Microstructural aspects of the flow behaviour in a liquid—solids circulating fluidized bed

The local instantaneous and time‐average suspension densities were determined in a 76 mm diameter by 3 m tall liquid‐solids circulating fluidized bed riser using a fibre‐optic probe. Attempts were made to qualify the microflow structure through statistical analysis of the local bed voidage fluctuations obtained under different operating conditions for the first time. The results show that local microflow structure is uniform in the axial direction but non‐uniform in the radial direction with more flow fluctuation near the wall than in the core of the column for a given axial position. The standard deviation and intermittency index tend to increase with increasing solids circulating rates. Comparing with the gas—solids CFB, the liquid—solids CFB shows much more homogeneous flow structure in both the axial and radial microscopic flow behaviours. The microflow behaviours in the conventional liquid—solids fluidization, liquid—solids circulating fluidization and dilute‐phase liquid transport regimes are also characterized by examining the probability distribution and the intermittency index of the solids holdup.     

Numerical study of the effect of the gas and solids distributors on the uniformity of the radial solids concentration distribution in CFB risers

The non-uniform radial solids distribution usually has a negative effect on the performance of the circulating fluidized bed (CFB) riser since it may greatly decrease the reactor efficiency and controllability. In order to improve the performance of industrial CFB risers, the numerical study of the effects of the gas distributor and solids distributor at the CFB riser inlet on the uniformity of the radial solids distribution was carried out in this study. Two potential approaches to improve the uniformity of radial solids concentration profile were proposed: (1) the use of the center-sparse side-dense air jets arrangement for the gas distributor and (2) the use of the side-covered arrangement for the solids distributor. The Eulerian-Eulerian computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model with kinetic theory of granular flow was adopted to simulate the gas-solids two-phase flow in a CFB riser with FCC particles. The numerical results show that the patterns of the inlet gas distributor and solids distributor have significant effect on the flow structure in both the entrance region and the fully-developed region in the riser. The gas distributor with center-sparse side-dense air jet arrangement improves the uniformity of the radial solids distribution, while the center-dense side-sparse air jet arrangement steepens the non-uniformity of the solids radial profile. The core-annulus structure can be greatly flattened by applying a side-covered solids distributor, while it can be heavily steepened by employing the center-covered solids distributor.     

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.     

内构件对于高密度提升管流体力学行为的影响

引　言近年发展的高密度提升管反应器 ,由于其较高的颗粒固含量 ,很容易达到很高的反应效率 .同时由于其具有的高气固通量、颗粒的循环操作方式和优良的传热性能 ,使得这一类反应器特别适宜于以中间产物为目的产品、要求高转化率和高选择性的强放热氧化 -还原类反应过程[1,2 ] .但大量实验表明 ,提升管特别是高密度提升管中空隙率、气体和颗粒速度沿径向的分布很不均匀 .这样将造成非常严重的颗粒和气体返混 ,固体颗粒停留时间分布变宽 ,反应程度参差不齐 ,造成反应器的处理能力偏低[1～ 4 ] .许多研究者采用在提升管中加设内构件的方法来改…     

Chaotic characteristics of local voidage fluctuation in a circulating fluidized bed

Local voidage fluctuations have been measured by using an optical transmittance probe at various axial and radial positions in a circulating fluidized bed riser with a 0.1 m i. d. and 10 m height. The chaotic time series analysis of the local voidage fluctuations has been adopted to characterize the nonlinear dynamics of the circulating fluidized bed riser. The variations of the correlation dimension and the Kolmogorov entropy of the voidage fluctuation were found to depend on the local time-average voidage. The axial and radial distributions of the correlation dimension and the Kolmogorov entropy were strongly affected by the solids flow structures (e.g. core-annulus flow) in various operating conditions. The correlation dimension of local voidage fluctuations increases along the riser, except the position near the distributor. Both, the correlation dimension and the Kolmogorov entropy of local voidage fluctuations near the wall, were found to be smaller than those at the center of the riser, independent of the solids circulation rate and the axial position.     

提升管-流化床耦合反应器颗粒约束返混区的流动特性及约束作用分析

针对催化汽油辅助反应器改质降烯烃工艺,在一套提升管-流化床耦合反应器大型冷态实验装置上,系统研究了提升管出口段的颗粒流动特性,通过定义约束指数R_i（R_i为颗粒约束返混区实际截面平均固含率与理论截面平均固含率之比）定量反映提升管出口分布器及流化床层的约束作用。结果表明,与常规提升管相比,耦合反应器提升管出口存在一个颗粒约束返混区,其长度主要受表观气速、颗粒循环强度及上部流化床内颗粒静床高度影响;由于出口设置了倒锥形分布器,使得颗粒约束返混区靠近提升管出口区域在表观气速较低和颗粒循环强度较大时,局部固含率最大值出现在量纲 1半径Φ＝0.7处;颗粒约束返混区的约束指数在靠近出口的过程中逐渐增大,气固流动受到分布器及上部流化床层的约束作用亦逐渐增强。     

Hydrodynamics and Flow Development in a 15.1 m Circulating Fluidized Bed Riser

Hydrodynamics and flow development are studied in a long riser circulating fluidized bed reactor (15.1 m). Optic fiber probes were used for the measurement of local solids distribution. Pressure drops were also measured with pressure transducers along the riser. The flow development in the riser center is almost instant with solids holdup remaining constant and low, and particle velocity remaining high along the riser. The particle flow is firstly developed from center, and then towards the wall. The riser height is an important factor for the design of circulating fluidized bed reactors. Increasing the solid circulating rate significantly slows down the flow development process, while increases in the superficial gas velocity accelerate it.     

