Hydrodynamics and reactor performance evaluation of a high flux gas‐solids circulating fluidized bed downer: Experimental study

Reactor performance of a high flux circulating fluidized bed (CFB) downer is studied under superficial gas velocities of 3–7 m/s with solids circulation rate up to 300 kg/m²s using ozone decomposition reaction. Results show that the reactant conversion in the downer is closely related to the hydrodynamics, with solids holdup being the most influential parameter on ozone decomposition. High degree of conversion is achieved at the downer entrance region due to strong gas‐solids interaction as well as higher solids holdup and reactant concentration. Ozone conversion increases with the increase of solids circulation rate and/or the decrease of superficial gas velocity. Overall conversion in the CFB downer is less than but very close to that in an ideal plug flow reactor indicating a good reactor performance in the downer because of the nearly “ideal” hydrodynamics in downer reactors. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 60: 3412–3423, 2014     

A comparison of flow development in high density gas‐solids circulating fluidized bed downer and riser reactors

Comparison of flow development in high density downer and riser reactors is experimentally investigated using fluid catalytic cracking particles with very high solids circulation rate up to 700 kg/m²s for the first time. Results show that both axial and radial flow structures are more uniform in downers compared to riser reactors even at very high density conditions, although the solids distribution becomes less uniform in the high density downer. Solids acceleration is much faster in the downer compared to the riser reactor indicating a shorter length of flow development and residence time, which is beneficial to the chemical reactions requiring short contact time and high product selectivity. Slip velocity in risers and downers is also first compared at high density conditions. The slip velocity in the downer is much smaller than in the riser for the same solids holdup indicating less particle aggregation and better gas‐solids contacting in the downer reactors. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 61: 1172–1183, 2015     

Experimental study of high-density gas-solids flow in a new coupled circulating fluidized bed

Experiments were carried out in a specially designed high-density coupled circulating fluidized bed system. Fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) particles (ρ_p=1300 kg/m³, d_p=69 μm) were used. When the solids circulation flux is 400 kg/m²·s, the apparent solids holdup exceeds 20% near the top of the riser A, and the volumetric solids fraction (apparent solids holdup) is larger than 5.2% in the fully developed region of the downer. Hence, a high particle suspension density covers the entire coupled CFB system. Under the high-density conditions, the primary air rate had a small influence on the solids circulation flux, while the secondary air rate had an important effect on it. The results indicate a particle acceleration region and a fully developed region were identified along the downer from the pressure gradient profiles. In the fully developed region of the downer, the volumetric solids fraction increases with increasing solids circulation flux or decreasing superficial gas velocity U₁.     

Radial gas mixing characteristics in a downer reactor

In a downer reactor (0.1 m-I.D.x3.5 m-high), the effects of gas velocity (1.6-4.5 m/s), solids circulation rate (0–40kg/m²s) and particle size (84, 164 Μm) on the gas mixing coefficient have been determined. The radial dispersion coefficient(D _r ) decreases and the radial Peclet number (Pe_r) increases as gas velocity increases. At lower gas velocities, D_r in the bed of particles is lower than that of gas flow only, but the reverse trend is observed at higher gas velocities. Gas mixing in the reactor of smaller particle size varies significantly with gas velocity, whereas gas mixing varies smoothly in the reactor of larger particle size. At lower gas velocities, D_r increases with increasing solids circulation rate (G_s), however, D_r decreases with increasing G_s at higher gas velocities. Based on the obtained D_r values, the downer reactor is found to be a good gas-solids contacting reactor having good radial gas mixing.     

下行气固两相流与管内壁间的摩擦压降

在较宽的操作条件范围内系统测试了下行床床层压力降，获得气固两相流与管内壁间的摩擦压降，提出了下行气固两相流与管壁间摩擦压降的计算模型。结果表明，在下行床的充分发展段，气固两相流与管壁间的摩擦导致表观颗粒浓度显著小于真实颗粒浓度；当表观气速大于8 m·s^-1时，气固两相流与管壁间的摩擦压降接近甚至超过气固两相流重力产生的静压降。在采用压差法测试下行床中的平均颗粒浓度时，如忽略气固两相流与管壁间的摩擦，则可能导致显著的偏差。下行气固两相流与管内壁间的摩擦压降主要来自于颗粒与管壁间的摩擦。颗粒直径对气固两相流与管壁间摩擦压降的影响随着操作气速的提高逐渐减弱。采用提出的摩擦压降模型对表观颗粒浓度进行修正后，预测值与实验值吻合较好。     

