DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES FOR ESTABLISHING THE QUALITY OF FLUIDIZATION OF GAS SOLID SYSTEMS

Fluidization experiments were conducted on two dolomite beds of average diameters 1490 and 2010 mum in a 0.153 m square fluidized bed at ambient conditions. In particular, the pressure drops across the distributor plate and the test bed were measured as a function of fluidization velocity. In addition, temperature and pressure histories were recorded at different fluidization velocities. The data are employed to compute minimum fluidization velocity, bed voidage, relative heat transfer coefficient, variances in temperature and pressure fluctuation data, probability density function, skewness, kurtosis, autocorrelation function, and power spectral density function. These parameters and functions were assessed as to their potential to characterize the quality of fluidization and thereby establish a methodology of diagnostic procedures for such a task based on the knowledge of those statistical functions that have proven successful in this endeavor.