Solids behaviour in a gas-solid two-phase mixture flowing through a packed particle bed

This paper reports the solids behaviour in a dilute gas-solid two-phase mixture flowing through a packed bed. The positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) technique was used in the work, which allowed investigation of three-dimensional solids motion at the single suspended particle level. Processing of the data gave solids velocity, the residence time of suspended particles, bed tortuosity in terms of solids motion, as well as solids occupancy in the cross-section of the packed bed. The results suggest that the wall effect on the motion of suspended particles is limited to approximately one packed particle diameter under the conditions of this work. Both the average axial and radial velocities of suspended particles, normalised by the superficial gas velocity, change periodically with radial position, but the periodicity does not correspond exactly to the packed particle diameter. The peak and trough values of the average axial velocity of the suspended particles in the bulk region are, respectively, ∼25% and ∼15% of the superficial gas velocity under the conditions of this work and the superficial gas velocity shows little effect. The peak and trough values of the average radial velocity of the suspended particles in the bulk region are, respectively, +5% (positive) and -5% (negative) of the superficial gas velocity. The results of the residence time and tortuosity of the suspended particles show an approximately Gaussian distribution with the peak residence time and tortuosity increasing with decreasing superficial gas velocity. The occupancy data suggest that particles spend more time in an annular region close to the wall, indicating a non-uniform particle distribution across the packed bed cross-section.     

不等粒径流化床的软球模拟

基于颗粒轨道模型,提出了粒径分别服从均匀分布与正态分布的软球方法,其中流体运动用Navier-Stokes方程描述,颗粒运动服从牛顿第二定理.模拟了不等粒径流化床中的气泡和节涌现象,并分别研究了表观气速、颗粒刚度系数、粒径分布不同时,固相颗粒的速度分布规律.其研究结果表明：分布板结构和表观气速对气泡行为有一定影响,随表观气速的增加,气泡形成、上升、破裂的速度加快;并且刚度系数越大,颗粒轴向速度随时间衰减越快;宽粒径分布的颗粒轴向速度大于窄粒径分布的颗粒轴向速度.     

Vertical upward flow of gas-solid two-phase mixtures through monolith channels

This paper reports some recent experimental observations of both gas and gas-solid two-phase flows through small monolith channels. For gas flows, the laminar-to-turbulent transition in monolith channels was observed to occur at a Reynolds number of ∼620, much lower than the conventional transition criterion of 2200 for large pipes. Surface roughness of and non-uniform distribution of gas in monolith channels were proposed to be possible reasons. For gas-solid two-phase flows, both pressure drop and solids hold-up were measured. It was found that the pressure drop of gas-solid two-phase flows through monolith channels was significantly lower than that through packed particle beds with even lower surface area per unit bed volume. Reprocessing of the pressure drop data in terms of the dimensionless groups showed that the Euler number depended approximately linearly on the solids-to-gas mass flux ratio for a given superficial gas velocity, and suspended particle size imposed little effect under the conditions of this study. Measurements of the solids hold-up showed that the hold-up in monolith channels increased with a decrease in both the gas velocity and the suspended particle size. The pressure drop results were also compared with semi-theories developed for pneumatic conveying. An overprediction was observed, an indication of the need for more controlled experiments for fundamental understanding of the hydrodynamics in monolith channels.The work reported here on gas-solid two-phase flows through monolith channels represents the first attempt in this area as no previously studies have been found in the literature.     

Hydrodynamics of an annulus airlift reactor

The hydrodynamics of an annulus airlift reactor (AALR) was studied and compared with that of a slurry bubble column reactor (SBCR) with silica sands of 75-125 μm in size as solids, city tapping water as liquid phase, and air as gas phase in the present investigation. The effects of superficial gas velocity and solids concentration on gas holdup and solids distributions were investigated. The results showed that the local average gas holdup decreased along the column height, and the average gas holdup decreased with the increasing solids concentration, but this tendency became less at higher solids concentrations. It was found that the effect of superficial gas velocity on axial solids distribution was negligible over the gas velocity range investigated, as long as the solids in the column could be suspended. Increasing solids concentration led to flatter axial solids holdup profiles. The axial distributions of solids concentration and gas holdup in the AALR were much more uniform than those in the SBCR, and slurry circulation in the AALR damped the effects of increasing solids concentration on the hydrodynamics. These advantages of an AALR over a SBCR are especially important for some catalytic reaction processes in three-phase systems such as Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and methanol synthesis.     

