Challenges

Fluidized bed systems have wide application as dryers, roasters, calciners, classifiers, and reactors within the metallurgical, chemical, oil and gas, and pharmaceutical industries.

As high-grade feedstocks become depleted, companies want to diversify their production capabilities and minimize capital expenditures at the same time. To do this, existing units must run beyond their original design limits and operate for longer periods between maintenance outages. And they must do so with high reliability, meeting more stringent safety standards. Further complicating this is the potential loss of in-house knowledge about systems that have been modified over years or decades.

Off-the-rack designs are not available for novel processes, nor for applications that are unconventional or operating in harsh temperatures or chemical environments. For these uses, owners must navigate through lab and pilot testing, equipment design and selection, as well as scale-up issues in unfamiliar territories.

Unique process, mechanical, operational, site, environmental, or safety-related requirements must be considered when designing a new system or before modifying an existing one. Failure to account for the unique requirements of a fluid-bed application can lead to missed production, quality or environmental targets; complicated maintenance issues; as well as significant safety risks to the operators.