A gas-liquid-solid three-phase circulating fluidized bed (GLSCFB) with 0.15 m in diameter and 4.35 m in height was employed to investigate the local phase hold-ups and liquid now velocity. With styrene resin (dp = 1.45 mm, rho(s) = 1264 kg/m(3)) as solid phases, air as gas phase, and carboxymethyl cellulose sodium as liquid phase, local phase hold-ups are measured simultaneously by micro-conductivity probe technique under a wide range of operation conditions. Liquid flow velocity measurements have been performed using the electrolyte tracer measurements (ETM) technique. Measurement results in a GLSCFB riser presented here give an insight into the distribution laws of the local phase hold-ups and liquid velocity in radial directions. A closed Eulerian/Eulerian/Lagrangian model (E/E/L model) for simulating gas-liquid-solid three-phase local How properties was developed by combining Two Fluid Model (TFM) and District Element Method (DEM). This model was based on the fundamental equations of fluid mechanics. The motion of particles was described in the Lagrangian co-ordinates, while the gas phase and the liquid phase were described within the Eulerian co-ordinates. Based on IPSA and PSIC solution techniques, the program of simulating gas-liquid-solid local flow properties was achieved. The numerical simulating results of local phase hold-Lips and local radial liquid velocity agreed well with the experimental data in a GLSCFB riser, and the applicability and reliability of this model were validated. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.