Modelling of dense gas-particle flow in a circulating fluidized bed by Distinct Cluster Method (DCM)

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a powerful tool to study the dense gas-solid flow in a circulating fluidized bed. Most of the existing methods focus on the microscopic properties of individual particle. Therefore, the simulation scale is significantly limited by the huge number of individual particles, and so far the numbers of particles in most of the reported simulations are less than 10⁵. The hydrodynamics behaviour of particle clustering in a dense gas-solid two-phase flow has been verified by several experimental results. The Distinct Cluster Method (DCM) was proposed in this paper by studying the macroscopic particle clustering behaviour, and comprehensive models for cluster motion, collision, break-up, and coalescence have been well developed. We model the dense two-phase flow field as gas-rich lean phase and solid-rich cluster phase. The particle cluster is directly treated as one discrete phase. The gas turbulent flow is calculated by Eulerian approach, and the particle behaviour is studied by Lagrangian approach. Using the proposed method, a three-dimension dense gas-particle two-phase flow field in a circulating fluidized bed with square-cross-section, with particle number up to 7.162 × 10⁷ are able to be numerically studied, on which few results have been reported. Details on instantaneous and time-averaged distributions are obtained. Developing process of non-uniform particle distribution is visualized. These results are in agreements with experimental observations, which justified the feasibility of using the DCM method to model and simulate dense gas-solid flow in a circulating fluidized bed with large number of particle numbers.     

Large eddy simulation of dense two-phase flows: Comment on DEM-LES study of 3-D bubbling fluidized bed with immersed tubes

In a recent paper, Gui et al. (2008. DEM-LES study of 3-D bubbling fluidized bed with immersed tubes. Chemical Engineering Science 63, 3654–3663) reported the results of numerical simulations of a bubbling fluidized bed containing internal tubes using discrete element model (DEM) coupled to a large eddy simulation (LES). We comment on the correctness of the numerical set-up regarding the use of LES as well as the worthiness of using a turbulence model for the case of dense two-phase flows.     

Demarcation of a new circulating turbulent fluidization regime

Transient flow behaviors in a novel circulating‐turbulent fluidized bed (C‐TFB) were investigated by a multifunctional optical fiber probe, that is capable of simultaneously measuring instantaneous local solids‐volume concentration, velocity and flux in gas‐solid two‐phase suspensions. Microflow behavior distinctions between the gas‐solid suspensions in a turbulent fluidized bed (TFB), conventional circulating fluidized bed (CFB), the bottom region of high‐density circulating fluidized bed (HDCFB), and the newly designed C‐TFB were also intensively studied. The experimental results show that particle‐particle interactions (collisions) dominate the motion of particles in the C‐TFB and TFB, totally different from the interaction mechanism between the gas and solid phases in the conventional CFB and the HDCFB, where the movements of particles are mainly controlled by the gas‐particle interactions (drag forces). In addition, turbulence intensity and frequency in the C‐TFB are significantly greater than those in the TFB at the same superficial gas velocity. As a result, the circulating‐turbulent fluidization is identified as a new flow regime, independent of turbulent fluidization, fast fluidization and dense suspension upflow. The gas‐solid flow in the C‐TFB has its inherent hydrodynamic characteristics, different from those in TFB, CFB and HDCFB reactors. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009     

油页岩循环流化床燃烧室密相区物料颗粒与燃烧特性

在 65t/h油页岩循环流化床锅炉上进行了燃烧室密相区物料特性与燃烧特性的工业试验。得到了极具片状结构特点的油页岩颗粒特性 ,经燃烧破碎磨损后的密相区床料和循环物料的颗粒特性与燃烧特性及相应的锅炉运行参数。试验结果对油页岩循环流化床锅炉的放大设计与运行调节具有一定的参考价值。同时为进一步建立油页岩循环流化床燃烧室密相区的流动、燃烧、传热、磨损、扬析与夹带模型奠定了基础。     

