Relaxation auto-oscillations in a fluidized bed

Oscillations of nonuniform fluidized bed in the slugging regime are considered. A nonlinear one-dimensional model of bed oscillations is developed and investigated, including the equations of the bed surface motion and the oscillations of the pressure drop in the bed for the phase of the surface ascent and for the phase of its fall. A quasi-discrete process of the gas escape from the layer with large bubble and the relaxation (discontinuous) type of oscillations of the bed surface and of the pressure, which are related to the above process, are shown based on the model analysis, the obtained numerical solutions, and the comparison with experiment.     

Ultrasonic drying of foodstuff in a fluidized bed: Parametric study

The application of high power ultrasound for dehydration of porous materials may be very effective in processes in which heat-sensitive materials such as foodstuffs have to be treated. In fact, high-intensity ultrasonic vibrations are capable of increasing heat and mass transfer processes in materials. The application of ultrasonic energy can be made alone or in combination with other kind of energy such as hot-air. In this case, ultrasound helps in reducing temperature or treatment time. The aim of this work is to study the effect of air flow rate, ultrasonic power and mass loading on hot-air drying assisted by a new power ultrasonic system. The drying chamber is an aluminium vibrating cylinder, which is able to create a high intensity ultrasonic field in the gas medium. To that purpose the chamber is driven at its centre by a power ultrasonic vibrator at 21.8 kHz. Drying kinetics of carrot cubes and lemon peel cylinders were carried out at 40 degrees C for different air velocities, with and without ultrasound. The results show that the effect of ultrasound on drying rate is affected by air flow rate, ultrasonic power and mass loading. In fact, at high air velocities the acoustic field inside the chamber is disturbed and the effect of ultrasound on drying kinetics diminishes.     

Signatures of glass formation in a fluidized bed of hard spheres

We demonstrate that a fluidized bed of hard spheres during defluidization displays properties associated with formation of a glass. The final state is rate dependent, and as this state is approached, the bed exhibits heterogeneity with increasing time and length scales. The formation of a glass results in the arrest of macroscopic particle motion and thus the loss of fluidization. Microscopic motion persists in this state, but the bed can be jammed by application of a small increase in flow rate. Thus a fluidized bed can serve as a test system for studies of glass formation and jamming.     

Numerical investigation of aerodynamics in an apparatus with a circulating fluidized bed

A mathematical model and a numerical algorithm are proposed for investigation of aerodynamics in an apparatus with a circulating fluidized bed. The model is based on the basic assumptions of the theory of interacting interpenetrating continua and two-dimensional nonstationary Navier-Stokes equations. Calculations of the motion of a two-phase mixture in the laboratory apparatus were performed. The computational results are in good agreement with the experimental data.Scientific-Research Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics at Tomsk State University. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 4, pp. 63–68, April, 1993.     

Pressurized oxy-fuel combustion of a char particle in the fluidized bed combustor

Pressurized oxy-fuel combustion of coal in fluidized bed (FB) holds the potential to realize low-cost CO₂ capture. However, the fundamental study in this manner is still rare due to the difficult access to the pressurized oxy-FB combustion tests. In this work, the experimental study of single char combustion was firstly conducted in a visualized pressurized FB combustor under various operating conditions. Then an experimentally verified particle-scale char combustion model was developed to reveal the dependence of char combustion on parameters. Results showed that the char conversion was accelerated with the increase of pressure, mainly due to the high oxygen diffusion and char gasification. The gasification played a non-negligible role in pressurized oxy-fuel combustion, especially under high oxygen concentration and bed temperature. Increasing oxygen concentration and bed temperature not only promotes the char oxidation rate and particle temperature, but also increases the gasification rate and the share of char conversion via gasification, resulting in shortening the burnout time of char. In addition, a higher fluidization number lowered both the burnout time and peak temperature of char particle, due to the simultaneous improvement of mass and heat transfer. The influences of char size and fluidization number on char gasification conversion ratio are very weak. In addition, the quantitative analysis of the influence of different operating parameters on the combustion process was obtained by model sensitivity analysis.     

