5102 Ind. Eng. Chem. Res.

2010, 49, 5102–5109

Experimental and Computational Fluid Dynamics Study of Dense-Phase,

Transition Region, and Dilute-Phase Spouting
Marcos A. S. Barrozo,*,†,‡ Cláudio R. Duarte,‡ Norman Epstein,† John R. Grace,† and C. Jim Lim†
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, UniVersity of British Columbia, 2360 East Mall,
VancouVer, Canada V6T 1Z3, and School of Chemical Engineering, Federal UniVersity of Uberlândia,
Bloco K - Santa Mônica, 38400-902, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil

In this work, the transition between conventional dense-phase spouting and dilute-phase spouting is quantified
and characterized on the basis of experimental particle velocity and bed voidage data, obtained with an optical
fiber probe, as well as from the evolution of pressure with air velocity. The high gas velocities associated
with the dilute-phase spouted bed (DSB) flow regime result in voidages exceeding 0.9 over the entire bed,
with no discernible distinction between spout and annulus. The downward particle velocities for the DSB
regime differ in magnitude from those in the dense-phase spouting regime. Computational fluid dynamics
simulations using the Eulerian granular multiphase model show good agreement with experimental data for
the three reproducible flow regimes: dense-phase spouting, transition regime, and dilute-phase spouting.

1. Introduction In the case of sticky solids, a dilute-phase spouted bed (DSB),

Spouted beds have been studied for many processes such as
drying, coating, granulation, and pyrolysis.1-4 This technique
is an alternative to fluidization for particulate solids too coarse
for good fluidization. In addition to their ability to handle coarse
particles, spouted beds have structural and cyclic flow patterns
with effective fluid-solid contact.
Gas-solids flow in a conventional spouted bed (CSB) can
be divided into three regions: a spout at the center, where the
gas and particles rise at high velocity and the particle concentra-
tion is low; a fountain zone, where particles rise to their highest
positions and then rain back onto the surface of the annulus;
and an annulus zone between the spout and the column wall
where particles move slowly downward as a dense phase, with
counter-current percolation of the fluid. Thus, a cyclic pattern
of solids movement is established. The gas enters the column
through an orifice and then flows upward quickly through the
spout and more slowly through the interstices in the annulus
zone.
Despite the versatility of conventional spouted beds, there
are situations in which the fluid-solid contact is unsatisfactory.
Some applications need more vigorous contact; for example,
when the solids are sticky and tend to fuse (e.g., in catalytic
polymerization) or in fast reactions (e.g., ultrapyrolysis) with
short residence time of the fluid phase.5 Some research on the
drying of suspensions also indicates limitations of the CSB. A
low particle circulation rate and the required long residence time
reduce the drying efficiency and have an adverse effect on
material properties, particularly for heat-sensitive products. In
many cases, excessive accumulation of the suspended material
causes bed blockage.6
Continued expansion of a shallow spouted bed can lead to a
regime that has variously been dubbed as “jet spouted bed”5-7
or, more accurately, “dilute-phase spouting”,8 in contrast to
conventional dense-phase spouting. The high gas velocities
associated with this regime result in high voidages in the entire
column, with little distinction between the spout and the annulus.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Fax: 55-34-
32394188. E-mail: masbarrozo@pesquisador.cnpq.br; masbarrozo@
ufu.br.
†
University of British Columbia.
‡
Federal University of Uberlândia.
10.1021/ie9004892 CCC: $40.75  2010 American Chemical Society
Published on Web 07/02/2009
compared with the CSB, has the advantages of higher particle
velocity and higher bed voidage. The modification of the bed
geometry and the reduction of the static bed height result not
only in greater gas-solid dilution, but also in shorter particle
cycle times in dilute-phase spouting.9 Higher gas velocities in
the DSB can also be an advantage for some drying process.
Olazar et al.5 observed a transition regime between conven-
tional and dilute-phase spouting. Hence, three flow regimes are
of interest: (a) conventional spouting, (b) transition regime, and
(c) dilute-phase spouting.
Operations in dilute-phase spouting and in the transition
regime are sensitive to the geometry of the equipment and to
the particle diameter. The following ranges of the geometric
parameters for stable operations in DSB and transition regimes
have been suggested:
• Cone included angle (γ): the angle must be between 28
and 45°.5 For smaller angles, mainly operating with small
particles (ds < 2 mm), there is a mixing regime, without
the cyclic movement characteristic of the spouting regime.
For angles greater than 45°, a rotation phenomenon is
produced in the gas circulation leading to bed instability.5
• Inlet diameter/particle diameter (Do/ds): Do/ds should be
between 1 and 80. The lower limit corresponds to voidages
of the order of 0.7, whereas the upper limit corresponds to
voidages of 0.99 for DSB.5
• Static bed height/inlet diameter (Ho/Do): Ho/Do can be
between 2 and 5.10
In conical columns of low static bed depth, a small cone angle
(28-45°), and with inlet diameter/cone bottom diameter ratio
(Do/Di) between 1/2 and 1, Olazar et al.11 proposed the following
correlations for the minimum dense-phase spouting velocity
(Uoms) and the minimum dilute-phase spouting velocity (Uomj):
(Reo)ms ) 0.126Ar0.5(Db /Do)1.68[tan(γ/2)]-0.57 (1)
(Reo)mj ) 6.89Ar0.35(Db /Do)1.46[tan(γ/2)]-0.53 (2)
The spatial distributions of voidage and particle velocity are
of great importance in applications of spouted beds. He et al.12
used a fiber-optic probe to measure the vertical particle velocity
profiles in the spout, annulus, and fountain regions of a full-

