Fluidization Research Overview

Fluidized bed technology is employed in a wide range of industrial applications, covering the pharmaceutical, food, chemical and petrochemical industries as well as the mining and power generation industries. Fluidization is also recognized to be the key technology to optimise the potential of generating energy from renewable sources.

The performance of a fluidized bed process greatly depends on the hydrodynamic behaviour of the system; achieving a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms governing the behaviour of fluidized beds, particularly under commercial operating conditions, still represents a major scientific and engineering challenge. Reliable designs of commercial scale plants require a good understanding of the highly complex flow phenomena and also require detailed knowledge of how the hydrodynamics are affected by both reactor design and plant scale-up.

Research activities of the Group cover a large spectrum of fluidization aspects combining experimental measurements, rheology, X-ray Imaging, computational fluid-dynamics (CFD) simulations, focusing on the effect of process conditions on fluidization with emphasis on industrial applications. Fluidization processes for sustainable development is also a major research focus of the group, with projects on gasification of biomass and waste, pyrolysis of waste polymeric plastics, energy recovery from renewable resources and biofuels. Over the years, the Research Group has developed fully equipped laboratories for experimental and CFD research in fluidization, the Group also manages a unique industrial X-ray Imaging Facility. 

Research of the Group is endorsed by the Royal Academy of Engineering and has received funds by the Engineering Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) and Industry.