Solids concentration in the fully developed region of circulating fluidized bed downers

To investigate solids concentration in the fully developed region of co-current downward gas-solid flow, actual solids concentrations were measured in a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) downer with 9.3 m in height and 0.1 m in diameter using a fiber optical probe. The results obtained from this work and in the literature show that the average solids concentration in the fully developed region of the CFB downers is not only a function of the corresponding terminal solids concentration, but the operating conditions and particle properties also have influences on the average solids concentration in the fully developed region of the CFB downers. Particle diameter and density affect the solids concentrations differently under different operating conditions. Downer diameters almost have no influence on the solids concentrations. By taking into account the effects of operating conditions, particle properties and downer diameters, an empirical correlation to predict the solids concentrations in the fully developed region of CFB downers is proposed. The predictions of the correlation are in good agreement with the experimental data of this work and in the literature.     

上行气固两相流充分发展段颗粒浓度关联及预测

在高度分别为15.1m和10.5m的两套实验装置上,对快速流态化到稀相气力输送流型下提升管内的轴向压力梯度进行了系统测试,以研究提升管充分发展段内不同颗粒的浓度变化及其与操作参数的关系。实验在其中175组操作条件下展现出明显的充分发展段(>2.8m)。结果表明,表观气速在3~8m?s-1之间变化时,对充分发展段颗粒浓度随终端颗粒浓度的变化关系影响显著,但当表观气速>8m?s?1或<3m?s?1时,其对充分发展段颗粒浓度随终端颗粒浓度线性增加的关系影响极弱;在此基础上提出的预测关联式更明确地反映了操作条件等因素对充分发展段颗粒浓度的定量影响关系,其计算结果与本实验和相关文献的实验数据吻合良好。     

Experimental study on solids concentration distribution in a two-dimensional circulating fluidized bed

The axial and lateral solids holdup profiles in a 2-D circulating fluidized bed (CFB) were measured with an optical fibre probe under a wide range of operating conditions. The CFB is 7.6 m in height and has a 19×114 mm² narrow cross-section riser. The results showed that the operating conditions influence the flow structure significantly and control the flow in the same manner as that in cylindrical risers. The solids had lower concentrations at the riser centre than the near wall region. Compared with data from cylindrical columns, the axial and lateral profiles of solids holdup in 2-D riser had a similar pattern in shape, but were more uniform. The geometry of the riser was found to be an important factor that affects the solids distribution due to differences in terms of the perimeter per unit cross-sectional area and the wall-to-centre distance. To some extent, the two-dimensional and three-dimensional risers are more comparable under fast fluidization conditions. Generally, the solids distributions along the axial and the lateral directions in 2-D riser were dissimilar to those in cylindrical risers, while the main differences have been discussed in the current study.     

循环流化床提升管中颗粒速度的径向分布及其沿轴向的发展

采用5光纤速度探头对f100mm?5.1m循环床提升管8个高度截面上11个径向位置的局部颗粒速度进行了实验测试,并采用径向不均匀指数(RNI)对颗粒速度径向分布的不均匀性及其沿轴向的变化进行了定量描述。研究结果表明:在高气速、高颗粒循环量操作时,操作条件对颗粒上升速度和下降速度的径向分布的影响在加速段和充分发展段呈现出不同的规律;颗粒上升速度和下降速度沿轴向的变化在核心区和边壁区也表现出不同的趋势。当颗粒循环速率大于200 kgm-2s-1时,颗粒的加速段长度大大延长,以至于大于提升管的高度(15.1m)。颗粒速度径向分布的不均匀性沿轴向是逐渐增大的,并且与截面平均颗粒速度存在很强的相关性。     

New closure models for CFD modeling of high-density circulating fluidized beds

Experimental results from a high-density circulating fluidized bed (CFB) riser have been used to develop new closure models for the drag coefficient and the gas-solid mixture viscosity. The models predict a rapid increase in both viscosity and drag associated with the high solids concentrations near the riser wall. These new models have been incorporated into the commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics software FLUENT and the predictions of FLUENT have been compared with experimental data from the literature. With the inclusion of the new closure models, FLUENT was able to predict the radial distribution of solids concentration and solids mass flux found experimentally in three different cold-flow CFB risers operated at solids mass fluxes between 148 kg/m²·s and 455 kg/m²·s and superficial gas velocities between 4.7 and 10 m/s. These conditions lead to average solid concentrations in excess of 10 vol%, which corresponds to high-density CFB operation.     

