Fluid Bed Reactors

Chapter (Not in book)

CH EN 4393
Terry A. Ring
 Overlap of phenomenon
• Kinetics
– Depend upon solid content in bed
• Mass Transfer
– Depends upon particle Re number
• Heat Transfer
– Depends upon solid content in bed and gas Re
• Fluid Dynamics
– Fluidization – function of particle Re
– Particle elution rate
– Distribution Plate Design to prevent channeling
 Packed Bed
• Pressure Drop

 −v o  1 − ε ⋅  150⋅ ( 1 − ε ) ⋅ µ + 1.75ρ 
∆P ( v o) := LR⋅  ⋅ ⋅ ⋅
Dp  3  D
v o
  ε  p 

5
1×10

4
Void Fraction, ε=0.2-0.4 1×10
 ft 
− ∆P  v ⋅  3
 s  1×10
psi
100

10
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8
v
 Now if particle are free to move?
• Void Fraction


ε f vo ⋅
ft  0.8


Bed Void Fraction

 s
0.6
Void Fraction, ε=0.2-0.4 packed ε mf
Becomes 0.4
εMF =0.19 to εF=0.8.
( )
ε f vR
0.2

0
0 0.2 0.4
MF Pressure drop equals the weight of Bed
Gmf
ρ vR
vo , ,
ft ft
s s

Superficial Gas Velocity (ft/s)

 Fluid Bed Pressure Drop
• Lower Pressure Drop  ft 
∆P f vo ⋅ ,ε
@ higher gas velocity  s  60

Pressure Drop (psi)

psi
• Highest Pressure ∆P mf
40
Drop at onset of psi

fluidization (
∆P f vR , ε ) 20
psi

0
0 0.2 0.4
Gmf
ρ vR
vo , ,
ft ft
s s

Superficial Gas Velocity (ft/s)

 Bed at Fluidization Conditions
• Void Fraction is High
• Solids Content is Low
• Surface Area for Reaction is Low
• Pressure Drop is Low
• Good Heat Transfer
• Good Mass Transfer
 Distributor Plate Design
• Pressure Drop over the Distributor Plate
should be 30% of Total Pressure Drop
( bed and distributor)
– Pressure drop at distributor is ½ bed pressure
drop.
• Bubble Cap Design is often used
 Elution of Particles from Bed
T e r m in a l S e t t lin g V e lo c it y
• Particle Terminal 4
Setting Velocity
3
4 g ⋅ Dp  ρSi − ρ 
v t := ⋅ ⋅ 
3 f  ρ 

Terminal Settling Velocity (ft/s)

2

• When particles are 1

small they leave bed
0
0 50 100 150 200
Gas Velocity
P a r tic le D ia m e te r ( m ic r o n s )
 Cyclone
• Used to capture
eluted particles and
return to fluid bed
• Design to capture
most of eluted
particles
 Cyclone Cut Size
• Diameter where 100
90

Cut Size Particle Diameter (microns)

50% leave, 50% 80
captured 70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 1 2 3 4

Cyclone Diameter(ft)
 Size Selectivity Curve

0.8
Size Selectivity

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
20 40 60

Particle Diameter (microns)

24 in cyclone
14 in cyclone
D50 for 24 in Cyclone
20 in cyclone
Diameter of Eluted Particles
 Mass Transfer
• Particle Mass Transfer
– Sh= KMTD/DAB = 2.0 + 0.6 Re1/2 Sc1/3
• Bed Mass Transfer
– Complicated function of
• Gas flow
• Particles influence turbulence
• Particles may shorten BL
• Particles may be inert to MT
 Fluid Bed Reactor Conclusions
• The hard part is to get the fluid dynamics
correct
• Kinetics, MT and HT are done within the
context of the fluid dynamics
 Heat Transfer
• Particle Heat Transfer
– Nu= hD/k = 2.0 + 0.6 Re1/2 Pr1/3
• Bed Heat Transfer
– Complicated function of
• Gas flow
• Particle contacts