Study on friction pressure drop characteristics of gas flow through multi-size irregular high-purity magnesia bed layer

Xiaohu Zhang; Liang Zhao; Hui Dong

doi:10.1515/ijcre-2024-0192

Article

Study on friction pressure drop characteristics of gas flow through multi-size irregular high-purity magnesia bed layer

Xiaohu Zhang , Liang Zhao and Hui Dong

Published/Copyright: March 19, 2025

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From the journal International Journal of Chemical Reactor Engineering Volume 23 Issue 2

Abstract

As the primary production equipment for high-purity magnesia, shaft kilns are extensively employed in metallurgical and chemical processes. Understanding and optimizing the internal flow dynamics and heat transfer mechanisms within high-purity magnesia shaft kilns can significantly enhance production efficiency and product quality while reducing energy consumption and mitigating environmental impacts. Particularly, the airflow characteristics in shaft kilns directly impact burner selection, bed height, fan selection, and fan power consumption, consequently affecting heat transfer properties within the kilns. The airflow pressure drop across the high-purity magnesia particle bed under varying operational conditions was systematically investigated via experimentation utilizing a self-built experimental setup. Initially, the fundamental macroscopic attributes of high-purity magnesia particles, including particle size distribution, density, sphericity, and voidage, were meticulously quantified. Subsequently, employing the aforementioned experimental platform, the impacts of differing gas apparent flow velocities and particle equivalent diameters on gas flow pressure drop were assessed and analyzed. Incorporating considerations for the wall effect, the existing frictional pressure drop correlation was recalibrated through fitting procedures to derive an experimental correlation characterizing gas flow pressure drop within the high-purity magnesia particle bed layer, with subsequent verification of its applicability. The findings reveal a linear relationship between the wall-corrected frictional pressure drop, f _w and the wall-corrected particle Reynolds number, Re_w, with a gradual increase in the slope of the curve. Considering the substantial deviation between experimental data and previously established resistance correlation equations, a novel resistance correlation applicable to the high-purity magnesia bed was formulated through data fitting. The pressure drop correlation obtained in the present work can well predict the gas flow resistance in the multi-size high-purity magnesia bed with an error of less than 7 %.

Keywords: high-purity magnesia; gas flow resistance characteristics; multi-size particles; wall effect; friction factor

Corresponding author: Hui Dong, School of Metallurgy, Northeastern University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110819, China; and Energy Saving and Low-carbon Technology of Process Industry Engineering Research Center (Liaoning Province), Shenyang, Liaoning, China, E-mail: huneushenyang@163.com

Funding source: Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities

Award Identifier / Grant number: N2225025

Funding source: National Key R&D Program of China: Technologies and Integrated Application of Magnesite Waste Utilization for High-Valued Chemicals and Materials

Award Identifier / Grant number: 2020YFC1909303

Funding source: Open competition mechanism to select the best candidates Program of Liaoning Province

Award Identifier / Grant number: 2021JH1/10400030

Research ethics: Not applicable.
Informed consent: Not applicable.
Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.
Conflict of interest: The author states no conflict of interest.
Research funding: 1. National Key R&D Program of China: Technologies and Integrated Application of Magnesite Waste Utilization for High-Valued Chemicals and Materials (2020YFC1909303). 2. Open competition mechanism to select the best candidates Program of Liaoning Province (2021JH1/10400030). 3. Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (N2225025).
Data availability: Not applicable.

Nomenclature

d _a: Average sieve diameter, m
d _p: Equivalent particle diameter, m
d _p,m: Equivalent particle diameter of the multi-size mixtures, m
d _p,si: Equivalent particle diameter of single-size particles, m
D: Inner diameter of experimental platform, m
f _p: Frictional pressure drop of fluid flow
f _w: Wall-corrected frictional pressure drop of fluid flow
F: Forchheimer coefficient
H: Measured height of high-purity magnesia bed layer, m
k ₁: Viscosity coefficient
k ₂: Inertia coefficient
K: Permeability
M: Wall-corrected correction factor
Re_p: Particle Reynolds number
Re_w: Wall-corrected particle Reynolds number
u _g: Gas apparent velocity, m·s⁻¹

Greek symbols

ΔP: Pressure drop, Pa
ρ _a: Apparent density, kg·m⁻³
ρ _b: Bulk density, kg·m⁻³
ρ _a,m: Apparent density of the multi-size mixtures, kg·m⁻³
ρ _b,m: Bulk density of the multi-size mixtures, kg·m⁻³
ε _m: Bed voidage of the multi-size mixtures
φ: Particle sphericit
µ: Dynamic viscosity, Pa·s⁻¹

Subscript

g: Gas
m: The multi-size mixture
p: Particle
w: Wall-corrected

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Received: 2024-09-22

Accepted: 2025-03-04

Published Online: 2025-03-19

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/ijcre-2024-0192

Keywords for this article

high-purity magnesia; gas flow resistance characteristics; multi-size particles; wall effect; friction factor