Investigation of wet particle drying process in a fluidized bed dryer by CFD simulation and experimental measurement

Wet particle drying process is complex due to the change of particle moisture, which has big effect on the gas–solid properties, flow dynamics and mass and heat transfer behavior. In this research, a two-fluid model (TFM) coupled with the mass and heat transfer was used to simulate the particle drying process in a fluidized bed dryer. Meanwhile, online electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) was used to measure the solids concentration and off-line moisture meter was employed to measure the particle moisture. Two periods, i.e., constant-rate period and falling-rate period, were captured in the experimental drying curve. The continuous drying curve was obtained by the 2D CFD simulation. The drying rate increases sharply in the pre-warming period, reaches high in the constant-rate period, and decreases markedly in the falling-rate period at the beginning and then decreases slowly. The particle temperature increases gradually until it reaches the air temperature and keeps constant. In order to capture detailed flow dynamics in the drying process, 3D CFD simulations at certain moisture contents were performed. It is found that the simulated cross-sectional particle volume fraction shows core-annular structure and is verified by the on-line ECT measurement. An internal circulation is formed along the reactor height. The mass and heat transfer mainly happens at the lower part of the dryer and at the contact region between the bubbles and the solids phase. The minimum fluidization velocity decreases, and the bubble rising velocity increases when the particle moisture level decreases.