Volatilization of Packed Beds of Oil Sand Particles

Based on a quasi-steady system, published experimental data on mass transfer in packed beds of spherical particles at relatively low Reynolds numbers, were employed to estimate the convective mass-transfer coefficients in the bed in terms of the corresponding values for single particles. The average transient fluid concentrations within the bed of particles were also obtained in terms of the corresponding single-particle concentrations using the lumped-heat-capacity system. Thus, experimental data published on volatilization of single oil sand spheres could then be extended to estimate the rates of volatilization of packed beds of oil sand spheres. A simple analytical expression could, therefore, be derived for estimating the transient mass loss from fixed beds of oil sand spheres in terms of the parameters involved.