LOCAL HYDRODYNAMICS IN AN EXTERNAL LOOP AIRLIFT SLURRY REACTOR WITH AND WITHOUT A RESISTANCE-REGULATING ELEMENT

The hydrodynamic behavior of an external loop airlift slurry reactor (ALSR) with and without a resistance-regulating element was studied with a fiber optic probe and ultrasound Doppler velocimetry. The influences of the superficial gas velocity and solid holdup on the global gas holdup and radial profiles of the suspension circulation velocity in the downer and of gas holdup, bubble size, and bubble rise velocity in the riser were studied. Local measurements allow a better understanding of the flow behavior in the reactor and can be used for CFD modeling and validation. Experimental results show that the resistance-regulating element increases the gas holdup and decreases the suspension circulation velocity, indicating that an optimum design of the flow resistance is needed to obtain the maximum gas-liquid volumetric mass transfer coefficient for a specific superficial gas velocity. A high superficial gas velocity and low solid holdup are favorable for increased uniformity of the radial profile of the gas holdup and bubble rise velocity. Hydrodynamic models that predict the gas holdup and suspension circulation velocity were developed for an ALSR with and without a resistance-regulating element. Good agreement was obtained between measured and predicted values.     

LOCAL HYDRODYNAMICS IN AN EXTERNAL LOOP AIRLIFT SLURRY REACTOR WITH AND WITHOUT A RESISTANCE-REGULATING ELEMENT

The hydrodynamic behavior of an external loop airlift slurry reactor (ALSR) with and without a resistance-regulating element was studied with a fiber optic probe and ultrasound Doppler velocimetry. The influences of the superficial gas velocity and solid holdup on the global gas holdup and radial profiles of the suspension circulation velocity in the downer and of gas holdup, bubble size, and bubble rise velocity in the riser were studied. Local measurements allow a better understanding of the flow behavior in the reactor and can be used for CFD modeling and validation. Experimental results show that the resistance-regulating element increases the gas holdup and decreases the suspension circulation velocity, indicating that an optimum design of the flow resistance is needed to obtain the maximum gas-liquid volumetric mass transfer coefficient for a specific superficial gas velocity. A high superficial gas velocity and low solid holdup are favorable for increased uniformity of the radial profile of the gas holdup and bubble rise velocity. Hydrodynamic models that predict the gas holdup and suspension circulation velocity were developed for an ALSR with and without a resistance-regulating element. Good agreement was obtained between measured and predicted values.     

Catalytic reaction in a circulating fluidized bed downer: Ozone decomposition

Catalytic ozone decomposition reaction was used to study the performance of a 76 mm i.d. and 5.8 m high gas–solid circulating fluidized bed (CFB) downer reactor. Optical fiber probes and an ultraviolet (UV) ozone analyzer were used to obtain comprehensive information about local solids holdup and ozone concentration profiles at different axial and radial positions at superficial gas velocity of 2–5 m/s and solids circulation rates of 50 and 100 kg/m² s. Axial ozone concentration profiles significantly deviated from the plug-flow behavior, with most conversion occurring in the entrance region or flow developing zone of the downer reactor. Strong correlation was observed between the spatial distributions of solids and extent of reaction; higher local solids holdups cause lower ozone concentrations due to higher reaction rates. Radial gradients of the reactant (ozone) concentrations increased in the middle section of the downer, and decreased with increasing superficial gas velocity and solids circulation rate. Contact efficiency, a measure of the interaction between gas and solids indicated high efficiency in the flow developing zone and decreased with height in the fully developed region.     

采用电阻层析成像技术测量三相外环流反应器中相含率的实验研究

结合电阻层析成像技术和差压法,以平均粒径为3 mm的聚氨酯为固相,空气为气相,水为液相,对f90 mm的气升式三相外循环环流反应器中局部相含率及其径向分布进行了研究. 结果表明,在实验范围内,增大固相体积分率不影响气含率在上升管中的分布特征;固含率随着表观气速的增大先增大,当表观气速ug=0.09 m/s时反应器达到充分发展段,固相已充分循环;上升管中气固虚拟相的径向分布呈中心高、边壁低的特征,但并非严格对称,在r/R=0~0.2间出现极大值;下降管中气固虚拟相在径向上分布较为均匀. 本工作证实了两种技术相结合测量气液固三相相含率的可行性.     

气固顺逆重力场流态化特征分析

气固并行顺重力场与逆重力场流动形成了迥然不同的流态化机制 :下行床中 ,局部颗粒的聚集会使局部颗粒及气体速度增大 ,而局部气体速度的增大又会破坏颗粒的聚集 ;提升管中因气固逆重力场流动 ,颗粒的聚集会使局部气体及颗粒速度降低 ,而这种降低又会加重颗粒的聚集。与提升管相比 ,下行床具有气固速度和颗粒含率径向分布均匀和气固停留时间短以及返混小等特点 ,其流型更接近平推流     

Flow behaviors in the downer of a large-scale triple-bed combined circulating fluidized bed system with high solids mass fluxes