提升管中气固两相流动行为的相似特性

在15.1 m高循环流化床实验装置上对提升管内的轴向压力梯度、局部颗粒浓度和颗粒速度进行了较系统的实验测试,研究了提升管中气固两相流充分发展段在不同操作条件下流动行为的相似特性.结果表明,在(G_s /ρ_p)^1.2/U^2.0_g相近的操作条件下,上行气固两相流充分发展段的颗粒浓度、下降颗粒时均速度、絮状物颗粒浓度和出现频率在空间的分布特征基本相同.对于同一提升管内的同一气固两相流系统,只要表观气速和颗粒循环速率按(G_s /ρ_p)^1.2/U^2.0_g同步变化,不同操作条件下的上行气固两相流在充分发展段就具有相似的宏观和微观流动行为.     

Radial voidage variation in CFB risers

A new correlation for estimating local voidage in CFB risers is provided based on data obtained in a riser of diameter 76 mm and height 6 m using FCC particles at superficial gas velocities between 4 and 8 m/s and solids circulation fluxes up to 425 kg/m²s. This equation also works well for a wide range of operating conditions and risers of larger size and for other particles. The correlation appears to have broader applicability than previous ones. It is especially useful for estimating the local voidage in the dense zone of CFB risers and CFB risers operating under the dense suspension upflow regime where few experimental data are currently available.     

上行气固两相流充分发展段流动行为的相似特性

在10.5 m高气固循环流化床实验装置上,在对提升管内的轴向压力梯度和局部颗粒浓度进行实验测试的基础上,结合部分文献上的实验数据,研究了上行气固两相流充分发展段在不同操作条件下气固两相流动行为的相似特性.结果表明,所提出的经验相似准则能表征上行气固两相流充分发展段在不同操作条件下流动行为的相似性,并且该经验相似准则独立于实验装置系统.对于同一上行气固两相流系统,只要操作参数按该相似准则同步变化,气固两相流在充分发展段就具有相似的宏观和微观流动行为.     

上行气固两相流充分发展段的颗粒浓度

在Ф100mm× 16m循环床提升管实验装置上测试了134组操作条件下提升管 12个截面位置的平均颗粒浓度 ,其中 113组操作条件下提升管中的气固两相流展现出明确的充分发展段 .结果表明 ,充分发展段的颗粒浓度εs 随颗粒循环量G_s 的增加而增大且具有显著的线性关系 ,ε_s 随表观气速U_g 的增加以幂函数关系减小 .所提出的实验关联式不仅较好地拟合了本文所获得的充分发展段的平均颗粒浓度数据 ,而且诠释了以往有关提升管稀相段出口颗粒浓度预测结果之间的差异 ,更明确地反映了充分发展段颗粒浓度与操作参数之间的定量关系     

气固两相上行流动中颗粒加速行为的研究

根据空气－FCC颗粒在16m高循环床提升管内的压力梯度实验数据,对提高升管颗粒加速区的平衡颗粒浓度、颗粒加速区长度以及操作条件的影响进行了系统的分析研究。颗粒的加速导致了颗粒表观浓度沿提升管轴向的不均匀分布,加速区截面上颗粒表观浓度随操作参数的变化明显不同于充分发展段;颗粒加速区长度受操作条件影响非常著,增加颗粒循环量或减小表观气速,都将延长颗粒加速过程,颗粒表观浓度也随之增加;特别地,当提升管底部有大量颗粒聚集和絮状物形成时,颗粒加速区将显著增长,甚至扩展到整个提升管高度。     

下行气固两相流充分发展段的颗粒浓度

在较宽的操作条件范围内采用光纤颗粒浓度探头测定了下行管(φ100 mm×9.5 m)充分发展段内的真实颗粒浓度,并结合文献上的大量实验数据,系统研究了操作条件、颗粒直径和床层直径对下行气固两相流充分发展段内真实颗粒浓度的影响.结果表明,当操作气速一定时,充分发展段内的颗粒浓度随着颗粒循环速率的增大而线性增加.颗粒直径对下行床充分发展段内颗粒浓度的影响随操作气速的增加而逐渐减弱.床层直径对下行床充分发展段内的颗粒浓度基本上没有影响.所提出的预测关联式能很好地拟合本文及文献上的实验数据.     

