Scale-up of bubbling fluidized beds with continuous particle flow based on particle-residence-time distribution

Few studies have investigated scale-up of the residence-time distribution (RTD) of particles in bubbling fluidized beds (BFBs) with continuous particle flow. Two approaches were investigated in this study: first, using well-known scaling laws that require changes in particle properties and gas velocity; second, using a simple approach keeping the same particles and gas velocity for different beds. Our theoretical analysis indicates it is possible to obtain similar RTDs in different BFBs with scaling laws if the plug-flow residence time (t_plug) is changed as m^0.5, where m is the scaling ratio of the bed; however, neither approach can ensure similar RTDs if t_plug is kept invariant. To investigate RTD variations using two approaches without changing t_plug, we performed experiments in three BFBs. The derivatives dE(θ)/dθ (where E(θ) is the dimensionless RTD density function and θ is the dimensionless time) in the early stage of the RTDs always varied with m⁻¹, which was attributed to the fact that the particle movement in the early stage were mainly subject to dispersion. Using the simple approach, we obtained similar RTDs by separately treating the RTDs in the early and post-stages. This approach guarantees RTD similarity and provides basic rules for designing BFBs.     

Heat transfer characteristics in a horizontal swirling fluidized bed

An innovative horizontal swirling fluidized bed (HSFB) with a rectangular baffle in the center of an air distributor and three layers of horizontal secondary air nozzles located at each corner of fluidized bed was developed. Experiments on heat transfer characteristics were conducted in a cold HSFB test model. Heat transfer coefficients between immersed tubes and bed materials in the HSBF were measured with the help of a fast response heat transfer probe. The influences of fluidization velocity, particle size of bed materials, measurement height, probe orientation, and secondary air injection, etc. on heat transfer coefficients were intensively investigated. Test results indicated that heat transfer coefficients increase with fluidization velocity, and reach their maximum values at 1.5-3 times of the minimum fluidization velocity. Heat transfer coefficients are variated along the circumference of the probe, and heat transfer coefficients on the leeward side of the probe are larger than that on the windward side of the probe. Heat transfer coefficients decrease with increasing of measurement height; heat transfer coefficients of the longitudinal probe are larger than that of the transverse probe. The proper secondary air injection and particle size of bed materials can generate a preferred hydrodynamics in the dense zone and enhance heat transfer in a HSFB.     

Simulation of mass balance behavior in a large-scale circulating fluidized bed reactor

We determine using a compound model the influence of the mass of granular matter on the behavior of a supercritical circulating fluidized bed (CFB) reactor. Population balance enables a stationary-regime modeling of the mass flow of granular matter inside a CFB unit in a large-scale. The simulation includes some important dynamic processes of gas-particle flows in fluidized bed such as attrition, fragmentation, elutriation, and fuel combustion. Numerical calculations with full boiler loading were performed of operational parameters such as furnace temperature, furnace pressure, feeding materials mass flows, and excess air ratio. Furthermore, three bed inventory masses were adopted as experimental variables in the simulation model of mass balance. This approach enables a sensitivity study of mass flows of granular matter inside a CFB facility. Some computational results from this population balance model obtained for a supercritical CFB reactor are presented that show consistency with the operational data for large-scale CFB units.     

Influence of cycle time distribution on coating uniformity of particles in a spray fluidized bed by using CFD-DEM simulations

Cycle Time Distribution (CTD) plays a critical role for determining uniformity of particle coating in spray fluidized beds. However, the CTD is influenced by both geometrical structure and operating conditions of fluidized bed. In this study, a spray fluidized bed of coating process is simulated by a comprehensive Computational Fluid Dynamics-Discrete Element Model (CFD-DEM). To achieve different behaviors of CTD, some modifications are designed on a pseudo-2D internally circulating fluidized bed, which traditionally composes of a high-velocity upward bed and low-velocity downward bed. These modifications include making the air distributor slope and/or laying a baffle in the downward bed. First, the CTD and evolution of particle size distribution under different bed structures are compared. The CTD directly influences the coating uniformity. By making the particles flowing along a parallel direction in the downward bed through the geometrical modifications, the CTD becomes narrower and the coating uniformity is significantly improved. Second, under the optimized bed structure, the influence of operating conditions on the coating uniformity is studied. Properly increasing the fluidization gas velocity and the fluidization gas temperature and reducing the liquid spray rate can improve the coating uniformity.     

