Hydrodynamic behavior of silicon particles with a wide size distribution in a draft tube spout-fluid bed

An experimental study on the hydrodynamic behavior of silicon particles with a wide size distribution in a draft tube spout-fluid bed was performed in a 182 diameter cylindrical column with a flat gas distributor. Effects of spouting and fluidizing gas velocity, static bed height, entrainment zone height and draft tube diameter on the maximum spouting pressure drop, minimum stable spouting velocity and solids circulation rate were investigated. The results show that the maximum spouting pressure drop increases with static bed height, entrainment zone height, draft tube diameter and fluidizing gas velocity. The minimum spouting velocity increases with entrainment zone height, while it decreases with static bed height, draft tube diameter and fluidizing gas velocity. Two correlations on the maximum pressure drop and minimum spouting velocity are proposed respectively based on the experimental data, which are in good agreement with the present experiments. In addition, the solids circulation rate increases with static bed height, draft tube diameter, fluidizing and spouting gas velocity. It also increases with entrainment zone height at a lower fluidizing gas velocity, however it decreases with entrainment zone height at a higher fluidizing gas velocity. © 2017 Elsevier B.V.