Pressure fluctuation time series were obtained at various bed locations in a spout-fluid bed with its dimension of 300mm × 30mm × 2000mm. Power spectrum and Shannon entropy analyses of pressure fluctuations were developed to characterize the flow characteristics. A multi-channel pressure sampling system was established and a high-resolution digital camera was used to record the flow patterns. The effects of two important operating parameters, i.e. spouting gas velocity and fluidizing gas flow rate on the power spectrum major frequency and Shannon entropy were tested. Shannon entropies of different flow patterns were found to have different characteristics, thus Shannon entropy was developed to identify the flow patterns. The results show that power spectrum and Shannon entropy analyses are two helpful ways to realize the complex gas-solid flow characteristics in spout-fluid beds.