ASPEN PLUS

Fluidised bed Model

Fluidbed models fluidized bed units. Small solid particles

enter the unit and a gas stream enters the bottom at a
sufficient velocity to fluidize the bed of solid particles in the
unit, causing it to behave like a liquid. Larger particles whose
settling velocity is greater than the velocity of the gas remain
in the bottom of the unit, while lighter particles may be
carried with the gas. Heat exchanger coils within the bed can
be used to transfer heat to the particles. Reactions may
occur within the fluidized bed.

Flowsheet Connectivity for Fluidbed

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Material Streams :
inlet One inlet material stream containing solids
One inlet material stream containing gas
Additional inlet material streams containing gas (optional)

Outlet
Two outlet material streams
If the fluidized bed contains a heat exchanger, provide inlet
and outlet streams for the heat exchange medium.
The inlet solids stream and the outlet solid and gas streams
must each have at least one substream with a particle size
distribution.

The fluidization principle

When fluidized, an initially stationary bed of solid particles is

transformed into a fluid-like state by an upward gas or liquid
stream. The volumetric flow rate of this gas or liquid stream
has to exceed a certain limiting value (mf denotes minimum
fluidization). In many respects, such a fluidized bed behaves
like a liquid:

The bed can be stirred like a liquid.

Objects of greater specific gravity sink, whereas those of
lower specific gravity float.
When the vessel is tilted, the bed surface resumes a
horizontal position.

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 If two adjacent fluidized beds with different bed heights are
connected to each other, the heights become equal.
The fluidized bed flows out like a liquid through a lateral
opening.

Forms of fluidized beds

Specifying Fluidbed

On the Specifications sheet, specify:

Bed mass or pressure drop

Bed void fraction at minimum fluidization
Geldart classification of particles in bed
Minimum fluidization velocity of bed or a
correlation for calculating it

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Fluidized Bed Model

Bed inventory and pressure drop of the fluidized bed

As mentioned in Circulating Fluidized Bed, two zones in the

fluidized bed have to be distinguished, the bottom zone in
the lower part of the fluidized bed that is characterized by
high solids volume concentrations, and the upper dilute
zone in which the solids volume concentration decreases
with increasing height. The general shape of the axial solids
volume concentration profile is shown below

The bottom zone with the height Hb and the upper dilute
zone with the height Hf can be differentiated. The total height
of the fluidized bed Ht is given as sum of the heights of the
bottom zone and upper dilute zone.

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 Axial solids volume concentration for fast fluidization

In the present model of the fluidized bed the bed inventory is

defined by either:
a given total bed mass mT,def
a given bed pressure drop ΔpBed,def

Effect of internals like tube bundles on the

bubble development

Influence of tube bundles on local bubble diameter dv]

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 Gas Distributors in Fluidized Beds
The gas distributor must satisfy the following requirements:
Ensure uniform fluidization over the entire cross section of
the bed
Provide complete fluidization of the bed without dead
spots
Maintain a constant pressure drop over long operation
periods

Often, the gas distributor design must also prevent solids from
raining through the grid both during operation and after the bed
has been shut off. The image below shows different types of
industrially used gas distributors with typical bubble
formations.

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Advantages and disadvantages of fluidized beds

The major advantages of the (gas/solid) fluidized bed as a

reaction system include:
1. Easy handling and transport of solids due to liquid-like
behavior of the fluidized-bed
2. Uniform temperature distribution due to intensive solids
mixing (no hot spots even with strongly exothermic
reactions)
3. Large solid/gas exchange area by virtue of small solids grain
size
4. High heat-transfer coefficients between bed and immersed
heating or cooling surfaces
5. Uniform (solid) product in batchwise process because of
intensive solids mixing

Set against these advantages are the following disadvantages:

1. Expensive solids separation or gas purification equipment
required because of solids entrainment by fluidizing gas
2. As a consequence of high solids mixing rate, backmixing of
gas and resulting lower conversion
3. In catalytic reactions, undesired bypass or broadening of
residence-time distribution for reaction gas due to bubble
development
4. Erosion of internals and attrition of solids (especially
significant with catalysts), resulting from high solids
velocities

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Industrial applications

Reactors
Heterogeneous Catalytic Gas-Phase Reactions (e.g.
catalytic cracking, synthesis of Acrylonitrile, Fischer-
Tropsch Synthesis, paraffin oxidation)
Combustion and Gasification Processes (e.g. power
plants (coal, biomass material), waste incineration
(sludge, residual plastics))
Polymerization of olefins

Solids Processing
Calcination
Roasting

Physical Operations
Heat Exchange
Granulation
Coating
Agglomeration
Drying

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