Figure 1. Schematic diagram of a spouted bed column and its main
dimensions.
column conventional spouted bed. Benkrid and Caram13 adopted
a fiber-optic technique to determine particle velocities in the
annulus of a full column and concluded that there is plug flow
in the upper part of the annulus, where particles in the annulus
move vertically downward and radially inward. On the basis
of optical fiber probes, Olazar’s group studied the particle
velocity distribution14 and local voidage distribution15,16 of
conical spouted beds of different geometries (cone angle and
gas inlet diameter), for operation close to minimum conventional
spouting.
Most previous studies on the distribution of local voidage
and particle velocity in spouted beds were carried out in
conventional spouted beds (dense-phase spouting regime).12-16
Knowledge of particle velocity and voidage is also key to
understanding the transition between the CSB and DSB.
In addition to experimental work, computational fluid dynam-
ics (CFD) studies have become popular recently. The two
approaches used in simulating multiphase flows are the
Eulerian-Lagrangian and the Eulerian-Eulerian. The first,
which involves the balance of forces at work upon individual
particles, requires considerable computational effort and is
suitable for particle volume fractions less than 0.1. The
Eulerian-Eulerian approach considers the dispersed particles
as a continuous phase and is based on the equations of motion
applied to each phase.
Many recent studies of spouted bed hydrodynamics are based
on CFD.17-28 These were carried out in conventional spouted
beds (dense-phase regime). However, the CFD technique can
also be important for understanding the transition between
conventional and dilute-phase spouted beds and behavior in the
higher-velocity flow regimes.
In this work, particle velocity, bed voidage, and pressure drop
evolution with increasing air velocity were determined experi-
mentally in conventional dense-phase spouting and dilute-phase
spouting, as well as in the transition regime between them. The
Eulerian multiphase CFD model is used to simulate spouted
bed fluid dynamics in these three flow regimes. The simulated
results are then compared with the experimental data.
Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., Vol. 49, No. 11, 2010 5103
Figure 2. Schematic diagram of the optical fiber probe.30
2. Experimental Setup
The particles in this study were glass beads of 1.16, 1.55,
and 2.12 mm Sauter mean diameter, 2500 kg/m3 particle density,
and sphericity of 1.0. For these particles, the loosely packed
voidage was found to be 0.39.
The experimental apparatus was similar to that used by
Wang,29 with air from a compressor as the spouting gas. The
air flow rate was determined by an orifice flow meter, and two
pressure transducers measured the operating pressure upstream
of the orifice and the pressure drop across the orifice. To
investigate the axial variation of pressure drop, static pressure
probes were installed in ports along the wall of the column.
All signals from pressure transducers were logged into a
computer via a data acquisition system.
A schematic representation of the Plexiglas spouted bed
column is shown in Figure 1. Its main dimensions were: cone
included angle (γ) 45°, gas inlet orifice diameter (Do) 0.019 m,
basal diameter (Di) 0.038 m, height of cone section (Hc) 0.50 m,
and diameter of cylindrical section (Dc) 0.45 m.
The pressure drop across the bed for each superficial air
velocity was estimated by subtracting the grid pressure drop in
the absence of a bed.5 Minimum spouting was determined by
plotting spout pressure drop as a function of decreasing inlet
air velocity. The point at which the spout collapses defined the
minimum spouting air velocity. Once the dilute-phase regime
was reached, it was found to remain stable with further increases
in air velocity, with a constant pressure drop. Therefore, the
minimum dilute-phase spouting velocity was determined from
the same plot of pressure drop vs superficial air velocity, as the
intersection between the constant pressure drop line (dilute
phase) and the descending line (transition), as well as by visual
observation.
Particle velocity and local voidage were measured by an
optical fiber probe. The optical fiber probe measurement system
in the present work (particle velocity meter PV-4A) was
obtained from the Institute of Process Engineering of the Chinese
Academy of Sciences. It consists of a probe, a light source,
two photomultipliers, and a high-speed data acquisition card
connected to a computer. The probe contains three vertically
aligned optical fiber bundles with the one in the middle as the
light projector and the other two as light receivers. When a
particle passes near the head of the probe, it reflects light emitted
by the central bundle of fibers. The reflected light was collected
in succession by the two fiber bundles located above and below,
5104 Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., Vol. 49, No. 11, 2010

