Practical characterization and modeling method for macroscopic gas–solid flow in circulating fluidized bed

Fluidized beds are common in the energy and chemical industries because they provide a good environment for heterogeneous reactions owing to the combination of mixing and multiphase flow hydrodynamics. The hydrodynamics of gas–solid suspensions in fluidized beds is extremely complicated and requires accurate study. A wide range of simulation approaches have been used in fluidized bed design and operational studies, but it is still not clear how the phase interaction should be treated. In this study, a practical characterization method and modeling tool for gas–solid flows are presented, along with a definition of the phase interaction. In this method, the phase interaction is derived for a real solid material with specific particle size, shape and density distributions. In addition, a macroscopic 1D modeling tool for gas–solid flow that is capable of practical stationary and transient simulations is presented. This tool solves the governing equation for the solid-phase momentum and provides physical predictions for transient gas–solid flow investigations. The proposed characterization method and modeling tool are validated against experimental data. •Characterization method for macroscopic gas–solid flow in circulating fluidized bed.•Drag correction for real solid material with size and shape distributions.•Modeling tool to investigate gas–solid flow in fluidized beds with momentum approach.•Modeling tool capable for time-dependent studies for gas–solid flows.