Mean & turbulent particle velocity in the fully developed region of a three-phase fluidized bed

A thorough experimental description of the time-averaged solids flow in the fully developed region of a cylindrical gas-liquid-solid fluidized bed was provided by using a noninvasive radioactive particle tracking technique (R PT). The 3-D local instantaneous velocity components (radial, axial, azimut hal) of a single radioactive solid tracer, having properties identical to t hose of the solids in the bed, were measured noninvasively over extended ti me periods to establish the radial distributions in the fully developed reg ion of axial and radial particle mean and turbulent velocities, shear stres s, and axial and radial eddy diffusion coefficients. Glass beads and polyvi nyl chloride particles of various shapes and sizes were water-fluidized sin gly or as binary mixtures in a 100 mm ID Plexiglas column over air and wate r superficial velocity ranges that spanned the dispersed bubble, coalesced bubble, and transitional flow regimes.