Description:
Upward flow of fluid through a bed of particles is a naturally occurring phenomenon, for example in the movement of ground water. Industrial applications include ion exchange, extraction of soluble components from raw materials and other chemical processes.
The apparatus facilitates the study of flow through fixed and fluidised particle beds. The simultaneous study of air and water systems and the phenomenon of ‘bubbling’ can be observed.
The apparatus comprises three clear acrylic columns mounted above a moulded ABS base. The base contains a water reservoir with a variable speed submersible pump that pumps water through an electronic flow meter into the base of the left-hand column. This column features an overflow pipe that returns the water back into the sump.
Features:
- Determining the voidage of granular material
- Flow through fixed and fluidised beds using water as the fluidising medium
- Flow through fixed and fluidised beds using air as the fluidising medium
- To determine the pressure drop (head loss) across the beds with different particle sizes
- Verification of Carman-Kozeny’s equation
- To compare the predicted onset of fluidisation with the measured pressure drop
- To compare the onset of fluidisation between two particle sizes
- To observe the onset of fluidisation and differentiate between the characteristics of a fixed bed and fluidised bed
- To observe the onset of fluidisation and differentiate between the characteristics of a fixed bed and a fluidised bed for different particle sizes.
- To investigate the difference between different sized granular material on fluidisation characteristics, using air as the fluidising medium.
- Demonstration of liquefaction and liquefied soil phenomena (e.g. quicksand)
- To investigate the characteristics associated with water flowing vertically upwards through beds of different granular material
Specification:
- A benchtop apparatus for the study of fixed and fluidised beds of solid particles
- Three cylindrical columns, one for water and two for air, each column with a diameter of 50mm and height of 550mm
- Columns mounted above a blue ABS moulded base containing an 8l water reservoir
- Two sizes of bed material supplied, ranges: 0.5-0.75mm and 0.2- 0.3mm
- Complete with a demonstration of liquefaction and how the properties of liquefied particles change with agitation
- Variable speed submersible pump to recirculate water up to a rate of 2 l/min
- Each column has tapping points and differential pressure sensors
- Air flow rate measured by orifice pressure sensors with the flow rate being calculated by an integral microcontroller
- Electronic front panel display shows flow rates and pressure drops for all three columns simultaneously
- Powered by universal power adaptor with worldwide approvals
- Supplied with powerful data logging software (PC not supplied)
