Chemical Engineering and Processing 44 (2005) 153157

Influence of the particle diameter and density in the

gas velocity in jet spouted beds
Mara J. San Jos , Sonia Alvarez, Alvaro Ortiz de Salazar, Martn Olazar, Javier Bilbao
Departamento de Ingeniera Qumica, Universidad del Pas Vasco, Facultad de Ciencias, Apartado 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain
Received 30 September 2003; received in revised form 25 February 2004; accepted 19 March 2004
Available online 20 June 2004

Abstract
A gas flow pattern in the regime of jet spouted bed (or dilute spouted bed) has been analyzed in conical spouted beds using materials of
different density and particle diameter. The experimental results have been fitted to an empirical equation for calculation of the interstitial
velocity at the contactor axis in jet spouted beds. The general equation proposed relates this property to the geometric factors of the contactor
(angle, ; and inlet diameter, Do ) and to the operating variables (particle size, dp ; particle density, s ; particle shape, ; stagnant bed height,
Ho ; and air relative velocity referred to that minimum spouting, uo /uoms ).
2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Spouted beds; Jet spouted beds; Gas flow

1. Introduction
Markowski and Kaminski [1] identified the hydrodynamic
characteristics of the regime of jet spouting obtained by
expansion of the spouted bed in conical contactors: high
velocity; high average bed voidage, over 0.75 depending on
the operating conditions; systematic cyclic movement of the
particles; a hydrodynamic behaviour different to that of the
conventional spouted bed.
The jet spouted bed, Fig. 1, has a vigorous movement for
the solid and a uniform gas-solid contact, which is necessary
in operations with sticky solids and in highly exothermal
reactions. In the same way, it allows for working in a close to
uniform way with a wide particle size distribution. In short,
the hydrodynamic differences between the jet spouted bed
and the conventional conical contactors are:
Non-existence of hysteresis in the pressure drop versus
velocity curves.
Deviation of the experimental results of minimum velocity
for which the correlations deduced for the spouted bed
are not applicable.
Lesser instability problems, despite the fact the hydrodynamic regime is greatly affected by the contactor dimen

Corresponding author. Tel.: +34 94 6015362; fax: +34 94 6013500.

E-mail address: iqpsaalm@lg.ehu.es (M.J. San Jose).

0255-2701/$ see front matter 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.cep.2004.03.011

sions, by the characteristics of the inlet, by the particle

diameter and by other operation and design parameters.
The design of the jet spouted bed requires the rigorous
definition of the gas flow pattern in order for the residence
time distribution to be considered. In previous papers, the
regime of jet spouted bed and its hydrodynamics correlations
have been defined [28]. The minimum jet spouting velocity
is calculated by the following correlation [7].
(Reo )mj = 6.891 Ar0.35 (Db /Do )1.46 [tan(/2)]0.53

(1)

The geometric factors and the design requirements for

stability have been delimited and the operational conditions
of the jet spouted bed have been compared with those of the
other gas-solid contact techniques [2,3].
The good behaviour of this regime has been proven in a
satisfactory way in the obtaining of thermally stable polybenzyls by polymerization of gaseous benzyl alcohol on
solid acid catalyst [9,10]. The jet spouted bed has also
been successfully used in coal gasification [1113]. The jet
spouted bed allows for working with short gas residence
times, by using a simpler and more economical device than
that of other innovative design reactors, such as the cyclonic
reactors [1416], spout-fluid bed reactors with draft tube
[17], spouted bed reactors with draft tube [18], or the impinging stream reactors [19,20]. Consequently, they have a

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M.J. San Jose et al. / Chemical Engineering and Processing 44 (2005) 153157

Fig. 2. Experimental equipment.

Fig. 1. Solid circulation in jet spouting regime.

potential interest for fast reactions in which selectivity is the

factor for optimization.
A model for gas flow using glass beads has been proposed in previous papers [21]. In order to describe the gas
flow in jet spouted bed regime in conical contactors. In this
paper, the vertical component of the gas interstitial velocity
has been calculated in jet spouted beds and the experimental
results have been fitted to an empirical equation for calculation of the interstitial velocity at the contactor axis in jet
spouted beds.

