Effect of ring‐type internals on solids distribution in a dual circulating fluidized bed system—cold flow model study

The redistribution of solids in a counter‐current circulating fluidized bed (CFB) by effect of ring‐type internals was investigated in a downscaled cold‐flow model. The system consists of two interconnected CFB reactors, in which the primary reactor operates like a common riser while the secondary reactor operates in counter‐current. The unit works without circulation rate control devices and the inventory splits inherently between the two reactors by pressure balance and depending on the fluidization velocities. Previous studies showed an increment in the total pressure drop in the secondary reactor as result of the internals installation. With the purpose of obtaining comparable inventory in the secondary reactor with and without rings, a device for adjustment of total inventory was designed and installed. Effects of the aperture ratio, number of rings, fluidization velocity, and particles circulation rate were studied. The results obtained approach a guideline for the detailed design of similar configurations. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 3612–3623, 2013     

A model on chemical looping combustion of methane in a bubbling fluidized-bed process

We developed a mathematical model to discuss the performance of chemical looping combustion (CLC) of methane in continuous bubbling fluidized-beds. The model considers the particle population balance, oxidation and reduction rate of particles in fluidized beds. It also considers utilization efficiency of oxygen carrier (OC) particles, residence time of particles in each reactor, and particle size in reaction rate. The model was applied for a bubbling coreannulus fluidized-bed process. The core bed was the fuel reactor (0.08 m-i.d., 2.1 m-height) and the annulus bed was the air reactor (0.089 m-i.d., 0.15 m-o.d., 1.6 m-height). The process employed a type of Ni-based OC particles. The present model agrees reasonably well with the combustion efficiency measured in the process. Simulation was performed to investigate the effects of some variables for the process. The present model revealed that the range of circulation rate of OC particles for achieving complete combustion determined the operating range of the CLC system. The minimum circulation rate of OC particles for complete combustion decreased in the considered operating range as temperature or bed mass increased in the fuel reactor. A large mass of the fuel bed was necessary to obtain complete combustion at low fuel reactor temperature. The fresh feed rate of OC particles for steady state operation increased in complete combustion condition as temperature or static bed height or gas velocity increased.     

A novel dual circulating fluidized bed system for chemical looping processes

A fluidized bed system combining two circulating fluidized bed reactors is proposed and investigated for chemical looping combustion. Direct hydraulic communication of the two circulating fluidized bed reactors via a fluidized loop seal allows for high rates of global solids circulation and results in a stable solids distribution in the system. A 120 kW fuel power bench scale unit was designed, built, and operated. Experimental results are presented for natural gas as fuel using a nickel‐based oxygen carrier. No carbon was lost to the air reactor under any conditions operated. It is shown from fuel power variations that a turbulent/fast fluidized bed regime in the fuel reactor is advantageous. Despite the relatively low riser heights (air reactor: 4.1 m, fuel reactor: 3.0 m), high CH₄ conversion and CO₂ yield of up to 98% and 94%, respectively, can be reported for the material tested. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009     

Hydrodynamic simulation of fuel-reactor in chemical looping combustion process

A multiphase CFD-based model with gas-solid hydrodynamics and chemical reactions is used to model flow behavior of gas and particles in the fuel reactor of chemical looping combustion process. The granular kinetic theory model is used to model the interaction of particle collisions. The friction stress of particles is considered to account for strain rate fluctuations and slow relaxation of the assembly to the yield surface. The reaction kinetics model of the fuel reactor is presented. The instantaneous mass fractions of both reactant and products are predicted, and the time averaged distributions are calculated in the fuel reactor. Simulated fuel reactor flows reveal a high weight fraction of unburned methane fuel in the flue gas along with CO₂ and H₂O. This behavior implies high fuel loss at the exit of the reactor and indicates the necessity to increase the residence time and improve mixing in the fuel reactor using circulating fluidized bed technology.     

Modeling of a 120 kW chemical looping combustion reactor system using a Ni-based oxygen carrier

A modeling tool for the investigation of chemical looping combustion (CLC) in a dual circulating fluidized bed (DCFB) reactor system is introduced. CLC is a novel combustion process with inherent CO₂ separation, consisting of two fluidized bed reactors, an air reactor (AR) and a fuel reactor (FR). A solid oxygen carrier (OC) that circulates between the reactors, transports the necessary oxygen for the combustion. In the DCFB concept both AR and FR are designed as circulating fluidized beds (CFBs). Each CFB is modeled using a very simple structure in which the reacting gas is only in contact with a defined fraction of the well mixed solids. The solids distribution along the height axis is defined by a void fraction profile. Different parameters that characterize the gas-solids contact are merged into only one parameter: the fraction of solids exposed to the gas passing in plug flow (φ_s,core). Using this model, the performance of the 120 kW DCFB chemical looping combustor at Vienna University of Technology is investigated. This pilot rig is designed for a Ni-based OC and natural gas as fuel. The influence of the reactor temperatures, solids circulation rate, air/fuel ratio and fuel power are determined. Furthermore, it is shown that with the applied kinetics data, the OC is only fully oxidized in the AR when the AR solids inventory is much larger than the FR solids inventory or when both reactors are very large. To compare different reactor systems, the effect of the solids distribution between AR and FR is studied and both gas and solids conversions are reported.     

