Hydrodynamic modelling of circulating fluidised beds

A one-dimensional model for the riser section of a circulating fluidised bed has been developed which describes the steady-state hydrodynamic key variables in the radial direction for fully developed axisymmetric flow. Both the gas and the solid phase are considered as two continuous media, fully penetrating each other. As a first approximation gas phase turbulence has been incorporated in our hydrodynamic model by applying a slightly modified version of the well-known Prandtl mixing length model. To solve the resulting set or transport equations, the solids distribution along the tube radius is required. Several strategies are given to obtain this information. In addition the effect of clusters on the momentum transfer between both phases has been modelled using an empirical correlation. Theoretically calculated results agree well with reported experimental data of different authors