Heat transfer coefficients were measured by immersed probes in co- and counter-current G-L-S magnetically stabilized fluidized beds (MSFBs) using air, water and nickel-alloy particles as the gas, liquid and solid phases. Influences of major factors, including magnetic field intensity, superficial gas and liquid velocities, liquid viscosity and surface tension, on heat-transfer properties were studied experimentally, indicating that both co- and counter-current G-L-S MSFB can provide relatively uniform radial distribution of heat transfer coefficients under appropriate operation conditions, thus controlling operation temperature for highly exothermic multi-phase reaction systems. Two correlations were provided to estimate accurately heat transfer properties in both co- and counter-current G-L-S MSFB systems, with an average error of less than 10%.
Liquid-solid (L-S) mass transfer coefficients (Ks) were characterized in a gas-liquid-solid (G-L-S) three-phase countercurrent magnetically stabilized bed (MSB) using amorphous alloy SRNA-4 as the solid phase. Effects of superficial liquid velocity, superficial gas velocity, magnetic field strength, liquid viscosity and surface tension were investigated. Experimental results indicated that the external magnetic field increased Ks in three-phase MSB, as compared to those in conventional G-L-S fluidized beds; that Ks increased with magnetic field strength, superficial gas and liquid velocities and decreased with liquid viscosity and surface tension; and that Ks showed uniform axial and radial distributions except for small increases close to the wall. Dimensionless correlations were established to estimate Ks of the G-L-S countercurrent MSB using SRNA-4 catalyst, with an average error of 3.6%.