Manipal University

Department of Chemical Engineering

CE 1631-TRANSPORT PHENOMENA LABORATORY-2

3rd YEAR, 6TH SEMESTER 2019
EXPERIMENT 9
FLUIDIZED BED HEAT TRANSFER UNIT
INSTRUCTOR:
Dr. ANAND GUPTA CHAKINALA
Dr. MOHD OAYES MIDDA
GROUP 4
MUKUND SAI TEJA PB
169102015
Experiment carried on: MARCH 05, 2019
Report submitted on : MARCH 12, 2019

PRELAB……………………………………………………………………………..… (10) ______

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY………………………………………………………….... (10) ______
INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVES/SCOPE/PROCEDURE ……………………….….. (30) ______
RESULTS & DISCUSSION…………………………………………………………... (30) ______
CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………………… (5) ______
REFERENCES ………………………………………………………………………... (5) ______
APPENDIX
Original data, sample calculations, other information………………………………… (5) ______
GENERAL COMPLETENESS
Conciseness and neatness……………………………………………………………… (5) ______
TOTAL……………………………………………………………………………… (100) _____

1
2
Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................ 4
OBJECTIVE ............................................................................................................................................... 5
INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................................... 5
FORMULAE ............................................................................................................................................... 6
EXPERIMENTAL SETUP ........................................................................................................................ 7
PROCEDURE ............................................................................................................................................. 8
CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................................... 9
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................................ 9
APPENDIX ................................................................................................................................................ 10

3
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Fluidization of a bed is a process of passing air through a solid (sand) in such a manner that the
particles inside the bed behave like a fluid. The objective of this experiment is to calculate the
overall heat transfer coefficient using fluidized bed. The experiment is conducted at different
temperatures and temperature of sand is noted down. Pressure drop is calculated using a
manometer. Using the above parameters, overall heat transfer coefficient is calculated at different
temperatures and also using the Pressure drop and the densities of air and sand and the fluidization
length inside the bed the porosity if calculated.

4
OBJECTIVE
To calculate/ determine the overall heat transfer coefficient and to study the relationship between
heat transfer coefficient and porosity.

INTRODUCTION
Bed fluidization is a process where a solid particles under suitable conditions cause a solid/fluid
mixture to behave as a fluid. This results in the medium having properties and characteristics of
normal fluids, like the ability to free-flow under gravity, or to be pumped using fluid type
equipment. Fluidized beds are mainly used of cracking of high molecular-weight petroleum
fractions. These beds have excellent heat transfer and mixing characteristics. They consists of large
surface area of contact between liquid and gas or solid and gas or liquid, is obtained for achieving
rapid heat and mass transfer for chemical reaction.1

Fluidization of bed occurs when the pressure drop due to the flow through the bed is equivalent to
the weight of the bed and when the particles are loosely packed. The pressure drop across the bed
balances the gravitational force on the particles. By increasing the velocity, particles are separated
to move about the bed. For fluidization to achieve a minimum velocity is required. Gas flow is
introduced through the bottom of a bed of solid particles using a compressor.

Fluidized beds have many advantages:

• They allow for uniform particle mixing.

• Since solid particles behave as a fluid, there is sufficient mixing unlike poor mixing that
occurs in packed beds.
• They create a unique temperature gradient.

The physical and the geometrical properties of solid materials affects the fluidization process. The
important solid properties are geometrical shape, size and density. A fluidized bed is known as a
state of a two-phase mixture of solid material and fluid because of the bed characteristics similar
to those of liquids.

Fluidization is of two types:

1. Particulate fluidization: In this small particles are present such that velocity is low. Thus,
bed fluidizes evenly with each particle.

5
 2. Aggregative fluidization: Also called as bubbling fluidization. In this particle large size
particle are present such that velocity is comparatively high. Bubbling fluidization occurs
in gas-fluidized beds. Thus, fluidization is uneven which leads to the formation of large
bubbles.

Fluidized beds are extensively used in chemical industries for chemical reactions like combustion
and catalytic cracking. Fluid catalytic cracking of heavy oil is the largest industrial application of
fluidization process. They are also used in physical and mechanical processes, such as coating and
drying.

FORMULAE
• β = Diameter of orifice / Diameter of tube
• ΔP = (ρair) * g * (H2 – H1)
• ΔP = (1-ɛ)( ρs-ρair) *L* g
• Cd = v [(1-β4)/2gc*(- ΔP/ρair)] 0.5
• Q = m*Cp* ΔT
• Q = UABΔT
• AB =2 π r2 +2 π r h
• AO = (π/4) do2
• V = v * AO
• m = V * ρair
Where,
ΔP = pressure drop in manometer
ρair = density of air
Cd = Discharge coefficient
Cp = specific heat
AB = Area of bed
V = Volumetric flow rate
AO = Area of orifice
do = diameter of orifice
m = mass flow rate
U = overall heat transfer coefficient

6
L = length to which the sand particles rise (considered as 0.75*Lt bed)

EXPERIMENTAL SETUP

The experimental set-up consist of a bed of diameter 5cm which consist of sand as the solid
particulate. Two thermocouples are attached to the fluidized bed to indicate the inlet and outlet
temperature. An orifice meter is used to calculate the flowrate of air. Control valve is present at
the starting point of the orifice. It is used to control the flowrate. Manometer is used for pressure
drop calculation which consist of water to indicate the height difference. The air is fed using a
compressor which has two pressure gauges to measure the tube pressure and the compressor’s
pressure.

7
PROCEDURE
Start-up

1. Ensure that all the switches on the panel are at OFF position.
2. And check that all the valves are closed.
3. Calibrate the manometer.

Working

1. The compressor is switched on followed by heater to heat up the sand. Thus, air is fed using the
compressor. Control valve is used to control the air flowrate.
2. Note down the temperature of solid at different temperature and flowrates.
Shut-down

1. Turn off the compressor and allow sand to cool.

2. Close the valve
3. Switch off the main power supply.

8
RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS
The Overall heat transfer coefficient is 204.242 W/m2 ˚C and the porosity calculated is 0.9998.
Density and specific heat of air is calculated at average temperature.

CONCLUSION
The aim of this experiment is to measure the overall heat transfer coefficient (U) across the
fluidized bed. The pressure-drop and flow-rates were used to calculate the U.

REFERENCES
1. Alan, S. F., Leonard, A. W., Curtis, W. C., Louis, M. & Anderson, L. B. Principles of Unit Operations.
(2010).

9
APPENDIX
Data analysis

Diameter of orifice = 0.0045 m

Diameter of tube = 0.05 m
Diameter of pipe = 0.0095 m
CD = 0.64
g = 981 cm/s2
β = 0.09
L = 22.5 cm
ΔP = 4.8069kg/ms

Table 1: Data collected from experiment

T3 T1 T2 Tsand H1 H2
75 29 67.2 75 19 19.4
80 30.2 71.2 80 19 19.4
85 30.9 75.4 85 19 19.4

Table 2: Data calculated

Q(m3/s) U(W/m2˚C) ɛ
0.55269766 204.242308 0.999981
0.59320953 204.242308 0.999981
0.643849368 204.242308 0.999981

10