Influence of Negative Pressure Gradient on Pressure Distribution and Gas-Solid Flow Pattern of Solid Feed Systems

A series of experiments on a solid feed system was performed to investigate the effect of negative pressure gradient on the gas-solid flow pattern and hydrodynamic characteristics. Based on the non-fluidized gas-solid two phase flow and particulate mechanics in the standpipe, a method for predicting the pressure of the air passing through the recycle chamber and the pressure drop through the loop seal slit in these systems is also presented. The predicted pressure profile along the negative pressure gradient from the proposed model exhibits a good agreement with the experimental data. The experimental data show that the gas flow in the standpipe is always upward in the negative pressure gradients, while the direction of gas cannot be changed by the drag force. The solid flow rate, the materiel bed height in the recycle chamber (H-f), the pressure drop across the slit (Delta P-g) decrease with an increasing negative pressure gradient. At a given negative pressure gradient, the superficial gas velocity through the recycle chamber of the loop seal does not affect the pressure drop in standpipe. It increases with an increasing negative pressure gradient.