移动床中内构件对煤热解反应过程调控作用

在外热式内构件（多级折流板和多段集气管）移动床反应器内研究了淖毛湖煤的热解特性,并与常规固定床反应器中煤热解行为进行对比,考察了两反应器内的传热速率以及热解温度对产物分布、热解气组成、焦油组成和品质等影响规律。结果表明：在450℃低温热解时,煤颗粒在内构件移动床内的升温时间比固定床缩短了60%以上,内构件具有显著提高反应器内颗粒间传热速率的作用。随着热解温度的升高,热解气中的C₂H₄/C₂H₆和C₃H₆/C₃H₈的比值变大,挥发分的二次反应程度加大,但裂解程度低于固定床。内构件移动床中的焦油产率随温度的升高先增加后降低,在550℃时达到最高为10.8%（质量分数）,比固定床增高约28.6%。当热解温度越高时,移动床所产焦油中的沥青质组分含量越低,在750℃时焦油中轻质组分质量分数达到85.17%,脂肪烃含量降低到了28.00%。通过与固定床对比,揭示了内构件（多级折流板和集气管）调控淖毛湖煤热解反应并提高热解焦油产率和品质的作用。     

热等离子体煤制乙炔裂解气烃类循环过程分析

针对等离子体煤裂解制乙炔过程, 提出了将过程裂解气中副产的烃类分离, 循环输入等离子体反应器的新型工艺流程。基于新疆天业2 MW示范平台装置的典型运行参数, 采用热力学分析手段, 理论上分析了该工艺流程对于体系乙炔产量、单位质量乙炔煤耗和裂解电耗等的影响。结果表明, 裂解气烃类循环可以有效提高裂解气中乙炔浓度和产率, 同时减少煤粉输送气等流程气体的使用。典型操作条件下, 采用裂解气烃类循环工艺可以增加35.6%的乙炔收率和13.4%的氢气收率, 降低30%的单位乙炔煤耗和裂解电耗, 是高效可行的优化方案。     

内构件固定床反应器中不同水分煤的热解特性

通过在有无内构件(传热板和中心集气管)固定床反应器中研究不同水分含量煤的热解特性,考察了两反应器中煤料的升温特性、热解产物分布、焦油品质以及气体产物组成和半焦热值。结果表明,内构件可以强化传热和调节热解产物在反应器内的流动,相对无内构件反应器,有内构件反应器的反应时间缩短近一半。在有内构件反应器中,当煤水分增加,导致煤热解反应要求的时间延长,焦油中轻质组分(沸点低于360℃)含量明显升高,焦油收率先增加后降低,热解水和热解气产率升高,而无内构件反应器的热解产物无明显差异。当加热温度900℃时,煤水分从0.41%(本文中无特殊说明的均为质量分数) 增加至11.68%,焦油产率从9.21%增长到10.74%;当煤水分增加到15.93%,焦油产量下降到10.26%。两反应器气体平均组成随水分增加的变化趋势相似,气体热值均随水分增加呈下降趋势。     

间热径向流反应器料层厚度对煤热解特性的影响

考察了方形径向流固定床煤热解反应器中变化煤层厚度对料层升温速度及煤热解产物分布特性的影响。随着料层厚度增加,导致煤热解反应要求的时间增长,热解水和气的产率相应增加,焦油和半焦收率逐渐降低,但焦油中轻质组分(沸点低于360℃组分)含量呈升高趋势,半焦和煤气热值稍许降低。如,加热壁温度900℃、从45 mm至105 mm增加煤料层厚度时,焦油产率从7.17%(质量,下同)下降到6.26% (相对干基煤),但焦油中的轻焦油组分含量则从67%升至72.7%,半焦产率由80.0%降至77.0%,热解水和煤气产率分别由6.96%和5.91%增至8.85%和7.90%,煤气热值则由24348.5 kJ·m^-3下降至20649.2 kJ·m^-3。所得半焦的热值径向上由高温侧向低温侧逐渐降低,煤料层越厚、热值降幅越大,而相同煤料层厚度处与加热壁平行的同一轴向平面上的半焦热值基本相同。针对研究的反应器,气相热解产物在反应器内沿径向(横向)由高温料层区向低温料层区流动。在该过程中伴随着热解产物对远离加热壁的低温煤料的传热、热解生成重质组分的冷凝和在煤/半焦颗粒表面的吸附截留,进而在低温料层进一步升高温度时发生二次裂解等物理化学过程。反应器内煤层厚度越大,上述各种伴随的物化作用越显著,从而明显影响煤料层的升温及热解特性。     

