Development of Software for Calculating of the Vortex Fluidized Bed Granulator

The article is devoted to the development of software for calculating the hydrodynamic conditions and kinetic characteristics of granulation process in vortex devices. In the basis software Vortex Granulator and Classification in vortex flow original mathematical model for calculating the flow rate of gas and granules classification and separation processes of granules in a vortex granulator, kinetics of granules heating and removing moisture from the granules was put. The structure of software and algorithm of their work is shown. In the article, an algorithm for calculation of the granulation process in the vortex granulator using the developed software is shown. Software designed in JavaFx platform. Vortex Granulator and Classification in vortex flow allow to conduct an optimization calculation of vortex granulator according the criteria of minimum required residence time of granules in device workspace.


I. INTRODUCTION
Among various classes of granulation equipment fluidized bed granulators are the most promising [1].Scientists Sumy State University (Ukraine) have developed a new type of fluidized bed granulator -Vortex granulators with a variable cross-sectional area of working space.[2] The main advantages of granulators are their small-size, high specific performance and versatility [3].
One of the challenges for researchers and industrialists-practitioners, who are studying the theoretical foundations of granulation process in the whirling fluidized bed is to calculate the hydrodynamic and heat mass transfer conditions of forming of granules.
The necessity to identify these characteristics is caused by the fact that it is necessary to select the optimum construction of industrial design of vortex granulator.Optimization criteria which must be minimized in this case is the residence time of granules in the granulator workspace, which will form a complete crystal structure of granules at a specified degree of strength and monodispersity of marketable fractions.This is especially important in design of vortex granulator for obtaining granules with special properties, in particular, porous ammonium nitrate.Besides the above mentioned indicators of quality of final product, granules of porous ammonium nitrate should have specific regulatory parameters, such as retention and absorption capacity with respect to diesel fuel [4].For such case, it is important compliance with conditions under which the "hydrodynamic" residence time of granules in device working space must be at least "thermodynamic" time, which is determined by the kinetics of the process of removing moisture from granules [5,6].In addition, fact that the "hydrodynamic" time should not exceed the "thermodynamic" more than 5-10% is essential for maintaining the integrity of granules core.
By controlling the hydrodynamic characteristics of the flow of movement selection the optimal design of a vortex granulator, which meets the requirements of the optimization criterion, is achieved.
Currently the software for the optimization calculation granulation process in vortex devices is not designed.This is explained by the fact that, due to insufficient knowledge of hydrodynamic view of traffic flows and kinetics of granulation in fluidized bed difficulties arise in design of vortex granulators.Vortex granulators in the most cases are patented by industrial enterprises which can conduct experimental research.The theoretical basis for calculation of such devices is limited by basic knowledge of fluid dynamics and heat and mass transfer in a classical fluid bed granulation.Calculation of vortex granulators is based on known algorithms of classical fluidized bed devices.Calculation by these techniques leads to significant error in results.A new software product that will be created is based on the original mathematical model for calculating exactly vortex granulators.
The purpose of work is creation of special software for calculating granulators of vortex type.
One of tasks of creating of software for system calculation of hydraulic and thermodynamic conditions for creating granules with porous structure, as well as the calculation of classification process and separation of granules in vortex granulator is to find the optimal programming language.It should allow to quickly calculate the values from the given formulas, it has a set of tools for developing client interface and visualization of values obtained in form of plots.It is also important to search for optimal programming language is the necessity to ensure application performance on different operating systems.
In this work, the software for calculation the hydrodynamic and kinetic characteristics of the granulation process in vortex devices -Vortex Granulator © and Classification in vortex flow © is presented.Programs were written in Java that allows quickly calculate the values from the given formulas, as well as a set of tools for developing client interface and visualization of values obtained in the form of plots.The Java language provides application operating in different operating systems.
As a platform for the development of RIA (Rich Internet Application) JavaFX has been selected, which allows to build a unified application with a rich graphical user interface.JavaFX consists of set of tools with which developers can rapidly create applications for desktops, mobile devices, etc.
In Java a set of libraries and add-ons, that extend the functionality written in that language programs, was developed.One of these libraries, which was used in the development of the program Classification in vortex flow, is a library of Apache POI.Thanks to this library in the program an opportunity to save the results in a spreadsheet format appeared.

II. THEORETICAL MODEL AND SOFTWARE DESCRIPTION
To theoretical description and experimental study of certain aspects of granulation in the Vortex granulators a number of works are dedicated, which describe the hydrodynamics of flow movement [7,8], processes of classification and separation of granules [5], environmental aspects of development unit for the production of modules utilizing waste [9,10], hydrodynamic and thermodynamic conditions for obtaining a porous ammonium nitrate [4].
Vortex Granulator © software product is based on system of Navier-Stokes equations and equation of flow continuity (monophase stream) and system of differential equations of motion of granules in cylindrical coordinate system [7,8].
Classification in vortex flow © software product is based on mathematical model of classification and separation of granules in vortex granulator, as well as a system of differential equations of granules heating kinetics and removing moisture from granules kinetics [5].

