Combined phase distribution and particle velocity measurement in spout fluidized beds by ultrafast X-ray computed tomography

The spout fluidized bed is a very successful combination of spouted and fluidized bed, which is most interesting for processing particles with larger or varying diameter. However, the more complex hydrodynamics of the combined configuration is yet not fully understood. Here, we propose the application of ultrafast X-ray computed tomography (CT), which has proven to be a valuable measurement technique for the analysis of highly dynamic processes, for example multiphase flows. It is able to resolve material distributions with up to 8,000 frames per second and a spatial resolution down to 1 mm. Especially for opaque systems, such as fluidized beds, ultrafast X-ray CT can reveal details, which are not recoverable by e.g. optical measurement techniques. Besides the recovering of the dynamic phase distribution, determining local particle velocities is essential to understand the complex flow in fluidized beds. As we will demonstrate here for the first time, this is possible via a dual-plane ultrafast X-ray CT by using suitable marker particles. In this article, the methodology for determining particle velocities under highly dynamic conditions within a cylindrical spout fluidized bed is presented. Complementary analysis techniques for different flow conditions have been combined to increase confidence in the velocity data.