The flow behaviors in the downer of a large-scale triple-bed circulating fluidized bed (TBCFB) gasifier cold model, which is composed of a downer (Φ 0.1 m×6.5 m), a bubbling fluidized bed (BFB, 0.75×0.27×3.4 m³), a riser (Φ 0.1 m×16.6 m) and a gas-sealing bed (GSB, Φ 0.158 m×5 m), were investigated. Sand particles with a density of 2600 kg/m³ and an average particle size of 128 μm were used as bed materials. Solids mass fluxes were in the range 113–524 kg/m² s. Average solids holdup in the developed region of the downer increased with increasing solids mass flux. The gas seal between the riser and the downer had a large effect on the solids holdup distribution in the downer. Compared with the solids holdup in the riser, a relatively low solids holdup was formed in the downer even at high solids loadings. A pressure balance model was set up to predict the solids mass flux for this TBCFB system. It was found that the static bed height in the GSB had a great effect on the solids mass flux. The possibilities of achieving a high density solids holdup in a downer were discussed.     

Macroscopic properties of liquid-solid circulating fluidized bed with viscous liquid medium

Experiments were conducted in a liquid-solid circulating fluidized bed to study the effect of liquid viscosity and solids inventory on pressure gradient, critical transitional liquid velocity, onset average solids holdup, axial solids holdup distribution, average solids holdup and solids circulation rate in circulating fluidization regime with riser operated in fixed inventory mode. The results indicate that critical transitional liquid velocity decreases with increase in liquid viscosity. The onset average solids holdup, on the other hand, increases with increase in either auxiliary liquid velocity or solids inventory. The variation of axial solids holdup distribution, average solids holdup and solids circulation rate with liquid viscosity when solid inventory was 0.15 m was dissimilar with either 0.25 m or 0.35 m solid inventory. Correlations were proposed for estimating the average solids holdup and are satisfactorily compared with experimental values.     

The Effect of Solids Inventory and Other Factors on the Axial Solids Holdup Profiles in a Twin‐Riser System

The axial profiles of cross‐sectional average solids holdup profiles were studied in two 10 m long, 76 mm i. d. and 203 mm i. d. risers with the solids circulation rate up to 550 kg/m²s, superficial gas velocities up to 10.0 m/s, and solids inventory up to 410 kg in the 320 mm i. d. storage tank. The shape of the axial profiles of the cross‐sectional average solids holdup changes with solids fluxes. Under high‐flux conditions, the shapes of the profiles are quite different from those under low‐flux conditions. It is clear that solids holdup increases with the increase of solids fluxes. While the superficial gas velocities have no obvious influence on the shape of the axial profiles of the cross‐sectional average solids holdup under given solids flux for both risers, solids holdup decreases with the increase of superficial gas velocity under all solids inventories. The solids inventory and riser diameter have little influence on the shape of the profile, but the solids holdup is higher with larger bed diameter and/or larger solids inventory. Meanwhile, the solids inventory and riser diameter have important influence on the maximum value of operating solids fluxes of the system. The maximum of solids fluxes increases with the increase of solids inventory, and decreases with the increase of riser diameter.     

Flow development in a gas-solids downer fluidized bed

The development of gas and solids flow structure was studied in a 9.5 m high and 0.10 m diameter, gas-solids cocurrent downflow circulating fluidized bed (downer). Local solids concentration and particle velocity were measured using two separate optical fibre probes at different radial positions on several axial levels along the downer. The results show that the flow development is significantly influenced by the operating conditions. For most of the conditions under which the experiments were conducted, the gas-solids flow reaches its fully developed zone within 3 to 8 m away from the entrance. On the other hand, the development zone can extend as long as the downer itself, under certain conditions. When the solids circulation rate is over 100 kg/m²s, an increasing solids circulation rate largely extends the length of radial flow development. It is found that the flow developments in the core and at the wall are not quite simultaneous. For solids concentration, the core develops more quickly at low gas velocities and the wall region develops faster at high gas velocities. For particle velocity, higher gas velocity speeds up the development of the wall region but does not significantly affect the development of the core region. The wall region is much more sensitive to the change of superficial gas velocity than the core region. At high superficial gas velocities (> 7 m/s), a “semi-dead” region is observed in the fully developed zone adjacent to the wall where the dilute solids are moving at a very low velocity.     

