Scale-up of bubbling fluidized beds with continuous particle flow based on particle-residence-time distribution

•It was possible to obtain similar RTDs in geometrically similar bubbling fluidized beds.•A simple scaling method was proposed without need of changing particle size and gas velocity.•RTDs of BFBs at different scales could be predicted by using the simple scaling method.

Few studies have investigated scale-up of the residence-time distribution (RTD) of particles in bubbling fluidized beds (BFBs) with continuous particle flow. Two approaches were investigated in this study: first, using well-known scaling laws that require changes in particle properties and gas velocity; second, using a simple approach keeping the same particles and gas velocity for different beds. Our theoretical analysis indicates it is possible to obtain similar RTDs in different BFBs with scaling laws if the plug-flow residence time (tplug) is changed as m0.5, where m is the scaling ratio of the bed; however, neither approach can ensure similar RTDs if tplug is kept invariant. To investigate RTD variations using two approaches without changing tplug, we performed experiments in three BFBs. The derivatives dE(θ)/dθ (where E(θ) is the dimensionless RTD density function and θ is the dimensionless time) in the early stage of the RTDs always varied with m−1, which was attributed to the fact that the particle movement in the early stage were mainly subject to dispersion. Using the simple approach, we obtained similar RTDs by separately treating the RTDs in the early and post-stages. This approach guarantees RTD similarity and provides basic rules for designing BFBs.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide