Verification of the hydrodynamics of a polyethylene fluidized bed reactor using CFD and imaging experiments

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dc.contributor.advisorKantzas, Apostolos
dc.contributor.authorHulme, Ian
dc.date.accessioned2005-08-08T20:11:22Z
dc.date.available2005-08-08T20:11:22Z
dc.date.issued2003
dc.descriptionBibliography: p. 168-176en
dc.description.abstractX-ray fluoroscopy was used to produce images that showed the behavior of bubbles in a laboratory scale gas-solid fluidized bed reactor, used for the production of polyethylene. Software was developed and validated to identify and track the bubbles from image frame to image frame. Properties such as the bubble diameter, and axial velocity were obtained and compared with correlations by Werther (1978), and Kunii and Levenspiel (1991). Several parameters were varied to determine the sensitivity of the software, and determine if trends, resulting from the variation of the parameters, such as superficial gas velocity, settled bed height and mean particle size, matched those obtained by other researchers in literature. The second part of the research was to determine if a commercial computational fluid dynamic package Fluent 6.0.20 could simulate the behavior of bubbles. Using a Eulerian­Eulerian model, a parametric study was conducted to determine the effect of input variables, closing equations and solution techniques on the bubble properties. It was determined that the effective solid viscosity, calculated using the kinetic theory of granular flow played an important role in determining the bubble properties. While the bubble diameters of the experiments and simulations were comparable, the bubble axial velocities for the simulation were considerably higher. In general, it was found that the behavior of polyethylene particles in a gas-solid fluidized bed reactor did not conform exactly to theory, and as a result, is worthy of extended studies to determine the properties that govern its behavior
dc.format.extentxix, 190 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm.en
dc.identifier.citationHulme, I. (2003). Verification of the hydrodynamics of a polyethylene fluidized bed reactor using CFD and imaging experiments (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/16864en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/16864
dc.identifier.isbn0612872831en
dc.identifier.lccAC1 .T484 2003 H85en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/40184
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.publisher.placeCalgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.titleVerification of the hydrodynamics of a polyethylene fluidized bed reactor using CFD and imaging experiments
dc.typemaster thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineChemical and Petroleum Engineering
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
ucalgary.thesis.accessionTheses Collection 58.002:Box 1445 520708880
ucalgary.thesis.notesUARCen
ucalgary.thesis.uarcreleaseyen
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