Study of Motion of Agglomerates Through a Fluidized Bed

Formation of agglomerates in Fluid CokersTM can cause operating problems, such as excessive shed fouling, which can lead to premature unit shut down. Better understanding of how agglomerates move through a fluidized bed can help improve the design and operation of Fluid CokersTM and minimize the risk of agglomerates reaching regions where they cause problems. To identify key factors in agglomerates motion in a fluidized bed, a new two-dimensional (2D) Radioactive Particle Tracking (RPT) method was developed which tracks model agglomerates motion. In conjunction, a tribo-electric method was used to determine bubble flow distribution in the fluidized bed. This thesis outlines the effects of bed hydrodynamics and agglomerate properties on agglomerate motion. It was found that agglomerates produced by liquid injection in the fluidized bed were of similar density. Agglomerates larger than 9500 µm segregated near the bottom of the fluidized bed and all agglomerates spent more time in regions of low bubble flow