NONLINEAR STABILITY ANALYSIS OF A UNIFORMLY FLUIDIZED-BED

A small amplitude long wavelength nonlinear analysis is used to examine the stability of a uniformly fluidized bed. This work has the same objectives as that of a previous study by Liu. Although both analyses are based on the same model, there are major differences in interpretation and in the formula for the equilibrium amplitude. The analysis presented here implies that small amplitude sinusoidal perturbations about an unstable state do not equilibrate in a gas fluidized bed, in contrast to Liu's conclusion that there is equilibration. Numerical calculations on the original model describing a gas fluidized bed verify the analysis given here and extend it to larger amplitudes and smaller wavelengths. © 1990.