TY - JOUR
TI - A method to detect and control fully fluidized conical beds with a wide size distribution of particles in the vicinity of the minimum fluidization velocity
AU - Mele Jernej
AU - Golobič Iztok
AU - Senegačnik Andrej
JN - Thermal Science
PY - 2015
VL - 19
IS - 1
SP - 267
EP - 276
PT - Article
AB - This article presents a new method for the control of a gas-sand conical  fluidized bed with a wide size distribution of particles. A two-step  procedure was developed and experimentally tested. The minimum velocity for  full fluidization is determined by a new statistically based method and then  the fully fluidized state is initiated and controlled. It is proven that the  characteristics of the pressure drop vs. fluidization velocity remain  practically the same for different bed heights and over a wide size  distribution of particles. The method analyses the recorded pressure drops  with a histogram. The minimum velocity for full fluidization is determined as  the smallest fluidization velocity from the histogram bin with the highest  density. Finally, it is also proved that the fluidization velocity is a  reliable parameter for controlling the fluidization. The method was used to  control fully fluidized beds at the minimum gas velocity in a pilot FICFB  gasificator.