BED POROSITIES IN 3-PHASE (LIQUID-LIQUID) FLUIDIZED-BEDS

Bed porosity data of three-phase (liquid-liquid) fluidization have been determined for beds of glass balls (A), glass balls (B), glass balls (C), porcelain beads, rockwool shot, and fine sand in water using kerosene and toluene as dispersed phases in a borosilicate glass tube of 5.6 cm diameter. The effects of particle size besides the flow rates of both dispersed and continuous phases on bed porosities have been studied in the range of 1.0 to 6.4 mm, 0.0 to 2.75 cm/s, and 6.5 to 12.5 cm/s, respectively. The reduction in bed porosities on the injection of a swarm of liquid drops (immiscible with the continuous phase) into the fluidized bed was observed in the beds of rock wool shot and fine sand both with kerosene and toluene, while with other particles no such phenomenon is perceptible. An attempt was made to correlate the bed porosity data in terms of dimensionless groups. © 1979, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.