Fig. 3. They have made to the following dimensions: column

diameter Dc , 0.36 m; contactor base diameter Di , 0.62 m;
cone angles, , 33, 36, and 45 ; height of the conical section
Hc , 0.50, 0.45, and 0.36 m; gas inlet diameter Do , 0.03, 0.04,
0.05 and 0.06 m; stagnant bed height Ho , between 0.05 and
0.30 m.
The solids used correspond to group D and B of Geldart
classification [22,23] and they are set out in Table 1.
The velocity readings are carried out by four probes whose
radial and longitudinal position can be established at will
inside the contactor by means of a displacement device
controlled by computer, which established the coordinates

2. Experimental
The pilot plant scale experimental unit, Fig. 2, described
in previous papers [2,3] is provided with a blower that supplies a maximum air flowrate of 300 Nm3 /h at a pressure of
1500 mm of water column. The flow measurement is carried
out with two rotameters, used in the ranges from 2.5 to 30
and from 30 to 250 Nm3 /h. In the range from 0 to 4 Nm3 /h a
gas volume meter provided with paddles is used. A system
of valves allows for choosing the suitable rotameter for the
desired flowrate. This flowrate is fixed by closing or opening
a butterfly valve.
Five contactors of poly(methyl methacrylate) have been
used, whose geometric characteristics are definided in the

Fig. 3. Geometric factors of the contactors.

M.J. San Jose et al. / Chemical Engineering and Processing 44 (2005) 153157

155

Table 1
Properties of the solids used
Material

s
(kg/m3 )

dp
(mm)

Geldart
classification

Glass beads

2420
2420
2420
2420
2420
2420

1.0
2.0
3.0
3.5
4.0
5.0

1
1
1
1
1
1

0.322
0.328
0.345
0.351
0.355
0.358

B
D
D
D
D
D

890

3.5

0.90 0.390 D

1030
1030
1030

1.0
2.0
3.5

0.80 0.395 B
0.80 0.385 D
0.80 0.380 D

65

3.5

0.95 0.507 D

242
242
242

1.0
1.5
2.0

0.90 0.324 B
0.90 0.328 D
0.90 0.330 D

Polypropylene
Extruded polystyrene

Expanded polystyrene
Sawdust

Fig. 4. Evolution with the dimensionless position in the bed, *, of the

vertical component of the gas interstitial velocity at the axis, uj (0), in jet
spouting regime. = 36 , Do = 0.04 m, Ho = 0.23 m for the different
materials of particle diameter dp = 3.5 mm.

of the point to be measured by each probe following a given

sequence.

3. Results
A wide experimental study of the vertical component of
the gas interstitial velocity in the contactor has been carried
out with the aim of obtaining a correlation that relates this
property to the geometric factors of the contactor (angle, ,
and inlet diameter, Do ) and to the operating variables (particle size, dp ; particle density, s ; particle shape, ; stagnant
bed height, Ho ; and air relative velocity referred to that minimum spouting, uo /uoms ).
The general equation proposed to calculate the vertical
component of the interstitial velocity at any position of the
contactor is a Gaussian curve, in which the velocity in each
position is a function of radius, r; of the maximum velocity
at the axis of the contactor, uj (0) and of the velocity along
the flow at the wall, uW :
uj = (uj (0) uW ) exp[0.5(r/)2 ] + uW

(2)

The evolution of the maximum velocity, uj (0), with the

dimensionless longitudinal position at the axis, , has a
similar tracing for all the systems, the velocity decreases as
the longitudinal position at the axis increases, Fig. 4. These
velocity profiles are more pronounced than those of conical
spouted beds [24].
The maximum velocity at the axis of the contactor, uj (0),
is a function of the geometric factors and operating conditions. The experimental results have been fitted to an empirical equation for calculation of the interstitial velocity
at the contactor axis in jet spouted beds. The fitting has a

regression coefficient of r2 = 0.97 and the standard deviation of 3%.