Characterization of coals for Lurgi pressure gasification and other moving bed processes: A method for reactivity parameter estimation from bench scale experiments

A method has been developed which yields global reactivity parameters of coals under conditions pertinent to gasification in moving bed reactors, in particular to the Lurgi process. The experimental procedure uses a bench scale pressure apparatus which allows the determination of other coal properties, besides reactivity, significant for gasification in moving bed reactors, like particle disintegration behaviour etc.. Herein, a coal sample of about 2 kg can be exposed subsequently to the conditions in the drying, pyrolysis and gasification zones of the moving bed gasifier. The data analysis procedure for the determination of reactivity parameters comprises a nonlinear fit of carbon gasification rate data by means of a first order kinetic model. As an example, results from a gasification experiment with North Dakota lignite related to the Lurgi process are presented. Pre-exponential factor and activation energy are estimated as global reactivity parameters from the data. They are intended to serve as coal-specific input data for kinetic models of commercial scale gasification reactors, thus widening the range of application of such models in reactor design and optimization.     

Mechanism of coal pyrolysis in relation to industrial practice

The validity of our earlier postulates of the mechanism of primary pyrolysis (at and up to 600 °C) is critically examined and it is indicated that the mechanism is strictly followed only under ideal conditions, e.g. in thin beds at rapid rates of carbonization, as in fluidbed and transport reactors. The departure of the Gray-King assay (600 °C) from the ideal path of pyrolysis, e.g. by yielding 20–30% less tar than the yield corresponding to hydroaromatic carbon content, is shown to be due to interaction between the potential tar-forming constituents and the incipient coke-forming substance. This appears to be a function of the thickness of the coal bed, the rate of heating, etc. The greater the thickness, the greater is the degree of interaction and consequent inhibition of tar formation, resulting in a proportionate increase in coke yield. Coke and tar yields are thus partly interconvertible, and the proportions of such interaction have virtually no effect on the proportion of carbon appearing as gas. In industrial high-temperature carbonization, the higher yields of coke and lower yields of tar are due to the same interaction, which occurs to a greater extent primarily because of the greater thickness and/or depth of the coal bed in coke ovens. The fixation of up to 75% of the ‘tar-forming’ carbon (hydroaromatic carbon according to the theory) does not appear to be due to cracking of tar after its formation, but is shown to be foreshadowed well within the primary stage of pyrolysis (below 600 °C), perhaps through condensation-polymerization reactions within the formative coke mass, the mechanism of which is ill-understood at present. The process appears to be very different from the cracking mechanism hitherto believed to explain it. This conclusion is also supported by a study of the distribution of carbon in the gas. Further, such comparative studies between laboratory and industrial conditions do not indicate any significant cracking of methane, hitherto believed to occur in coke ovens. Correspondingly, the reasons for carbon deposition on the exposed hot walls and other regions of coke ovens are discussed and doubt is thrown on the belief that it derives from the cracking of tar and gas.     