Improvement of the Uniformity of Radial Solids Concentration Profiles in Circulating Fluidized‐Bed Risers

In order to enhance the uniformity of the radial solids distribution and thereby the performance of industrial circulating fluidized‐bed (CFB) risers, an approach by using the air jet from the riser circumference is proposed. The Eulerian‐Eulerian computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model with the kinetic theory of granular flow is adopted to simulate the gas‐solids two‐phase flow in a CFB riser with fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) particles. The numerical results indicate that by employing the circumferential air jet approach under appropriate jet velocities, the maximum solids concentration in the near‐wall region can be greatly reduced, the entrance region can be shortened, and the uniformity of the flow structure can be significantly improved.     

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.     

Comparative Study of Flow Structure in Circulating Fluidized Bed Risers with FCC and Sand Particles

The combined influences of particle properties and nozzle gas distributor design on the axial and radial flow structure in two 100 mm i.d., 15.1 m and 10.5 m long risers with FCC and sand particles were investigated by measuring the axial pressure gradient profiles, and the axial and radial profiles of solids concentration. The results show that the nozzle gas distributor design has significant effects on the axial and radial flow structure for the FCC and sand particles. At lower superficial gas velocity of less than 8.0 m/s, the upward gas‐solid flow of the sand particles decelerates in various degrees with the disappearing of the nozzle gas distributor effect. The upward gas‐solid flow of the FCC particles, however, occurs without noticeable deceleration within the range of this study. In the acceleration section, the radial distributions of the local solids concentration of the FCC particles are more uniform than those of sand particles under the same operating conditions; while in the fully developed zone, the sand particles have a more uniform radial distribution than the FCC particles. The gas‐solid flow is first developed in the center region, and then extends towards the wall. The overall flow development in the riser mainly depends on the local gas‐solid flow in the wall region.     

高密度液固循环流化床流动特性研究及数值模拟

在φ80 mm×8000 mm的液固循环流化床提升管中,利用实心玻璃珠和常温水,采用实验和数值模拟相结合的方法对高密度液固循环流化床的流动特性进行了考察。实验发现,高密度液固提升管中,颗粒固含率和颗粒速度径向分布均为抛物线分布,轴向平均固含率分布总体上为下浓上稀的波动形式分布,颗粒在提升管中的流动表现出加速-减速-再加速直至充分发展的过程。这种分布特征与较高颗粒浓度、较高表观液速和颗粒循环速率及喷管式液体分布器的影响有关。液固提升管中固体颗粒的停留时间分布曲线均为尖而窄、较对称且没有明显拖尾的单峰分布,这表明颗粒基本是以弥散颗粒形式存在,颗粒停留时间分布较为均匀。通过将数值模拟结果与实验结果进行比较发现,模拟值与实验值吻合较好,说明所建立的数学模型较为合理,进一步通过数值模拟实验对颗粒密度和颗粒粒径对流动特性的影响规律进行了考察。     

流化床中气固均匀分布的失稳现象

流化床因其均匀且剧烈的气固相互作用保证了其优异的流动和传递性能,因而广泛应用于化学工业中。因此,构建定量计算气固均匀分布的失稳临界点既是重要的学术问题又具有工程意义。本文分别使用气相和固体颗粒相的质量分数表示气固分布状态;引入颗粒床层压力载荷（Φ _T）描述分布器输入的规则负熵和固体颗粒床层自身混沌熵产生之间相互作用;由于密相颗粒床层远离平衡态且具有强非线性耗散项,因此需基于普利高津最小超量熵增原理给出气固密相流在并联系统均布状态的失稳临界点（Φ _Tc）：分布器和固体颗粒床层总熵增在气固均布和气固非均布情况下相等;由于并联系统的对称性,可将N单元路径并联系统气固均布稳定性分析简化为判断单元路径压降二阶导数正负;在此基础上讨论了操作参数、固体颗粒性质和分布器结构参数对气固密相床层均布稳定性的影响。此外,通过气体示踪和压力脉动频谱分析在直径为300mm冷模实验验证了颗粒床层压力载荷（Φ _T）对密相气固均布稳定性的影响;同时应用该方法论计算了工业流化床反应器临界床层高度、临界表观气速以及分布器临界阻力系数,指导了操作工况的调整和分布器结构设计,对比分析了改造前后的反应情况。     

