EXPERIMENT NO.

1(a)

FLOW THROUGH FLUIDIZED BED (AIR & WATER)

1. Aim
Study of hydrodynamic and bed characteristics for flow through fluidized beds.
2. Objective
To determine the minimum fluidization velocity experimentally as well as
theoretically.
To study the bed expansion characteristics of the fluidized bed (plot log NRe vs.
porosity and pressure drop vs. NRe).
3. Apparatus
Stop watch, graduated cylinders, beakers
4. Theory
When a liquid or a gas is passed at very low velocity up through a bed of solid particles, the
particles do not move, and the pressure drop is given by the Ergun equation. If the fluid
velocity is steadily increased, the pressure drop and the drag on individual particles increase,
and eventually the particles start to move and become suspended in the fluid. The terms
fluidization and fluidized bed are used to describe the condition of fully suspended
particles, since the suspension behaves like a dense fluid.
Fluidized beds are used extensively in the chemical process industries, particularly for the
cracking of high-molecular-weight petroleum fractions. Such beds inherently possess
excellent heat transfer and mixing characteristics. These are devices in which a large surface
area of contact between a liquid and a gas, or a solid and a gas or liquid is obtained for
achieving rapid mass and heat transfer and for chemical reactions.
The fluidized bed is one of the best known contacting methods used in the processing
industry, for instance in oil refinery plants. Among its chief advantages are that the particles
are well mixed leading to low temperature gradients, they are suitable for both small and
large scale operations and they allow continuous processing. There are many well established
operations that utilize this technology, including cracking and reforming of hydrocarbons,
coal carbonization and gasification, ore roasting, Fisher-Tropsch synthesis, coking,
aluminium production, melamine production, and coating preparations. Nowadays, you will
find fluidized beds used in catalyst regeneration, solid-gas reactors, combustion of coal,
roasting of ores, drying, and gas adsorption operations. The application of fluidization is also
well recognized in nuclear engineering as a unit operation for example, in uranium extraction,
nuclear fuel fabrication, reprocessing of fuel and waste disposal.
When a fluid is admitted at the bottom of a packed bed of solids at a low flow rate, it passes
upward through bed without causing any particle motion. If the particles are quite small, flow
in the channels between the particles will be laminar and the pressure drop across the bed will
be proportional to the superficial velocity (Vo) and for turbulent situations, pressure drop
across the bed increase nonlinearly with the increase in the superficial velocity. As the
velocity is gradually increased, the pressure drop increases, but particles do not move and the
bed height remains the same. At a certain velocity, the pressure drop across the bed
counterbalances the force of gravity on the particles or the weight of the bed, and any other
further increase in velocity causes the particles to move and the true fluidization begins. For a

high enough fluid velocity, the friction force is large enough to lift the particles. This
represents the onset of fluidization once the bed is fluidized pressure drop across the bed
remains constant, but the bed height continues to increase with increasing flow.

Figure 1 Fluidization regimes

In order to determine the pressure drop through a fixed bed for any flow condition, the Ergun
equation (1952) can be used:

dp is the size of particles (m)

L is the height of the bed (m)
is the viscosity of sir (N/m2.s)
U is the average superficial velocity (m/s)
is the bed voidage or porosity
is the density of air/water (kg/m3)
P is the pressure drop across the bed (N/m2)
The average Reynolds number based on superficial velocity which is given by,

If the Reynolds number is less than 10 then it is laminar flow and is greater than 2000 it is
turbulent flow. The rest of the values lie in the transition regime. If the flow rate of air/water
Q is measured in litres, A is the bed cross-sectional area and U is the superficial velocity in
m/s, then

Theoretically at incipient fluidization (the stage in the fluidized bed where the force on the
solid is enough to balance the weight of the solid material),

P is in mm of manometer
The pressure drop at fluidization can also be predicted by the equation,

p is the particle density (kg/m3)

is the fluid density (kg/m3)
g is the gravitational force (m/s2)
Minimum fluidization velocity:
Umf, the minimum fluidizing velocity, is frequently used in fluid-bed calculations and in
quantifying one of the particle properties. This parameter is best measured in small-scale
equipment at ambient conditions. The correlation given below can then be used to back
calculate dp. This gives a particle size that takes into account effects of size distribution and
sphericity. The correlation can then be used to estimate Umf at process conditions. If Umf
cannot be determined experimentally, use the expression below directly.
Assumption: - Consider the uniform particle size.
Remf = (1135.7 +0.0408Ar) 0.5 - 33.7

(Wen and Yu correlation for particles dp> 100 m)

Re mf d p f U mf /

Ar d 3 p f s f g / 2

(Ar is the Archimedes Number)

For particles of dp < 100 m, Baeyens and Geldart (1977) can be used,

5.
Experimental procedure
1.
The height of the static bed Z1 i.e. when there is no flow of water/air (porosity 1) was
noted.
2.
The flow of air/water in the column is started and the flow rates from the rotameter
were noted.
3.
The corresponding bed heights and pressure drop values were noted.
4.
The flow rates were increased steadily and similar data were collected at different
intervals.
5.
6 to 8 readings of flow rates were varied and reading were taken.
6.
Steady state flow rate of water was ensured at each point.

6. Observations and calculations

Particle size
=
8 mm
Porosity
=
0.6
Inside diameter of the column (D)
=
0.055m
Cross-sectional area of fluidized column
=
0.002375 m
Velocity V (m/s) = volumetric flow rate of water / cross section area of column =
Initial height of static bed in the column (Z1)
=
Porosity of the fluidized Bed: If Z1 and 1 are the height and porosity of the static bed and Z2
and 2 are the height and porosity of fluidized bed, the
(1 1 )
(Total volume of column equal to total volume of solid)
Z 2 Z1
(1 2 )
Z2 = 2 Z2 = Z1 (1- 1)
Z2 - Z1 (1- 1) = 2 Z2

2 = Z2 - Z1 (1- 1) / Z2

Note: Keep the observation tables for air and water separately. The sample calculations
for the same should be shown separately.