热等离子体裂解煤制乙炔下行反应器的研究进展

从反应器的工艺开发角度探讨了热等离子体裂解煤制乙炔下行反应器的研发进程,分析了热等离子体裂解煤制乙炔的快速连串反应特点,对比了下行及上行两种不同类型反应器对能耗及乙炔收率的影响,评述了下行床传递性能的显著优点,进而从超短接触反应、高乙炔收率与流体动力学角度出发指出了热等离子体下行床的集成工艺是裂解煤制乙炔工艺的合理选择。最后提出了制约该工艺实际连续生产的严重结焦难点与解决的方法。     

A literature survey and an experimental study of coal devolatilization at mild and severe conditions: influences of heating rate, temperature, and reactor type on products yield and composition

Coal devolatilization studies to maximize the yield of condensable products by operating at elevated temperatures and heating rates have been published. The objectives of this study were to investigate the influences of relatively mild operating conditions (e.g. relatively low temperature and pressure) on product quality, by comparing devolatilized products obtained at various temperatures and heating rates. Fixed bed, fluid bed, and entrained flow reactor units were used to obtain pyrolysis products. In addition, literature data on tar yields in various reactor units at a range of temperatures and residence times were surveyed and compared with experimental data. The liquids were characterized by a number of techniques, including field ionization mass spectroscopy (f.i.m.s.), sequential elution solvent chromatography (s.e.s.c.) and elemental analysis. The results demonstrate that the quality and yield of liquids obtained at a rapid heating rate are functions of peak pyrolysis temperature. It was shown that at a rapid heating rate, the yields of heavier polyfunctional groups (i.e. hydrocarbons with greater mean molecular weight) are greater than those obtained in the fixed bed slow heating rate reactor. The liquids generated at a slow heating rate are of lower molecular weight, viscosity, and sulphur content, and of higher H/C atomic ratios compared with the liquids obtained in a rapid heating rate unit. The effect of increasing the maximum pyrolysis temperature (at a constant slow heating rate) was to increase the yield of light gases (mainly H) at the expense of char hydrogen content and char reactivity. The tar yield is not markedly influenced when the peak devolatilization temperature is increased at a relatively slow heating rate. However, the quality (as defined by the H/C (atomic) ratio) of the liquids, and the reactivity (in air) of char, was reduced when the peak pyrolysis temperature was increased. At a rapid heating rate, the primary products, which have many structural characteristics of the parent coal, are devolatilized. The quality of the liquids obtained at a rapid heating rate is, therefore, determined by the devolatilized primary coal fragments evolved at the devolatilization temperature. In a slow heating rate fixed bed unit, however, the primary coal fragments undergo additional cracking reactions which involve stabilization of free radicals by donatable hydrogen. This leads to the formation of low molecular weight hydrocarbons of relatively higher quality. In-situ (both intraparticle or extraparticle) stabilization of reactive coal fragments by donatable hydrogen may lead to a significant improvement in the overall quality of the pyrolysis liquids in a fixed bed system in which time-temperature history is conducive for such reactions.     

Hydrogen production by methane cracking over different coal chars

Hydrogen production by methane cracking over a bed of different coal chars has been studied using a fixed bed reactor system operating at atmospheric pressure and 1123 K. The chars were prepared by pyrolysing four parent coals of different ranks, namely, Jincheng anthracite, Binxian bituminous coal, Xiaolongtan lignite and Shengli lignite, in nitrogen in the same fixed bed reactor operating at different pyrolysis temperatures and times. Hydrogen was the only gas-phase product detected with a GC during methane cracking. Both methane conversion and hydrogen yield decreased with increasing time on stream and pyrolysis temperature. The lower the coal rank, the greater the catalytic effect of the char. While the Shengli lignite char achieved the highest methane conversion and hydrogen yield in methane cracking amongst all chars prepared at pyrolysis temperature of 1173 K for 30 min, a higher catalytic activity was observed for the Xiaolongtan lignite char prepared at 973 K, indicating the importance of the nature of char surfaces. The catalytic activity of the coal chars were reduced by the carbon deposition. The coal chars had legible faces and sharp apertures before being subjected to methane cracking. The surfaces and pores of coal chars were covered with carbon deposits produced by methane cracking as evident in the SEM images. The results of BET surfaces areas of the coal chars revealed that the presence of micropores in the chars was not an exclusive reason for the catalytic effect of the chars in methane cracking.     

