Experimental and numerical study of solids circulation in gas-vibro fluidized beds

The effects of vertical, sinusoidal vibrations on the fluidization behavior of a granular bed are studied, where we focus on the solid circulation rate and its dependence on the vibration parameters. To this end, an experimental study was performed in a pseudo-2D bed, and the optical non-invasive measurement technique particle image velocimetry was employed to obtain whole field velocity information. Additionally, discrete element model (DEM) simulations were performed and the time-averaged fields were compared. In both simulations and experiments, it was found that the solid circulation rate at constant vibration frequency increases with acceleration, in agreement with other experimental findings reported in literature. Gas-vibro fluidization generally exhibits larger circulation rates as compared to conventional gas-fluidization.