Modeling heterogeneous downward dense gas‐particle flows

A novel approach is proposed to model heterogeneous downward dense gas‐particle flows. The homogeneous behavior of the flow is described by the mass and momentum transport equations of the gas and particulate phases solved using a mono‐dimension finite volume method on staggered grids. The heterogeneous features of the flow are predicted simultaneously using the bubble‐emulsion formalism. The gas compressibility is taken into consideration. The model is supplemented with a new correlation to account for the wall‐particle frictional effects. The predictions are compared with the vertical profiles of pressure and the amount of gas that flows up and down two standpipes and a cyclone dipleg of an industrial fluid catalytic cracking unit and of a cold small‐scale circulating fluidized bed. The trends are well predicted. The model gives further information and is thus an innovative starting point for downward dense gas‐particle flow hydrodynamics investigation. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2010     

空气重介质流化床流化特性及密度梯度分布研究

为实现物料的有效分选,以磁铁矿粉和玻璃微粉为混合加重质,研究了混合加重质的流化特性及空气重介质流化床床层密度梯度分布情况。结果表明:空气重介质流化床形成了均匀稳定的流化状态,当流化气速大于7.10 cm/s后,床层压降基本维持在510 Pa,床层密度基本不变,为1.71~1.74 g/cm3。当流化气速为7.95 cm/s时,流化床内气泡直径为15~25 mm,且分布均匀,流化床各层平均密度从上至下依次为1.72、1.74、1.74、1.74、1.73 g/cm3。流化床上部区域,超微细玻璃微粉被气流带到床层表面,使表面床层密度较小;流化床底部区域,气体分布相对均匀,并未形成大气泡,使该区域流化床床层平均密度偏小;而床层大部分区域床层平均密度均为1.74 g/cm3,比较稳定。因此,当流化气速为7.95 cm/s时,流化床内并未形成明显的分层和分级现象,说明加重质混合比较均匀,为空气重介质流化床分选物料创造良好条件。     

Gas backmixing in the dense region of a circulating fluidized bed

The gas backmixing characteristics in a circulating fluidized bed (0.1 m-IDx5.3-m high) have been determined. The gas backmixing coefficient (D_ba) from the axial dispersion model in a low velocity fluidization region increases with increasing gas velocity. The effect of gas velocity onD _ba in the bubbling bed is more pronounced compared to that in the Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB). In the dense region of a CFB, the two-phase model is proposed to calculate D_bc from the two-phase model and mass transfer coefficient (k) between the crowd phase and dispersed phase. The gas backmixing coefficient and the mass transfer coefficient between the two phases increase with increasing the ratio of average particle to gas velocities (U_p/U_g).     

Comparisons of particle cluster diameter and concentration in circulating fluidized bed riser and downer using computational fluid dynamics simulation

The information of particle cluster dynamics is necessary for improving the performance of a circulating fluidized bed system. The main objective of this study is to compare the particle cluster diameters and concentrations from computational fluid dynamics simulation results between circulating fluidized bed riser and downer. The calculation methodologies are based on the concept of kinetic theory of granular flow and statistics. The mathematical model was verified by using the experimental dataset from literature and used for computing the particle cluster dynamics. In the circulating fluidized bed riser and downer, a dense and dilute core-annulus flow structures were obtained, respectively. The particle cluster in the circulating fluidized bed riser possessed more heterogeneity movements than that in the circulating fluidized bed downer. This can be explained by the system flow direction. About the particle cluster dynamics, the particle cluster diameters and concentrations in the circulating fluidized bed riser were higher than the ones in the downer. The calculated values were comparable to the empirical correlations. This confirms the validity of the calculation methodologies. Particle cluster dynamics and its example application inside circulating fluidized bed riser and downer were also discussed.     

我国燃煤工业锅炉现状及分析

不同类型燃煤工业锅炉具有各自的技术优势及应用范围,为了给用户在项目立项、选择锅炉时提供正确参考,阐述了3种主流燃煤工业锅炉的技术特点、应用现状,并着重针对循环流化床锅炉和现代煤粉工业锅炉,从燃烧组织方式和技术特点两方面进行了系统的技术对比分析。经分析认为,流态化燃烧组织是循环流化床锅炉的技术基础,浓相室燃燃烧组织是现代煤粉工业锅炉的技术基础。依托密相床炉料的巨大热容量,循环流化床锅炉定位于处理高灰劣质燃料;依托低变质高活性清洁煤粉快响应着火喷燃,现代煤粉工业锅炉定位于油(气)锅炉的备份及互换。因此,二者非取舍而是互为补充的关系。     

