The "scaling up" from laboratory results to commercial sized fluidized bed reactions has remained only partially successful. This study is investigating the scale effects on the gas and solid flow patterns in fluidized bed systems. The studies are two integrated efforts. The first involves studying the flow patterns in three similar circular beds and in three similar rectangular systems with aspect ratios of 2:1. The second study is investigating the fundamentals of emulsion phase stability, bubble dynamics and associated flow of particles, gas backmixing, and solids dispersion. The study is divided into four tasks: 1) Recognition of Gas.Solid Contact Using Chemical Reactions, 2) Gas and Solids Flow Patterns in Fluidized Beds, 3) Development of Fluidized Bed Instrumentation and 4) The Effect of Configuration on Flow Patterns of Solids and Gases. This two year study is being cost.shared by DuPont Union Carbide, the Electric Power Research Institute and West Virginia University. The Co.Principal Investigators and their colleagues are noted experts in their disciplines and are well qualified to conduct this study. The project has been coordinated with Dr. M. Ojalvo, ENG/CBT/PMP. The Program Manager recommends that West Virginia University be awarded $100,000 for the first year of a two.year continuing grant. Second year funding is to be contingent upon satisfactory research progress and companies cost sharing at least $100,000 to complete the project.
