Solids flow pattern in the bottom zone of a rectangular cross-section CFB was investigated by using hot particles as the tracer. The experiments were carried out in a cold model circulating fluidized bed. The riser has an inner cross-section of 0.3 m by 0.5 m and a height of 5.8 m. The solids were returned into the riser at a height of 0.75 m above the air distributor within an angle of about 40 degree. Quartz sand was used as the bed material. The hot particles were also quartz sand but with a little smaller size. Specially designed miniature electrically heating devices were installed flush with the inner bed wall or inside the bed. At each run, about 10–15 cm3 hot particles were slowly pulled into the bed. The temperature response around the device was measured with four copper-constantan thermocouples. Based on the experimental results, a 3-D core-annulus model describing the solids flow pattern in the bottom zone of the CFB riser is proposed.
