DEM Analysis on Flow Patterns of Geldart's Group A Particles in Fluidized Bed: Effect of Adhesion and Lubrication Forces

A discrete particle model for flows of Group A particles in Geldart's classification was studied. Generally, Group A particles have small diameter, so that additional interaction between particles, such as the lubrication force due to interstitial fluid and the adhesion (van der Waals) force due to the intermolecular force may have a strong effect on their fluidization behavior. In this paper, we studied the effects of lubrication and adhesion forces between particles. The calculated results using the DEM model with the adhesion force showed the existence of the non-bubbling (homogeneous) regime and pressure drop hysteresis, which are characteristic features of Group A particles in the fluidized bed.