Effect of Bubble Cap Distributor Plate Configuration on Pressure Drop in a Bubbling Fluidized Bed Reactor

In designing a fluidized bed reactor, the gas distribution plate plays a pivotal role. It ensures proper functioning of the gas-solid fluidized bed. This study investigated two types of distributor plates: perforated and bubble caps, with sintered and triangular configurations. The aim was to compare the pressure drop when air flowed through these distributors. The bed material comprised oil palm frond particles (420 µm in size, 200 gr, bulk density of 100.201 kg/m³) and silica sand, with different column diameters (2 inch, 4 inch, and 6 inch). Observations were made on pressure drops under both cold and hot flow model conditions. The pressure drops across both the material bed (∆pB) and the distributor plate (∆pD) were influenced by several factors, including distributor plate configuration, number of bubble caps, and bed material density. Additionally, the pressure drops across the material bed decreased as its mass decreased due to increased gas flow velocity. In hot operating conditions, the bubble cap configuration facilitated easier particle movement due to increased pressure, thus requiring less pressure. Both triangular and sintered bubble cap configurations with the largest number of holes and optimal pitch distance to the distributor surface area were found to be effective.