CFD Studies on the Influence of Parallel Plates in an Inclination-Augmented Liquid–Solid Fluidized Bed

Inclination-augmented liquid–solid fluidized beds (LSFBs) incorporating parallel plates, as utilized in Reflux Classifiers, enable efficient particle separation in industrial processes. Despite their advantages, the intricate hydrodynamics associated with the number of parallel plates remains inadequately understood. This study employs a two-fluid Eulerian model, integrated with the kinetic theory of granular flow, to investigate the influence of parallel plates on the hydrodynamics of inclination-augmented LSFBs. Key parameters, such as pressure drop, bed expansion, solid velocity, and solid volume fraction distribution, are systematically analyzed for varying numbers of plates. The results show that the pressure drop remains constant at low liquid velocities but increases significantly at higher velocities with the addition of more plates. This is due to a 20% higher accumulation of particles along the narrow inclined channels, which increases the flow resistance. Additionally, bed expansion decreases by approximately 15% as more inclined plates are added, limiting particle movement. However, increasing the number of plates beyond two (within a fixed bed width of 50 mm) has little effect on the flow behavior, suggesting an optimal limit for plate insertion in this setup.