DSMC-LES方法研究循环流化床内颗粒团聚物的流动特性

采用直接模拟Monte Carlo方法法DSMC）模拟颗粒间的碰撞,采用考虑颗粒脉动流动对气相湍流流动影响的大涡模拟（LES）研究气相湍流.单颗粒运动满足牛顿第二定律,颗粒相和气相相间作用的双向耦合由牛顿第三定律确定.数值模拟垂直管内气固两相上升流动,对管内气相速度和颗粒相速度、浓度以及聚团流动进行分析.研究平均单个颗粒团聚物的存在时间、颗粒团聚物的时间份额和颗粒团聚物的生成频率分布特性,模拟结果与文献的实验结果基本吻合.     

Bubble phase voidage and dense phase voidage in thin two-dimensional fluidized beds

Bubble phase and dense phase voidages have been studied in a series of thin two-dimensional fluidized beds using a light transmission technique. It is proposed to divide the bubble phase voidage into a “visible” and an “invisible” portion with respect to light transmission. The variation of visible bubble phase voidage with bed thickness follows a logarithmic relationship. The analysis is especially relevant for the design of fluidized photoreactors. The effects of flow rate, particle size and bed thickness on bubble phase voidage have been examined. Average dense phase voidage, which varies with flow rate and particle size was found to exceed that at minimum fluidization in many cases. The present results show that variable dense phase porosity found in three-dimensional fluidized beds is also present in flat fluidized photoreactors.     

Development and test of CFD–DEM model for complex geometry: A coupling algorithm for Fluent and DEM

CFD–Discrete Element Method (DEM) model is an effective approach for studying dense gas–solid flow in fluidized beds. In this study, a CFD–DEM model for complex geometries is developed, where DEM code is coupled with ANSYS/Fluent software through its User Defined Function. The Fluent Eulerian multiphase model is employed to couple with DEM, whose secondary phase acts as a ghost phase but just an image copy of DEM field. The proposed procedure preserves phase conservation and ensures the Fluent phase-coupled SIMPLE solver work stable. The model is used to simulate four typical fluidization cases, respectively, a single pulsed jet fluidized bed, fluidized bed with an immersed tube, fluidization regime transition from bubbling to fast, and a simplified two-dimensional circulating fluidized bed loop. The simulation results are satisfactory. The present approach provides an easily implemented and reliable method for CFD–DEM model on complex geometries.     

Modelling of dense and complex granular flow in high shear mixer granulator—A CFD approach

In the aspect of granulation process control, the numerical simulations appear to be a cost-effective and flexible tool to investigate the flow structure of granular materials in mixer granulators of various configurations and operating conditions. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used in this study to model the granular flow in a vertical high shear mixer granulator. The simulation is based on the continuum model of dense-gas kinetic theory [Gidaspow, D., Bezburuah, R., Ding, J., 1992. Hydrodynamics of circulating fluidized beds, kinetic theory approach. In: Fluidization, vol. VII, Proceedings of the 7th Engineering Foundation Conference on Fluidization, Brisbane, Australia, pp. 75-82] with consideration of inter-particle friction force at dense condition [Schaeffer, D.G., 1987. Instability in the evolution equations describing incompressible granular flow. Journal of Differential Equations 66 (1), 19-50]. This study aims to verify this numerical method in modelling dense and complex granular flows, where the solids motion obtained from the simulation is validated against the experimental results of positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) technique [Ng, B.H., Kwan, C.C., Ding, Y.L., Ghadiri, M., Fan, X.F., 2007. Solids motion of calcium carbonate particles in a high shear mixer granulator: a comparison between dry and wet conditions. Powder Technology 177 (1), 1-11]. In general, the Eulerian based continuum model captures the main features of solids motion in high shear mixer granulator including the bed height and dominating flow direction (the tangential velocity). However, the continuum based kinetic-frictional model is not capable of capturing the complex vertical swirl pattern. Quantitative comparison shows over-predictions in the tangential velocity and stiff drops of the tangential velocity at the wall region. These results demonstrate the deficiency in transmitting forces in the bed of granular materials which indicate the necessity to improve the constitutive relations of dense granular materials as a continuum.     