separated by an effective distance (De). The probe was 4 mm

(Dprobe) in outside diameter. To eliminate the influence of the
blind zone,29,30 a glass window was added in front of the probe
tip.
A schematic representation of the optical fiber probe is shown
in Figure 2.
By off-line cross-correlation of sampled signals from the two
light receivers (A and B), the time delay (τ) can be obtained,
and the particle velocity (Vs) can be calculated for a known De
between the two light receivers (i.e., Vs ) De/τ). The effective
distance between the light-projection and light-receiving fibers
of the optical velocity probe was determined using a disk
rotating at known angular velocity with particles glued to it.29
By off-line averaging of sampled signals from the two light
receivers, the local voidage was also measured on the basis of
pre-established calibration between the voidage and the ampli-
tude of the signal.

3. CFD Simulations
3.1. Model. The granular Eulerian model is a complex
multiphase model predicting granular flows, such as those in
fluidized beds, spouted beds, risers, and other suspension
systems.17,21-28,31-35 In this approach, the gas and solid particles
are treated as interpenetrating continua and the concept of phase
volume fractions representing the space occupied by each phase
is adopted, so that the laws of conservation of mass and
momentum are satisfied by both phases.
Interphase momentum transfer between the gas and solid
phases is one of the dominant terms in the gas-phase and solid-
phase momentum balances. Several correlations for calculating
the momentum exchange coefficient for gas-solid systems are
available in the literature. In the present work, the momentum
exchange coefficient was based on the drag model of Giadspow
et al.,36 which combines the Wen and Yu37 model for dilute
conditions (ε > 0.8) and the Ergun38 equation for dense
conditions (ε e 0.8).
The constitutive equations for shear and bulk viscosities
estimation are defined by the granular kinetic theory derived
by Lun et al.,39 analogous to the kinetic theory of gases. The
concepts of granular temperature and solids pressure are also
utilized in this model. For this approach39 in the dilute part of
the flow, grains fluctuate randomly; this form of viscous
dissipation and stress is called kinetic stress. At higher
concentrations, in addition to the previous dissipation form,
grains can collide briefly, giving rise to further dissipation and
stress, called collisional stress. At very high concentrations
(>50% by volume), grains undergo long sliding and rubbing
contacts, leading to a totally different form of dissipation and
stress, called frictional stress. In the present work, the solids
shear viscosity was calculated as proposed by Giadspow et al.36
The equation for solids bulk viscosity, which accounts for the
resistance of the granular particles to compression and expan-
sion, was calculated as defined by Lun et al.39
The basic idea underlying granular kinetic theory is that
particles are in a state of continuous and chaotic restlessness
within the fluid. On the basis of an analogy with a gas, a
“granular temperature”, θs, of the solid phase is defined,
proportional to the kinetic energy of the random motion of the
particles.
In the granular model, the pressure exerted on the containing
wall by the particles and the transfer of momentum caused by
particle streaming is calculated by a solids pressure. The solid-
pressure model40 is used to represent the interparticle forces
produced by the particles settling on top of each other and to
Figure 3. Grid adopted in the CFD simulations.
ensure that the correct maximum packing limit of the settled
layer is upheld. In the present work, the equation of Ogawa et
al.41 was used to calculate the radial distribution function in
the solid-pressure equation.
3.2. Simulation Conditions. The simulation strategy used
by Duarte et al.17 was adopted in this work. The set of
conservation and constitutive equations was solved by finite
volume elements using Fluent 12.0.7 software.
The following conditions were adopted in the simulations:
• Axial symmetry was assumed.
• The computational domain was discretized by 96 000
structured grid cells (as shown in Figure 3).
• The SIMPLE algorithm was adopted for the pressure-
velocity coupling.
• The first-order upwind algorithm was adopted in the spatial
discretization for momentum and volume fraction.
• The inlet velocity was assumed to be uniform as the inlet
boundary condition.
• Atmospheric pressure was adopted as the outlet boundary
condition.
• The no-slip boundary condition was assumed on the wall
for both gas and solids.
• The particle-particle coefficient of restitution was taken
as 0.9.
• The solution was considered to have converged when the
scaled residuals were less than 1 × 10-3 with a time step
of 1 × 10-4 s.
4. Results and Discussion
4.1. Experimental Results. Pressure-Drop Evolution. Fig-
ure 4 shows the experimental pressure drop across the bed as a
function of the superficial air velocity for four static bed heights:
22, 32, 52, and 82 mm for particles of 1.55-mm diameter. The
 Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., Vol. 49, No. 11, 2010 5105

