In this work the effects of particle size distribution on the dynamics and segregation patterns in fluidized, vibrated and vibrofluidized beds were investigated. A binary particle size distribution and a reference one composed of glass spheres with a mean Sauter diameter of 2.18×10-3 m were tested. The experimental setup consisted basically of a circular glass chamber with a height of 0.50 m and a diameter of 0.114 m, operated in the fluidized bed mode (gamma = 0.00), in either vibrated or vibrofluidized bed modes (gamma = 2.00). The pressure drops in the fluidized and vibrofluidized beds were not significantly affected by the binary particle size distribution. Well-defined segregation patterns occurred in fluidized and vibrated beds with small particles concentrating at the top and large particles at the bottom in the first situation and the reverse in the second one. Segregation patterns in vibrofluidized beds depended on the values of vibration parameters. Segregation in vibrofluidized and vibrated beds was minimized by operating at a high amplitude of vibration.

The fluid-dynamic characteristics of fluidized and vibrofluidized beds of inert particles in liquids are being widely studied by researchers interested in understanding and modeling the paste drying process. In this work characteristic fluid-dynamic curves of pressure drop versus air velocity were obtained for fluidized and vibrofluidized beds with glycerol. Glycerol was used as a standard fluid to simulate a paste in the bed, and "ballotini" glass spheres were used as inert particles. The fluid-dynamic behavior as well as the quality of the fluidization regimes was analyzed through pressure drop versus air velocity curves and visual observation of the flow patterns in the beds. The results indicated that standard deviation curves are a useful tool for gaining an understanding of the fluid-dynamic behavior of a vibrofluidized bed. They allow detection of changes in the fluid-dynamic behavior which were not observed by analyzing only the pressure drop versus air velocity curves. For fluidized beds (G=0.00), it was also observed that analysis of curves of standard deviations of pressure drop may help in the estimation of more accurate values of minimum fluidization velocities.