耦合反应器提升管段颗粒速度分布及约束特性

A large-scale cold model experimental setup of a riser-fluidized bed coupled reactor was established according to the olefin reduction technology with an auxiliary reactor for FCC naphtha upgrading.Distributions of particle velocity in the riser section were experimentally investigated in the setup.Furthermore,the restriction index of particle velocity was defined to quantitatively show the restriction effects of the riser outlet lotus-shaped distributor and the upper fluidized bed on the particle flow behavior in the riser.The experimental results showed that the riser could be divided into two regions in the longitudinal direction,i.e.,lower traditional transport region and upper restriction region.In the longitudinal direction,the averaged cross-sectional particle velocity in the traditional transport region increased firstly,and then tended to be smooth,while decreased in the restriction region.With the increase of static bed height in the upper fluidized bed,the local particle velocity decreased,and the tendency of change in the core region is more than that in the wall region.Restriction effects of the lotus-shaped distributor and the upper fluidized bed on particle flow behavior enhanced with the increases of superficial gas velocity,solids flux and static bed height in the upper fluidized bed.In the same cross-section,outlet restriction effects enhanced with the increase of the dimensionless radial position r/R,and would not change when r/R≥0.5.     

回料流入口高度对循环流化床提升管流动特性的影响

The axial pressure drop profile and the radial solids distribution were measured in a circulating fluidized bed for evaluating the effects of return gas-solids stream position on the riser flow properties.The saturation carrying capacity of gas for Geldart B typed particles and the flow mode of return gas-solids stream in the bed were discussed.It was found that arranging the inlet at a higher position of the riser would make the bottom bed leaner when U₀ was high and G_s was low.When G_s increased,the longer influenced region of return particles and a small air-staging through lifting the loosening air injection position made the bottom bed become denser significantly.The deceleration and residence of return particles caused a relatively denser but asymmetrical region in the vicinity of inlet.But much more symmetrical solids distribution profile was found in the upper and lower regions far away from the inlet.The effects of inlet height on the flow properties of the riser with air-staging also were analyzed.The secondary air injection below the solids inlet could not cut off the solids exchange in the bed.The bed solids concentration increased when the particles inlet moved to a higher position of the bed when air-staging was adopted.Using CO₂ as tracer,the dispersion of the loop-seal-fluidizing air for transmitting the return particles was investigated.It was found that the loop-seal fluidizing air dispersion rate was low but can be enhanced by the secondary air injection.     

组合约束型提升管出口气固分布器的压降

在一套组合约束型提升管冷态实验装置上,通过实验研究了不同操作条件下提升管出口气固分布器的压降,并与常规气体分布器压降进行了对比。实验结果表明,在零床层及有床层的操作模式下,气固分布器压降均随提升管内表观气速和颗粒循环强度的增加而增大,在颗粒循环强度较低时,气固分布器压降曲线变化的斜率随着表观气速的增加而增大,在颗粒循环强度较高时,气固分布器压降曲线变化的斜率随着表观气速的增加而减小;随着开孔率及上部流化床层压降增加,气固分布器压降呈降低趋势,当流化床层压降达到一定程度后,分布器各孔方可实现有效布气,此后气固分布器压降趋于近似不变;在相同表观气速及开孔率下,气固分布器压降大于常规气体分布器压降。     

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.     

Cocurrent downflow circulating fluidized bed (downer) reactors — A state of the art review

In the last decade, cocurrent downflow circulating fluidized bed reactors, called “downer” reactors, have been proposed as an alternative to upflow circulating fluidized bed, or “riser”, reactors. In this paper, published results on downer studies are summarized and future directions of research are recommended. Downer reactors are shown to have several distinct advantages over upflow circulating fluidized bed reactors and can potentially be used in many industrial processes, mainly due to a more uniform gas and solids flow structure compared with risers.     

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     

液固提升管-流化床组合反应器中流化床径向固含率分布的实验研究

在一套新型液固提升管-流化床组合反应器中，以水-玻璃珠为液-固体系，对f500 mm′4000 mm的液固流化床反应器内不同高度颗粒固含率的径向分布进行了实验，考察了表观液速和颗粒循环速率操作条件对颗粒固含率径向分布的影响. 实验表明，液固流化床内流动区域在轴向上可以划分为分布器影响区、过渡区和均匀流化区，径向上可以划分为中心区和环隙区. 这种分布特征主要取决于分布器的结构、尺寸及其流化介质. 本工作还对液固流化床与气固喷动床的三区流动结构进行了比较.     

Heat Transfer in the Downer and the Riser of a Circulating Fluidized Bed – A Comparative Study

The characteristics of heat transfer were studied in both a gas‐solids concurrent downflow fluidized bed (downer) and a gas‐solids concurrent upflow fluidized bed (riser) with FCC particles. The radial and axial distribution profiles of the heat transfer coefficient between a suspended surface and the gas‐solids flow suspension were obtained using a miniature heat transfer probe, under different operating conditions. Comprising the results of the heat transfer in the downer and the riser shows that there exists some significant distinction between the heat transfer processes in the two reactors. The characteristics of heat transfer in both cases are closely related to their hydrodynamics and the distinct flow structures determinate the different heat transfer behaviors. The results also indicate that the operating conditions present some different effects in the two beds.