Slug characteristics of polymer particles in a gas-solid fluidized bed

The slug characteristics (frequency, rising velocity and length) have been determined by analyzing pressure fluctuations in a fluidized bed (0.38 m-I.D.x4.4m-high) of linear-low-density-polyethylene (LLDPE) and polypropylene (PP) particles. The slug characteristics of LLDPE and PP particles have been determined as a function of gas velocity (0.6-1.2 m/s) and the axial height (0.65–1.15 m) from the distributor. The rising velocity and vertical length of slug increase with increasing superficial gas velocity and the axial height of the bed. The slug shape of LLDPE particles is found to be the square-nose whereas that of PP particles is the round-nose. The slug frequency and its length have been correlated in terms of the excess fluidizing velocity, column diameter and bed height based on the data from the present and previous studies.     

Hydrodynamic characteristics of fine particles in the riser and standpipe of a circulating fluidized bed

The hydrodynamic properties in the riser and standpipe. and the cyclone efficiency have been determined in a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) unit consisting of a riser (0.05 m-IDX3.8 m high), a standpipe (0.068 m-IDX2.5 m high) as a primary cyclone/bubbling fluidized bed, and a secondary cyclone. Silica gel powder (mean diameter = 46 μm) was used as the bed material. The effects of gas velocity in the riser and initial solid loading on the solid circulation rate, and the solid holdups in the riser and standpipe have been determined. The effects of gas velocity in the standpipe on the efficiencies of primary and secondary cyclones have been also determined as functions of solid circulation rate and solid entrainment rate. The solid circulation rate increases with increases in the gas velocity in the riser and in the initial solid loading. The efficiencies of primary and secondary cyclones increase with an increase in the gas velocity in the riser. However, the efficiency of primary cyclone decreases and that of secondary cyclone increases slightly, with an increase in the gas velocity in the standpipe.     

Photocatalytic degradation of trichloroethylene over TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/SiO2 in an annulus fluidized bed reactor

The effects of superficial gas velocity (Ug), wavelength and intensity of ultraviolet (UV) light, oxygen and H₂O concentration on the photocatalytic degradation of TCE (Trichloroethylene) over TiO₂/SiO₂ catalyst have been determined in an annulus fluidized bed photoreactor. The key factor in determining the performance of the annulus fluidized bed photoreactor is found to be an optimum superficial gas velocity (Ug) that provides the optimum UV lighttransmit through the proper size of bubbles in the photoreactor. The degradation efficiency of TCE increases with light intensity but decreases with wavelength of the UV light and H₂O concentration in the fluidized bed of TiO₂/silica-gel photocatalyst. The optimum concentration of O₂ for TCE degradation is found to be approximately 10%. The annulus fluidized bed photoreactor is an effective tool for high TCE degradation with efficient utilization of photon energy. This paper is dedicated to Professor Dong Sup Doh on the occasion of his retirement from Korea University.     

Solid concentration and velocity distributions in an annulus turbulent fluidized bed

Solid concentration and particle velocity distributions in the transition section of a?200 mm turbulent fluidized bed (TFB) and a?200 mm annulus turbulent fluidized bed (A-TFB) with a?50 mm central standpipe were mea-sured using a PV6D optical probe. It is concluded that in turbulent regime, the axial distribution of solid concen-tration in A-TFB was similar to that in TFB, but the former had a shorter transition section. The axial solid concentration distribution, probability density, and power spectral distributions revealed that the standpipe hin-dered the turbulence of gas–solid two-phase flow at a low superficial gas velocity. Consequently, the bottom flow of A-TFB approached the bubbling fluidization pattern. By contrast, the standpipe facilitated the turbulence at a high superficial gas velocity, thus making the bottom flow of A-TFB approach the fast fluidization pattern. Both the particle velocity and solid concentration distribution presented a unimodal distribution in A-TFB and TFB. However, the standpipe at a high gas velocity and in the transition or dilute phase section significantly affected the radial distribution of flow parameters, presenting a bimodal distribution with particle concentration higher near the internal and external wal s and in downward flow. Conversely, particle concentration in the middle an-nulus area was lower, and particles flowed upward. This result indicated that the standpipe destroyed the core-annular structure of TFB in the transition and dilute phase sections at a high gas velocity and also improved the particle distribution of TFB. In conclusion, the standpipe improved the fluidization quality and flow homogeneity at high gas velocity and in the transition or dilute phase section, but caused opposite phenomena at low gas ve-locity and in the dense-phase section.     

