Oscillations in gas-fluidized beds: Ultra-fast magnetic resonance imaging and pressure sensor measurements

Ultra-fast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and pressure sensor measurements have been applied to study: (i) pressure fluctuations, (ii) the eruption of bubbles at the top of a bed and (iii) the formation of bubbles in a gas-fluidized bed. Ultra-fast MRI has been applied for the first time to study the formation and eruption of bubbles; the technique is non-intrusive and provides measurements with good temporal and spatial resolutions. The MRI measurements revealed that bubbles are formed periodically, rather than randomly at a distributor, which in this case was a perforated plate. The frequency at which bubbles erupted from the top of the bed matched the frequency of the pressure fluctuations measured just above the distributor, where the measured pressure is predicted very well for the case of slug flow by Kehoe and Davidsonʹs [P.W.K. Kehoe, J.F. Davidson, Pressure fluctuations in slugging fluidized beds, AIChE Symp. Ser. 128 (69) (1973) 34–40] correlation, originally developed for locations high up a bed. Both findings lead to the conclusion that the passage and eruption of bubbles at the top of a bed are the dominant cause of the pressure fluctuations, which are subsequently propagated downwards through the bed. Two new correlations are proposed for predicting the frequency of pressure fluctuations in a bubbling bed; both correlations agree well with experimental measurements. A modification of Baeyens and Geldartʹs [J. Baeyens, D. Geldart, An investigation into slugging fluidized beds, Chem. Eng. Sci. 29 (1974) 255–265] correlation predicts the frequency of pressure fluctuations when slugs are formed, but are not fully developed. The frequency of bubble formation, as measured by MRI, is equal to or higher than both the frequency of bubble eruption at the top of the bed and the frequency of pressure fluctuations, depending on the depth of the bed. The frequency of bubble formation is significantly lower than predicted by Davidson and Schülerʹs [J.F. Davidson, B.O.G. Schüler, Bubble formation at an orifice in an inviscid liquid, Trans. Inst. Chem. Eng. 38 (1960) 335–342] equation, originally developed for gas–liquid systems.