Chemical Engineering Science 63 (2008) 5613 -- 5625

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Chemical Engineering Science

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Hydrodynamic similarity in circulating fluidized bed risers

Xiaobo Qi a,b , Jesse Zhu b, , Weixing Huang a,
a
School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China
b
Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B9

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Article history: Hydrodynamic similarity in the fully developed zone of co-current upward gassolid two-phase flow
Received 11 December 2007 systems under different operating conditions was investigated by measuring the axial profiles of pressure
Received in revised form 22 July 2008 gradient, radial profiles of solid concentration and particle velocity in two circulating fluidized bed (CFB)
Accepted 29 July 2008
risers of 15.1 and 10.5 m high, with FCC and sand particles, respectively. The experimental data obtained
Available online 12 August 2008
from this work and in the literature show that when the scaling parameter, Gs /(p Ug ), is modified as
Keywords: Fr0.3
D Gs /(p Ug ), a detailed hydrodynamic similitude of the gassolid flow in the fully developed zone of
Fluidization the risers under different operating conditions can be achieved. Furthermore, the experimental results
Circulating fluidized bed from different gassolid flow systems also show that as long as Fr0.3 D Gs /(p Ug ) remains constant, there is
Similarity the same solid concentration in the fully developed zone of different CFB risers with different particles.
Scaling With the same Fr0.3 D Gs /(p Ug ), the local solid concentrations, the descending particle velocities, the cluster
Hydrodynamics frequencies and the solid concentrations inside clusters in the fully developed zone of the risers all display
the same axial and radial distribution, respectively. In other words, the empirical similarity parameter,
Fr0.3
D Gs /(p Ug ), appears to have incorporated the effects of operating parameters (Gs and Ug ), so that,
the gassolid flow in the fully developed zone of CFB risers under those different operating conditions
but having the same Fr0.3 D Gs /(p Ug ) shows similar micro- and macro-hydrodynamic characteristics. The
study shows that the empirical similarity parameter, Fr0.3
D Gs /(p Ug ), is also independent of the upward
gassolid flow systems.
Crown Copyright 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
Due to the advantages of good mass and heat transfer character-
istics, gassolid fluidized beds have been widely utilized in many in-
dustrial processes, such as coal and/or biomass combustion for clean
energy, fluid catalytic cracking (FCC), fluid hydroforming, the Synthol
FischerTropsch synthesis, and the production of maleic anhydride,
alkylate and high-purity alumina (Grace and Bi, 1997; Johnsson,
2007; Kunii and Levenspiel, 1991). Circulating fluidized bed (CFB)
riser reactors are applied in various types of processes involving
gassolid contact because of their excellent mixing and transport
characteristics. The benefits of CFB riser reactors over conventional
bubbling or turbulent bed reactors include greater contacting ef-
ficiency due to high slip velocity between the two phases, higher
throughput per unit cross section, more operational flexibility, con-
tinuous catalyst regeneration (if necessary), and the possibility to
control separately the retention times of gas and solid (Berruti et al.,
1995; Lim et al., 1995; Zhu, 2005). Gassolid contact efficiency, heat
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 519 661 3807; fax: +1 519 850 2441.
Also corresponding author. Tel./fax: +86 28 8540 8126.
E-mail addresses: jzhu@uwo.ca (J. Zhu), hwx@scu.edu.cn (W. Huang).
and mass transfer rate, and chemical reaction performance of CFB
risers depend, to a large extent, on the complex flow behaviors of
such reactors and thus understanding of the hydrodynamics in CFB
risers is the key to successful modeling, design and scale-up of CFB
reactors (Lim et al., 1995; Berruti et al., 1995; Knowlton et al., 2007).
Although CFB riser reactors have been investigated extensively
for a long time because of their practical applications, as well as
their intrinsic academic interests, it is impractical to design, scale
up and operate CFB reactors according to theoretical models at this
stage of the model development and consequently the design, scale-
up and operation of these reactors remains a challenging task due
to the complexity of hydrodynamics of co-current upward gassolid
flow in CFB risers (Detamore et al., 2001; Knowlton et al., 2007; Li
et al., 2007; Matsen, 1996). Therefore, as a ore practicable and scien-
tific way, many sets of dimensionless scaling parameters designed
to ensure hydrodynamic similitude in different scale CFB reactors
have been proposed by different researchers (e.g., Chang and Louge,
1992; Horio et al., 1986, 1989; Glicksman, 1984, 1985; Glicksman
et al., 1993, 1994; van der Meer et al., 1999) based mainly on the di-
mensional analysis of governing equations derived by Anderson and
Jackson (1967) that describe co-current upward gassolid two-phase
flow. Some typical sets of dimensionless scaling parameters are listed

0009-2509/$ - see front matter Crown Copyright 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.ces.2008.07.036
5614 Xiaobo Qi et al. / Chemical Engineering Science 63 (2008) 5613 -- 5625

