Axial Gas Dispersion in a Fluidized Bed of Polyethylene Particles

Gas mixing behavior was investigated in a residence time distribution experiment in a bubbling fluidized bed of 0.07 m ID and 0.80 m high. Linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) particles having a mean diameter of 772 μm and a particle size range of 200-1,500 μm were employed as the bed material. The stimulus-response technique with CO₂ as a tracer gas was performed for the RTD study. The effects of gas velocity, aspect ratio (H₀/D) and scale-up on the axial gas dispersion were determined from the unsteady-state dispersion model, and the residence time distributions of gas in the fluidized bed were compared with the ideal reactors. It was found that axial dispersion depends on the gas velocity and aspect ratio of the bed. The dimensionless dispersion coefficient was correlated with Reynolds number and aspect ratio.