Phase distributions in a gas–liquid–solid circulating fluidized bed riser

The distributions of the three phases in gas–liquid–solid circulating fluidized beds (GLSCFB) were studied using a novel measurement technique that combines electrical resistance tomography (ERT) and optical fibre probe. The introduction of gas into a liquid–solid circulating fluidized bed (LSCFB), thus forming a GLSCFB, caused the increase of solids holdup due to the significantly decreased available buoyancy with the lower density of the gas, even with a somewhat increased liquid velocity due to the decreased liquid holdup giving space for the gas holdup. The gas passed through the riser in the form of bubbles, which tended to flow more through the central region of the riser, leading to more radial non‐uniformity in radial holdup of the phases. The gas velocity has the most significant effect on the gas phase holdup. While the gas velocity also has an obvious effect to the solids holdups, the liquid flow rate had a much more considerable effect on the phase holdups. The solids circulation rate also had a significant effect on the phase holdups, with increasing solids circulation rate causing much more increased solids holdup in the central region than close to the wall. A correlation was developed for the relative radial distributions of solids holdup in GLSCFB, as such radial profiles were found similar over a wide range of operating conditions, like those in a typical gas–solid circulating fluidized beds (GSCFB). Finally, the axial solids profiles in a GLSCFB was found to be much closer to those in an LSCFB which are very uniform, than those found in a GSCFB which are less uniform and sometime having a S shape. Water was used as the continuous and conductive phase, air was the gas phase and glass bead and lava rock particles were used as the solid and non‐conductive phase.     

三重环流生物流化床的流体力学与传质特性

从气相含率,液体循环速度和体积氧传质系数方面研究自行设计新型结构的三重环流生物流化床的流体力学与传质特性。流化床反应器的有效体积２３Ｌ,实验条件是以空气为气相,水为液相,树脂为固相,固含率分别为０％,３％,６％和９％。实验结果表明,气相含率是影响反应器流体力学和传质特性的主要因素,气相含率增大可降低液体循环速度,增大体积氧传质系数。     

Hydrodynamics of an annulus airlift reactor

The hydrodynamics of an annulus airlift reactor (AALR) was studied and compared with that of a slurry bubble column reactor (SBCR) with silica sands of 75-125 μm in size as solids, city tapping water as liquid phase, and air as gas phase in the present investigation. The effects of superficial gas velocity and solids concentration on gas holdup and solids distributions were investigated. The results showed that the local average gas holdup decreased along the column height, and the average gas holdup decreased with the increasing solids concentration, but this tendency became less at higher solids concentrations. It was found that the effect of superficial gas velocity on axial solids distribution was negligible over the gas velocity range investigated, as long as the solids in the column could be suspended. Increasing solids concentration led to flatter axial solids holdup profiles. The axial distributions of solids concentration and gas holdup in the AALR were much more uniform than those in the SBCR, and slurry circulation in the AALR damped the effects of increasing solids concentration on the hydrodynamics. These advantages of an AALR over a SBCR are especially important for some catalytic reaction processes in three-phase systems such as Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and methanol synthesis.     

浆态床内固含率轴向分布的数值模拟

采用DBS曳力模型计算气液相间作用,分别采用Gidaspow曳力模型、经Brucato修正的Gidaspow曳力模型和Schiller?Naumann曳力模型计算液固相间作用,忽略气固间的直接作用,对比了浆态床内不同颗粒粒径体系轴向固含率的模拟和实验结果. 结果表明,不同液固相间曳力模型对气含率的预测影响不大;在颗粒粒径较大(140 ?m)的体系中,较低表观气速下气液DBS与液固Schiller?Naumann曳力模型组合模拟的固含率随床高度增加而减小,与实验结果吻合,而其它曳力模型组合的模拟结果较差,轴向分布较均匀;在颗粒粒径较小(35 ?m)的体系中,几种曳力模型组合的模拟结果均与实验结果吻合较好,轴向分布较均匀.     

A preliminary study into the local solids fluxes in a downer reactor

A non-isokinetic sampling method was used to study the effects of gas velocity, solids circulation rate and axial and radial positions on the local solids flux in a gas–solids downer fluidized bed. The radial profiles of solids flux are highly dependent on the axial position. The local solids flux is also dependent on the overall solids circulation rate but not dependent on the gas velocity. The solids flux profiles in the downer were also found to be quite different from those reported in the riser.     

Hydrodynamics of a slurry airlift reactor at high solid concentrations

The hydrodynamics of a slurry airlift reactor at high solid concentrations were experimentally studied. The influences of the average solid concentration, superficial gas velocity and particle size on the radial and axial profiles of the solid holdup, average gas holdup and liquid circulation velocity were investigated. The local solid holdup was measured with an electrical conductivity probe. At low solid concentrations or high superficial gas velocities, the radial profile of the solid holdup was uniform. At high solid concentrations, the radial profile of the solid holdup was nonuniform, with higher values near the wall. This radial nonuniformity increased with decreased superficial gas velocity or increased average solid concentration. The axial profile of the cross-sectional average solid holdup was uniform at all conditions in this work, even at high solid concentrations. The average gas holdup and liquid circulation velocity increased with the superficial gas velocity but decreased with the average solid concentration. A mathematical model based on the balance of the transverse lift force and turbulent dispersion force was proposed to predict the radial profile of the solid holdup. Reasonable predictions were obtained from this model with an adjustable model parameter.