Modular Simulation of Fluidized Bed Reactors

Simulation of chemical processes involving nonideal reactors is essential for process design, optimization, control and scale‐up. Various industrial process simulation programs are available for chemical process simulation. Most of these programs are being developed based on the sequential modular approach. They contain only standard ideal reactors but provide no module for nonideal reactors, e.g., fluidized bed reactors. In this study, a new model is developed for the simulation of fluidized bed reactors by sequential modular approach. In the proposed model the bed is divided into several serial sections and the flow of the gas is considered as plug flow through the bubbles and perfectly mixed through the emulsion phase. In order to simulate the performance of these reactors, the hydrodynamic and reaction submodels should be integrated together in the medium and facilities provided by industrial simulators to obtain a simulation model. The performance of the proposed simulation model is tested against the experimental data reported in the literature for various gas‐solid systems and a wide range of superficial gas velocities. It is shown that this model provides acceptable results in predicting the performance of the fluidized bed reactors. The results of this study can easily be used by industrial simulators to enhance their abilities to simulate the fluidized bed reactor properly.     

New Integrated Catalytic Membrane Processes for Enhanced Propylene and Polypropylene Production

Newly reported integrated processes are discussed for aliphatic (paraffin) hydrocarbon dehydrogenation into olefins and subsequent polymerization into polyolefins (e.g., propane to propylene to polypropylene, ethane to ethylene to polyethylene). Catalytic dehydrogenation membrane reactors (permreactors) made by inorganic or metal membranes are employed in conjunction with fluid bed polymerization reactors using coordination catalysts. The catalytic propane dehydrogenation is considered as a sample reaction in order to design an integrated process of enhanced propylene polymerization. Related kinetic experimental data of the propane dehydrogenation in a fixed bed type catalytic reactor is reviewed which indicates the molecular range of the produced C₁-C₃ hydrocarbons. Experimental membrane reactor conversion and yield data are also reviewed. Experimental data were obtained with catalytic membrane reactors using the same catalyst as the non-membrane reactor. Developed models are discussed in terms of the operation of the reactors through computational simulation, by varying key reactor and reaction parameters. The data show that it is effective for catalytic permreactors to provide streams of olefins to successive polymerization reactors for the end production of polyolefins (i.e., polypropylene, polyethylene) in homopolymer or copolymer form. Improved technical, economic, and environmental benefits are discussed from the implementation of these processes.     

Hydrodynamics of a Novel Biomass Autothermal Fast Pyrolysis Reactor: Flow Pattern and Pressure Drop

A novel biomass, autothermal, fast pyrolysis reactor with a draft tube and an internal dipleg dividing the reactor into two interconnected beds is proposed. This internally interconnected fluidized beds (IIFB) reactor is designed to produce high‐quality bio‐oil using catalysts. Meanwhile, the pyrolysis by‐products, i.e., char, coke and non‐condensable gases, are expected to burn in the combustion bed to provide the heat for the pyrolysis. On the other hand, the catalysts can be regenerated simultaneously. In this study, experiments on the hydrodynamics of a cold model IIFB reactor are reported. Geldart group B and D sand particles were used as the bed materials. The effects of spouting and fluidizing gas velocities, particle size, static bed height and the total pressure loss coefficient of the pyrolysis bed exit, on the flow patterns and pressure drops of the two interconnected beds are studied. Six distinct flow patterns, i.e., fixed bed (F), periodic spouted/bubbling bed (PS/B), spouted bed with aeration (SA), spout‐fluidized bed (SF), spout‐fluidized bed with slugging (SFS) and spouted bed with backward jet (SBJ) are identified. The investigations on the pressure drops of the two beds show that both of them are seen to increase at first (mainly in the F flow pattern), then to decrease (mainly in the PS/B and SA flow patterns) and finally to increase again (mainly in the SA and SF flow patterns), with the increase of the spouting gas velocity. It is observed that a larger particle size and lower static bed height lead to lower pressure drops of the two beds.     