A Novel Model for Predicting the Dense Phase Behavior of 3D Gas‐Solid Fluidized Beds

A novel phenomenological discrete bubble model was developed and tested for prediction of the hydrodynamic behavior of the dense phase of a 3D gas‐solid cylindrical fluidized bed. The mirror image technique was applied to take into account the effects of the bed wall. The simulation results were validated against experimental data reported in the literature that were obtained by positron emission particle tracking. The time‐averaged velocity profiles of particles predicted by the developed model were found to agree well with experimental data. The initial bubble diameter had no significant influence on the time‐averaged circulating pattern of solids in the bed. The model predictions clearly indicate that the developed model can fairly predict the hydrodynamic behavior of the dense phase of 3D gas‐solid cylindrical fluidized beds.     

循环流化床中颗粒聚团特性的模拟

考虑到循环流化床中分散颗粒和颗粒聚团同时存在的多尺度结构,确定了密相和稀相加速度与计算网格局部参数之间的关系,建立了多尺度曳力消耗能量最小的稳定性条件,基于双变量极值理论,构建了考虑颗粒团聚效应的多尺度气固相间曳力模型。结合双流体模型,对循环流化床内气固流动特性以及颗粒聚团特性进行了模拟研究。通过与实验值比较,考虑颗粒聚团影响的计算模型可以更好地贴近实验结果,颗粒聚团直径随颗粒浓度增大呈现先增大后减小的分布趋势,气体和颗粒的加速度在模拟中与重力加速度同处一个数量级,求解过程中不能被忽略。     

Flow regimes and critical velocity in a circulating fluidized bed

A laboratory scale circulating fluidized bed, 50 mm i.d. 4.97 m high, has been operated with different solid inventories in the downcomer. The operating conditions cover a wide range of superficial gas velocities and solid circulation rates. A critical gas velocity U_cr is defined as the gas velocity beyond which the interface between the dense bed and the dilute bed cannot be observed in the circulating fluidized bed at any solid circulation rate. Three different fluidization regimes exist at gas velocities lower than U_cr; they are: the dilute transport bed, the dense bed and the bed with an interface between the bottom dense bed and the upper dilute freeboard. An additional fluidization regime exists at gas velocities greater than U_cr where no interface can be found at any solid circulation rate. U_cr increases with increasing solid inventory. The height of the interface is significantly affected by the solid inventory, and is also greatly affected by the design of the pneumatic valve. The whole bed becomes a dense bed after the interface extends to the exit region of the bed.     

空气射流在密相实料层中的射流特性试验研究

循环流化床(CFB)布风板的风帽结构设计及其布置方式与风帽出口小孔空气射流在密相区的射流特性密切相关.在一可视化冷态试验台上,采用真实CFB锅炉床料,对不同直径的小孔在密相实料层中的空气射流特性进行了试验研究.提出并验证了小孔空气射流在密相实料层中的射程的定义.试验结果表明:小孔空气射流射程随射流初速和小孔直径的增大而...     

埋管流化床颗粒流动行为的数值模拟

提出区域覆盖法,实现了正交结构化网格(DEM网格)与非规则网格(Fluent网格)的快速耦合,通过减少颗粒搜索量的方法,提高计算效率;采用向量法高效、精确定位颗粒在非规则网格内的位置,进而形成基于非规则网格的CFD-DEM数值模拟平台。在宽和高分别为250 mm和800 mm的二维多埋管流化床内对颗粒流动行为进行了数值模拟研究。结果表明:基于区域覆盖法建立的CFD-DEM模型能够模拟具有复杂几何结构流化床内的气固流动行为;多埋管流化床内的颗粒上升流磨损埋管的迎风面,在背风面形成颗粒浓度较低的区域;而颗粒下降流对埋管的影响与上升流的影响相反;多埋管流化床内的颗粒行为可划分为颗粒上升流、颗粒下降流、颗粒循环流和无颗粒区。     

循环流化床锅炉浅床运行技术及大型化分析研究

对小容量循环流化床（CFB）锅炉浅床运行技术进行了分析总结,浅床运行方式适合于燃用褐煤及高挥发分烟煤的CFB锅炉,可降低一次风机压头和风机电耗。对于中等容量CFB锅炉,浅床运行可能会导致密相区结焦及燃烧效率降低等问题,为降低飞灰及底渣可燃物含量,需要维持足够的床层高度或风室压力。对浅床运行模式的大型化问题进行了技术分析。