Gas holdup above the bed surface and grid gas jet hydrodynamics for three phase fluidized beds

A three dimensional column was used to study the hydrodynamics of a three phase system: air, water and 3 mm glass beads. Various effects of the grid jets on bed hydrodynamics were investigated for both increasing and decreasing liquid superficial velocities. Three regimes were observed: spouted bed, spouted fluidized bed and three phase fluidized bed. The hydrodynamics of the two phase region above the bed was also studied. The gas holdup increased when the gas superficial velocity was increased but decreased when the liquid superficial velocity was increased. A correlation for the estimation of the gas holdup as a function of gas and liquid superficial velocities was established.