Table 1
Typical sets of dimensionless scaling groups

Author(s) Dimensionless scaling groups

Gs Ug Ug2 p g dp Ug
van der Meer et al. (1999) Five dimensionless groups p Ug , Ut
, FrD = gD
, g , g
Gs Ug Ug2 p
Four dimensionless groups p Ug , Ut
, FrD = gD
, g
Gs Ug Ug2
Three dimensionless groups p Ug , Ut
, FrD = gD
Gs Ug
Two dimensionless groups p Ug , Ut

Gs Ug2 g p g gd3p dp
Glicksman (1984) Full set p Ug , FrD = , p , Ar = ,
gD 2g D

Chang and Louge (1992)

Gs p Ug d2p Ug Ug2 g
Glicksman et al. (1993) Simplified set p Ug , g D or Umf
, FrD = gD
, p
Horio et al. (1989)
Gs p Ug d2p Ug Ug2
Glicksman (1988) Viscous-limit set p Ug , g D or Umf
, FrD = gD
Horio et al. (1986)

in Table 1. Moreover, according to van der Meer et al. (1999), apart
from bed geometry, particle sphericity and particle size distribution,
eight parameters (superficial gas velocity Ug , solid circulation rate
Gs , Sauter mean particle diameter dp , particle density p , riser hy-
draulic diameter D, gas density g , gas viscosity g , gravity g) are in
general sufficient to control the detailed hydrodynamics of gassolid
flow in CFB risers, assuming that restitution between particles, fric-
tion between particles and column wall, electrostatic forces and co-
hesion could be neglected (Glicksman et al., 1993, 1994). In fact, all
typical sets of dimensionless scaling groups in the literature as listed
in Table 1 are only composed of the above eight parameters. Fur-
thermore, for a given gassolid flow system, six of the above eight
parameters are constants and thus the hydrodynamics of the given
gassolid flow system depends only on the other two parameters
(i.e., superficial gas velocity and solid circulation rate). In practical
operation of CFB riser reactors, superficial gas velocities and solid
circulation rates would change inevitably with working conditions
from time to time. But, to obtain the steady reaction performance of
the riser reactors, it is of extreme importance to ensure the consis-
tency of hydrodynamics of gassolid flow under different operating
conditions, since the gassolid contact efficiency and heat and mass
transfer rates in the riser reactors depend greatly on the flow behav-
iors of gassolid flow in such reactors (Lim et al., 1995; Zhu, 2005).
Consequently, it is necessary to study the hydrodynamic similarity
in a CFB riser reactor under different operating conditions.
As shown in Table 1, all sets of dimensionless scaling groups
include a core dimensionless group Gs /(p Ug ), which describes the
similarity of axial distribution of solid concentration in different scale
riser reactors. It is obvious that the dimensionless group Gs /(p Ug )
contains the two variable parameters (Ug and Gs ) in an identical
gassolid flow system. Consequently, can the dimensionless group
Gs /(p Ug ) characterize the similarity of axial distribution of solid
concentration in an identical gassolid flow system under different
operating conditions?
According to the energy analysis of gassolid two-phase flow by
Li and Kwauk (1994) and Li et al. (2005), for co-current upward
dilute gassolid particulate flow under steady flow condition, if the
collision and friction between particles and riser wall, electrostatic
forces and cohesion are neglected, the work that gas stream exerts
on particles equals to the increase in potential energy of particles.
Then, one can have
Ug PSr t = Gs gzSr t
That can be rearranged as
P Gs g
= (2)
z Ug
where the pressure gradient P/ z, if both the friction between
gassolid suspension and riser wall and the acceleration of particles
in the accelerating zone are negligible, can be approximately esti-
mated by the following equation:
P
= p  s g (3)
z
so that
Gs
=  s (4)
p Ug
Obviously, the dimensionless group Gs /(p Ug ) characterizes the solid
concentrations in the co-current upward gassolid particulate flow.
However, it should be noted that there is an important assumption
for Eqs. (1) and (4) that the co-current upward gassolid flow must
be dilute and particulate. Only when the voidage of gassolid flow
is greater than 0.9997, clusters in gassolid flow tend to disappear
and the slip velocity gradually approaches the particle terminal ve-
locity (Matsen, 1982). That is, only when the solid concentration is
extremely dilute, the gassolid flow can be treated as uniformly dis-
persed particulate flow. For co-current upward gassolid circulating
fluidization, one of whose intrinsic characteristics is, however, high
slip velocity between gas and particles, thus there must be, in vari-
ous degrees, clusters in the upward gassolid flow in CFB risers. It is
commonly accepted that in the flow regime of circulating fluidiza-
tion, transporting particles only consumes a small part of the total
energy supplied by gas stream; most part of the energy are dissipated
for the mixing, acceleration and collision of particles. Therefore, the
Eqs. (1) and (4) cannot be applied to the gassolid flow in CFB riser
reactors. Moreover, according to Wei et al. (1995), the aggregation of
particles is not in linear proportion to Ug or Gs . Consequently, with
the variation of Ug and Gs , even if the value of Gs /(p Ug ) remains un-
changed, it is not possible for the solid concentrations,  s , to remain
constant because of the different degrees of particle aggregation. As
a result, it can be concluded that the dimensionless group Gs /(p Ug )
cannot characterize the similarity of the solid concentration distri-
bution in co-current upward gassolid flow system under different
operating conditions.
To this end, the focus of the present work is to study the hydro-
dynamic similarity in an identical co-current upward gassolid flow
system and to develop a similarity parameter. Numerous experimen-
tal data obtained from this work and in the literature are used to
(1)
validate the proposed similarity parameter. Since the gas distributor
design can significantly influence the gassolid flow in acceleration
zone of CFB risers (Yan et al., 2003), only the axial and radial profiles
of solid holdup, particle velocity and cluster properties in the fully
developed zone of CFB risers under various operating conditions are
utilized.
 Xiaobo Qi et al. / Chemical Engineering Science 63 (2008) 5613 -- 5625 5615

