Estimation of the minimum spouting velocity and pressure drop in open-sided draft tube spouted beds using genetic programming

Abstract Explicit dimensionless models are proposed for estimating the minimum spouting velocity, operating pressure drop and peak pressure drop in open-sided draft tubes spouted bed using the genetic programming (GP). The models are developed based on 664 experimental data for minimum spouting velocity, 660 for peak pressure drop and 652 for operating pressure drop. The parameters of significant influence are considered as GP input variables, and reliable semi-empirical correlations have been obtained. The models predict the hydrodynamic parameters analyzed with average absolute relative errors of 12.90%, 15.99% and 10.92% for the minimum spouting velocity, peak pressure drop and operating pressure drop, respectively. A comparison of literature correlations with the present ones shows that the latter lead to considerably lower errors from the experimental data. The prediction capability of the new models was evaluated in a range of operating and geometric conditions and a close agreement with the experimental data was observed.