Melting heat transfer along a horizontal heated tube immersed in a fluidized liquid ice bed

An experimental study was performed to determine the melting heat transfer characteristics along a horizontal heated circular tube immersed in a solid-air-liquid three-phase fluidized liquid ice bed. A mixture of fine ice particles and ethylene glycol acqueous solution was adopted as the liquid ice for the test. Measurements were carried out for a range of parameters such as airflow rate, heated tube diameter, and initial concentration of acqueous binary solution. It was found that the heat transfer coefficient for the fluidized liquid ice bed might be more than 20 times as large as that for the fixed liquid ice bed.     

Flow structure and bubble dynamics in supercritical water fluidized bed and gas fluidized bed: A comparative study

Supercritical water (SCW) fluidized bed is a new reactor concept for hydrogen production from biomass or coal gasification. In this paper, a comparative study on flow structure and bubble dynamics in a supercritical water fluidized bed and a gas fluidized bed was carried out using the discrete element method (DEM). The results show that supercritical water condition reduces the incipient fluidization velocity, changes regime transitions, i.e. a homogeneous fluidization was observed when the superficial velocity is in the range of the minimum fluidization velocity and minimum bubbling velocity even the solids behave as Geldart B powders in the gas fluidized bed. Bubbling fluidization in the supercritical water fluidized bed was formed after superficial velocity exceeds the minimum bubbling velocity, as in the gas fluidized bed. Bubble is one of the most important features in fluidized bed, which is also the emphasis in this paper. Bubble growth was effectively suppressed in the supercritical water fluidized bed, which resulted in a more uniform flow structure. By analyzing a large number of bubbles, bubble dynamic characteristics such as diameter distribution, frequency, rising path and so on, were obtained. It is found that bubble dynamic characteristics in the supercritical water fluidized bed differ a lot from that in the gas fluidized bed, and there is a better fluidization quality induced by the bubble dynamics in the supercritical water fluidized bed.     

Bubble behaviors of geldart B particle in a pseudo two-dimensional pressurized fluidized bed

Pressurized fluidized beds have been developed in quite a few industrial applications because of intensified heat and mass transfer and chemical reaction. The bubble behaviors under elevated pressure, strongly influencing the fluidization and reaction conversion of the whole system, are of great research significance. In this work, the bubble behaviors of Geldart B particle in a pseudo two-dimensional (2D) pressurized fluidized bed were experimentally studied based on digital image analysis technique. The effects of pressure and fluidization gas velocity on the general bubble behaviors (i.e., size, shape and spatial distribution) and the dynamic characteristics, such as the time-evolution of voidage distribution and local flow regimes, were comprehensively investigated. Results show that increasing pressure reduces the stability of bubbles and facilitates gas passing through the emulsion phase, resulting in the “smoother” fluidization state with smaller bubbles and declined bubble fraction and standard deviation. The equivalent bubble diameter and bubble aspect ratio increase with the increasing gas velocity while decrease as pressure rises. The elevated pressure reduces bubbles extension in the vertical direction, prohibits the “short pass” of fluidization gas in large oblong bubbles/slugs and benefits the gas–solid interaction. The flow regimes variation with gas velocity is affected by the elevated pressure, and demonstrates different features in different local positions of the bed.     

Reactive gas-solids flows in large volumes--3D modeling of industrial circulating fluidized bed combustors

A model is presented for the simulation of reactive gas-solids flows in large industrial reactors. Circulating fluidized bed （CFB） combustors with several thousands of cubic meters reaction volume are probably the largest reactors of this type. A semi-empirical modeling approach has been chosen to model the three-dimensional concentration distributions of gas and solids components and temperatures inside the combustion chamber of such boilers. Two industrial CFB boilers are investigated in detail： the 105 MWe Duisburg combustor in Germany and the 235 MWe Turow combustor in Poland. The semi-empirical model approach is described first. Then the model is used to show how the three-dimensional concentration and temperature fields are formed by the interaction of several local phenomena. Good agreement between simulation and measurements has been achieved.     

Thermal and hydraulic performance of a three-phase fluidized bed cooling tower

An experimental study was made of the thermal and hydraulic characteristics of a three-phase fluidized bed cooling tower. The experiments were carried out in a packed tower of 200 mm diameter and 2.5 m height. The packing used was spongy rubber balls 12.7 mm in diameter and with a density of 375 kg/m³. The tower characteristic was evaluated. The air-side pressure drop and the minimum fluidization velocity were measured as a function of water/air mass flux ratio (0.4–2), static bed height (300–500 mm), and hot water inlet temperature (301–334 K).