2. Experimental apparatus sand (dp = 461 m, p = 2710 kg/m3 ) particles, whose cumulative
size distribution are shown in Fig. 3. The FCC particles were used in
The experiments were carried out in two cold model CFB sys- Setup I and the sand particles for Setup II.
tems, as illustrated schematically in Fig. 1. The acrylic riser of exper-
imental Setup I is 15.1 m long and 100 mm i.d., and the steel riser
of experimental Setup II is 10.5 m long and 100 mm i.d., In order to
accelerate solid at the riser bottom quickly and thus to reduce the
length of acceleration zone, a nozzle type gas distributor as shown
in Fig. 2 was employed for both risers. Each gas distributor includes
a perforated plate and a bundle of nozzles uniformly installed on the
perforated plate. The perforated plate is for auxiliary gas to fluidize
the solids from the storage tank while the nozzles are for the main
gas to carry the solids upward. During the operation, main air en-
tered the riser through nozzle tubes and the solid coming from the
storage tank were fluidized by the auxiliary air at the riser bottom
and then carried upwards by the combination of the auxiliary and
main gas stream along the riser column. The solid suspension leav-
ing the riser top passed through a smooth elbow into the primary
Fig. 2. Schematic diagram of the nozzle gas distributors.
cyclone. Further solid separation was done in the secondary and ter-
tiary cyclones and finally by a bag filter. Finally, the solid were re-
cycled to the distributor from the storage tank, through a butterfly
valve located in the inclined feeding pipe. The solid circulation rate
was regulated by the butterfly valve and was measured by the mea-
suring pipe for Setup I and by a measuring section in the storage
tank for Setup II. In order to minimize the electrostatics found in
both the riser and storage tank of Setup I, a small stream of steam
was introduced into the main air pipeline to humidify the de-oiled
fluidization air to a relative humidity of 7080%. According to Park
et al. (2002), at a relative humidity value between 40% and 80%, the
electrostatic effect can be controlled in an acceptable level to avoid
misleading results
The fluidization gas used in the study was air at ambient tem-
perature and pressure, supplied by a Roots-type blower. An orifice
plate (Setup I) and rotameter (Setup II) were employed to measure
the gas flowrates. The particulate materials were spent FCC (Sauter
mean diameter dp = 67 m, particle density p = 1500 kg/m3 ) and Fig. 3. Cumulative size distribution of the FCC and sand particles.

Fig. 1. Schematic diagrams of the two CFB systems.

5616 Xiaobo Qi et al. / Chemical Engineering Science 63 (2008) 5613 -- 5625

Table 2
Operating conditions for local solid concentration and particle velocity measurement

Setup I ( H = 15.1 m, D = 100 mm) Setup II (H = 10.5 m, D = 100 mm)

Ug (m/s) 2
Gs (kg/m s) Fr0.3
D 
Gs /( p Ug ) Ug (m/s) Gs (kg/m2 s) Fr0.3
D Gs /(p Ug )

3.5 100 0.0090 5.5 49 0.0012

5.5 108 0.0047 6.5 51 0.0009
5.5 201 0.0087 6.5 99 0.0018
5.5 53 0.0023 8.0 51 0.0007
8.1 202 0.0047 8.0 102 0.0013
8.2 101 0.0023 8.0 150 0.0020
8.0 198 0.0026
9.4 99 0.0010
9.4 199 0.0020
11.0 100 0.0008
11.0 201 0.0016

Fig. 4. Variation of the solid concentrations in the fully developed zone of the riser I (H = 15.1 m, D = 100 mm, FCC particles) with (a) Gs /(p Ug ) and (b) Fr0.3
D Gs /(p Ug ).

Fig. 5. Variation of the solid concentrations in the fully developed zone of the riser II (H = 10.5 m, D = 100 mm, sand particles) with (a) Gs /(p Ug ) and (b) Fr0.3
D Gs /(p Ug ).

