Experimental investigation of convective instabilities in a two-dimensional fluidized-bed

The theoretical stability of a two-dimensional fluidized system was analyzed against small disturbances. It was determined that the system was unstable if the pressure drop across the bed support was insufficient. The instability in the system resulted in a convective circulation cell reminiscent of Benard convection in heat transfer. A two-dimensional fluidized bed was then designed and systematic variations of the bed parameters and bed support characteristics were made. General observations of the experiments are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.