Experimental and Computational Advances in Bubbling Fluidized Beds Hydrodynamics

A special issue of Fluids (ISSN 2311-5521). This special issue belongs to the section "Flow of Multi-Phase Fluids and Granular Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2025) | Viewed by 1777

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering—Poli/COPPE, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, P.O. Box 68503, Rio de Janeiro 21941-972, RJ, Brazil
Interests: transport phenomena; multicomponent media; thermal systems

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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering—Poli/COPPE, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, P.O. Box 68503, Rio de Janeiro 21941-972, RJ, Brazil
Interests: combustion; numerical methods; convective-diffusive problems; thermal systems

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Guest Editor
Department of Energy, School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Campinas, C. Postal 6122, Campinas 13083-970, SP, Brazil
Interests: combustion; gasification; CLC processes; shale oil reactors; boilers; gasifiers; thermodynamics; gas reforming; power generation; mathematical modeling; simulation
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Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Mechanical Engineering—Poli/COPPE, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, P.O. Box 68503, Rio de Janeiro 21941-972, RJ, Brazil
Interests: multiphase reactive flows; computational fluid dynamics; thermal systems; heat and mass transfer; exergetic analysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bubbling fluidized beds are used in many thermal engineering applications, including reactive and non-reactive flows. However, the mathematical description of the hydrodynamics and heat transfer of bubbling fluidized beds is usually very complex. When, in addition, the flow is subjected to chemical reactions, the difficulty in modeling the overall characteristics of the flow increases significantly. Moreover, the bubbling fluidized bed reactors typically used for pyrolysis, gasification, combustion, and catalytic chemical processes are very important for industry and may be essential tools for sustainable development, but a suitable description of these processes depends on correct predictions of the hydrodynamics of the bubbling bed.

Therefore, this Special Issue aims to bring together original research articles, review papers, and perspectives focusing on recent computational modeling and experimental techniques of reactive and non-reactive bubbling fluidized beds. This Special Issue also provides a platform for researchers to share their latest findings, exchange ideas, and identify future directions for research in these challenging and fundamental fields.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Modern experimental and numerical techniques in reactive and non-reactive bubbling fluidized beds;
  • Modeling and simulation of reactive and non-reactive bubbling fluidized beds;
  • IA and machine learning techniques applied to reactive and non-reactive bubbling fluidized beds;
  • Innovative bubbling fluidized bed reactors;
  • Modification of particles by agglomeration, coating, comminution, and attrition in bubbling fluidized beds.

Prof. Dr. Manuel Ernani Cruz
Prof. Dr. Albino José Kalab Leiroz
Prof. Dr. Marcio L. De Souza-Santos 
Guest Editors

Dr. Gabriel Lisbôa Verissimo
Guest Editor Assistant

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Keywords

  • multiphase flow
  • bubbling fluidized beds
  • computational modeling
  • experimental techniques
  • fluidization
  • bubble formation

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 25794 KiB  
Article
Numerical Investigation of the Influence of Temperature on Fluidization Behavior: Importance of Particle Collision Parameters and Inter-Particle Forces
by Milan Mihajlović, Juan G. Ramírez, Ildefonso Campos Velarde, Martin Van Sint Annaland and Ivo Roghair
Fluids 2025, 10(3), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/fluids10030060 - 27 Feb 2025
Viewed by 438
Abstract
Fluidized bed reactors (FBRs) are integral to various industries due to their exceptional capability in facilitating efficient gas–solid interactions, resulting in superior mixing and heat and mass transfer. This research delves into the impact of temperature on fluidization dynamics, particularly focusing on the [...] Read more.
Fluidized bed reactors (FBRs) are integral to various industries due to their exceptional capability in facilitating efficient gas–solid interactions, resulting in superior mixing and heat and mass transfer. This research delves into the impact of temperature on fluidization dynamics, particularly focusing on the collisional properties of particles within the bed. The investigation builds upon foundational research, notably Geldart’s classification of fluidization regimes and recent advancements in high-temperature experimental techniques, such as High-Temperature Endoscopic-Laser particle image velocimetry/digital image analysis. To explore these temperature effects, a coupled Discrete Element Method and Computational Fluid Dynamics (cfd–dem) model was employed. This approach enables a detailed examination of gas–particle and particle–particle interactions under varying temperature conditions. The simulations in this study explore the friction coefficient, as well as changes in both tangential and normal restitution coefficients, which affect the fluidization behavior. These changes were systematically analyzed to determine their influence on minimum fluidization velocity and bubble formation. The numerical results are compared with experimental data from high-temperature fluidization studies, highlighting the necessity of incorporating inter-particle forces to fully capture the observed phenomena. The findings underscore the critical role of particle collisional properties in high-temperature fluidization and suggest the potential increasing role of inter-particle forces. Overall, this paper provides new insights into the complex dynamics of fluidized beds at elevated temperatures, emphasizing the need for further experimental–numerical research to enhance the reliability and understanding of these systems in industrial applications. Full article
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25 pages, 5652 KiB  
Article
Vaporization Dynamics of a Volatile Liquid Jet on a Heated Bubbling Fluidized Bed
by Subhasish Mitra and Geoffrey M. Evans
Fluids 2025, 10(1), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/fluids10010019 - 18 Jan 2025
Viewed by 674
Abstract
In this paper, droplet vaporization dynamics in a heated bubbling fluidized bed was studied. A volatile hydrocarbon liquid jet comprising acetone was injected into a hot bubbling fluidized bed of Geldart A-type glass ballotini particles heated at 150 °C, well above the saturation [...] Read more.
In this paper, droplet vaporization dynamics in a heated bubbling fluidized bed was studied. A volatile hydrocarbon liquid jet comprising acetone was injected into a hot bubbling fluidized bed of Geldart A-type glass ballotini particles heated at 150 °C, well above the saturation temperature of acetone (56 °C). Intense interactions were observed among the evaporating droplets and hot particles during contact with the re-suspension of particles due to a release of vapour. A non-intrusive schlieren imaging method was used to track the hot air and vapour mixture plume in the freeboard region of the bed and the acetone vapour fraction therein was mapped. The jet vaporization dynamics in the bubbling fluidized bed was modelled in a Eulerian–Lagrangian CFD (computational fluid dynamics) modelling framework involving heat and mass transfer sub models. The CFD model indicated a dispersion of the vapour plume from the evaporating droplets which was qualitatively compared with the schlieren images. Further, the CFD simulation predicted a significant reduction (~60 °C) in the local bed temperature at the point of the jet injection, which was indirectly confirmed in an experiment by the presence of particle agglomerates. Full article
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