Differential pressure measurements have been commonly used
to estimate average solid concentrations in CFB risers. As indicated
in Fig. 1, 12 OMEGA PX series differential pressure transducers were
utilized to measure pressure drops along the riser column of Setup
I, and 10 for Setup II. From the measured pressure gradient, P/z,
the apparent cross-sectional average solid holdups,  s app , can be in-
ferred based on the assumption that both the axial variation of gas
and solid velocities and the friction between the gassolid suspen-
sion and the column wall have negligible effects on the pressure
drops.
Reflective-type optical fiber probes yield high signal-to-noise
ratios and, if properly designed, their small size does not signifi-
cantly disturb the overall flow structure in CFB risers (Zhang et al.,
1998; Johnsson and Johnsson, 2001; van Ommen and Mudde, 2007).
More importantly, they are nearly free of interference by tempera-
ture, humidity, electrostatics and electromagnetic fields (Zhang et al.,
1998; Werther, 1999; van Ommen and Mudde, 2007). Therefore, a
multi-fiber optical probe, PC-4, developed by the Institute of Process
Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, was chosen to measure
local solid concentrations in this study. The active area of the probe
 Xiaobo Qi et al. / Chemical Engineering Science 63 (2008) 5613 -- 5625
Fig. 6. Variation of solid circulation rate with superficial gas velocity under those
operating conditions having the same solid concentration in the fully developed
zone of the riser I (H = 15.1 m, D = 100 mm, FCC particles).
Fig. 7. Variation of average solid concentrations in the fully developed zone of the
different gassolid flow systems with Fr0.3 Gs /(p Ug ) (data from multiple references,
D
the keys and experimental conditions of the reported gassolid flow systems are
given in Table 3).
tip with 3.8 mm o.d. is approximately 2 mm 2 mm, containing ap-
proximately 8000 emitting and detecting quartz fibers, each 15 m
in diameter. The light reflected by the particles is received by the
photo-multiplier and converted into voltage signals. The voltage sig-
nals are further amplified and fed into a PC. Because of the non-linear
relationship between the voltage signals and the solid concentration
in the measurement volume (Zhang et al., 1998), a reliable calibra-
tion is required to ensure an accurate measurement. In this study,
the calibration was carried out in a gassolid downer system. More
details of the calibration system can be found in Zhang et al. (1998)
and Qi (2003). For Setup I, local solid concentrations under six op-
erating conditions, as listed in Table 2, were measured at 11 radial
positions (r/R = 0.0, 0.158, 0.382, 0.498, 0.590, 0.670, 0.741, 0.806,
0.866, 0.922 and 0.975) on eight axial levels (z=0.95, 2.59, 4.51, 6.34,
8.16, 10.00, 12.28 and 14.08 m). While for Setup II, local solid con-
centrations under 11 operating conditions, also shown in Table 2,
were measured at 11 radial positions same as Setup I on 5 axial
levels (z = 1.50, 3.50, 5.50, 7.50 and 9.50 m). At each position the
sampling time is 30 s with a frequency of 1000 Hz and the measure-
ments were repeated twice, to ensure the validity and repeatability
of sampled signals. Actual cross-sectional average solid concentra-
tions,  s act , were obtained by integrating the local values, s , at 10
different radial positions excluding the center.
The local particle velocity was measured using a novel five-fiber
optical velocity probe, PV-3, developed by the Institute of Process
5617
Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The five-fiber optic probe
consists of two light emitting fibers (B and D) and three light de-
tecting fibers (A, C and E) arranged precisely in the same vertical
line. Each of the five fibers is a silicon optical fiber of diameter
200 m. A particle flowing by the center point between any two
neighboring fibers will produce a reflective signal to a detection
fiber. By counting the time difference between the two signals from
AB and BC (or CD and DE), the velocity of a particle passing
along the array of the five fibers can be determined. This increases
the accuracy of the measurements. More details of the five-fiber
optic probe have been presented elsewhere (Zhu et al., 2001). For
each condition as shown in Table 2, the local particle velocity was
measured at the same location as that for the local solid concen-
tration measurement. At each measurement location the sampling
time was typically over 30 s and the amount of sampled particles
over 2500.
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Modification of Gs /(p Ug )
Figs. 4(a) and 5(a) plot the variation of the solid concentrations in
fully developed zone, s , with the dimensionless scaling parameter,
Gs /(p Ug ), under different superficial gas velocities for risers I and II,
respectively. In this work, the practical method proposed by Huang
et al. (2006) was adopted to define the starting point of the fully
developed zone. That is, the starting point of the fully developed
region is considered to have been reached if the maximum relative
deviation between the value of (P/ z)i at the test point n and the
average (P/ z)m for all points above the test point n is less than
10%, i.e.:
 
