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Biomass- sand mixtures are used in thermochemical conversion processes like pyrolysis and gasification using circulating fluidized bed reactor or fast fluidized bed reactors. In order to optimize the performance of the reactor and to improve the quality of product , hydrodynamics of the process is taken into account. In the present studies the mixture of biomass(maize stalk) and sand mixture is subjected to fluidization in a cold fluidization column. The size of biomass and sand used is -30,+60 mesh.
The pressure difference across the column is determined and plotted versus superficial velocity to find the minimum fluidization velocity and mapping of different regimes observed during fluidization is carried out . Various hydrodynamic parameters like minimum bubbling, slugging and transport velocities are determined to find out the best operating conditions of the reactor. The bubble dynamics is also studied which includes the minimum, mean and maximum bubble sizes, bed expansion coefficient , slugging frequency and fluidization index are determined . The effect of varying compositions of biomass on various hydrodynamic parameters is investigated along with the effect of varying bed height.The biomass ratio studied are 0,5,10,15 percent.