Computational fluid dynamics modeling of biomass catalytic fast pyrolysis in bubbling fluidized reactor: Effects of catalyst parameters on process performance

In this study, a computational fluid dynamics mathematical model has been developed for catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) of biomass based on multiphase flow, transfer process, and biomass pyrolysis reactions in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor. The multiphase fluid flow, and the inter-phase momentum and energy transfer processes are modeled with Eulerian multiphase formulas, representing the flows of gases and solids (catalyst and biomass) within the reactor. The biomass CFP reactions are described by using a two-stage, semi-global model. Specified secondary tar catalytic cracking process, which considers both intrinsic reaction rates and mass-transfer process, is embedded to the developed model by user-defined function. The model simulation results of pyrolysis product yield and distribution are compared with the experimental data with close agreement. The model is then employed to investigate the effects of structural properties of catalyst, such as specific internal area, average size of active sites, pore diameter, and tortuosity, on products yields and composition. The tar cracking process by the selected catalyst is proposed and the influences of adsorption capability of tar molecule on catalyst surface and external film mass transfer are also analyzed. The developed model can be solved with short computational time and thus it can be employed for further research and engineering designs of the catalytic pyrolysis of carbonaceous materials.     

下行床反应器内催化裂化过程的CFD模拟

耦合湍流气粒多相流模型和催化裂化集总动力学模型,建立了描述下行床内多相流动和催化裂化过程的反应器数学模型,并利用计算流体力学单元模拟软件CFX4.3对下行床内的催化裂化过程进行了数值模拟及分析.模型能预测出在工业应用中反应器内最受关注的诸多参数,如固含率、相间滑移速度、压降、气固相的加速区以及各组分浓度的分布情况.预测结果表明,气相反应的进行将导致反应器内的气粒流动行为发生较大变化,充分考虑反应与流动行为的耦合十分重要;而反应器床径的增大将导致转化率和各产物收率的下降.     

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.     

半焦基催化剂裂解煤热解产物提高油气品质

利用上段热解下段催化的两段固定床反应器,针对府谷煤研究了半焦和半焦负载Co催化剂对煤热解产物的催化裂解效果。结果表明,半焦和半焦负载钴对热解产物催化裂解后,热解气收率增加,焦油收率降低,但焦油中沸点低于360℃的轻质组分含量提高,轻质焦油收率基本保持不变或略有增加。与煤在600℃直接热解相比,在热解和催化温度均为600℃,采用煤样质量20%的半焦为催化剂时焦油中轻质组分质量含量提高了约25%,轻质组分收率基本不变,热解气体积收率增加了31.2%;在热解温度600℃,催化温度500℃时,采用煤样质量5%的半焦负载钴催化剂,焦油中轻质组分质量收率和含量分别提高了约8.8%和28.8%,热解气体积收率增加了21.5%。煤热解产物的二次催化裂解的总体效果是将焦油中重质组分转化为轻质焦油和热解气。     

基于过程强化与反应调控的煤定向热解制高品质油气产物基础研究及中试验证

对比了现有煤热解制油气技术的特点,从反应工程“三传一反”的角度系统分析和概括了煤热解过程中挥发分在颗粒内生成和释放、颗粒间扩散和反应器中停留等关键步骤中的热量、质量传递和挥发分二次反应对油气品质的影响,揭示了目前碎煤热解制油气技术普遍存在的目标产品产率低、品质差、含尘量高等技术难题的根源,并总结出煤定向热解调控的有效措施,即在挥发分生成和半焦缩聚段采用高温加热和快速传递的传热方式,在挥发分扩散过程中利用半焦床层重整焦油和过滤灰尘,在反应器中设置气体通道导流挥发分的定向溢出。针对研究团队前期开发的内构件移动床定向热解理念,介绍了导热板和集气腔等内构件的作用机制,即通过导热板和中心集气腔等内构件进行传热强化、热解气流动的有序引导,实现热量和挥发分的同向扩散和传递;通过移动床中颗粒的缓慢运动和床层的过滤作用除尘;概述了1~5 kg/次基础实验、反应器结构内传热和流动模拟,100 kg/次模试分析和1000 t/a中试验证的研究结果,充分证实了该技术在同步提高油气质量与品质、降低油中尘含量等方面的优势和对碎煤原料的适用性;基于上述研究形成了内构件定向热解技术及基于该技术的热/电-油-气联产技术。     

