The jet penetration depth was proposed to be an important parameter to describe the jet action during the chemical process of spout-fluid bed coal gasification. A two-dimensional cold model of a spout-fluid bed coal gasifier with its cross section of 300 mm x 30 mm and height of 2000 mm was established to investigate the jet penetration depth. Four types of Geldart group D particles were used as bed materials. A multi-channel pressure sampling system and a high-resolution digital CCD camera were employed for experimental investigations. The effects of spouting gas velocity, spout nozzle diameter, static bed height, particle property and fluidizing gas flow rate on the jet penetration depth have been systematically studied by pressure signal analysis and image processing. Experimental results indicate that the jet penetration depth increases with increasing spouting gas velocity and spout nozzle diameter, while it decreases with increasing particle density, particle diameter, static bed height and fluidizing gas flow rate. Additional, a new correlation considered all of the above effects especially static bed height and fluidizing gas flow rate, was developed for predicting the jet penetration depth in spout-fluid beds. The correlation was compared with published experimental data or correlations, which was in well agreement with the present experimental results and some other references. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.