Influence of inlet air distributor geometry on the fluid dynamics of conical spouted beds: A CFD study

Abstract

The spouted bed presents limitations in terms of scale-up. Furthermore, its stability depends on its geometry as well as the properties of the fluid and solid phases. CFD provides an important tool to improve understanding of these aspects, enabling a wide range of information to be obtained rapidly and at low cost. In this work, CFD simulation was used to evaluate the effects of different inlet air distributors (Venturi and straight tube) and the effects of static bed height on the fluid and solid dynamics of a conical spouted bed. Simulations were performed using the two-dimensional Euler-Euler approach. In order to evaluate the fluid dynamics model, static pressure data obtained by simulation were compared with experimental data obtained with the Venturi distributor. The fluid and solid dynamics of the conical spouted bed were obtained by CFD simulation. The results showed that the pressure drop was lower for the straight tube air distributor, while the Venturi air distributor provided higher stability and a more homogenous air distribution at the bed entrance.