气固流化床中声发射和流动模式关系

颗粒在气固流化床壁面区域（或局部空间区域）碰撞产生的声波能量反映了颗粒的碰撞速度和频率（活跃程度）,从中可以揭示流化床内颗粒的流动混合模式。通过在φ150mm流化床冷模装置中,对聚乙烯颗粒－空气体系进行流态化实验,运用声发射技术测得声能量沿气固流化床的轴向分布,继而获得了颗粒的流动模式,并发现其与颗粒粒径、表观气速和分布板形式密切相关。对于颗粒粒径为460 μm的聚乙烯颗粒,当表观气速在0.3～0.7 m·s^-1内,其对应的流动模式为带有滞留区的双循环流动模式。如果气速增大到0.8 m·s^-1以上时,流动模式将转化为无滞留区的单循环流动模式。而当颗粒平均粒径降为365μm,对应的双循环流动模式蜕化为单循环模式,壁面不存在滞留区。进一步发现,滞留区位置与静床高无关。研究同时发现,颗粒的流动模式和分布板形式密切相关,对于在多孔平板分布板下为单循环流动模式的小粒径颗粒,在锥帽式分布板下,则在稍高气速时表现为双循环流动模式。     

Fluidization behavior in a circulating slugging fluidized bed reactor. Part I: Residence time and residence time distribution of polyethylene solids

Square nosed slugging fluidization behavior in a circulating fluidized bed riser using a polyethylene powder with a very wide particle size distribution was studied. In square nosed slugging fluidization the extent of mixing of particles of different size depends on the riser diameter, gas velocity, hold up and solids flux in the riser. Depending on the operating conditions the particle residence time distribution of a riser in the slugging fluidization regime can vary from that of a plug flow reactor to that of a well-mixed system.Higher gas velocities cause shorter particle residence times because of a significant decrease in the hold-up of particles in the riser at higher gas velocities. A higher solids flux also shortens the average residence time. Both influences have been quantified for a given polyethylene-air system.Residence time and residence time distribution were determined for different particle size and the influence of gas velocity, solids flux, hold up and riser diameter was studied. When comparing data from segregation and residence time experiments it is clear that segregation data can predict the spread in residence time as a function of overall residence time, particle size and gas velocity. The differential velocity between small and large particles found in the segregation experiments can predict the spread in residence time as found in the residence time distribution experiments with a powder with a broad particle size distribution. Raining of particles through the slugs was studied as a function of plug length, gas velocity and pulse length. It was found that raining is not the determining mechanism for segregation of particles.     

A Two‐Compartment Fluidized Bed Reactor for CO2 Capture by Chemical‐Looping Combustion

Chemical‐looping combustion (CLC) is a combustion method for a gaseous fuel with inherent separation of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. A CLC system consists of two reactors, an air reactor and a fuel reactor, and an oxygen carrier circulating between the two reactors. The oxygen carrier transfers the oxygen from the air to the fuel. The flue gas from the fuel reactor consists of carbon dioxide and water, while the flue gas from the air reactor is nitrogen from the air. A two‐compartment fluidized bed CLC system was designed and tested using a flow model in order to find critical design parameters. Gas velocities and slot design were varied, and the solids circulation rate and gas leakage between the reactors were measured. The solids circulation rate was found to be sufficient. The gas leakage was somewhat high but could be reduced by altering the slot design. Finally, a hot laboratory CLC system is presented with an advanced design for the slot and also with the possibility for inert gas addition into the downcomer for solids flow increase.     

Drying Kinetics in the Riser of Circulating Fluidized Bed with Internals

Solid particles were dried in the riser of circulating fluidized bed with internals to study the drying kinetics. Experiments were conducted in a circulating fluidized bed, having perforated plates as internals covering wide range in the operating parameters. The effects of various operating parameters, i.e., initial moisture content, temperature, and flow rate, of the heating medium and solid circulation rate on the rate of drying have been critically examined. It has been observed from the present investigation that the presence of internals enhances the solids holdup in the riser of circulating fluidized bed. The drying efficiency of a circulating fluidized bed with internals has been compared with the drying performance of a circulating fluidized bed without internals under the same operating conditions.     