Obs No.

Height of
Bed (Z2)

7.

Results

8.

Discussions

Volumetric
Flow rate of Velocity(v)
water/air in
m/s
m/s

Porosity
()

Pressure
drop
(P)

NRe

References:
1. Warren, L McCabe, Smith, J C , and Harriott, P, Unit Operations of Chemical
Engineering, 6th edition, McGraw Hill, New Delhi, India, 2000.
2. Kunii, Levenspeil O, Fluidized Engineering, Robert E Krieger Publishing Company,
Huntington, New York, 1977

EXPERIMENT NO. 1(b)

FLOW THROUGH PACKED BED (AIR & WATER)

1. Aim
a) To plot Modified Reynoldss No. (NRe,m) vs. Modified friction factor (f) on a log-log
graph
b) To verify Erguns equation
2.
Apparatus
Stop watch, Graduated cylinder, packing as Hollow rings of Glass, Manometer, beakers etc.
3. Theory
A packed bed is a hollow tube, pipe, or other vessel that is filled with a packing material. The
packing can be randomly filled with small objects like Raschig rings, Pall rings or else it can
be a specifically designed structured packing. Packed column is a pressure vessel that has a
packed section. In general, packed towers are used for bringing two phases in contact with
one another and there will be strong interaction between the fluids in this case between solid
and fluid. As the fluid passes through the bed, it does so through the voids presents in the
bed. The voids form continuous channels throughout the bed. The flow may be laminar
through some channels and turbulent in other channels.
Just as with straight pipes, Ergun relates the flows and pressure drops to a Reynolds Number
and friction factor respectively. The Reynolds number for packed beds, Rep , depends upon
the controlled variable i.e. Superficial velocity Vo and the system parameters , , , and Dp
and is defined as (Bird et. al., 1996),

Dp is the equivalent spherical diameter of the particle, V0 is the superficial velocity defined as
the volumetric flow rate divided by the cross-sectional area of the column, is the fluid
density, is the dimensionless void fraction defined as the volume of void space over the
total volume of packing, and is the fluid viscosity.
The friction factor, fp, depends upon V0 and the pressure drop, P, and system parameters,
and is defined as (Bird et al., 1996)

P = Pressure drop in kg/cm2

= porosity
L = effectively length of the bed, cm
V = Superficial-fluid velocity, based on empty cross-section of pipe, m/sec
= density of the fluid
= viscosity of fluid\

4. Working principle

Figure 1 Schematic of Packed Bed Column

The packed column shown above is filled with packings, in our case the packing is Raschig
glass rings. Now, in this the water is passed through the bottom of column and the flow
happens through the packing thus creating friction , this friction leads to pressure drop in the
column which is measured by the manometer attached to the two ends of packed column.
Also, the flow here is regulated by the rotameter attached to the column. An increase in flow
increases the friction and thus leads to an increase in pressure drop.
5. Procedure
a. Water/air was allowed to flow from bottom to top in a packed bed.
b. Flow of water/air is regulated to vary the flow rate.
c. The corresponding pressure drop values were noted by means of the manometer for 6
to 8 different rates of flow of fluid.
d. The flow rate values were noted and it was ensured that the steady state flow rates
have been achieved.
6. Observations
Inside diameter of the tube
Volume of each particle
Surface area of the particle
Porosity of the bed
Effective length of packing
Temperature of fluid
Manometer fluid, Hg
Density of water (at T0C)
Viscosity of water (at T0C)
Density of air
Viscosity of air
Manometer Reading h (metres)

=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=

50 mm
1.57x10-6 m2
0.000628 m2
0.3
750 mm
ambient
13,534 kg/m
1000 kg/m3
0.798 kgm/s
1.1687 kg/m3
1.8633x10-5 Pa.s
m

S.
No.

Volumetric
Manometer
flow rate of reading.
water. Q
h (m) of Hg
3
m /sec

Superficial Velocity of Pressure

drop/length
water = Vo (Q /Cross P h g ( m )

N / m2
sectional area of the
L
L
column m/s)

Note: Calculate friction factor and modified Reynolds No. and plot on a log-log graph
separately for air and water. The observation columns and sample calculations for both
of them should be shown separately.
Calculations
Certain assumptions are carried out before calculating the Friction factor and Reynolds
number. First, we assume that there is no channeling in the packed bed. Channeling occurs
when the fluid flowing through the packed bed finds a preferred path through the bed. We
also assume that the diameter of the packing is much smaller than the diameter of the column
as well. The maximum recommended particle diameter is one-fifth of the column diameter.
We assume that velocity, particle diameter and void fraction behaves as a bulk behavior and
hence we can use an average values.
Initially, we calculate Diameter of the particle ,
DP =
Calculate friction factor as ,

and modified Reynolds number as,

7. Results
Calculate Modified Friction Factor Vs Modified Reynolds Number on Log-Log graph
8.

Discussions

References
a) Bird, R. Byron, Transport Phenomena. Madison, Wisconsin: John Wiley & Sons,
1996.
b) Geankoplis, Christie J., Transport Process and Unit Operations. 4th ed., New Jersey:
Prentice Hall, 2003.
c) Ergun, Sabri, Fluid Flow through Packed Columns. Chemical Engineering
Progress, Vol. 48, No 2. , 89-94 , 1952.