LAUSR

In the present study, experiments and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed to measure the expanded bed height of mono as well as binary solid-liquid fluidized bed (SLFB). A cylindrical acrylic Perspex column with an inner diameter of 0.05 m and a height of 0.7 m was used as SLFB. Different combinations of borosilicate spherical glass beads of diameter 3, 5 and 8 mm with equal density of 2230 kgm-3 were fluidised in water. Binary experiments were carried out considering both equal and unequal solid mass ratios ranging from 0.16 to 6.0. The overall bed expansions including segregated and intermixed zones were monitored. The effect of loading pattern on bed expansion was found insignificant in a binary SLFB. In a completely segregated SLFB, bottom mono-component layer displayed a negative deviation up to 30% whereas a positive deviation up to 22% was found in top mono-component layer when compared to respective individual monocomponent SLFBs. The total bed height of binary mixture was found to be unequal to sum of expanded bed height in individual mono-component SLFB, showing either positive or negative deviations. The experimentally observed criterion of the bed independency has been tabulated. Eulerian-Eulerian (E-E) CFD simulations with kinetic theory of granular flow (KTGF) have been performed and compared with the experimental data. The CFD predictions were found to be in good agreement (within 6 per cent deviation) when compared to experimental results.