Spouting behavior of binary mixtures of spherocylindrical and spherical particles in a spouted bed

Gas-solid spouted bed systems involving biomass utilization have received much attention in recent years. In actual biomass industrial processes, some fine inert particles are usually added to assist the fluidization of biomass particles. However, the flow mechanisms of binary particle systems containing biomass particles in spouted beds are still poorly understood so far. In this study, spherocylindrical particles representing biomass particles and spherical particles representing inert particles were used as the objects of study. The macroscopic and microscopic flow characteristics were explored based on CFD-DEM modeling when the volume fractions of spherocylindrical particles in the binary particle mixtures were 25 %, 50 %, 75 % and 100 %, respectively. The results showed that the minimum spouting velocities (Ums) were in the range of 150-173 m/s, but did not show a correlation with the different particle systems. During fluidization in binary particle systems, separation of spherocylindrical and spherical particles occurs. There is no significant correlation between the particle systems with different volume fractions of spherocylindrical particles and particle orientation. As the volume fraction of spherocylindrical particles increases, the average bed height of the particles decreases and the translational kinetic energy of the particles decreases/rotational kinetic energy increases. Furthermore, the wall effect influences the spherocylindrical particle orientation and volume fraction, driving the spherocylindrical particles near the wall surface toward the vertical direction.