Continuous drying and dehydration of sodium carbonate monohydrate in a fluidized bed

A two-phase model has been developed to simulate the dynamic behavior of the drying and dehydration of sodium carbonate monohydrate in a fluidized bed. The model includes details on the variation of the particle temperature and moisture content with residence time within the bed. In addition, the variation of superficial gas flow and the minimum fluidization velocity, with time, has also been accounted for. Calculations show that the accumulation of liquid moisture and the cohesive forces between bed particles in the presence of free water on their surface can, under certain circumstances, lead to defluidization. The system performance is most sensitive to the steam-tube duty, feed rate of the wet cake, and the variation of the minimum fluidization velocity with liquid moisture content of the bed particles. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.