DEM simulation of the behavior of particles in a spout-fluid bed with immersed tubes

The discrete element method (DEM) was used to study the behavior of particles in a spout-fluid bed with horizontal immersed tubes. In the DEM simulations, the particles were individually traced by solving Newton's equations of motion, while the fluid phase was treated as a continuum. Therefore, the DEM simulation provides particle level information. The effect of tube arrangement on the particle and bubble behavior in the packed bed region was investigated by varying the tube arrangement. The simulations show that the tube arrangement greatly influences the kinetic behavior of the particles. The effective flow area and interaction forces between the immersed tubes and particles varied with different tube arrangements. More immersed tubes gave lower averaged particle velocities and temperatures. The particle mixing rate also differed for different immersed tube arrangements. The particle mixing was reduced by more immersed tubes.