Figure 7. Radial distributions of voidage at three levels for particles of ds

) 1.55 mm, Ho of 60 mm, and air velocity (Uo) of 7Uoms.

Figure 4. Pressure drop across bed as a function of superficial air velocity
for different static bed depths (ds ) 1.55 mm).
three reproducible spouted bed flow regimes can be recognized.
Beyond the conventional spouting regime (a), on increasing the
superficial air velocity, there was a decrease in pressure drop,
over an extended transition regime (b) between conventional
and dilute solids spouting in which solid flow characteristics
were intermediate between those regimes, while maintaining
the cyclic particle movement characteristic of conventional
spouted beds. The transition developed until the spout and
annular zones were no longer distinguishable, and the bed
voidage became almost uniform, leading to a new situation that
corresponds to a dilute-phase spouted bed (c). Once this flow
regime (c) was reached, the pressure drop remained constant
with further increases in velocity.5
When our experimental data for 1.55-mm glass beads are
compared with predictions of Olazar et al.’s11 correlations, the
mean deviations between calculated and experimental data for
minimum dense-phase and minimum dilute-phase spouting
velocities are, respectively, +20.8 and +9.1%. For this particle
size, the minimum dense-phase spouting velocity is overpre-
dicted, and there is better agreement for the minimum dilute-
phase spouting velocity. For the 2.12-mm particles, there was
better agreement in both cases, with the mean deviation between
calculated and experimental data for minimum dense-phase
spouting and minimum dilute-phase spouting velocities of +10.3
and +7.7%, respectively. Better prediction for larger particles

Figure 5. Radial distribution of local voidage at z ) 37 mm for particles of ds ) 1.16 mm and Ho of 62 mm.

Figure 6. Radial distribution of voidage at z ) 37 mm for particles of ds ) 1.55 mm and Ho of 52 mm.

5106 Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., Vol. 49, No. 11, 2010
Figure 8. Radial distribution of particle velocity at z ) 37 mm for particles of ds ) 1.16 mm and Ho of 62 mm at four superficial air velocities.
Figure 9. Radial distribution of particle velocity at z ) 37 mm for particles of ds ) 1.55 mm and Ho of 52 mm at five superficial air velocities.
Figure 10. Experimental results compared with CFD predictions of radial
distribution of voidage at z ) 37 mm for particles of ds ) 1.55 mm, Ho of
52 mm, and Uo ) 1.6Uoms (CSB).
by Olazar et al.’s11 correlations was also observed by Wang26
for the minimum dense-phase spouting velocity.
Particle Velocity and Voidage. Figure 5 shows experimental
data for radial distribution of voidage 37 mm above the base of
the column, with particles of ds ) 1.16 mm and static bed height
(Ho) of 62 mm, for four superficial air velocities, corresponding
to 1.5, 3.0, 6.0, and 8.0 times the minimum dense-phase spouting
velocity (Uoms). Figure 6 plots the distribution of voidage, at
the same height (z ) 37 mm), for 1.55-mm particles and Ho of
52 mm with Uo/Uoms ) 1.6, 2.8, 4.2, 5.4, and 6.9.
Figures 5 and 6 show radial distribution of voidage for the
conventional spouting regime, Uo ) 1.5 × Uoms and 1.6 × Uoms,
qualitatively similar to those reported in the literature.12,15,16 In
this dense-phase spouting regime, there is a clear distinction
between the annular and spout zones, with high voidage in the
Figure 11. Experimental results compared with CFD predictions of radial
distribution of voidage at z ) 37 mm for particles of ds ) 1.16 mm, Ho of
62 mm, and Uo ) 3.0Uoms (transition regime).
spout zone and a sharp drop at the spout-annulus interface. In
the annulus, where particles are in close contact with each other,
the voidage is uniform and almost equal to the initial packed
bed voidage.
For the DSB regime conditions, it can be clearly seen in
Figures 5 and 6 that the bed voidage differs radically from that
in the CSB regime. High expansion of the bed creates a very
dilute system with high bed voidage. In this dilute flow regime,
the voidage in the annular region was similar to that in the spout
zone (i.e., the boundaries between zones disappeared), and the
bed voidage was almost uniform across the whole bed. In the
transition flow regime, the voidages were higher than those for
the conventional spouting regime, with the difference between
the spout and annular zones decreasing with increasing air
velocity (Figure 6).