Numerical and experimental studies on the flow multiplicity phenomenon for gas-solids two-phase flows in CFB risers

The flow multiplicity phenomenon in circulating fluidized bed (CFB) risers, i.e. under the same superficial gas velocity and solids circulation rate, the CFB risers may sometimes exhibit multiple flow structures, was numerically and experimentally investigated in this study. To investigate the flow multiplicity phenomenon, the experiments of gas-solids two-phase flows in a 2-D CFB riser with different flow profiles at the inlet of the CFB riser were conducted. Specially designed gas inlet distributors with add-ons are used to generate different flow profiles at the inlet of the CFB rise. The CFD model using Eulerian-Eulerian approach with k-ε turbulence model for each phase was employed to numerically analyze the flow multiplicity phenomenon. It is experimentally and numerically proved that for gas-solids two-phase flows, the flow profiles in the fully-developed region are dominated by the flow profiles at the inlet. The solids concentration profile is closely coupled with the velocity profile, and the inlet solids concentration and velocity profiles can largely influence the fully-developed solids concentration and velocity profiles.     

Numerical simulations of gas-solid flow in tapered risers

Hydrodynamic behavior of gas-solid flow in tapered risers was simulated using the two-fluid model based on the kinetic theory of granular flow representing the constitutive relations of the solid phase. Present numerical model was verified by comparing with experimentally measured solid mass fluxes, particle concentrations and velocities in column risers. Computed results showed that the core-annular flow structure existing in the column riser may disappear in the tapered risers. The distributions of particle concentration tend to be more uniform in the tapered riser than that in the column riser under the same operating conditions. The uniform particle distribution can be achieved by changing the inclined angle of the tapered riser under specific operating conditions.     

16m高气固提升管中的压力梯度与流动行为研究

在较宽操作条件范围对16m高提升管中气－固两相流（空气－FCC颗粒）的压力梯度进行了实验测试,进一步揭示了快速流态化和密相气力输送这两种流动形态的动力学特征及其与操作参数的关系。结果表明,在表观气速增大的过程中气固提升管中的轴向压力梯度并非总是不断趋于均匀分布;提升管高度对快速流态化到密相气力输送状态的过渡有重要影响,对于给定的表观气速,提升管高度增加将使过渡点所应的颗粒循环量和床层颗粒浓度都减小。本实验条件下所有过滤点对应的床层颗粒浓度较为一致,平均为0．0104,并由此得到过渡点操作参数Ug与Gs的关联式。本文研究表明,在以往工作基础上进一步研究提升管高度对流动行为的影响极有必要。     

Hydrodynamic modeling of a circulating fluidized bed

Hydrodynamics plays a crucial role in defining the performance of circulating fluidized beds (CFB). The numerical simulation of CFBs is very important in the prediction of its flow behavior. From this point of view, in the present study a dynamic two dimensional model is developed considering the hydrodynamic behavior of CFB. In the modeling, the CFB riser is analyzed in two regions: The bottom zone in turbulent fluidization regime is modeled in detail as two-phase flow which is subdivided into a solid-free bubble phase and a solid-laden emulsion phase. In the upper zone core-annulus solids flow structure is established. Simulation model takes into account the axial and radial distribution of voidage, velocity and pressure drop for gas and solid phase, and solids volume fraction and particle size distribution for solid phase. The model results are compared with and validated against atmospheric cold bed CFB units' experimental data given in the literature for axial and radial distribution of void fraction, solids volume fraction and particle velocity, total pressure drop along the bed height and radial solids flux. Ranges of experimental data used in comparisons are as follows: bed diameter from 0.05-0.418 m, bed height from 5-18 m, mean particle diameter from 67-520 μm, particle density from 1398 to 2620 kg/m³, mass fluxes from 21.3 to 300 kg/m²s and gas superficial velocities from 2.52-9.1 m/s.As a result of sensitivity analysis, the variation in mean particle diameter and superficial velocity, does affect the pressure especially in the core region and it does not affect considerably the pressure in the annulus region. Radial pressure profile is getting flatter in the core region as the mean particle diameter increases. Similar results can be obtained for lower superficial velocities. It has also been found that the contribution to the total pressure drop by gas and solids friction components is negligibly small when compared to the acceleration and solids hydrodynamic head components. At the bottom of the riser, in the core region the acceleration component of the pressure drop in total pressure drop changes from 0.65% to 0.28% from the riser center to the core-annulus interface, respectively; within the annulus region the acceleration component in total pressure drop changes from 0.22% to 0.11% radially from the core-annulus interface to the riser wall. On the other hand, the acceleration component weakens as it moves upwards in the riser decreasing to 1% in both regions at the top of the riser which is an important indicator of the fact that hydrodynamic head of solids is the most important factor in the total pressure drop.     

