The objective of the proposed work is a detailed experimental investigation of the transition between a particulate bed without aeration and a fully fluidized bed. Measurements of bed expansion, gas pressure drop, and axial bulk density profiles are planned. The results will be used to identify plastic yield limits, reversible stresses in particle assembly, the role of interaction between particles and solid bounding walls. Different particulate materials will be used in experiments. The results should provide an improved understanding of the fluidization mechanism, reference data for modeling, and basic correlations necessary to estimate the performance of gas- particle transport systems.
