Energy transfer mechanism in a vibrating fluidized bed

The mechanism of vibration energy transfer in a vibrating fluidized bed (VFB) is reported in this paper. A series of sensors was employed to simultaneously detect pressure wave propagation signals at different positions at various heights in the fluidized bed. The mechanism of vibration energy transfer in an VFB is found by wave propagation. The pressure wave was produced from a vibrating base at the bed bottom and transferred to the particle bed via an air gap formed between the distributor and particle bed. The pressure waves oscillate and superpose in the fluidized bed due to wave reflection at the surface boundary and the bottom of the fluidized bed, leading to the wave energy dissipation being mainly in the bed. The wave propagation process and its mechanism in a fluidized bed have been analyzed. The pressure-wave propagation parameters were numerically calculated from the detected wave signals. The wave propagation velocities were found to be in the range of 9–75 m/s in the experiments. © 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.