Drying Kinetics in the Riser of Circulating Fluidized Bed with Internals

Solid particles were dried in the riser of circulating fluidized bed with internals to study the drying kinetics. Experiments were conducted in a circulating fluidized bed, having perforated plates as internals covering wide range in the operating parameters. The effects of various operating parameters, i.e., initial moisture content, temperature, and flow rate, of the heating medium and solid circulation rate on the rate of drying have been critically examined. It has been observed from the present investigation that the presence of internals enhances the solids holdup in the riser of circulating fluidized bed. The drying efficiency of a circulating fluidized bed with internals has been compared with the drying performance of a circulating fluidized bed without internals under the same operating conditions.     

颗粒相壁面条件对非球形颗粒流动影响的数值模拟

采用双流体模型对设置竖直隔板的气固密相流化床中非球形颗粒的运动进行了模拟,颗粒形状的影响由相间曳力模型考虑,重点考察壁面处颗粒边界条件的影响。同时进行了实验室规模三维流化床的流化实验,以验证模型的有效性。通过压降轴向分布、颗粒浓度径向分布以及物料出口处颗粒质量流率功率谱估计等定量分析,结果表明：对不设置内构件的自由床,壁面反射系数对系统宏观流动特性影响较小,而对壁面处局部颗粒运动影响较大;对壁面面积大幅增加的内构件床,壁面反射系数可显著改变气体和颗粒的运动特征,取值需控制在适当范围内。     

Influence of ring-type internals on axial pressure distribution in circulating fluidized bed

In order to improve non-uniform radial and axial flow structure of a circulating fluidized bed, the influence of ring-type internals on the axial pressure distribution and gas—solids flow structure in a riser of 7.6 cm in diameter and 3 m in height was investigated experimentally. Four different opening areas, 70%, 80%, 90% and 95%, were used and the superficial gas velocity and solids circulation rate were in the ranges of 5 to 10 m/s and 20 to 233 kg/m²·s, respectively. With the presence of internals, the axial pressure gradient distribution shows the formation of a zigzag type profile instead of the regular exponential or S-shape profile and the bottom acceleration region is shortened. The opening ratio of the rings plays an important role in affecting the flow structure. The optimal opening ratio is tightly related to the operating conditions. In the circulation fluidized bed used in this study, 90% open area was found to be most suitable for obtaining a more uniform gas—solids flow structure.     

流动方向对循环流化床中颗粒混合行为的影响

对循环流化床提升管及下行床两种不同气固流动方式对颗粒混合行为的影响进行了较为深入的对比分析，发现在影响循环流化床颗粒混合的众多因素（如操作条件、床层直径、颗粒性质及床层内构件等）中，气固流动方向是影响颗粒轴向混合的最主要因素．当气固流动为顺重力场时（下行床），颗粒的轴向混合很小，流型接近平推流；当气固流动为逆重力场的提升管时，轴向颗粒混合将成倍增大，颗粒流动远离平推流流动．分析表明，下行床中颗粒混合仅为单一的弥散颗粒扩散，而提升管中则存在着两种颗粒混合机制：弥散颗粒扩散及颗粒团扩散．弥散颗粒的扩散基本以平推流的形式通过循环流化床，提升管中大量的颗粒轴向返混归因于颗粒团的严重返混并由此形成了提升管中颗粒停留时间的双峰分布．     

内置螺旋挡板流化床颗粒停留时间分布

采用脉冲示踪法在内置螺旋挡板冷态鼓泡流化床上研究了螺旋挡板、加料速率、流化风速、颗粒粒径和床料高度对颗粒在流化床内停留时间分布的影响. 结果表明,颗粒停留时间的无量纲方差从无螺旋挡板时的0.558减小到有螺旋挡板时的0.085,螺旋挡板可有效抑制颗粒返混,增大颗粒运动的平推流趋势;加料速率增大为约2倍时,停留时间减小为约50%,流动更趋向于平推流;床料高度增加,颗粒返混加剧,颗粒平均停留时间及无量纲方差均增大,颗粒运动向全混流靠近;随流化风速增大,颗粒平均停留时间变长;实验范围内,颗粒粒径对颗粒停留时间分布影响不大.     

Studies on solid mean residence time in a three-stage gas-solid fluidized bed with downcomer

Fluidized bed reactors behave as a continuously stirred tank reactor having wide residence time of solids, which is not desirable if a homogeneous product is required. The multi-stage fluidized bed reactors narrow the solids residence time, making it useful for various operations. A three-stage fluidized reactor was designed, fabricated and operated under stable operating condition to investigate the mean particle residence time in the system. The materials taken for the study were lime and sand. In the particle residence time experiments, the results revealed that at a particular solids velocity, mean residence time decreased with increase in gas velocity and increased with decrease in gas velocity. Based on the data, a correlation has been presented for predicting mean residence time.     