喷动床中气体停留时间分布的研究

In a spouted bed of 80mm in ID and 1700mm in height, the gas residence time distributions at different radial positions in both spout and annular area were measured with five different kinds of particles as spouting material, air as spouting gas, and hydrogen as tracer. The effects of superficial gas velocity, operating pressure, particle size and its category on gas residence time distribution were discussed. It was found that the gas velocity profile in spout was more uniform than that in annulus. It could be concluded that the gas flow in the spout could be treated as a plug-flow, while that in the annulus inhibited a strong non-ideal flow behavior. Increasing the superficial gas velocity and decreasing the operating pressure, the particle density and its size gave rise to spouting disturbance, thus the measured tracer concentrations vs. time curves fluctuated. The variances of residence time distribution curves could be taken as a measure of the gas fluctuation degree.     

不同粒度分布高硫焦颗粒在强混燃烧器内的流动特性

利用一套新型强混燃烧器,对3种不同粒度分布的高硫焦颗粒的流动特性进行了较为详尽的考察. 反应器主要由预混段和提升段组成,两部分结构尺寸分别为f240 mm′3000 mm和f70 mm′9000 mm. 实验操作条件为：提升管表观气速8~18 m/s,颗粒循环速率60~200 kg/(m2×s). 通过对3种不同粒度分布的颗粒在强混燃烧器内颗粒固含率、颗粒速度轴径向分布的测定,发现随掺入细颗粒比例的增加,截面平均颗粒速度降低;在较粗的高硫焦颗粒中适当掺入细粉,可使床层内颗粒固含率增加,返混加剧,停留时间延长,有利于高硫焦的充分燃烧.     

The solids flow in the riser of a Circulating Fluidised Bed (CFB) viewed by Positron Emission Particle Tracking (PEPT)

Circulating Fluidised Beds (CFB) are attracting increasing interest for both gas-solid and gas-catalytic reactions, although the operating modes in these two cases are completely different. In modelling CFBs as reactors, the solids residence time is an important parameter. Previous studies mostly assess operations at moderate values of the solids circulation rates (≤ 100 kg/m² s), whereas gas-catalytic reactions and e.g. biomass pyrolysis require completely different operating conditions. In the current work, Positron Emission Particle Tracking (PEPT) is used to study the movement and population density of particles in the CFB-riser.The PEPT results can be used to obtain: (i) the vertical particle movement and population density in a cross sectional area of the riser; (ii) the transport gas velocity (U_tr) required in order to operate in a fully established circulation mode; (iii) the overall particle movement mode (core flow versus core/annulus flow); and (iv) the particle slip velocity (U_s).Only in a core flow mode can the particle slip velocity be estimated from the difference between the superficial gas velocity (U) and the particle terminal velocity (U_t). The slip velocity is lower than U − U_t outside the core flow mode. To operate in core flow, the superficial gas velocity should exceed U_tr by approximately 1 m/s and the solids circulation rate should exceed 200 kg/m² s.     

Solids mixing in a fluidized bed riser

The solids mixing in a riser with a height of 10 m and 0.186 m inner diameter was investigated by using pneumatic phosphor tracer technique. Considering the shielding effect of the bed material on the light emitted from the phosphor tracer particle, a modified method for the phosphor tracer measurement is proposed. And then the curves of particle residence time distribution were obtained. The experimental results show that the particle diffusion mechanism can be explained by the dispersions of dispersed particles and particle clusters in the axial direction, and as well the core-annulus nonuniform distribution of the solids fraction in the radial direction of the riser. Moreover, based on the experimental results, a two-dimensional dispersion model was established to predict the solids axial and radial diffusion. Furthermore, the effects of superficial gas velocity and solids circulating flux on the axial and radial Peclet number of the particles were discussed; two empirical correlation formulas about the axial and the radial Peclet numbers were given; the calculated values agree well with the experimental results.     