2.78 102
8
uj (0) = 2.14 105
+
H
o
Do2


0.17


dp
K

(3)
u

1+K
K = Ho0.81

s
v

0.1

(0.85 0.22Do0.5 + 0.75dp0.5 + 0.21 0.5

0.248 1.17 106 s )

(4)

The expression proposed for the vertical component of

velocity near the wall, uW , which has been chosen taking
into account simplicity and because it gives a satisfactory
fitting for all the experimental data is only function of the
dimensionless spherical radius, :
uW = 202 exp(1.42 )

(5)

From the vertical components of points velocity in the

contactor and by using the continuity equation, the radial
component, ur , and consequently, the modulus and direction
of velocity vector at each point in the contactor are calculated.
The continuity equation applied to differential volume element in cylindrical coordinates is:
1
u
=0
(rur ) +
r r
z

(6)

In Fig. 5, the map of velocities and of fluid direction is

shown as an example, which corresponds to the system =

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M.J. San Jose et al. / Chemical Engineering and Processing 44 (2005) 153157

ing this decreasing more pronounced as the solid density increases. Besides these velocity profiles are more pronounced
than those of conical spouted bed regime.
Empirical correlations proposed in this paper have been
proven to be valid for calculating the interstitial velocity
at any position of the contactor. These equations takes into
account, as well as the geometric factors of the contactor
the operating variables such as particle size, particle density
and particle shape.
The calculated average velocity in the spout at each level
are very similar to the velocity at the axis for beds of low
density solids. Nevertheless, for beds of solids of higher
density, the velocity profiles in the spout zone are more
pronounced.

Acknowledgements
This work was carried out with the financial support of the University of the Basque Country (Project
9/UPV00069.310-13607/2001).

Fig. 5. Map of gas interstitial velocity vector in jet spouting regime.

= 36 , Do = 0.04 m, Ho = 0.23 m and extruded polystyrene of particle
diameter dp = 3.5 mm.

36 , Do = 0.04 m, Ho = 0.23 m and extruded polystyrene

dp = 3.5 mm. The length of the arrows is proportional to
the value of the corresponding velocity vector modulus.
From the results it has been proven for all the experimental systems studied that the flow rate is constant along the
streamtubes defined in the annular zone, such as has been
proposed in the model.
In order to solve the model conservation equations, only
the knowledge of the average interstitial velocity in the
spout zone at each level, us , is required. This is calculated
as:


1
1 Do /2
us =
u dAs =
2ur dr
(7)
As
As 0
The values of us calculated using Eq. (7) are very similar
(differ in less than 3%) to the values of velocity at the axis
uj (0) for beds of sawdust and expanded polystyrene. Consequently, the velocity profile in the spout zone is almost flat
in beds of these solids. Nevertheless, for beds of glass beads
and extruded polystyrene the velocity profiles in the spout
zone are more pronounced.

Appendix A. Nomenclature
Ar
As
dp
Db , D c , D i , D o

g
Hc , Ho

r, z
R
(Reo )mj
u, uj (0), uj , uw
ur , us

4. Conclusions

Greek letters
o

In jet spouted bed regime in conical spouted bed, the gas

interstitial velocity at the axis, uj (0), decreases as the dimensionless longitudinal position at the axis, , increases; be-

Archimedes number gdp3 g (s g )/2

cross-sectional area of the spout (m2 )
particle diameter (m)
diameter of the upper level of the
stagnant bed, of the column, of the bed
base and of the inlet, respectively (m)
gravity constant (m s2 )
height of the the conical section of the
contactor, and of the stagnant bed,
respectively (m)
radial and longitudinal coordinates (m)
contactor radius at z height (m)
Reynolds modulus of minimum jet
spouting referred to Do
vertical component of interstitial velocity,
maximum velocity at the axis, at any
position and at the contactor wall (m s1 )
radial component of interstitial velocity
and vertical component of the average
interstitial velocity in the spout at z level,
respectively (m s1 )
ratio between velocity and minimum
spouting velocity, dimensionless

bed voidage of the static bed,

dimensionless
particle shape factor
contactor angle (deg)
viscosity (kg m1 s1 )

M.J. San Jose et al. / Chemical Engineering and Processing 44 (2005) 153157

, N , o
g , s , v

longitudinal spherical coordinates,

maximum and minimum longitudinal
spherical coordinates (m)
density of the gas, of the solid and of
the glass beads, respectively (kg m3 )
dimensionless longitudinal spherical
coordinate, ( o )/(N o )
parameter of Eq. (2) (m).

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