The relationship between particle properties and fluidizing velocity during fluidized bed heat transfer

This study optimized the value of the ratio of the fluidization velocity to the minimum fluidization velocity, u/umf, required to obtain the maximum wall-to-bed heat transfer conditions in a bed of fluidized particles heated by an external steam jacket. This was done both in terms of particle size and density, and the positioning and size of the heat transfer area. It was found that the optimized value of u/umf could be expressed in terms of the inverse of the product of particle density and diameter, giving a much better fit than that of Todes (1965). In addition, by varying the size and position of the heat source on bed of particles of constant composition, new correlations were created in terms of these parameters for u/umf at optimum heat transfer.