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。     

Particle residence time distributions in circulating fluidised beds

This paper gives experimental measurements of the particle residence time distribution (RTD) made in the riser of a square cross section, cold model, circulating fluidised bed, using the fast response particle RTD technique developed by Harris et al. (Chem. Eng. J. 89 (2002a) 127). This technique depends upon all particles having phosphorescent properties. A small proportion of the particles become tracers when activated by a flash of light at the riser entry; the concentration of these phosphorescent particles can subsequently be detected by a photomultiplier. The influence of the solids circulation rate and superficial gas velocity on the RTD were investigated. The results presented are novel because (i) the experiments were performed in a system with closed boundaries and hence give the true residence time distribution in the riser and (ii) the measurement of the tracer concentration is exceedingly fast. The majority of previous studies have measured the RTD in risers with open boundaries, giving an erroneous measure of the RTD.Analysis of the results suggests that using pressure measurements in a riser to infer the solids inventory leads to erroneous estimates of the mean residence time. In particular, the results cast doubt on the assumption that friction and acceleration effects can be neglected when inferring the axial solids concentration profile from riser pressure measurements.An assessment of particle RTD models is also given. A stochastic particle RTD model was coupled to a riser hydrodynamic model incorporating the four main hydrodynamic regions observed in a fast-fluidised bed riser namely (i) the entrance region, (ii) a transition region, (iii) a core-annulus region and (iv) an exit region. This model successfully predicts the experimental residence time distributions.     

Fluidization behavior in a circulating slugging fluidized bed reactor. Part I: Residence time and residence time distribution of polyethylene solids

Square nosed slugging fluidization behavior in a circulating fluidized bed riser using a polyethylene powder with a very wide particle size distribution was studied. In square nosed slugging fluidization the extent of mixing of particles of different size depends on the riser diameter, gas velocity, hold up and solids flux in the riser. Depending on the operating conditions the particle residence time distribution of a riser in the slugging fluidization regime can vary from that of a plug flow reactor to that of a well-mixed system.Higher gas velocities cause shorter particle residence times because of a significant decrease in the hold-up of particles in the riser at higher gas velocities. A higher solids flux also shortens the average residence time. Both influences have been quantified for a given polyethylene-air system.Residence time and residence time distribution were determined for different particle size and the influence of gas velocity, solids flux, hold up and riser diameter was studied. When comparing data from segregation and residence time experiments it is clear that segregation data can predict the spread in residence time as a function of overall residence time, particle size and gas velocity. The differential velocity between small and large particles found in the segregation experiments can predict the spread in residence time as found in the residence time distribution experiments with a powder with a broad particle size distribution. Raining of particles through the slugs was studied as a function of plug length, gas velocity and pulse length. It was found that raining is not the determining mechanism for segregation of particles.     

AN RTD STUDY FOR THE FLOW OF LIGNITE PARTICLES THROUGH A PILOT ROTARY DRYER PART I; BARE DRUM CASE

In Part I of the present work a pilot rotating cylindrical drum, without an internal lifting flight system (bare) has been employed for the study of lignite motion through it, at ambient temperature. Tracer pulse stimulus - response experiments have been carried out io deduce residence time distribution ( RTD) data and relate them to the operating conditions ( slope, speed of revolution, etc.). Mean residence time, space-time and solids hold-up have been correlated with the drum operating conditions. Experimental data of mean axial velocity of solids have been compared with theoretical predictions and found to deviate within a ± 15% margin. A size segregation of particles during their motion through the kiln under a variety of operating conditions has been confirmed and quantified. An average maximum divergence of 20% between the residence time of the smallest and that of the largest nominal particle sizes has been assessed.     

循环流化床中颗粒团聚物性质的PDPA测量

提出了一种利用相位多普勒粒子分析仪（PDPA）来测量气固循环流化床中颗粒团聚物性质的方法,并运用此方法初步考察了操作条件对循环流化床稀相区中颗粒团聚物性质的影响.在本实验操作条件下,颗粒团聚物的时间分率、频率、内部空隙率以及轴向速度等性质都存在轴径向的不均匀分布,具有较明显的环核特征;固体循环速率对颗粒团聚物性质径向分布影响不大,表观气速的变化可引起其轴向分布规律发生显著改变,但其径向的环核特性仍然存在.     

