Simulating the heat transfer behaviour in a fluidized bed by a combined thermal model in the CFD-DEM coupling

Abstract

The exchange of mass and heat transport in fluidized beds is a complicated and extensive topic, making it a rich field for scientific and industrial applications. This numerical research implements the CFD-DEM coupling to investigate the transport of heat energy in a fluidized bed. A numerical test compares the numerical and analytical results for a single particle in a column. Two cases of heating and cooling are compared. The numerical results present well adequacy with the analytical results. The development of fluidized bed units, within fluidized bed units is vital to improving the designs of these units. Therefore, three methods of column heating, including base heating, walls heating, and as well as walls and base heating, have been proposed in the simulations. The results reveal that the fluid inlet velocity increase during the fluidized beds' heating process is invalid. Thus, the fluid's proper inlet velocity and imposed temperature are crucial in the heating process for the fluidized beds since the particles need to provide time for the heat transport process.