THE PARTICLE-IN-A-TUBE ANALOGY FOR A MULTIPARTICLE SUSPENSION

A simple analogy between a multiparticle suspension and a single parti cle in a tube has been obtained by using the concept of ''hydraulic di ameter''. Fully theoretical derivations for the effect of the wall on the single particle enable the solid-fluid interaction force to be est imated with no empirical input for the viscous and the inertial flow r egimes. The analogy is successfully tested in the intermediate flow re gime and finally the expansion characteristics of homogeneous fluidise d beds is obtained, in good agreement with the Richardson & Zaki (1954 ) equation, by using experimental data on the terminal settling veloci ty of a lone particle in a tube. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science L td.