Investigation of Drying Geldart D and B Particles in Different Fluidization Regimes

Drying of nylon (Geldart D) and expanded polystyrene (Geldart B) particles in fixed and fluidized beds were studied experimentally and theoretically. Fluidized bed dryers are sometimes operated at velocities beyond bubbling fluidization to mitigate against de‐fluidization of surface wet particles. It was found that theoretical analysis using three different drying methods could predict the constant‐drying rate at such velocities and also across the entire fluidization regimes (fixed bed, bubbling, slugging and turbulent fluidization) as long as the bed remains completely fluidized. Results also showed that the theoretical predictions were accurate beyond previously reported velocity limits in a laboratory scale dryer. During bubbling fluidization, the cross flow factor method was used effectively to predict the influence of bubble phase on drying rates. In the falling‐rate period, it is demonstrated that the drying behaviour of nylon at different gas velocities can be characterised by a single normalized drying curve.