Figure 12. Experimental results compared with CFD predictions of radial
distribution of voidage at z ) 37 mm for particles of ds ) 1.55 mm, Ho of
52 mm, and Uo ) 4.2Uoms (transition regime).
Figure 13. Experimental results compared with CFD predictions of radial
distribution of voidage at z ) 37 mm for particles of ds ) 1.16 mm, Ho of
62 mm, and Uo ) 8.0Uoms (dilute-phase regime).
Figure 14. Experimental results compared with CFD predictions of radial
distribution of particle velocity at z ) 37 mm for particles of dp ) 1.55
mm, Ho of 52 mm, and Uo ) 1.6Uoms (conventional spouting regime).
The experimental data on radial distribution of voidage for
the DSB regime (Uo ) 7.0 × Uoms), at three different heights,
z ) 37, 88, and 139 mm for 1.55-mm particles and Ho of 60
mm, are plotted in Figure 7. It was observed that for the DSB
regime there was an increase in bed voidage with increasing
height, z, above the base.
Figures 8 and 9 show the radial distributions of particle
velocity at z ) 37 mm for different air velocities, respectively,
for 1.16-mm particles with Ho of 62 mm, and for 1.55-mm
particles with Ho of 52 mm. For the conventional spouting
regime, the radial distribution of particle velocities was quali-
tatively similar to those reported in the literature.9,12,14 In this
dense-phase spouting regime, particles descend slowly in the
annulus zone, whereas much higher particle velocities are
obtained in the spout, with a maximum at the axis.
The experimental results of Figures 8 and 9 also indicate that,
as expected, the upward particle velocity in the spout zone
Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., Vol. 49, No. 11, 2010 5107
Figure 15. Experimental results compared with CFD predictions of radial
distribution of particle velocity at z ) 37 mm for particles of dp ) 1.55
mm, Ho of 52 mm, and Uo ) 2.8Uoms (transition regime).
Figure 16. Experimental results compared with CFD predictions of radial
distribution of particle velocity at z ) 37 mm for particles of dp ) 1.55
mm, Ho of 52 mm, and Uo ) 5.4Uoms (transition regime; near minimum
dilute-phase condition).
increases significantly with increasing superficial gas velocity.
The upward particle velocities in the DSB regime were higher
than those for the other flow regimes, but of the same order of
magnitude. However, the downward particle velocities for the
DSB regime exceeded in magnitude those in the conventional
spouting regime. This must be due to nearly free-falling
movement of the particles along the containing wall of the
column, giving rise to much shorter particle cycle times in this
dilute flow regime.9
4.2. CFD Results. Voidage. The experimental data and CFD
results of radial distribution of voidage (at z ) 37 mm) for the
dense-phase spouting regime (Uo ) 1.6 × Uoms) are plotted in
Figure 10, for particles of ds ) 1.55 mm and Ho of 52 mm. It
can be observed that there is very good agreement between
simulated results and experimental data for the CSB.
Comparisons between CFD predictions and experimental
voidage data for the transition regime at z ) 37 mm are shown
in Figures 11 and 12. Figure 11 presents results for 1.16-mm
particles and a static bed height of 62 mm with Uo ) 3.0 ×
Uoms, whereas Figure 12 is for 1.55-mm particles and a static
bed height of 52 mm with Uo ) 4.2 × Uoms. It can be observed
in Figure 11 that the voidage is underpredicted for the smaller
particles (ds ) 1.16 mm) at the interface between the spouted
and annular zones. However, these results also show that for
these two very distinct conditions of the transition regime, and
hence with different annular and spout zone characteristics, the
CFD simulations were still able to predict the trends and the
radial voidage distribution in reasonably good agreement with
the experimental values.
Figure 13 shows the experimental voidage data and CFD
predictions for the dilute-phase regime, for particles of ds )
1.16 mm, a static bed height of 62 mm, and Uo ) 8.0 × Uoms.
5108 Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., Vol. 49, No. 11, 2010
Figure 17. Experimental results compared with CFD predictions of radial
