Analysis of solid structures and stresses in a gas fluidized bed

Structures and stresses for the solid phase in a gas-solid fluidized bed are analyzed using results from hybrid simulations. The hybrid method couples the discrete element method (DEM) for particle dynamics with the averaged two-fluid (TF) equations for the gas phase. The coupling between the two phases is modeled using an interphase momentum transfer term. Structure information is characterized using force network size distribution, which shows no large force network existing in the fluidized bed. The normal contact forces have an exponentially decaying distribution. Solid phase continuum fields (local volume fraction, strain rate, stress tensor, and granular temperature) are computed using a coarse-graining process. The results show that the stress has difference in normal stress components. The collisional contribution is larger than the kinetic contribution and spatially correlated to force networks. Stresses are also computed using a kinetic theory stress model. It is demonstrated that the kinetic theory model predicts no difference in normal stress components and larger normal stresses than those computed from the coarse-graining process.