 (P/ z)i (P/ z)m 
   10%, i = n, n + 1, . . . , N (5)
 (P/ z)m 
max
 N
where (P/ z)m = N i=n (P)i / i=n (P)i and N is the number of
pressure transducers (for Setup I, N=12; for Setup II, N=10). Then, the
average apparent solid concentration in the fully developed region
is calculated from (P/ z)m .
Under various Ug , a good linear relationship between s and
Gs /(p Ug ) can be observed, but the slopes of s against Gs /(p Ug )
under different Ug are not the same. With increasing Ug , the cor-
responding slope decreases. For a given Gs /(p Ug ), s gradually
approaches the terminal solid concentration of the corresponding
operating condition, s [=Gs /(p (Ug Ut ))], but s cannot reach s
within the operation range of the regime of fast fluidization. Theo-
retically, the terminal solid concentration, s , denotes the most dilute
solid concentration of gassolid suspension flow with slip velocity
equal to the terminal velocity of the individual particle under given
operating condition. In other words, this comes from the assump-
tion that there is no particle aggregation and a uniform distribution
of gas and particles. But this is only the ideal situation and there is
always particle aggregation. This is expected, given the fact that a
uniformly dispersed gassolid suspension flow is always unstable
and particles are prone to aggregate into some forms of clusters
(Grace and Tuot, 1979; Li et al., 1991; Chen, 1996; Lackermeier et al.,
2001) and thus result in a higher slip velocity and a higher solid
concentration in CFB risers. For example, as shown in Fig. 5(a), even
when Ug is up to 11.4 m/s, s does not approach s , indicating that
the sand particles are stillprone to aggregate under such high gas
velocity.
To further investigate the effects of the two operating parameters
on the solid concentration in the fully developed region of the CFB
riser, Fig. 6 shows the variation of solid circulation rate, Gs , with
superficial gas velocity, Ug , under those operating conditions where
the combination of Gs and Ug gives the same s . Obviously, for a
5618 Xiaobo Qi et al. / Chemical Engineering Science 63 (2008) 5613 -- 5625

Table 3
Experimental conditions for the co-current upward gassolid flow systems in this work and in the literature

H (m) D (mm) Solid material pp (kg/m3 ) dp (m) E/ g (m/s) Gs (kg/m2 s) Keys in Fig. 7

This work 15.1 100 FCC 1500 67 2.010.3 10230 

This work 10.5 100 Sand 2710 461 5.611.5 24211 X
Yan and Zhu (2004) 10.0 76 FCC 1500 67 4.01.0 50300 
Yan and Zhu (2004) 10.0 203 FCC 1500 67 3.08.0 25104
Issangya (1998) 6.1 76 FCC 1600 70 4.08.0 18181
Mastellone and Arena (1999) 5.75 120 FCC 1770 70 3.03.5 35110 
Mastellone and Arena (1999) 5.75 120 Silica sand 2600 310 5.06.0 16120 
Mastellone and Arena (1999) 5.75 120 Ballotini#1 2540 67 3.5 80130 
Mastellone and Arena (1999) 5.75 120 Ballotini#2 2540 89 3.06.0 15250 
Ouyang and Potter (1993) 10 0.254 FCC 1380 65 2.37.5 54206 
Li and Kwauk (1980) 8.0 0.09 Iron ore 4510 105 4.07.0 82157
Li and Kwauk (1980) 8.0 0.09 Alumina 3090 81 1.85.6 35140
Li and Kwauk (1980) 8.0 0.09 FCC 1780 58 0.83.0 1235
Li and Kwauk (1980) 8.0 0.09 Pyrite cinder 3050 56 1.53.0 72129 \
Li et al. (1988) 8.0 0.09 FCC 930 54 1.52.1 14193 
Yerushalmi and Avidan (1985) 8.5 0.152 HFZ-20 1450 49 1.94.1 113173
Rhodes and Geldart (1986) 6 0.152 9G 1800 64 2.54.5 8.5107 
Hartge et al. (1986) 3.3 0.05 Sand 2600 56 3.44.0 7190
Hartge et al. (1986) 7.8 0.4 Sand 2600 56 4.25.0 64118 a
Bader et al. (1988) 12.2 0.305 FCC 1714 76 4.3, 9.1 147
Bi et al. (1989) 8.0 0.186 Silica gel 706 280 3.7, 6.0 42134
Yang et al. (1984) 8.0 0.115 Silica gel 794 220 5.3 43160 
Arena et al. (1991) 5.75 0.12 Ballotini 2543 90 5.0 92251

Weinstein et al. (1984) 8.5 0.152 HFZ-20 1520 49 2.9, 3.4 71140 
Bai and Kato (1995) 3.0 0.06 FCC 1623 59 1.53.0 838 
Bai and Kato (1995) 3.0 0.097 FCC 1623 59 1.53.0 1064
Bai and Kato (1995) 3.0 0.15 FCC 1623 59 1.52.5 1888
Contractor and Chaouki (1991) NA 0.15 FCC 1570 70 5.7 294685

given s , Gs does not change linearly with Ug . With increase in Ug ,
more solid particles are needed to maintain the same s due to
particle aggregation. In other words, the solid concentration in the
fully developed region under those operating conditions with the
same Gs /(p Ug ) should be different within the operating range of
the flow regime of circulating fluidization. This confirms that the
scaling parameter Gs /(p Ug ) cannot guarantee the similarity of the
solid concentration distribution in an identical gassolid flow system
under different operating conditions.
Seeing that the scaling parameter Gs /(p Ug ) cannot characterize
the similarity of the solid concentration distribution in an identi-
cal gassolid flow system under different operating conditions, it is
necessary to modify it.
For an identical gassolid flow system in CFB risers, if the forces
acting on a given particle under different operating conditions are the
same, then the particle motion should be the same under these oper-
ating conditions. The same follows for the motion of the gas and the
motion of the particles and clusters and then for the hydrodynamics
in CFB risers. In a gassolid flow system, the important forces are
viscous and inertial as well as particle-to-gas interactive forces. For
the particles, the important forces include gravity, particle inertia,
gas interaction with the particles such as drag, collisional forces be-
tween particles and between particles and wall. Among these forces
acting on the particles in the gassolid flow in CFB risers, gravity
and inertia forces dominate mostly the motion of the particles. As a
ratio of inertia force to gravity force, Froude number FrD (=Ug2 /(gD))
characterizes the balance between the gravity and the inertia of the
particles, which is expected to dominate the motion of particles, due
to the strong change of motion direction imposed by the collision
between particles and between particles and wall. Consequently, the
same FrD can yield similar solid distribution and concentration in
CFB risers.
Based on the above discussion, Froude number FrD is chosen to
modify the scaling parameter Gs /(p Ug ). Within the range of this
study, when Gs /(p Ug ) is modified as Fr0.3
D
Gs /(p Ug ), a good lin-
ear relationship exists between Fr0.3
D
Gs /(  U
p g ) and s , as shown in
Figs. 4(b) and 5(b).
To verify whether the above empirical similarity parameter,
Fr0.3
D
Gs /(p Ug ), is independent of the experimental CFB riser
systems, Fig. 7 plots the average solid concentrations in the fully
developed region of different gassolid flow systems with different
riser diameters and heights, and with different particle densities
and sizes under a wide range of operating conditions. It is clear
that there still exists a good linear relationship between s and
Fr0.3
D
Gs /(p Ug ), indicating that the proposed empirical modifica-
tion of Gs /(p Ug ) to Fr0.3 Gs /(p Ug ) is reasonable and independent
D
of the gassolid flow systems (see Table 3).
3.2. Axial flow structure similarity
Figs. 8(a) and (b) present axial profiles of apparent cross-sectional
average solid concentration,  s app , under different operating con-
ditions but having the same Fr0.3 Gs /(p Ug ) for risers I and II, re-
D
spectively. As shown in Fig. 8, although the solid circulation rates
and superficial gas velocities vary greatly, as long as Fr0.3 Gs /(p Ug )
D
remains constant, the axial profiles of the solid concentrations in
the fully developed zone are almost the same. In fact, same phe-
nomenon can also be found in other upward gassolid CFB systems
in the literature. Figs. 9(a) and (b) compare the axial profiles of solid
concentration under different operating conditions with the same
Fr0.3 Gs /(p Ug ) obtained by Yan and Zhu (2004) in a twin-riser CFB
D
system, whose configurations except for the diameter are identical.
A comparison of axial profiles of solid concentration under differ-
ent operating conditions with the same Fr0.3 Gs /(p Ug ) measured
D
by Issangya (1998) in a high density CFB riser system is given in
Fig. 9(c). Fig. 9 shows that under a wide range of riser diameters
and operating conditions, the solid concentration under those oper-
ating conditions with the same Fr0.3 Gs /(p Ug ) have the same ax-
D
ial distribution in the fully developed zone. In a riser with 0.120 m
ID and 5.75 m high, with three different particles, Mastellone and
Arena (1999) studied the effect of particle diameter and density on
the solid distribution in the CFB riser. Fig. 10 compares the axial
profiles of solid concentration under different operating conditions
but having thesame Fr0.3 D
Gs /(p Ug ) with FCC, silica sand and glass
 Xiaobo Qi et al. / Chemical Engineering Science 63 (2008) 5613 -- 5625 5619

Fig. 8. Axial profiles of cross-sectional average apparent solid concentration under different operating conditions but having the same Fr 0.3
D Gs /(p Ug ).

Fig. 9. Axial profiles of cross-sectional average apparent solid concentration under different operating conditions but having the same Fr 0.3
D Gs /(p Ug ).
5620 Xiaobo Qi et al. / Chemical Engineering Science 63 (2008) 5613 -- 5625

Fig. 10. Axial profiles of cross-sectional average apparent solid concentration under different operating conditions but having the same Fr 0.3
D Gs /(p Ug ).

Fig. 11. Axial profiles of cross-sectional average apparent solid concentration under different operating conditions but having the same Fr 0.3
D Gs /(p Ug ).

bead particles, respectively. Again, as long as the empirical similarity Since the deviation between apparent solid concentration
parameter Fr0.3
D
Gs /(p Ug ) remains constant, the solid concentration and actual solid concentration may be significant due to particle
in the fully developed zone have the same axial distribution in each acceleration and the friction between gassolid suspension and
system. wall, actual cross-sectional average solid concentration,  s act , was
 Xiaobo Qi et al. / Chemical Engineering Science 63 (2008) 5613 -- 5625 5621

Fig. 12. Axial profiles of cross-sectional average apparent solid concentration under different operating conditions but having the same Fr 0.3
D Gs /(p Ug ).

Fig. 13. Radial profiles of solid concentration under different operating conditions but having the same Fr 0.3
D Gs /(p Ug ).

obtained by integrating local solid concentrations. A comparison of ent gassolid flow systems are illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12. These
axial profiles of actual average solid concentration under different figures confirm the above conclusion that if Fr0.3D
Gs /(p Ug ) for
operating conditions with the same Fr0.3
D
Gs /(p Ug ) in four differ- different operating conditions remains constant, the similarity of
5622 Xiaobo Qi et al. / Chemical Engineering Science 63 (2008) 5613 -- 5625

Fig. 14. Radial profiles of solid concentration under different operating conditions but having the same Fr 0.3
D Gs /(p Ug ).

solid concentration distribution in the fully developed zone can be From the above discussion, it can be concluded that the same
achieved. empirical similarity parameter Fr0.3
D
Gs /(p Ug ) can guarantee the
similarity of radial flow structure in the CFB risers.
3.3. Radial flow structure similarity

3.4. Micro-flow structure similarity

To verify that the empirical similarity parameter Fr0.3
D
Gs /(p Ug )
also works for radial flow structures in CFB risers, Figs. 13 and 14
Micro-flow structure in gassolid flow systems can be character-
compare the radial profiles of solid concentration in the fully de-
ized by standard deviations of the solid concentration time series
veloped zone of four different gassolid flow systems under dif-
(Brereton and Grace, 1993), intermittency index (Brereton and Grace,
ferent operating conditions but with the same Fr0.3 D
Gs /(p Ug ). As
1993), cluster frequency (Manyele et al., 2002), cluster existence time
shown by the figures, for the four gassolid flow systems in the
(Manyele et al., 2002), solid concentration inside cluster (Manyele
different risers with different particles, at constant Fr0.3
D
Gs /(p Ug ),
et al., 2002), etc. As stated above, clustering is the intrinsic charac-
the local solid concentrations in the fully developed zone have the
teristic of gassolid flow in CFB riser reactors. To check whether the
same radial distribution. In other words, the similarity in radial
empirical similarity parameter Fr0.3
D
Gs /(p Ug ) is still in effect for
flow structure in the fully developed zone of an upward gassolid
cluster properties in the fully developed zone under different oper-
flow under different operating conditions can also be ensured by
ating conditions, Figs. 16 and 17 compare the radial profiles of the
Fr0.3 Gs /(p Ug ).
D solid concentration inside cluster, sc , and cluster frequency, fc , under
The above verification of Fr0.3D
Gs /(p Ug ) is all in terms of different operating conditions with the same Fr0.3 Gs /(p Ug ). Once
D
solid concentrations. To extend the validation of Fr0.3 D
Gs /(p Ug ), again, the same Fr0.3 Gs /(p Ug ) ensures the similarity of the radial
D
Fig. 15 compares the radial profiles of the timemean descend- profiles of sc and fc in the fully developed zone of the gassolid flow
ing particle velocity under different operating conditions with the in the two risers. Therefore, it can be concluded that the empirical
same Fr0.3
D
Gs /(p Ug ). Again, the empirical similarity parameter similarity parameter Fr0.3 Gs /(p Ug ) can also characterize the sim-
D
Fr0.3
D
Gs /(p Ug ) works well. The timemean descending particle ilarity of the micro-flow structure in the fully developed zone of the
velocity, in general, reflects the downward velocity of particle identical gassolid flow system under different operating conditions.
clusters. Thus it can be deduced that for the different operating From the above facts, it can be summarized that the detailed
conditions with the same Fr0.3
D
Gs /(p Ug ), the clusters in the fully hydrodynamic similarity in the fully developed zone of an identical
developed zone may also have approximately the same downward gassolid flow system under different operating conditions can be
velocity. achieved by matching Fr0.3 D
Gs /(p Ug ).
 Xiaobo Qi et al. / Chemical Engineering Science 63 (2008) 5613 -- 5625 5623

Fig. 15. Radial profiles of descending particle velocity under different operating conditions but having the same Fr 0.3
D Gs /(p Ug ) in the riser I (H = 15.1 m, D = 100 mm;
FCC:p = 1500 kg/m3 , dp = 67 m).

Fig. 16. Radial profiles of (a) solid concentration inside cluster and (b) cluster frequency under different operating conditions but having the same Fr 0.3
D Gs /(p Ug ) in the riser
I (H = 15.1 m, D = 100 mm; FCC: p = 1500 kg/m3 , dp = 67 m).
5624 Xiaobo Qi et al. / Chemical Engineering Science 63 (2008) 5613 -- 5625

Fig. 17. Radial profiles of (a) solid concentration inside cluster and (b) cluster frequency under different operating conditions but having the same Fr 0.3
D Gs /(p Ug ) in the riser
II (H = 10.5 m, D = 100 mm; sand: p = 2710 kg/m3 , dp = 461 m).