The experimental results indicate that the tower characteristics KaV/L increases with increases in the bed static height and hot water inlet temperature and with decreases in the water/air mass flux ratio. It is also shown that the air-side pressure drop increases very slowly with increases in air velocity. The minimum, fluidization velocity was found to be independent of the static bed height.

The data obtained were used to develop a correlation between the tower characteristics, hot water inlet temperature, static bed height, and the water/air mass flux ratio. The mass transfer coefficient of the three-phase fluidized bed cooling tower is much higher than that of packed-bed cooling towers with higher packing height.     

Reactive gas-solids flows in large volumes—3D modeling of industrial circulating fluidized bed combustors

A model is presented for the simulation of reactive gas-solids flows in large industrial reactors. Circulating fluidized bed (CFB) combustors with several thousands of cubic meters reaction volume are probably the largest reactors of this type. A semi-empirical modeling approach has been chosen to model the three-dimensional concentration distributions of gas and solids components and temperatures inside the combustion chamber of such boilers. Two industrial CFB boilers are investigated in detail: the 105 M...     

Experimental investigation on flow asymmetry in solid entrance region of a square circulating fluidized bed

To study the influence of back feeding particles on gas-solid flow in the riser, this paper investigated the flow asymmetry in the solid entrance region of a fluidized bed by particle concentration/velocity measurements in a cold square circulating fluidized beds （CFB）. The pressure drop distribution along the riser and the saturation carrying capacity of gas for Geldart-B type particles were first analyzed. Under the condition of u0 = 4 m/s and Gs = 21 kg/（m^2 s）, the back feeding particles were found to penetrate the lean gas-solid flow near the entrance （rear） wall before reaching the opposite （front） wall, thus leading to a relatively denser region near the front wall in the bottom bed. Higher solid circulation rate （u0 =4 m/s, Gs = 33 kg/（m^2 s）） resulted in a higher particle concentration in the riser. However the back feeding particles with higher momentum increased the asymmetry of the particle concentration/velocity profile in the solid entrance region. Lower air velocity （u0 =3.2 m/s） and Gs =21 kg/（m2 s）, beyond the saturation carrying capacity of gas, induced an S-shaped axial solid distribution with a denser bottom zone. This limited the penetration of the back feeding particles and forced the flnidizing air to flow in the central region, thus leading to a higher solid holdup near the rear wall. Under the conditions of uo = 4 m/s and Gs = 21 kg/（m^2 s）, addition of coarse particles （dp= 1145 μm） into the bed made the radial distribution of solids more symmetrical.     

CFD-simulation of a circulating fluidized bed riser

In the current work, a model of the fluid mechanics in the riser of a circulating fluidized bed （CFB） has been implemented using computational fluid dynamics （CFD）. The model developed shall be used in future as the basis of 3D-reactor model for the simulation of large scale CFB combustors. The two-fluid model （TFM） approach is used to represent the fluid mechanics involved in the flow. The computational implementation is accomplished by the commercial software FLUENT. Different closure formulations are tested on a simplified geometry. Two different turbulence formulations, namely the swirl modified RNG k-e model and the Realizable k-e model, are tested in combination with two different approaches to solid phase turbulence, namely the dispersion and per phase approach. One focus of the current work is put on the study of different drag correlations. Besides the drag correlations by Syamlal et al. [Syamlal, M., Rogers, W., ＆ O＇Brien, T. J. （1993）. MFIX documentation theory guide. Technical Report DOE/METC-9411004, U.S. Department of Energy （DOE）. Morgantown Energy Technology Center： Morgantown, WV] and Gidaspow [Gidaspow, D. （1994）. Multiphaseflow andfluidization. New York： Academic Press] the EMMS model has been used to determine the momentum exchange between the two phases. The resulting formulation is then used to simulate a 1-m × 0.3-m cold CFB setup and is validated by experimental results [Schlichtharle, P. （2000）. Fluid dynamics and mixing of solids and gas in the bottom zone of circulating fluidized beds. Unoublished doctoral dissertation, Technische Universitaet Hamburg-Harburg, Shaker Verlag： Aachen].     

