DOI: 10.36347/sjet

Pages: 742-749

For application of semi-fluidized bed of activated alumina beads in different processes and operations, the hydrodynamic studies have been made using five different sizes of activated alumina beads (2-6 mm diameter) as bed materials in 0.05 m internal diameter cylindrical columns with water as the fluidizing medium in case of two-phase semifluidization (sf) and water (in continuous phase) with air (in bubbling phase) in case of three-phase semi-fluidization. Spherical sizes (-2.5+3.5, -3.5+4, -4+5, -5+6 and -6+8 British Standard Sieve BSS) have been used as the solid-phase. Experimental parameters studied for the above cases include superficial liquid velocity, particle diameter, initial static bed height, bed expansion ratio and in addition, superficial gas velocity (in case of gas-liquid-solid sf). Empirical and semi-empirical models have been developed with the help of dimensional and statistical analyses. The calculated values from the predicted models have been compared with the experimental ones and fairly good agreement has been obtained. The present hydrodynamics study along with the developed correlations can find potential application in physical and chemical processing where activated alumina is used as catalyst and/or desiccant