the mean bubble diameter in accordance to experimental results.

So far there are no models to evaluate the entrainment flux and size distribution of FCC particles along the freeboard for large bubbling fluidized beds – BFB – taking into consideration particle agglomeration due to interparticle forces. A model was proposed to account for this phenomenon based on the available information, considering vertical ejection of particles due to bubble eruption on the bed surface and their trajectories' determination by Newton's second law. The model reproduced the exponential decay trend of the entrainment flux and, in general, estimated particle elutriation fluxes within a mean deviation of 15.82% and a maximum equal to 43.76% to those obtained experimentally. The model overestimated the size of the elutriated particles, with deviations ranging from 20.82 to 32.77%.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide