Author: Brian Patrick Reed

Publisher:

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 626

ISBN-13:

Traditional modeling of fluidized bed operations has focused on the development of models and correlations for specific systems or narrow areas of application. With recent advances in computing power, new methods of modeling fluidization are possible. One such approach is the Computational Fluid Dynamic Discrete Particle Method (CFD-DPM), which treats the fluid as a continuum and the particles as discrete Newtonian entities. The promise of the CFD-DPM approach lies in its ability to incorporate particle interactions in a way that previous models could not. One area of fluidization that has not been actively modeled is the inclusion of non-traditional forces in the fluidization operation. As an example, the use of external magnetic fields in fluidization has provided some interesting applications including; fluidized beds capable of operation in micro-gravity, manipulation of bed structure, and stabilizing bubbling fluidized beds. The ability to model external forces and particle interactions would increase our understanding of these phenomena and potentially lead to new applications for fluidization. A Computational Fluid Dynamic Discrete Particle Method code, named Particle-X, is developed from first principles. The development includes the consideration of external fields and forces, as well as inter-particle forces. The code is validated against experimental data collected from a variety of fluidized bed operations. Particle-X can be used as a tool for the scientific investigation of fluidization under conditions that cannot be accurately reproduced in a laboratory environment; specifically the development of various fluidization operations for use in micro-gravity is considered.