Multiphase CFD-based models for chemical looping combustion process: Fuel reactor modeling

Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is a flameless two-step fuel combustion that produces a pure CO₂ stream, ready for compression and sequestration. The process is composed of two interconnected fluidized bed reactors. The air reactor which is a conventional circulating fluidized bed and the fuel reactor which is a bubbling fluidized bed. The basic principle is to avoid the direct contact of air and fuel during the combustion by introducing a highly-reactive metal particle, referred to as oxygen carrier, to transport oxygen from the air to the fuel. In the process, the products from combustion are kept separated from the rest of the flue gases namely nitrogen and excess oxygen. This process eliminates the energy intensive step to separate the CO₂ from nitrogen-rich flue gas that reduce the thermal efficiency.Fundamental knowledge of multiphase reactive fluid dynamic behavior of the gas-solid flow is essential for the optimization and operation of a chemical looping combustor.Our recent thorough literature review shows that multiphase CFD-based models have not been adapted to chemical looping combustion processes in the open literature. In this study, we have developed the reaction kinetics model of the fuel reactor and implemented the kinetic model into a multiphase hydrodynamic model, MFIX, developed earlier at the National Energy Technology Laboratory. Simulated fuel reactor flows revealed high weight fraction of unburned methane fuel in the flue gas along with CO₂ and H₂O. This behavior implies high fuel loss at the exit of the reactor and indicates the necessity to increase the residence time, say by decreasing the fuel flow rate, or to recirculate the unburned methane after condensing and removing CO₂.     

连续进出料鼓泡流化床颗粒停留时间分布

针对双流化床气化或双床热解气化工艺中鼓泡床反应器的设计,采用脉冲法研究了Geldart B类固体颗粒在连续颗粒进料和出料的矩形流化床内的停留时间分布(RTD),考察了气速、床料高度、粒径、物料流率等操作参数对RTD的影响. 结果表明,物料流率、床料高度、粒径是影响颗粒RTD的主要因素,而气速则是次要因素. 随物料流率和粒径增加,鼓泡床内颗粒流动向平推流靠近;随床料高度增加,物料在床内的混合更加充分,颗粒流动向全混流靠近. 根据实验结果,推荐采用比理想平推流时间低9%~18%计算平均颗粒停留时间.     

Computer Simulation of the Performance of a Downer‐Regenerator CFB for the Partial Oxidation of n‐Butane to Maleic Anhydride

A reactor model for a downer‐regenerator circulating fluidized‐bed (CFB) during the partial oxidation of n‐butane to maleic anhydride is presented. Upflow reactors (risers) suffer from severe solids back mixing and gas‐solids‐separation, in comparison down flow reactors exhibit a more uniform gas‐solids flow and reduced backmixing, resulting in narrower residence time distributions. Due to the sensitivity of the VPO catalyst to over‐reduction, downer reactors present an interesting alternative to riser reactors. The reactor models for the downer and the regenerator fluidized‐bed are coupled with reduction and oxidation kinetics for the catalyst, respectively. The influence of the solids residence time distributions for the combined system of both reactors on the oxidation state of the catalyst is explored by a novel newly developed oxygen loading distribution. Simulation results suggest the limited solids‐flux in downers restrict the maximum butane concentrations, while the scale‐up is predicted to be uncritical.     

Experimental Simulation on Chemical-looping Combustion of Cold Model

The pressure profiles, gas velocities, solid circulation rate, solids flux, residence time distribution of gas and particles in chemical-looping combustion reactors and gas leakage were studied in a cold flow model unit. And these parameters in both air and fuel reactors were measured in the experimental stage. The experimental results show that gas fluidization velocity in the air reactor is 1.8 m/s, gas fluidization velocity in the fuel reactor 0.5 m/s, and the bed materials inventory of the two reactors between 1.2 to 3.15 kg. The first cold flow model results show that the solid circulation rates are sufficient. The appropriate operating conditions are optimized and the summary of final changes is made the on cold model. The proposed design solutions are currently being verified in a cold flow model simulating the actual reactor (hot) system. This paper presents an overview of the research performed on a cold flow model and highlights the current status of the technology.     

Experimental Simulation on Chemical-looping Combustion of Cold Model（英文）

The pressure profiles, gas velocities, solid circulation rate, solids flux, residence time distribution of gas and particles in chemical-looping combustion reactors and gas leakage were studied in a cold flow model unit. And these parameters in both air and fuel reactors were measured in the experimental stage. The experimental results show that gas fluidization velocity in the air reactor is 1.8 m/s, gas fluidization velocity in the fuel reactor 0.5 m/s, and the bed materials inventory of the two reactors between 1.2 to 3.15 kg. The first cold flow model results show that the solid circulation rates are sufficient. The appropriate operating conditions are optimized and the summary of final changes is made the on cold model. The proposed design solutions are currently being verified in a cold flow model simulating the actual reactor(hot) system. This paper presents an overview of the research performed on a cold flow model and highlights the current status of the technology.