Abstract

The behavior of particles in thin spouted beds, mostly equipped with draft tubes, has been investigated. Three apparatuses have been used: a laboratory-scale cylindrical bed, a 2-m-tall “flat” (rectangular cross section) bed and a 2-m-wide flat bed, the last equipped with multiple draft tubes. Most of the results were obtained on the tall bed. Minimum spouting flow rate, pressure distribution, particle velocities, and solid circulation rates were determined as a function of bed geometry (including draft tube dimensions and position). Observations were made of the direction of liquid flow in the bed outside the draft tube and of the occurrence of zones in the bed where the particles appeared stationary. The wide bed was used to determine that there is a maximum separation between draft tubes beyond which particles cannot be kept in motion across the whole width of the bed.