Experimental and numerical study of particle collisions in liquid fluidized beds

Abstract

Wastewater treatments using anaerobic bioreactors are have been gaining notoriety in last decades by being an effective, low-cost, clean technology, also presenting biogases as byproduct of its reaction, which can be harnessed as renewable energy sources. Among these bioreactors, fluidized bed ones stand out, due to its high mass transfer rate and productivity when compared to fix or slurry beds, for example. Being this type of reactor composed by rough and low elasticity modulus particle bed, its flow is highly complex, and literature about the subject, scarce, reducing its applicability. Thus, in present project, experiments are going to be carried out in a fluidized bed column using particles with different mechanical properties and surface finishes, in order to determine its effects on flow profile. For this purpose, sensors connected to microcontrollers are going to monitor flow rate, temperature and pressure drop of fluid; and measure collision frequency and impact force of particles in different column positions. Furthermore, CFD-DEM coupling techniques will be applied to simulate the observed behavior and developing or improving models to represent fluid dynamic of the system. It is then expected to make projects of fluidized bed bioreactors more assertive in terms of performance prediction, and, consequently, enhance its applicability. (AU)