Hydrodynamic properties in turbulent fluidized beds of three different sizes of coal(d_p=0.507,0.987, 1.147mm) have been determined from the pressure fluctuations in a 0.1 m-ID×3.0m high Plexiglas column. The transition velocity from the slugging to turbulent flow regimes can be determined from the statistical analysis of pressure fluctuations such as mean amplitude, standard deviation and skewness, the pressure wave velocity, and the bed expansion with gas velocity. The bed expansion in the slugging and turbulent flow regimes cannot be estimated from the two-phase theory. The voids rise velocity and the bed expansion ratio(H/H_mf) in the turbulent flow regime have been correlated with the relevant dimensionless and operation parameters
V_t=40.66Ar^-0.280 [0.35(gD_t)^1/2]-U_mf
( H/H_mf ) = 1+10.805Ar^-0.290 ( U_g-U_mf / V_t )^0.635
The transition velocity to the turbulent flow regime has been determined based on the slug breakdown caused by the inertial force of an upflowing maximum stable slug which overcomes the gravitational force induced by solid refluxing as :
Re_c=[(33.7)² + 0.0408Ar]^1/2 + 0.598Ar^1/2-33.7