4. Conclusions with air as the gas. Confirmation still needs to be checked at hot
and pressure conditions with more gases.
The hydrodynamic similitude of co-current upward gassolid
two-phase flow in the fully developed zone of CFB risers under
different operating conditions was experimentally investigated by Notation
measuring the axial profiles of pressure gradient, radial profiles
of solid concentration and particle velocity in two CFB risers of Ar Archimedes number (=d3p g g(p g )/ 2g ), dimen-
15.1 and 10.5 m high, with FCC and sand particles, respectively. sionless
Furthermore, the radial profiles of cluster frequency and solid con- dp Sauter mean diameter of particles, m
centration inside clusters are also utilized to verify the micro-flow D riser internal diameter, mm
structure similitude of upward gassolid flow in the fully devel- fc cluster frequency, Hz
oped zone of CFB risers under different operating conditions. The FrD Froude number (=Ug2 /(gD)), dimensionless
experimental results show that the common scaling parameter, g acceleration due to gravity, m/s2
Gs /(p Ug ), cannot characterize the similarity in the fully developed Gs solid circulation rate, kg/m2 s
zone of the CFB risers. But a modified empirical similarity parameter, H riser height, m
Fr0.3
D
Gs /(p Ug ), can provide the detailed hydrodynamic similitude P pressure drop, Pa
of the gassolid flow in the fully developed zone of the CFB risers P/ z pressure gradient, Pa/m
under different operating conditions. Furthermore, the experimen- r radial coordinate, m
tal results from different gassolid flow systems also show that as r/R normalized radial distance from the riser center,
long as Fr0.3
D
Gs /(p Ug ) remains constant, there exists the same dimensionless
solid concentration in the fully developed zone of CFB risers with R riser radius, m
different riser diameters and heights for different particles. For each Sr area of riser cross section, m2
identical gassolid flow system, the solid concentrations in the fully t time, s
developed zone of CFB risers increase linearly with Fr0.3
D
Gs /(p Ug ). Ug superficial gas velocity, m/s
Under those operating conditions with the same Fr0.3 D
Gs /(p Ug ), Ut terminal particle velocity, m/s
the local solid concentration, descending particle velocity, cluster Vpd time-mean descending particle velocity, m/s
frequency and solid concentration inside clusters all display the z axial position from the riser gas distributor, m
same axial and radial flow structure in the fully developed zone of
the CFB risers. In other words, the empirical similarity parameter Greek letters
Fr0.3
D
Gs /(p Ug ) combines the effects of Gs and Ug , so that under s local time-mean solid concentration, dimensionless
the same Fr0.3
D
Gs /(p Ug ), the gassolid flow in the fully developed  s cross-sectional average solid concentration, dimen-
zone of CFB risers shows similar micro- and macro-hydrodynamic sionless
characteristics. Further investigations employing numerous exper- s average solid concentration in the fully developed
imental data obtained in different risers with different particles zone, dimensionless
within a wide range of operating conditions as reported in the liter- s terminal solid concentration(=Gs /(p (Ug Ut ))),
ature shows that the empirical similarity parameter Fr0.3 D
Gs /(p Ug ) dimensionless
is independent of the upward gassolid flow systems. However, the  s act actual cross-sectional average solid concentration,
above conclusions were only tested under ambient conditions and dimensionless
 Xiaobo Qi et al. / Chemical Engineering Science 63 (2008) 5613 -- 5625 5625

 s app apparent cross-sectional average solid concentra- Knowlton, T.M., Reddy Karri, S.B., Smith, J.S., 2007. Hydrodynamic scale-up of
circulating fluidized beds. In: Bi, H.-T., Berruti, F., Pugsley, T. (Eds.), Fluidization
tion, dimensionless XII. Engineering Foundation, Vancouver, pp. 114.
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g gas viscosity, Pa s London.
Lackermeier, U., Rudnick, C., Werther, J., Bredebusch, A., Burkhardt, H., 2001.
g gas density, kg/m3 Visualization of flow structures inside a circulating fluidized bed by means of
p particle density, kg/m3 laser sheet and image processing. Powder Technology 114, 7183.
Li, H., Xia, Y., Tung, Y., Kwauk, M., 1991. Micro-visualization of clusters in a fast
fluidized bed. Powder Technology 66, 231235.
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The authors are grateful to the Natural Science and Engineering Li, J.H., Kwauk, M., 1994. Particle-fluid two-phase flow: the energy-minimization
Research Council of Canada and the National Natural Science Foun- multi-scale method. Metallurgical Industry Press, Beijing.
Li, J.H., Ouyang, J., Gao, S.Q., Ge, W., Yang, N., Song, W.L., 2005. Multi-scale Modeling
dation of China for their financial supports. of Complex Particle-fluid System. Science Press, Beijing.
Li, J.H., Ge, W., Zhang, J.Y., Gao, S.Q., Wang, W., Yang, N., Sun, Q.C., Gao, J., 2007.
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