CFD-simulation of a circulating fluidized bed riser

In the current work,a model of the fluid mechanics in the riser of a circulating fluidized bed(CFB)has been implemented using computational fluid dynamics(CFD).The model developed shall be used in future as the basis of 3D-reactor model for the simulation of large scale CFB combustors.The two-fluid model(TFM)approach is used to represent the fluid mechanics involved in the flow.The computational implementation is accomplished by the commercial software FLUENT.Different closure formulations are tested on a simplified geometry.Two different turbulence formulations,namely the swirl modified RNG k–εmodel and the Realizable k–εmodel,are tested in combination with two different approaches to solid phase turbulence,namely the dispersion and per phase approach.One focus of the current work is put on the study of different drag correlations.Besides the drag correlations by Syamlal et al.[Syamlal,M.,Rogers, W.,O’Brien,T.J.(1993).MFIX documentation theory guide.Technical Report DOE/METC-94/1004,U.S. Department of Energy(DOE).Morgantown Energy Technology Center:Morgantown,WV]and Gidaspow [Gidaspow,D.(1994).Multiphase flow and fluidization.New York:Academic Press]the EMMS model has been used to determine the momentum exchange between the two phases.The resulting formulation is then used to simulate a 1-m×0.3-m cold CFB setup and is validated by experimental results[Schlichthrle, P.(2000).Fluid dynamics and mixing of solids and gas in the bottom zone of circulating fluidized beds. Unpublished doctoral dissertation,Technische Universitaet Hamburg-Harburg,Shaker Verlag:Aachen].     

Numerical solution of a two-dimensional fluidized bed model

The numerical solution of a model describing a two-dimensional fluidized bed is considered. The model takes the form of a hyperbolic system of conservation laws with source term, coupled with an elliptic equation for determining a streamfunction. Operator splitting is used to produce homogeneous one-dimensional hyperbolic systems and ordinary differential equations involving the source term. The one-dimensional hyperbolic problems are solved using Roe's method with the addition of an entropy fix. The numerical procedure is second-order in time and first-order in space. Second-order-accuracy in space is obtained using flux limiting techniques. Numerical experiments which show the development of bubbles in the bed are presented. The familiar kidney-shaped bubble, observed experimentally, is found when using the method which is second-order in space. On the same mesh, the first-order method produces bubbles which are no longer kidney-shaped. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fluidization of particles in SCW fluidized bed: Voidage distribution of emulsion phase

Supercritical water (SCW) fluidized bed reactors convert biomass to fuels without pollutants emission. In this work, experimental studies were carried out to investigate voidage distribution in an SCW fluidized bed by capacitance probes. Quartz sands with different particle sizes were fluidized by SCW under system pressure of 20–27 MPa and temperature of 410–570 °C. The effect of operation conditions on voidage distributions of the emulsion phase (e.g. averaged voidage and probability density) is discussed. A predicting correlation between voidage and superficial velocity in emulsion phase is proposed. The relative error of the correlation is within ±25%. These research results provide useful guidance for the optimization of supercritical water gasification technology.     

A new framework for population balance modeling of spray fluidized bed agglomeration

Previous work (Hussain et al. (2013). Chemical Engineering Science, 101, 35) has pointed out that the conventional, one-dimensional population balance equation for aggregation can be expanded to accurately reproduce the results of discrete simulations of spray fluidized bed agglomeration. However, some parameters had to be imported from the discrete simulation (Monte-Carlo). The present paper shows how the expanded population balance can be run without importing parameters from the Monte-Carlo simulation. The expanded population balance still reproduces the results of Monte-Carlo simulations accurately, taking into account key micro-scale phenomena (sessile droplet drying, efficiency of collisions), but with much lower computational cost. Required input parameters are just the drying time of sessile droplets (calculated in advance), and the pre-factor of an equation that correlates particle collision frequency with fluidized bed expansion. In this way, the expanded population balance is, apart from autonomous, also (nearly) predictive. Its performance is demonstrated by comparisons with both Monte-Carlo results and experimental data for various operating conditions (binder mass flow rate, gas temperature). Despite formally being a one-dimensional expression, the expanded population balance captures additional properties, such as the number of wet particles and the number of droplets in the system, which are even difficult to measure in experiments.     

Influence of zone formation on stability of continuous fluidized bed layering granulation with external product classification

Continuous fluidized bed layering granulation with external product classification and a sieve-mill cycle can show instability in the form of self-sustained nonlinear oscillations of the particle size distribution. In the present study, the stability and bifurcation analysis of this process is presented. The underlying process models explicitly account for compartmentalization of the fluidized bed into a granulation and a drying zone, which is an important feature of many technical processes. Implications for plant operations are discussed with the help of stability diagrams as a function of zone size, residence time within different zones, the addition of external seeds and particular properties of the sieve-mill cycle.