Coal combustion characteristics in a pressurized fluidized bed

The characteristics of emission and heat transfer coefficient in a pressurized fluidized bed combustor are investigated. The pressure of the combustor is fixed at 6 atm. and the combustion temperatures are set to 850, 900, and 950 °C. The gas velocities are 0.9, 1.1, and 1.3 m/s and the excess air ratios are 5, 10, and 20%. The desulfurization experiment is performed with limestone and dolomite and Ca/S mole ratios are 1,2, and 4. The coal used in the experiment is Cumnock coal from Australia. All experiments are executed at 2 m bed height. In this study, the combustion efficiency is higher than 99.8% through the experiments. The heat transfer coefficient affected by gas velocity, bed temperature and coal feed rate is between 550-800 W/m² °C, which is higher than those of AFBC and CFBC. CO concentration with increasing freeboard temperature decreases from 100 ppm to 20 ppm. NO_x concentration in flue gas is in the range of 5-130 ppm and increases with increasing excess air ratio. N₂O concentration in flue gas decreases from 90 to 10 ppm when the bed temperature increases from 850 to 950 °C.     

Bubble drift velocity from the bed collapse technique in three-phase fluidized beds

Transient behavior of a bed collapsing after cut-off of gas supply into a three-phase fluidized bed was determined in a 0.21 m-diameter half-tube acrylic column having a test section 1.8 m high. The transient behavior of the bed collapse after cut-off of the gas supply to the beds was monitored by a video camera (30 frames/s). A theory was developed to account for the dynamic behavior of the bed collapse after the gas supply shut-off to three-phase fluidized beds. The bubble drift velocity was theoretically calculated by gas and liquid phase holdups at steady state condition. At a liquid velocity of 0.103 m/s and gas velocity of 0–0.023 m/s, bubble size was uniform in the dispersed bubble flow regime. However, as the gas velocity increased above 0.023 m/s, the discrete or coalesced bubble flow regime could be observed. The agreement between the predicted and experimental values is acceptable in the dispersed bubble flow regime, but the agreement becomes poorer with increasing gas velocity.     

Hydrodynamics of a spouted bed with an impermeable draft tube for binary particle systems

A spouted bed with an impermeable draft tube was employed to obtain fundamental data of binary mixtures of glass beads for both the operating conditions and the design factors. These data were compared with those for the coarser particle system only. From this view point, minimum spouting velocity, pressure drop, hold-up of solid particles within a draft tube, upward gas flow rate within the annulus and solids circulation rate were determined by changing the total gas flow rate and mass fraction of finer particles as operating parameters and by changing distance of entrainment zone and draft tube diameter as geometric parameters.     

Photocatalytic oxidation of ethyl alcohol in an annulus fluidized bed reactor

The photocatalytic oxidation of ethyl alcohol vapor in an annulus fluidized bed reactor of 0.06 m I.D. and 1.0 m long was examined. The TiO₂ catalyst employed was prepared by the sol-gel method and was coated on the silica gel powder. The UV lamp was installed at the center of the bed as the light source. The effects of the initial concentration of ethyl alcohol, the power of UV-lamp, the photocatalysts with different preparation methods, and the superficial gas velocity on the reaction rate of ethyl alcohol decomposition were determined. It was found that, at 1.2 U_mf of flow rate, about 80% of ethyl alcohol was decomposed with initial concentration of 10,000 ppmv and the increase of superficial gas velocity reduced the reaction rate significantly.     

Dynamic characteristics of bed collapse in threephase fluidized beds

Transient behavior of the bed collapse after shut-off the gas supply into a three-phase fluidized bed was determined. Experiments were carried out in a 210-mm diameter half-tube acrylic column having a 1.8 m-high test section. The polymer beads (d _p =3.2 mm,ρ _s = 1,280 kg/m³) were fluidized by cocurrent flow of deionized water and air. The transient behavior of the bed collapse after cut-off the gas supply to the bed was monitored by a video camera (30 frames/s). The dense bed surface height was measured from the image of videotape. At lower liquid velocity, the dense bed surface increases with the elapsed time and then reaches a bed height, whereas at higher liquid velocity the dense bed surface increases sharply with the elapsed time, then decreases and reaches the bed height corresponding to the liquid-solid fluidized beds (water-polymer beads).     

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).     