Formation of bamboo-shaped carbon nanotubes on carbon black in a fluidized bed

For the first time, bamboo-shaped multiwalled carbon nanotubes, having diameter of the order of 50 nm, have been grown on carbon black in a fluidized bed in bulk amount. The activation energy for the synthesis of the product was found out to be around 33 kJ/mol in the temperature range of 700−900 °C. The carbon nanotubes were separated from the carbon black by preferential oxidation of the later, the temperature of which was determined by thermogravimetry. The transmission electron microscopy revealed different features of the nanotubes such as “Y” junction, bend, and catalyst filling inside the nanotubes. Small angle neutron scattering was performed on the nanotubes synthesized at different temperatures. The data were fitted into a suitable model in order to find out the average diameter, which decreases with increase in synthesis temperature. The Monte Carlo simulation predicts the same behavior. Based on the above observations, a possible growth mechanism has been predicted. The oscillation in carbon saturation value inside the catalyst in the fluidized bed has been indicated as the responsible factor for the bamboo-shaped structure.     

Heat recovery by perforated-plate multistage fluidized bed exchangers

An experimental and theoretical study of a perforated plate multistage fluidized bed heat exchanger for particle heating or cooling is presented. Based on experimental data (with three-stage and four-stage columns), two design correlations are proposed for predicting loading and flooding for Froude numbers ranging from 100 to 400. The heat transfer is described using a residence time distribution model which takes into account the solid and gas bypasses and the solid entrainment. Predicted values are compared to experimental data in the range 373–773 K for estimating the three parameters.     

Electrostatic behavior of different fines added to a Faraday cup fluidized bed

Experiments were performed in a Faraday cup fluidization column to determine the changes in the electrostatic charges on various fine particles after their addition to gas–solid fluidized beds to better understand their role in influencing electrostatic charge generation/dissipation. The charges transported by different fines (Larostat 519 antistatic agent, glass beads (GB), silver-coated GB, catalyst and silica particles) were determined after their injection into an initially charged bed of much larger mono-sized particles (GB or polyethylene) for a range of relative humidities. Entrained fines carry significant charges out of the column, therefore leaving a net charge behind, with the polarity and quantity of charge depending on the size, physical properties and chemical structure of the particles, and on the moisture content of the fluidizing gas.     

流化床锅炉气固流动特性数值模拟研究

流化床内气固两相流动是典型的Euler两相流模型,对其流动特性的研究,一直是多相流领域的热点和难点。计算采用CFD方法对流化床内Euler气固两相流动特性进行数值计算,在流化风速为5 m/s,初始填料高度为5 m,计算时间持续到50 s时,得到了流化床内的流动分布以及压力分布的规律。并且在其它参数不变的情况下,计算比较了颗粒直径为0.3 mm、0.4 mm、0.5 mm的工况,分析得到了颗粒直径的改变对Euler气固流动特性的影响并总结了相关变化规律。     

Time-of-flight variant to image mixing of granular media in a 3D fluidized bed

This paper describes a variant of time-of-flight magnetic resonance (MR) imaging that provides a method of measuring the inherent mixing in a fluidized bed without the introduction of tracer particles. The modifications to conventional time-of-flight imaging enable the measurement of the axial mixing of a precisely controlled initial particle distribution, thereby providing measurements suitable for a direct comparison with models of solids mixing in granular systems. The imaging sequence is applied to characterize mixing, over time scales of 25-1000 ms, in a gas-fluidized bed of Myosotis seed particles; mixing over short timescales, inaccessible using conventional tracer techniques, is studied using this technique. The mixing pattern determined by this pulse sequence is used in conjunction with MR velocity images of the motion of the particles to provide new insight into the mechanism of solids mixing in granular systems.     

Tomographic Imaging of Phase Distribution and Spatial Correlation of the fluidization dynamics in a fluidized bed

This paper describes the use of a capacitance tomography system for imaging gas bubbles in a fluidized bed in the vicinity of an air distributor plate. The results show how the solid concentration distribution varies as a function of time for three different flow regimes: bubbling, slugging and the transition to turbulent. Bubble shape, Length and coalesence can be observed. A method of spatial correlation to elucidate the bubble formation process is described.     

Self-organization in a tokamak plasma

Conclusions The observed tendency for certain optimal current-density and pressure profiles to be maintained can be interpreted if one assumes a relaxed state in the plasma, which corresponds to minimal total energy for a given current. With optimal power deposition, when the current-density and pressure profiles also remain optimal, ohmic scaling may be maintained up to fairly high densities, i.e., fairly high _p. If the power deposition profile deviates from optimal, the plasma resists deviation from the optimal profiles, and the more so the higher _p. The thermal-conductivity profile is modified to maintain the relaxed state. Nonoptimal profiles may lead to degradation in the global energy lifetime _E, which can be related phenomenologically to pumping of magnetic noise by the excess free energy F. Our argument provides a qualitative explanation of the self-organization physics.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 29, No. 9, pp. 1032–1040, September, 1986.     