distribution of particle velocity at z ) 37 mm for particles of dp ) 1.55
mm, Ho of 52 mm, and Uo ) 6.9Uoms (DSB).
Although there was slight overprediction (4.5%), the CFD
simulations were able to predict the characteristic trend of the
radial distribution of voidage for the dilute-phase regime, with
no clear boundary between spouted and annular zones, and the
bed voidage nearly constant over the entire cross section.6
Particle Velocity. The experimental data and CFD predictions
for the radial distribution of particle velocity (at z ) 37 mm)
for the dense-phase spouting regime (Uo ) 1.6 × Uoms) are
plotted in Figure 14 for 1.55-mm particles and a static bed height
of 52 mm. As for the voidage, the CFD simulations were again
able to give good predictions of the radial distribution of particle
velocity for the CSB.
Figures 15 and 16 compare the CFD predictions and
experimental particle velocities at z ) 37 mm in the transition
regime for particles of ds ) 1.55 mm and a static bed height of
52 mm. Figure 15 shows the CFD predictions for a transition
condition near the conventional spouting regime (Uo ) 2.8 ×
Uoms), whereas Figure 16 is for a condition near the dilute-phase
regime (Uo ) 5.4 × Uoms). These figures again show good
agreement between the CFD predictions and experimental data
for these two very distinct conditions in the transition-flow
regime. The CFD results show more clearly the inflection point
at the interface between the spouted and annular zone than the
experimental data.
Figure 17 demonstrates that the CFD simulation model was
also able to predict the particle velocity distribution for the DSB
regime at Uo ) 6.9 × Uoms, giving good agreement with the
experimental data.
5. Conclusions
From the experimental data of particle velocity, bed voidage,
and evolution of pressure drop with increasing air velocity, it
was possible to characterize the transition between conventional
dense-phase spouting and dilute-phase spouting. Three experi-
mentally reproducible flow regimes of spouted beds can be
clearly identified. The experimental results obtained with an
optical fiber probe system indicate quantitative characteristics
of the DSB regime. The high gas velocities associated with the
DSB regime resulted in voidages exceeding 0.9 over the entire
column, with no distinction between spout and annulus.
Downward particle velocities for the DSB regime exceeded in
magnitude those in conventional low-velocity spouting.
The CFD simulations based on an Eulerian granular mul-
tiphase model showed good agreement with experimental
voidage and particle velocity data over the entire range of
conditions studied. CFD therefore provides a useful technique
to predict the hydrodynamic behavior of all three flow regimes
of spouting: CSB, transition regime, and DSB.
Acknowledgment
We are thankful for financial aid from CNPq, Brazil, and
from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
of Canada.
Nomenclature
Ar ) Archimedes number, Ar ) ds3F(Fs - F)/µ2 [-]
Db ) top diameter of static bed [m]
Dc ) diameter of cylindrical section [m]
De ) effective distance between two light receivers (optical fiber
probe) [mm]
Di ) diameter of base [m]
Do ) diameter of gas inlet orifice diameter [m]
ds ) particle diameter [mm]
Hc ) height of cone section [m]
Ho ) static bed height [mm]
∆P ) pressure drop [Pa]
(Reo)ms ) FdsUoms/µ, particle Reynolds numbers for minimum
dense-phase spouting
(Reo)mj ) FdsUomj/µ, particle Reynolds numbers for minimum dilute-
phase spouting
t ) time [s]
Uo ) superficial gas velocity, referred to Do [m s-1]
Uoms ) superficial gas velocity at minimum spouting based on Do
[m s-1]
Uomj ) superficial gas velocity at minimum dilute-phase spouting
based on Do [m s-1]
Greek Letters
γ ) cone angle [degrees]
ε ) voidage [-]
θs ) granular temperature [m2 s-2]
µ ) gas viscosity [Pa s]
F ) gas density [kg m-3]
F ) particle density [kg m-3]
τ ) time delay [s]
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ReceiVed for reView March 24, 2009
ReVised manuscript receiVed June 2, 2009
Accepted June 3, 2009
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