Segregation and mixing effects in the riser of a circulating fluidized bed

Segregation and mixing effects of binary mixtures of particles having difference in sizes and densities were studied in 0.1016 m-diameter riser of a circulating fluidized bed at gas velocities between 2.01 and 4.681 m/s and solids circulation rate between 12.5 and 50 kg/m2 s. Two groups of bed materials (three quartz sand–spent fcc catalyst mixtures with different initial mass % of sand and two coal–iron mixtures, one with almost same sizes but with different densities and the other having both different sizes and densities) were used. Using local axial mass % of heavier/coarser particles and their mean sizes the extent of segregation was evaluated. The influence of operating conditions like superficial gas velocity and solids circulation rate on segregation was examined and found that with their increase segregation effects generally tend to decrease and a uniform mixture conforming to initial composition of the mixture results. Using the data available in the literature and those of the present authors an empirical correlation to obtain the extent of segregation in CFBs has been proposed.