Development of novel two-interconnected fluidized bed system

Two-interconnected fluidized bed systems are widely used in various processes such as Fisher-Tropsch, hot gas desulfurization, CO₂ capture-regeneration with dry sorbent, chemical-looping combustion, sorption-enhanced steam methane reforming, chemical-looping hydrogen generation system, and so on. However, conventional two-interconnected fluidized bed systems are very complex, large, and difficult to operate because most of these systems require a riser and/or pneumatic transport line for solid conveying and loopseals or seal-pots for gas sealing, recirculation of solids to the riser, and maintaining of pressure balance. To solve these problems, a novel two-interconnected fluidized bed system has been developed. This system has two bubbling beds, solid injection nozzles, solid conveying lines, and downcomers. In this study, the effects of operating variables on solid circulation rate and gas leakage between two beds have been investigated in a cold mode two-interconnected fluidized bed system. The solid circulation rate increased as the hole diameter on the injection nozzle, the diameter of the injection nozzle, the solid height above the holes, and the number of holes on the injection nozzle increased. The gas leakage between the beds was negligible. Moreover, long-term operation of continuous solid circulation up to 60 hours was performed to check the feasibility of stable operation. The pressure drop profiles in the system loop were maintained steadily and solid circulation was smooth and stable.     

Phase hold-up and critical fluidization velocity in a three-phase inverse fluidized bed

We studied the hydrodynamic characteristics of a three-phase inverse fluidized bed made of a transparent acrylic column of 0.115 m inner diameter and 2 m heights. Air, water and polyethylene particles were used as the gas, liquid and solid phase, respectively. We used both hydrophobic low density polyethylene (LDPE) and hydrophilic LDPE as solid phase, and distilled water as liquid phase, and filtered air as gas phase. The LDPE was chemically treated by chlorosulfonic acid to change the surface property from hydrophobic to hydrophilic. We tried to solely investigate the effect of the surface hydrophilicity of polymeric particles on the phase holdup and the critical fluidization velocity of three-phase inverse fluidization. Thus, we measured the static pressure and eventually observed critical fluidization velocity. Critical fluidization velocity became smaller in case of using MDPE hydrophobic particles than LDPE hydrophilic particles. This was thought to be due to the retardation of rising bubbles near hydrophobic particles and, subsequently, the increase of gas hold-up.     

Slugging bed height of polyethylene particles in a fluidized bed with an expanded section

Slugging experiments were performed in a fluidized bed of 7 cm ID and 50 cm in height to examine the maximum bed height with an expanded section. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) particles of 0.5 mm were employed as the bed materials. The slugging bed height was linearly increased with the gas velocity in the beds of uniform cross section as well as expanded section with different slope. From the results of this study, it was found that the existing correlation to predict the slugging bed height based on the heavier particles for the uniform cross section area was satisfactorily applied for the lighter particles of HDPE and for the expanded section, a slight modification was made for the particle of HDPE in the slugging bed. Presented at the Int’/Sym. on Int’l Symp. on Chem. Eng. (Cheju, Feb. 8–10, 2001), dedicated to Prof. H. S. Chun on the occasion of his retirement from Korea University.     

Investigations of local pressure drop fluctuation signals in annular type fluidized bed photoreactor by continuous wavelet transform

The wavelet transform is an effective tool for studying the dynamic behavior of fluidized beds in the resolution of time variables. To understand the behavior of photocatalyst under different velocity in an annular type fluidized bed, a new analysis technique (Continuous Wavelet Transform: CWT) is applied. With the time-frequency localization characteristics embedded in wavelets, the time and frequency information of signals can be presented as a visualized scheme. By analysis of various methods for pressure fluctuation signals measured from an annular type fluidized bed, it was found that the dynamic behavior of fluidization in the annulus fluidized bed reactor was easily observed with the aid of wavelet transform.     

Axial gas dispersion in a fluidized bed of polyethylene particles

Gas mixing behavior was investigated in a residence time distribution experiment in a bubbling fluidized bed of 0.07 m ID and 0.80 m high. Linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) particles having a mean diameter of 772 Μm and a particle size range of 200-1,500 Μm were employed as the bed material. The stimulus-response technique with CO₂ as a tracer gas was performed for the RTD study. The effects of gas velocity, aspect ratio (H₀/D) and scale-up on the axial gas dispersion were determined from the unsteady-state dispersion model, and the residence time distributions of gas in the fluidized bed were compared with the ideal reactors. It was found that axial dispersion depends on the gas velocity and aspect ratio of the bed. The dimensionless dispersion coefficient was correlated with Reynolds number and aspect ratio.     

