Hydrodynamic simulation of gas-solid bubbling fluidized bed containing horizontal tubes

Abstract

Hydrodynamic simulation of 2-D gas-solid bubbling fluidized bed containing staggered horizontal tubes was performed. The bubble hydrodynamics, bubble diameter and bubble rise velocity, were investigated and compared with experimental results elsewhere in the literature (Hull et al., 1999, Influence of Horizontal tube Banks on the Bubbling and Solids Mixing Behavior of Fluidized Beds. 15th Int. FBC Conference). The Eulerian-Eulerian Two Fluid Model (TFM) implemented in Fluent, version 6.3, was used for the governing equations with closure equations based on the Kinetic Theory of Granular Flow (KTGF). The numerical simulation showed that the horizontal tubes were the main source of bubble break up where bubbles break when they interact with the tubes and grew by coalescence until they reach the next row of tubes. Quantitative investigation of the bubble hydrodynamics also revealed that the predicted average bubble diameter and bubble rise velocity were in good agreement with the experimental results reported in the literature. It was observed that there were small bubbles formed on the lower-half part of the tubes which were usually interacted with an incoming bubble from below and left the tube after coalescence. As a result, the numerical simulation predicted a lower average bubble diameter and bubble rise velocity at the bottom of the tube banks than that reported in the literature.