Abstract
Incorporating the volume contraction effects significantly improves the prediction of bed void fractions of binary-solid fluidized beds at incipient fluidization, and consequently leads to improved predictions of the minimum fluidization velocity.
Towards the development of a predictive model for computing the minimum fluidization velocity, the volume-contraction phenomenon arising from the mixing of unequal solid species is accounted for in the prediction of the bed void fraction of binary-solid mixtures at the incipient fluidization conditions. Comparison with experimental data obtained from the literature clearly shows that significantly improved predictions are obtained except for cases where the stratification pattern whether arising from the slow defluidization or the difference in the densities of the two species affects the mixing of the constituent species.