Research on the generalization issue of the heterogeneous QC-EMMS drag model for gas-solid fluidization

In the circulating fluidized bed (CFB), the non-uniform mesoscale structure formed by the particle clustering effect causes a substantial decrease in the gas-solid drag. Since the degree of particle clustering varies with operating conditions, an accurate drag model needs to be universal in different heterogeneous flow conditions. In this study, the relationships between the Psi factor in clusters' solid holdup model that characterizes the flow non-uniformity and the operating parameters of CFB (including slip velocity Reynolds number, Re*, bed-averaged solid volume fraction, epsilon(s,bed), and solid mass circulation rate, G(s)) are established. It improves the adaptability of the QC-EMMS drag model under different working conditions. In previous research, we established two types of models that related Psi factor to Re* and epsilon(s,bed) respectively. However, there exists a problem of high dispersion of points, indicating that the selected parameters cannot fully describe the flow non-uniformity. Therefore, G(s) is reintroduced to modify the two types of models. The results show that the prediction accuracy of the modified models is improved and the relative error is <10%, indicating that the non-uniform factor Psi has a strong correlation with G(s). In addition, the quantitative relation between Re*, epsilon(s,bed), and G(s) is derived from modified models, and the trend of relation is highly consistent with the fluidization diagram proposed by Yerushalmi J., which verifies the accuracy of modified models. Finally, numerical simulation of typical CFB cases proves the adaptability of the modified models in wide operating conditions of fluidization.