Influence of particle stacking modes on the fluidization characteristics of biomass particles in binary particle systems.

This article investigates the fluidization characteristics of binary particle mixtures composed of spherocylindrical biomass particles and spherical inert particles in a spouted bed under different initial particle stacking modes using a coupled computational fluid dynamics–discrete element method (CFD–DEM) model. The study finds that initial stacking patterns significantly influence particle flow, distribution, bed expansion, and mixing behavior during the transition stage of fluidization, with the average bed height of spherocylindrical particles generally dominating over spherical particles. It also reveals that spherocylindrical particles tend to have increased void fractions near the wall and preferentially orient horizontally, while the presence of spherical particles can enhance overall vertical particle velocity and affect orientation dynamics. These findings provide insights for optimizing the design and operation of fluidized bed reactors handling biomass and inert particle mixtures.