How to Maintain a Fluidizer?
If you want to make your fluidizer last for years, you should keep a few things in mind. Air supply issues can lead to rapid degradation. Make sure your air supply is clean. Poor air quality can also cause stratification. Also, check your power levels. All of these factors can lead to degraded fluidizers. Follow these steps to keep your fluidizer running smoothly and efficiently. If you can’t keep an eye on these issues, you may need to consider a replacement.
Bad air supply
Insufficient air pressure or a clogged membrane may be the reason for poor fluidization. Powder that is too fine or compacted may also cause an issue. Next, ensure the powder rolls and the air supply are evenly distributed throughout the fluidizing membrane. Additionally, inspect the hoses for damage or kinks. Lastly, replace any contaminated membranes. If you’ve tried all the above steps and still experience problems, you may need to replace the fluidizing membrane.
A clogged or damaged air duct is one of the leading causes of an insufficient air supply in a fluidizer. Air clogged, and dirty can muck up the application and inter-coat adhesion, causing the part to overheat and fuse. Also, contaminated air will cling to surfaces and contaminate the powder. Luckily, this problem is easily rectified by changing the filter or air filter.
Stratification in a fluidized bed
Stratification in a fluidized bed bioreactor is a phenomenon observed in the growth of biofilm-coated sand particles. Biofilm-coated sand particles were stratified with thicker regions forming at the top of the fluidized bed. Stratification was so advanced that two areas of significantly different mean biofilm thickness coexisted. This stratification was attributed to differences in forces such as buoyancy, shear, collisional impact, and rate of contact.
Hydrodynamics has been found to reduce stratification in granule-coated media. This process reduces the vertical substrate gradient within the reactor and promotes homogenous granule growth. As a result, the hydrodynamics of internal circulation anaerobic reactors can result in higher organic loading rates than UASB reactors, which apply a higher gas velocity and superficial liquid velocity. Stratification may also be more serious in non-gas-producing anaerobic systems because gas bubble mixing does not occur in these reactors.
Keeping a close eye on the power levels
If you’re running a fluidizer and you’ve noticed uneven coverage, you should keep a close eye on the level of the powder in the hopper. Incorrect powder levels could mean the fluidizing membrane is blocked, the pressure is too high, or the powder is too fine. Poor venting or blocked hoppers can also cause this problem. In any case, you must ensure that the powder is rolling.
Fluidization is a critical part of the process, as poor fluidization can affect the quality of the coating. Powder stored at too high a temperature can develop clumps during fluidization. Check the storage conditions before you use a new powder. If the air temperature is too low, a clump will form. You should also check the dwell time to ensure that you get the best fluidization.