Structure of the software.
Vortex Granulator © .
In the program Vortex Granulator © nine classes and one stylesheet were applied.
Program model is presented in form of UML diagrams (fig.1).
Main.java class is responsible for displaying the main menu and connection to other program files.
Class ControllerInput.javaprovides input to calculate the gas flow velocity components and the total granules and the rates of these phases.
Class Theory.javapresents theoretical information about Vortex granulators, its advantages and disadvantages.
SpeedGas.java and Granuly.javaclasses are displayed graphically based velocity components (vertical, radial and circumferential) of gas flow and granules.
Class Traektory.javadisplays the total rate of velocity.Class Functional.java retains the input values of program and includes methods of forming solutions and data sets to display graphic dependencies.
Classes Error.java and AlertBox.javaare designed to validate the input data and processing of possible errors in program.

Classification in vortex flow © .
Program Classification in vortex flow © has seven classes and one stylesheet were applied.
Program model is presented in form of UML diagrams (fig.2).Classes Error.java and AlertBox.javadesigned to validate the entered data and processing of possible errors in the program.
The main class of Vortex Granulator © program is Main.java which is responsible for displaying the main menu and connection to other classes.Default program after starting first connects class, which is responsible for data entry.After entering the input parameters (fig.3), the program checks them for validity using Error.javaclass.If there is an input error, the program calls AlertBox.javaclass responsible for the output error information.Checked data Functional.javafall into a class that is responsible for the storage and calculation.Program has three calculation areas: components of velocity of gas flow, components of granules velocity, total velocity of gas flow and granules.When activated menu items the program respectively calculates the radial, vertical, circumferential (circular) components of gas flow rates (fig.4) and granules (fig.5).Calculation results can be displayed in the form of graphic dependences.
The main methods of finding the components and the total gas flow velocity and granules are such methods: • public speedGas -calculates the vertical component of the gas flow rate adjustment workspace of vortex granulator (fig.6); • public Vr -calculates the radial component of the gas flow velocity along the radius of vortex granulator (fig.7); • public Vfi -calculates the circumferential component of velocity of gas flow along the radius of vortex granulator (fig 8.);    Classification in vortex flow © The main class of program Classification in vortex flow © Main.java is class that is responsible for displaying the main menu and connect to it other classes.After starting, the program displays the model (fig.14) and the general parameters of granulator (fig.15).
The program has three calculation areas: 1.The gas flow speed (fig.15).

The geometry of workspace:
• calculation with a variable air flow -are displayed depending on the height of working space and the radius of cross section of air flow to dry and wet granules (fig.16); • calculation at a variable angle diffuser disclosureare displayed depending on height of working space from the diffuser opening angle for dry and wet granules (fig.17); • calculation of the distribution of granules on fractions in working space of granulator -shows the distribution of granules of different diameters at the height of working space of vortex granulator (fig.18).

Calculation of mass and kinetics of granules heating:
• calculation of granules mass (fig.19); • calculation of kinetics of granules heating (distribution of temperature according to granules radius) (fig.20); • calculation of kinetics of granules heating (granule temperature change in time) (fig.21).• public double sumTemperaturtau -calculates the kinetics of heating of granules (granules change over time temperature).

III. CONCLUSIONS
Creating of programs Vortex Granulator © and Classification in vortex flow © based on the author's mathematical model is a new stage in the construction of design algorithm of vortex granulator "theoretical calculation -industrial design".The use of these programs allows for a rational choice configuration workspace vortex granulator.Automation of hydrodynamic and thermodynamic calculation of vortex granulator allows to conduct multivariate experiment without the use of experimental and industrial installations.Such an approach in modeling the vortex granulator is cost-effective since equipment design optimization calculation is carried out on the stage before the stage of pilot implementation in production.
Thus, proposed software allows to quickly calculate the hydro-and thermodynamic conditions for creating granules of porous structure, as well as the calculation of classification and separation process of granules in a vortex granulator with results visualization.

Figure 2 .
Figure 2. Classification in Vortex Flow © Program Model.Main.javaclass is responsible for displaying the main menu, and connect to other program files.

Figure 4 .
Figure 4. Window of Graphic Dependences of Gas Stream Velocity Components.

Figure 10 .
Figure 10.Circular Component of Velocity of the Granules Movement.

Figure 11 .
Figure 11.Vertical Component of Velocity of the Granules Movement.

Figure 12 .
Figure 12.Total Velocity of the Gas Stream Movement.

Figure 13 .
Figure 13.Total Velocity of the Granules Movement.

Figure 14 .
Figure 14.Calculated Area of the Granulator.

Figure 15 .
Figure 15.Incoming Data Input Window.Velocity of Gas Stream.

Figure 16 .
Figure 16.Calculation of Geometry of Working Space of Vortex Granulator at a Variable Consumption of Air.

Figure 17 .
Figure 17.Calculation of Geometry of Working Space of Vortex Granulator at a Variable Angle of Disclosure of Diffuser.

Figure 18 .
Figure 18.Calculation of Distribution of Granules on Fractions in Working Space of Granulator.