Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/T17076/01
Title:	A Numerical And Experimental Re-Examination Of Fluidised Beds Of Cohesive Particles
Principal Investigator:	Seville, Professor JP
Other Investigators:	Thornton, Dr C
Researcher Co-Investigators:	Dr DK Kafui
Project Partners:
Department:	Formulation Engineering
Organisation:	University of Birmingham
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 August 2004	Ends:	31 March 2008	Value (£):	439,605
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Multiphase Flow Particle Technology
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Manufacturing Energy
Related Grants:
Panel History:	Panel Date Panel Name Outcome 27 Apr 2004 Engineering Science (Flow) Panel Deferred
Summary on Grant Application Form
Fluidised bed reactors are used in many industrial chemical manufacturing processes. Computer aided design is now the norm in industry but the conventional codes used are not applicable to particulate processes in which cohesive forces are important. For optimal reactivity it is desirable that the particles are as small as possible in order to enhance the reaction rates due to high surface area per unit volume. There is, however, a limit to the reduction in particle size due to the increasing significance of van der Waals forces that encourage adhesion/cohesion between particles and thereby inhibit fluidisation.There are two main objectives to the project. First, a combined numerical and experimental investigation of fluidised beds of cohesive particles will be undertaken in order to elucidate the physical/mechanistic explations for bed expansion, bubble instabilities and the effects of increasing the gas pressure. Secondly, the current simulation code will be converted for distributed computing using the newly developed UK Grid facility and thereby enable millions of particles to be simulated. This will transform what has been a strictly academic preoccupation into a framework that is ripe for industrial exploitation.The work will be carried out in the School of Engineering at the University of Birmingham at a total cost of 403,809.
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk Summary Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:
Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.bham.ac.uk