PTC:02-3

Methods for Design and Optimisation of Fluidized and Spouted Bed Reactors and Dryers

Fluidized and spouted beds have gained prominence in process industries for carrying out a number of gas-solid operations like catalytic reactions, non-catalytic reactions, combustion, adsorption, drying and even for simple mixing of solids.  The present report deals with the design, simulation and optimisation of fluidized and spouted beds for a variety of different applications.  The associated equipments in such installations like air-blowers, compressors, heat exchangers, cyclones etc. are also covered.

The report consists of the following chapters

1. Introduction covering similarities and differences between fluidized and spouted beds, criteria for selection of the type of bed (fluidized or spouted) for a specific application.
2. Hydrodynamic aspects of fluidized and spouted beds including operational stability.
3. Design and optimisation of reactors such as FCC, FBC and non-premixed fuel-air combustors, spouted bed combustors (SBC) and non-catalytic reactors.
4. Adsorbers and dryers covering the effect of RTD of solids.
5. Heat transfer including bed-wall, bed-immersed tube and gas-particle.
6. Some practical considerations like gas distributors, internals, feeding and discharging controls, bed geometry, bed support during start-up and shut-down etc.
7. Design and analysis of cyclone performance using a simplified mathematical model programmed in a spreadsheet (which will also be supplied). 
8. Conclusion.

A companion software SIZEANAL for particle size analysis of powders and other technical reports No. PTC:02-1 and No. PTC:02-4 should also be extremely useful in this context.

The various mathematical calculational procedures are illustrated with the help of 50 worked-out examples.  These should be extremely useful to operating plants for understanding the operation of fluidized and spouted beds leading to their optimisation, to designers for designing optimum equipments, and to engineers and plant operators as an effective learning/training aid.