An XCT study on three-dimensional characteristics of a spout-fluid bed

Spout-fluid beds are widely used in the chemical and petrochemical industries for excellent mixing and heat and mass transfer properties. Understanding the behavior of jets in spout-fluid beds is crucial for optimizing these processes. In this paper, we present a novel experimental method for studying the three-dimensional characteristics of jets in spout-fluid beds using X-ray computed tomography. By employing a gas–solid flow parameter measurement system, we propose an accurate experimental fitting method for voxel voidage values, enabling the three-dimensional reconstruction of the time-averaged voidage in the entire flow field of a spout-fluid bed. These data are then used to develop an image processing algorithm for identifying and quantifying gas jets in the flow field, allowing for measures of jet length, volume, and diameter. We further investigate the effects of static bed height, spouting gas velocity, and fluidizing gas flowrate on the three-dimensional characteristics of jets.