Abstract
An approximate solution for the motion of an assemblage of solid spheres moving in a power-law fluid in the high Reynolds number region is obtained using a combination of Happel's free-surface cell model and the boundary layer theory. It is theoretically predicted that the drag coefficient will decrease with the increase of the shear-thinning anomaly. The results of the present analysis are in reasonably good agreement with the available experimental data for fixed and fluidized beds. The influence of the non-Newtonian behavior on the mass transfer rate from an assemblage of solid spheres is also discussed.