气固循环床提升管内的局部颗粒浓度及流动发展

采用反射式光纤浓度探头对f100mm×15.1m循环床提升管8个轴向截面上11个径向位置的局部颗粒浓度进行了测量, 分析研究了颗粒浓度径向分布的不均匀性及其沿轴向的发展变化。结果表明:提升管内气固两相流的发展并不同步,而是一个由核心区向边壁区逐渐扩展,并最终达到总体充分发展的过程,该过程主要受边壁区发展过程所控制;相对于核心区,边壁区的发展不仅显著缓慢,而且受操作条件的影响也较显著。实验还发现:在颗粒加速段,无因次颗粒浓度的径向分布不具有相似性,不仅与径向位置有关,而且还与床层截面高度有关。     

Multi‐scale CFD simulation of operating diagram for gas–solid risers

Our recently presented multi‐scale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach has proven to be able to capture the choking phenomena in a circulating fluidized bed (CFB). However, how to transfer this capability to assist industrial operation remains to be explored. To this end, this paper presents further simulation results over the intrinsic flow regime diagram and the operating diagram for gas–solid risers, showing the variation of flow regimes with gas velocity and solids flux as well as riser height. It is confirmed that the choking in CFB risers, characterized by the saturation carrying capacity and the coexistence of both dense and dilute flows, holds clear‐cut definition in hydrodynamics. In physics, both the choking, non‐choking transitions, and the critical point in‐between are intrinsic nature of gas–solid riser flows; they initiate as functions of gas velocity and solids flux. In engineering operation, however, their appearances vary with the riser height used. As a result, the intrinsic flow regime diagram can be defined by the combination of gas velocity and solids flux, although it is hard to obtain in practice owing to the limitation of riser height. The operating diagram of a CFB should be, accordingly, height‐dependent in practice, demanding the riser height as a parameter besides commonly believed gas velocity and solids flux.     

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.     

Mean and fluctuating gas phase velocities inside a circulating fluidized bed

Gas phase velocities is an area in circulating fluidized beds (CFB) that has traditionally received little attention. The dynamics and motion of particles or clusters inside the bed has been the main focus of research. This is because particles dominate the fluid mechanics and heat transfer inside a CFB. However, gas phase motions also effect particle motion. Gas eddies or fluctuations can play an important role in transporting particles to and from the wall. They also help in providing a uniform temperature throughout the bed by promoting mixing. This paper deals with how particles effect the mean and fluctuating gas velocities throughout the cross-section of a riser.Gas velocities were measured inside a cold scale model CFB using a shielded hot wire anemometer. At the centerline, typical mean gas velocities were measured which were approximately twice the superficial gas velocity. These high velocities are likely caused by the negligible net gas upflow in the annulus region. The presence of many dense, downward flowing clusters in the annulus makes this a reasonable assumption.Previous work on gas phase turbulence in two phase flows has typically used either laser measurement techniques in very small diameter risers or in larger risers with very low particle concentration. The general results have shown that smaller particles, on the same order of magnitude as those typically used in CFB and FCC reactors, tend to damp out the gas phase fluctuations. This implies that gas phase motion behaves close to a laminar fashion. This present research measures gas phase fluctuations with typical particle concentrations inside a CFB (∼1-5%). The results indicate that at larger particle concentrations where clusters are formed, the gas phase fluctuations increase dramatically. This suggests that length scales based on cluster size, as opposed to particle size, should be used in estimating the increased levels of gas fluctuations caused by the solid phase. Hence, models which ignore the effect of clusters on the gas or which treat the gas phase as laminar like flow, yield a misleading picture of the flow dynamics inside a CFB riser.     

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.