Khulna University of Engineering & Technology

Department of Chemical Engineering

Year- 3rd; Semester-2nd
Sessional Report on Ch.E 3216

Experiment no: 01
Experiment title: Verification of Karman Cozeny Equation

Evaluation & Remarks

Submitted by Submitted to
Nusrat Jahan Mim Md. Khairul Bahar
Roll-1929023 Lecturer,
Dept. Of Ch.E
KUET

Date of performance : 19.09.2023 Date of Submission: 07.11.2023

Abstract:
The goal of this experiment is to fluidize a bed of solid material by forcing a fluid typically a gas
through a bed of particles that is held up by a distributor. A bed of solid particles is converted into
an expanded mass with many characteristics of a liquid by fluidization, also known as fluidizing.
Frictional resistance causes pressure loss as fluid flow increases when a fluid passes through a bed
of particles. whereby the upward drag force exerted by the fluid on the particle equal to apparent
weight of particles in the bed, fluidization occurs. In the experimental result, pressure drop across
the fluidized bed that was found 7.6 mmHg. After fluidization, pressure drop remains constant.
Form differential pressure (∆P) against flow rate (Q) for fluidized bed- forward path & backward
path graph found the value of minimum fluidization velocity was 2.00955×10-3 ms-1.

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1.0 Experimental setup:

Figure-1: Block diagram for air flow through fluidized bed.

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2.0 Experimental data:
Table-1: Data table for the fluidized bed - forward path

Observation Flow rate, Q Bed height, L Differential pressure, ∆P

No. (L/hr) (mm) (mmHg)
1 0.0 68 0
2 4.1 68 3.2
3 5.0 68 3.8
4 6.0 68 4.4
5 7.0 68 5.2
6 8.0 68 6.0
7 9.0 69 6.6
8 10.0 69 7.3
9 11.0 69 7.7
10 12.0 70 7.7
11 13.0 71 7.7
12 14.0 72 7.8
13 15.0 73 7.9
14 16.0 74 7.9
15 17.0 75 8.0
16 18.0 76 8.0
17 19.0 77 8.1
18 20.0 78 8.2
19 22.0 80 8.4
20 24.0 81 8.6
21 26.0 84 8.9
22 28.0 86 9.0

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Table-2: Data table for the fluidized bed – backward path

Observation Flow rate, Q Bed height, L Differential pressure, ∆P

No. (L/hr.) (mm) (mmHg)
1 28 86 9
2 26 84 8.8
3 24 81 8.4
4 22 80 8.4
5 20 78 8.1
6 19 77 8
7 18 76 8
8 17 74 7.9
9 16 73 7.9
10 15 73 7.8
11 14 72 7.8
12 13 71 7.7
13 12 70 7.7
14 11 69 7.6
15 10 69 6.9
16 9 69 6.3
17 8 68 5.6
18 7 68 5
19 6 68 4.2
20 5 68 3.6
21 4.1 68 3
22 0 68 0

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3.0 Result & Discussion:
The results of experimental data are shown in Figure-1 by plotting differential pressure (∆P)
against flow rate (Q) for fluidized bed- forward path & backward path.
Differential pressure, ∆P (mmHg.)

10 O
9 11,7.6 N
8
7
6
5 K
4
3
2
M
1
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Flow rate,Q (L/hr.)
Forward Backword

Figure-2: Graph of differential pressure (∆P) against flow rate (Q) for fluidized bed.

Following the experimental procedure, the value of minimum fluidization velocity (v f) of the bed
that is found 2.00955×10-3 ms-1. Using this velocity to compute the average diameter (DP) of the
glass particles that is found 4.6069×10-5 m.

∆P 150vf (1−ε)2 μ
Using = this equation, the value of glass particles diameter that is found
L D2P,e ε3

4.6105×10-5 m. Theoretical value of the pressure drop of fluidized bed using the average
diameter(DP) of the glass particles that is found 7.612 mmHg.

The process of fluidization occurs when a fluid passes through a bed of particles and loses pressure
as a result of frictional resistance, which rises as the fluid flow increases. A point is reached when
the upward drag force exerted by the fluid on the particles is equal to the apparent weight of
particles in the bed. At this point, the fluid is lifting the particles, increasing their separation and

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the bed become fluidized. The superficial fluid velocity at which the packed bed becomes a
fluidized bed is known as the minimum fluidization velocity. This velocity depends on the fluid's
characteristics and rises with particle size and density.

Based on experimental data, it was calculated to find the value of pressure drop(∆P) & flow rate
(Q) for the packed bed becomes a fluidized bed. Initially no pressure drop when there is no flow
and the column bed has a certain height (L0). In the forward direction KNO, the pressure drop
gradually increases while the column bed height remains fixed. When the N is reached, the column
bed starts extending in height while the pressure drop levels off. As the flow rate is increased
further, the column bad continuous to extending in height, but the pressure drop remains constant.
In the backward direction ONM, gradually decreasing the flow rate. At first, the pressure remains
constant and then being to decrease when the point N is reached.

A column bed of particles, continued along for the sufficient length of time, becomes consolidated,
when the bed become fluidized, it is loosened.

Theoretical value of the minimum fluidized bed pressure drop much closer to the graphical value
of the minimum fluidized bed pressure drop.

4.0 Conclusion:
As a conclusion, this experiment is to determine the minimum fluidization velocity and the average
velocity of the glass particles inside the fluidized bed using Kozeny- Carman equation. Based on
this theory the experimental result, the minimum fluidization velocity (vf) which is 2.00955×10-3
ms-1. The graph indicates that the pressure drop varies with flow rate in forward direction until
reached at point N, after that it remains constant & vise-versa for backward direction.

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5.0 References:
[1] Foust, A. S., Wenzel, L. A., Clump, C. W., Maus, L. and Andersen, L. B. (1980). Principles of
Unit Operations, 2nd ed., New York: John Wiley & Sons.

[2] Perry, R.H. and Green, D.W. (1997). , 7th ed., McGraw-Hill, New York.

[3] Coulson, J. M., Richardson, J. F., Backhurst, J. R. and Harker, J. H. (1978). Chemical
Engineering, Vol. 2, Pergamon International library of Science, Technology, Engineering and
Social Services.

[4] McCabe, W. L., Smith, J. C., and Harriott, P. (2005). Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering,
7th ed., McGraw-Hill, Singapore.

[5]Ergun, S., 1952 flow through packed columns; Chemical engineering progress