Ateneo de Davao University

Jacinto St., Davao City

Experiment Number 7 – Fluidization

A Laboratory Report

Submitted as a Requirement on Chemical Engineering Laboratory I

Submitted by:

Daquipa, Therese Ann P.

Endraca, Ronald Sebastian M.

Labtic, Rachel Faith P.

Peña, Paolo Miguel M.

Samson, Dana Gabrielle C.

Submitted to:

Engr. Eva Marie C. Mendoza

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ATENEO DE DAVAO UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE
Chemical Engineering Department

Unit Operations Laboratory 1

Name of Students: Daquipa, Therese Ann P.

Endraca, Ronald Sebastian M.
Labtic, Rachel Faith P.
Peña, Paolo Miguel M.
Samson, Dana Gabrielle C.

EXPERIMENT NO. 7

Fluidization

Evaluation Reports Ratings

1. Does the result section contain the 0 2 4 6 8 10

essence of the study?

2. Does the report show 0 2 4 6 8 10

understanding
of technical and calculation work?

3. Does the report show 0 2 4 6 8 10

understanding
of relevant theory especially in the
discussion section?

4. Is the report technically correct and 0 2 4 6 8 10

complete in its coverage?

5. What is the level of presentation 0 2 4 6 8 10

(clarity, grammar, spelling, text,
tables, illustrations, exhibits and
charts?)

6. Is the report on time? 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5

Total Points: ______________

GRADE: ______________
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A. ABSTRACT

Fluidization is the process of passing fluid or gas through a bed of solids until the bed expands.
It is the process in which solids are caused to behave like a fluid through the reactor. Fluidization
processes can either be gas-solid or liquid-solid systems. In this experiment, a fluidized chamber
is used to study the effect of changes in pressure across the bed and flowrate and to determine the
terminal velocity of the particle. There were three (3) trials done during the experiment. Each of
the trials differs in volumetric flowrate of the liquid, and each trial corresponds with a change in
bed height. The results show that the pressure drop is proportional to the height of the bed. Thus,
this indicates that the results correspond with the theory that as the pressure drop increases, the
bed expands; therefore, there is an increase in the bed height. The discrepancies in the data may
be due to human error and equipment error.
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B. TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i

Rubrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii

A. Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

B. Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

C. Introduction/Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

D. Equipment and Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

E. Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

F. Discussion and Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

G. References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
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C. INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND

OBJECTIVE

1. To study the relationship of pressure drop across the fluidized bed and flow rate
during the conduct of fluidization.
2. To determine the terminal velocity of the particle.

INTRODUCTION

Fluidization is a process in which a bed of solids is caused to behave like a fluid by blowing
gas or liquid upwards through the solid-filled reactor. The upward flow causes a pressure drop
which results to bed expansion. Fluidization starts at a point when the bed pressure drop exactly
balances the net downward forces (gravity minus buoyancy forces) on the bed packing.
Fluidization processes can either be gas-solid or liquid-solid systems. The difference between the
two systems is the behavior of the bed during the expansion regime. The behavior of the bed during
fluidization differs as the velocities are increased up to a point of pneumatic transport.

Fluidized beds are used widely in chemical processing industries for separations, rapid
mass and heat transfer operations, and catalytic reactions. A Fluidized Bed Reactor (FBR) is one
of the applications of fluidization. It is a multiphase reactor in which the packed bed of
immobilized catalyst is fluidized. An FBR is generally a column geometry where the bed of
immobilized enzyme is fluidized by a rapid upward flow of substrate into the chamber under
pressure through a distributor that supports the catalyst bed.

The behavior of the bed is studied through the relationship of the different variables in the
process (Figure 1). The relationship of the pressure drops and the velocities shows a minimum
fluidization curve in which the pressure drop (red curve) increases with the superficial velocity
until the force equals the weight of the solids. At this point, where minimum fluidization velocity
is achieved, the bed becomes fluidized and the bed height increases.

Figure 1 – Pressure Drop vs. Velocity vs. Bed height

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D. EQUIPMENT AND METHODS

 Fluidizing Chamber  Beaker

 Meter Stick

 Stopwatch

 Caliper
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E. RESULTS

Table 1: Data Table

Trials Flow rate (mL/min) Bed height (cm) Manometer reading (psi)
1 9917.35 22.5 1
2 10327.02 28.5 1.8
3 11342.15 30 1.2

U1 = 6.94 cm/s P1 = 1 psi

U2= 7.22 cm/s P2 = 1.8 psi
U3= 7.93 cm/s P3 = 2psi
Fluidization column diameter: 1.35cm

Superficial Velocity vs Pressure Drop

2.5

2
Pressure Drop (psi)

1.5

0.5

0
6.8 7 7.2 7.4 7.6 7.8 8
Superficial Velocity (cm/s)

Figure 2 – Superficial Velocity vs. Pressure Drop

Superficial Velocity vs Bed Height

35
30
Bed Height (cm)

25
20
15
10
5
0
6.8 7 7.2 7.4 7.6 7.8 8
Superficial Velocity (cm/s)

Figure 3 – Superficial Velocity vs. Bed Height

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F. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

DISCUSSION

The result of the experiment from the three trials shows that as the pressure drop increases,
the height of the bed also increases. This indicates that the results correspond with the theory that
as the pressure drop increases, the bed expands which causes the solids to behave like a fluid by
letting the liquid flow upwards the bed, and thus there is an increase in the bed height. The first
trial has the lowest flow rate and bed height, which indicates that the drag forces are insufficient
to create a dynamic particle movement and expansion. In the second and third trial, the flow rates
are higher as well as the bed heights which means that the drag force was able to overcome the
gravitational force acting on the particles and hence creating a dynamic behavior or fluidization
and increase in the bed height column. The results show that among the three trials, the third trial
has the highest pressure drop, flow rate, and bed height that exhibited this dynamic behavior since
sufficient fluidization is achieved. The results in trial one, showed the lowest bed height, flow rate,
and pressure drop since the drag forces are not enough to move the particle dynamically, and the
fluid will only flow within the voids and holes of the particles that have been packed.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, it can be observed that increasing the fluid flow rate through the adjustment
of the gate valves would result to an increase in bed height because of the greater force exerted by
the molecules upward. Eventually, the drag force and the buoyancy will overcome the gravitational
force, this is the onset of fluidization. Also, based on the obtained plot from the results, after trial
one (where the fluidization theoretically starts), the pressure drop changes are less significant
compared to the first trial. A difficulty on measuring the bed height was observed, this may be due
to the greater dynamic movement of the particles at higher fluid flow rates. Some discrepancies in
the data may be a result due to (1) human error – the superficial velocity may not be accurately
measured and (2) equipment error – the initial trials of the experimentation would yield results that
are quite opposite on the theories of the fluidization principle thus tweaking in the equipment were
done to current the inaccuracy.
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G. REFERENCES
[1] Cocco, R., Karri, S. R., & Knowlton, T. (2014). Introduction to fluidization. Chem. Eng.
Prog, 110(11), 21-29.

[2] J Doran, P. M. (1995). Bioprocess Engineering Principles Academic Press, London, UK.
Google Scholar.