Abstract
The spout-bed fluidization behavior of nonspherical, 140 μm SiC feedstock was quantified via particle image velocimetry for varying gas distributor geometries. A bench-scale, room-temperature fluidization setup was assembled to model a 50 mm fluidized bed chemical vapor deposition (FB-CVD) system, and fluidized bed motion was captured using a high-speed camera. Modular tips with varying inlet geometries were 3D printed and tested on the bench-scale rig using identical feedstock and gas flow rates in the range of 3.0–9.0 L/min. Fluidization behavior was quantified by extracting parameters of the bed velocity, frequency, dead time, and other measurements, which were ranked for each inlet geometry configuration tested. The results from this work demonstrate that changing the path of inlet gas flow can significantly change the hydrodynamics within a spout-fluidized bed under identical feedstock, loading, and flow rate conditions, potentially enabling experimental control of particle fluidization behavior for a given condition. Moreover, composite rankings of fluidization behavior for unique distributor geometries hold potential to guide the design of FB-CVD experiments for various engineering and scientific applications.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 121197 |
| Journal | Chemical Engineering Science |
| Volume | 306 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 1 2025 |
Funding
The authors thank Elvis Dominguez-Ontiveros of the Neutron Technologies Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for use of the high-speed camera. This work was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development program. Notice: This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle LLC under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The US government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for US government purposes. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan (http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan).The authors thank Elvis Dominguez-Ontiveros of the Neutron Technologies Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for use of the high-speed camera. This work was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development program under contract number DE-AC05-00OR22725. This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle LLC under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the US Department of Energy (DOE). The US government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for US government purposes. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan (http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan).
Keywords
- Aspherical feedstock
- Particle bed velocity
- Particle image velocimetry
- Spout-bed fluidization