Solid circulation and gas bypassing in an internally circulating fluidized bed with an orifice-type draft Tube

The effects of orifice diameter in the draft tube, particle size, gas velocities and bed height on the circulation rate of solids and gas bypassing between the draft tube and annulus have been determined in an internally circulating fluidized bed (i.d., 0.3 m ; height, 2.5 m) with an orifice-type draft tube. A conical shape gas separator has been employed above the draft tube to facilitate the separation of gases from the two beds. The circulation rate of solids and the quantity of gas bypass from the annulus to draft tube show their minimums when the static bed height is around the bottom of the separator. The circulation rate of solids increases with an increase in orifice diameter in the draft tube. At fixed aeration to the annulus, gas bypassing from the draft tube to annulus sections decreases, whereas reverse gas bypassing from the annulus to the draft tube increases with increasing the inlet gas velocity to the draft tube. The obtained solids circulation rate has been correlated by a relationship developed for the cocurrent flow of gas and solid through the orifice.     

Catalytic coal partial gasification in an atmospheric fluidized bed

The coal partial gasification catalyzed by limestone, sodium carbonate and dolomite was studied using a bench-scale atmospheric fluidized bed in the presence of air and steam at 900 °C. The effects of limestone, sodium carbonate and dolomite on composition, heating value, gas yield of product gas and carbon conversion in the catalytic coal partial gasification have been examined. The experimental results show that the catalysts can effectively improve the gas quality, the heating value and the gas yield of product gas and carbon conversion. The catalytic effect of sodium carbonate is better than that of limestone and dolomite. The increase of limestone loading can enhance the quality of product gas, such as the content of combustible gas, the high heating value and the gas yield, during coal partial gasification. This work was presented at the 6 ^th Korea-China Workshop on Clean Energy Technology held at Busan, Korea, July 4–7, 2006.     

Steam gasification of an australian bituminous coal in a fluidized bed

To produce low calorific value gas, Australian coal has been gasified with air and steam in a fluidized bed reactor (0.1 m-I.Dx1.6 m-high) at atmospheric pressure. The effects of fluidizing gas velocity (2–5 U_f/U_mf), reaction temperature (750–900 °C), air/coal ratio (1.6-3.2), and steam/coal ratio (0.63–1.26) on gas composition, gas yield, gas calorific value of the product gas and carbon conversion have been determined. The calorific value and yield of the product gas, cold gas efficiency, and carbon conversion increase with increasing fluidization gas velocity and reaction temperature. With increasing air/coal ratio, carbon conversion, cold gas efficiency and yield of the product gas increase, but the calorific value of the product gas decreases. When steam/coal ratio is increased, cold gas efficiency, yield and calorific value of the product gas increase, but carbon conversion is little changed. Unburned carbon fraction of cyclone fine decreases with increasing fluidization gas velocity, reaction temperature and air/coal ratio, but is nearly constant with increasing steam/coal ratio. Overall carbon conversion decreases with increasing fluidization velocity and air/ coal ratio, but increases with increasing reaction temperature. The particle entrainment rate increases with increasing fluidization velocity, but decreases with increasing reaction temperature. This paper is dedicated to Professor Dong Sup Doh on the occasion of his retirement from Korea University.     

Solids flow characteristics in loop-seal of a circulating fluidized bed

The hydrodynamics of solids (FCC) recycle in a loop-seal (0.08 m) at the bottom of the downcomer (0.08 m-I.D.x4.0 m-high) in a circulating fluidized bed (0.1 m-I.D.x 5.3 m-high) have been determined. Solid flow rate through the loop-seal increases linearly with increasing aeration rate. At the same aeration rate, the maximum solid flow rate can be obtained at a loop-seal height-to-diameter ratio of 2.5. The effects of solid inventory, solid circulation rate and gas velocity on pressure balance around the CFB have been determined. At a given gas velocity and solid circulation rate, pressure drops across the downcomer and loop-seal increase linearly with increasing solids inventory in the bed. At a constant solid inventory, pressure drops across the riser and the downcomer increase with increasing solid circulation rate but decrease with increasing gas velocity in the riser. The obtained solid flow rate has been correlated with pressure drop across the loop-seal.     

Solid circulation characteristics in an internally circulating fluidized bed with orifice-type draft tube

Effects of superficial gas velocities to a draft tube, to an annulus section and particle size on the solid circulation rate (G,) have been determined in an internally circulating fluidized bed (0.28 m I.D. × 2m high) with an orifice type draft tube. The solid circulation rate from the draft tube to an annulus section increases with increasing gas velocities to the draft tube(U _d ) and annulus section (U_a) and consequent increase in pressure drop across the orifice (ΔP_or). However, the values ofG _s decrease by 7–21% with increasing particle size from 86 to 288 μm. The pressure drop across the orifice increases with increasingU _d andU _a . However, ΔP_or decreases by 5–23% with increasing particle size. To predictG _s in an internally circulating fluidized bed, a correlation is proposed as a function of ΔP_or This paper is dedicated to Professor Dong Sup Doh on the occasion of his retirement Korea University.