Hydrodynamics and gas-mixing in the splash zone of gas-fluidized beds

Gas mixing and hydrodynamics in the splash zone of gas-fluidized beds are largely determined by the interaction between bursting bubbles, the mainstream gas and the ejected bed solids. The present paper investigates the flow structures associated with the eruption of single bubbles at the surface of incipiently fluidized beds by a combination of non-intrusive optical diagnostic techniques, namely Planar Laser Light Scattering (PLLS) and Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF). The influence of the depth of the bubble injection point below the bed surface on the phenomenology of bubble bursting is investigated.