Multiresolution Analysis of a Drying Process in a Rotating-Distributor Fluidized Bed

ABSTRACT

Humidity and temperature measurements, together with pressure fluctuation signals, were employed to analyze a drying process in a lab-scale bubbling fluidized bed. The experimental facility was equipped with a rotating distributor. The operational conditions reported in sludge, paste, and granular drying processes were reproduced using silica sand as wet material and as inert medium. Experiments were performed by changing the bed aspect ratio and the water-sand content in the bed operated at ambient conditions. Four drying periods were found when analyzing humidity and temperature signals. The multi-resolution approach of the pressure fluctuation signals showed the effect of the sample drop over the bed surface on the fluidization conditions, by relating the drying periods with the bed dynamics. The drying process can affect the low- and high-frequency details of the pressure signal when the bed state changes towards defluidization, or just the high-frequency detail if the bed was at the maldistributed regime. The drying conditions needed to use the pressure signals to control the drying process are defined by means of a statistical monitoring approach. A comparison between the static and the rotating distributor tests showed clear benefits for the operation with the rotating distributor for shallow and deep beds. When the distributor was rotating, the average improvement of the drying rate was 11%, whereas the drying time was reduced by 40% for the tests of the maldistributed and defluidized regimes.

KEYWORDS:

• Batch drying
• fluidized bed
• multi-resolution
• paste
• rotating distributor
• sludge

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank Professor Mercedes de Vega for commenting on the manuscript.