Electrical capacitance tomography imaging of gas-solid and gas-liquid-solid fluidized bed systems

Journal of Visualization -     

Simulation of a combined cycle power plant based on a pressurized circulating fluidized bed combustor

A comprehensive mathematical model for the simulation of a pressurized circulating fluidized bed combustor will be presented. The model consists of a combustor model describing the combustion chamber, the cyclone and the external heat exchanger as well as of a gas turbine model. The results of the simulation for the combustor at full load and different pressures and for the combined cycle power plant at full and part load are presented in form of temperature-, flue gas composition- and heat transfer-profiles in the combustor. Especially, energy fluxes from the combustor to the water-/steam cycle and the output of gas- and steam-turbine will be shown. The validity of the model will be shown by comparative simulation of an existing plant for the special case of atmospheric conditions.     

In-situ gasification chemical looping combustion of plastic waste in a semi-continuously operated fluidized bed reactor

Conventional air incineration of plastic waste has been considered as one of important sources of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) through de novo synthesis and precursor conversion. Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is an attractive technology for the conversion of plastic wastes to energy with the potential to drastically suppress the formation of PCDD/Fs. In this paper, the iG-CLC (in-situ gasification CLC) experiments of plastic waste were implemented in a semi-continuously operated fluidized bed reactor, which actually simulates the fuel reactor of a continuously-operated interconnected fluidized bed reactor. A kind of low-cost material, natural iron ore without/with 5 wt% CaO adsorbent through the ultrasonic impregnation method, was used as oxygen carrier (OC). Firstly, some key performances of the reactor system, such as the relevance of the bed inventory to the flow rate of fluidizing agent as well as the relationship between the feeding rate and overflow rate of OC, were calibrated. Then, 90 min of single experiment was conducted for each experimental case and an accumulative operation of more than 10 h was attained. Typically, the combustion efficiency can reach at about 98%, and both the carbon conversion and CO₂ yield can approach to 95% at 900 °C and input thermal power of 150 W with a mixture of 5 vol% H₂O and 95 vol% N₂ as the fluidizing agent (U_FR/U_mf = 3). Moreover, the results obtained in the semi-continuously operated fluidized bed reactor demonstrated that CaO decoration to iron ore is conductive to suppressing the formation of chlorobenzene (as a toxic matter and precursor/intermediate of PCDD/Fs) and does not obviously deteriorate the OC performance.     

Simulation of a full-scale pressurized fluidized bed combustor by using semi-empirical pilot plant correlations

A model, based on semi-empirical correlations, was developed to simulate the behavior of a pressurized fluidized bed combustor (PFBC) under various operating conditions. This paper presents the results of a comprehensive survey of one-dimensional empirical correlations applicable to a PFBC and which were used to assemble a 1-D predictive model of the complete performance of a pressurized fluidized bed combustor. The model was adjusted in order to reproduce process and in-bed data taken at Escatrón PFBC power station (Spain) under a wide range of operating conditions. The novelty of this approach lies in the use of full-scale information to validate empirical correlations, the objective being to draw specific conclusions on the reliability of empirical PFBC modeling. The model was validated using experimental power plant data. Good agreement was found between the computed results and actual plant data of bed temperature profiles, bed density, char and sorbent elutriation, fuel feed rate, in-bed and entrainment particle size distributions, oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations, heat transfer coefficients along the combustor height and heat transfer to the tube bundles under different operational regimes. This paper describes the model, as well as its results, validation and prospects for future work.     

Stabilizing effect of plasma discharge on bubbling fluidized granular bed

Fluidized beds have been widely used for processing granular materials. In this paper, we study the effect of plasma on the fluidization behavior of a bubbling fluidized bed with an atmospheric pressure plasma discharger. Experiment results show that the bubbling fluidized bed is stabilized with the discharge of plasma. When the discharge current reaches a minimum stabilization current Cms, air bubbles in the bed will disappear and the surface fluctuation is completely suppressed.A simplified model is proposed to consider the effect of electric Coulomb force generated by the plasma. It is found that the Coulomb force will propel the particles to move towards the void area, so that the bubbling fluidized bed is stabilized with a high enough plasma discharge.