Modeling the hydrodynamics in a coupled high-density downer-to-riser reactor

A coupled high-density downer-to-riser (DtoR) reactor is proposed for the controlled reaction pathway in the fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) process with the desired products distribution, e.g., clean gasoline with less olefin content. Hydrodynamics in such a reactor coupling system is studied using a compressive model that considers the pressure balances around all the sub-units in the prototype. The continuity closure condition is used to determine the material balance of the solid particles flowing in the circulating fluidized bed system. The model predictions have good agreement with the experimental data in rather wide operating conditions, e.g., when the solids circulation rate goes to more than 400 kg/m² s. The effects of the solids inventory, the superficial gas velocity, the particle diameter and density, the inside diameter of risers, and the fractional opening of the control valve for the solids flow on the operation of the DtoR system, are investigated and discussed in detail. It is demonstrated that the model offers appropriate guidance for the design and the operation of the coupled circulating fluidized bed system.     

Simulation of an Industrial Pyrolysis Gasoline Hydrogenation Unit

A model is developed based on a two‐stage hydrogenation of pyrolysis gasoline to obtain a C₆–C₈ cut suitable for extraction of aromatics. In order to model the hydrogenation reactors, suitable hydrodynamic and reaction submodels should be solved simultaneously. The first stage hydrogenation takes place in a trickle bed reactor. The reaction rates of different di‐olefines as well as hydrodynamic parameters of the trickle bed (i.e., catalyst wetting efficiency, pressure drop, mass transfer coefficient and liquid hold‐up) have been combined to derive the equations to model this reactor. The second stage hydrogenation takes place in a two compartment fixed bed reactor. Hydrogenation of olefines takes place in the first compartment while sulfur is eliminated from the flow in the second compartment. These reactions occur at relatively higher temperature and pressure compared to the first stage. The key component in this stage is considered to be cyclohexene, of which the hydrogenation was found to be the most difficult of the olefines present in the feed. The Langmuir‐Hinshelwood kinetic expression was adopted for the hydrogenation of cyclohexene and its kinetic parameters were determined experimentally in a micro‐reactor in the presence of the industrial catalyst. The model was solved for the whole process of hydrogenation, including hydro‐desulfurization. The predictions of the model were compared with actual plant data from an industrial scale pyrolysis gasoline hydrogenation unit and satisfactory agreement was found between the model and plant data.     

Suppressing secondary reactions of coal pyrolysis by reducing pressure and mounting internals in fixed-bed reactor

Pyrolysis of Shenmu coal was performed in fixed-bed reactors indirectly heated by reducing operating pressure and mounting internals in the reactor to explore their synergetic effects on coal pyrolysis. Mounting internals particularly designed greatly improved the heat transfer inside coal bed and raised the yield of tar production.Reducing pressure further facilitated the production of tar through its suppression of secondary reactions occurring in the reactor. The absolute increase in tar yield reached 3.33 wt% in comparison with the pyrolysis in the reactor without internals under atmospheric pressure. The obtained tar yield in the reactor with internals under reduced pressure was even higher than the yield of Gray–King assay. Through experiments in a laboratory fixed bed reactor, it was also clarified that the effect of reducing pressure is related to volatile release rate in pyrolysis. It did not obviously vary tar yield at pyrolysis temperatures below 600 °C, while the effect was evident at 650 and 700 °C but became limited again above 800 °C. Under reduced pressure the produced tar contained more aliphatics and phenols but less aromatics.