Granular Flows and Gas Fluidization

This presentation examines the roles that granular flow theory might play in the modeling the solid-phase stresses in fluidized beds. It begins with a discussion of the historical limiting cases of quasistatic and rapid-flow regimes. It then reviews the elastic granular theories that unify those two regimes. Finally, it shows that measurements of solid-phase pressures cannot be explained by commonly used rapid-flow theories, and most likely lie in the elastic flow regimes.