Modeling of char particle size/conversion distributions in a fluidized bed gasifier: non-isothermal effects

Mass and thermal energy balances are developed to describe the time-dependent behavior of reacting char particles distributed in both size and conversion in continuous, steam—oxygen, fluidized-bed gasifier. These relations are solved numerically utilizing the method of orthogonal collocation to simulate both steady-state and time-dependent behavior. The influences of superficial gas velocity, mechanical removal of solids, and reactants gas concentration on steady-state bed characterisctics and particle size/conversion distributions are determined. An investigation is made of particle heating times, and the validity of neglecting temperature profiles in reacting char particles is confirmed. These heating times are compared to the dynamics governing solids flow and particle size/conversion distributions. The transient responses of solids holdup and the distributions are presented to show the dynamic effects of step changes in solids feed rate, superficial gas velocity, and particle-size distribution in the feed.     

Discrete particle simulation of solids motion in a gas–solid fluidized bed

The solids motion in a gas–solid fluidized bed was investigated via discrete particle simulation. The motion of individual particles in a uniform particle system and a binary particle system was monitored by the solution of the Newton's second law of motion. The force acting on each particle consists of the contact force between particles and the force exerted by the surrounding fluid. The contact force is modeled by using the analogy of spring, dash-pot and friction slider. The flow field of gas was predicted by the Navier–Stokes equation. The solids distribution is non-uniform in the bed, which is very diluted near the center but high near the wall. It was also found that there is a single solids circulation cell in the fluidized bed with ascending at the center and descending near the wall. This finding agrees with the experimental results obtained by Moslemian. The effects of the operating conditions, such as superficial gas velocity, particle size, and column size on the solids movement, were investigated. In the fluidized bed containing uniform particles better solids mixing was found in the larger bed containing smaller size particles and operated at higher superficial gas velocity. In the system containing binary particles, it was shown that under suitable conditions the particles in a fluidized bed could be made mixable or non-mixable depending on the ratios of particle sizes and densities. Better mixing of binary particles was found in the system containing particles with less different densities and closer sizes. These results were found to follow the mixing and segregation criteria obtained experimentally by Tanaka et al.     

AN RTD STUDY FOR THE FLOW OF LIGNITE PARTICLES THROUGH A PILOT ROTARY DRYER PART I; BARE DRUM CASE

ABSTRACT

In Part I of the present work a pilot rotating cylindrical drum, without an internal lifting flight system (bare) has been employed for the study of lignite motion through it, at ambient temperature. Tracer pulse stimulus - response experiments have been carried out io deduce residence time distribution ( RTD) data and relate them to the operating conditions ( slope, speed of revolution, etc.). Mean residence time, space-time and solids hold-up have been correlated with the drum operating conditions. Experimental data of mean axial velocity of solids have been compared with theoretical predictions and found to deviate within a ± 15% margin. A size segregation of particles during their motion through the kiln under a variety of operating conditions has been confirmed and quantified. An average maximum divergence of 20% between the residence time of the smallest and that of the largest nominal particle sizes has been assessed.     

Experimental Investigation of Gas Holdup and Slug Lengths in an Upflow Monolith Reactor

A new non‐invasive visualization technology was successfully developed to determine the hydrodynamics parameters of Taylor flow in monolith channels. With the developed method, the gas and liquid slug lengths as well as the gas holdup in channels of different radial positions were measured. Accordingly, the average gas holdup in different radial zones and the mean slug lengths over the monolith cross‐section were calculated with varying superficial gas and liquid velocities. By defining the maldistribution factor, the degree of non‐uniform distributions of these parameters over the monolith cross‐section was investigated quantitatively. The results showed that a moderate gas‐to‐liquid velocity ratio can result in uniform distribution for both gas holdup and slug lengths. In addition, the obtained mean slug lengths were well correlated with simplified Qian and Lawal correlations.     

连续内环流三相反应器局部流动特性

在φ200 mm×2500 mm连续内环流三相反应器内,考察了空气 水 玻璃珠体系反应器内局部流动参数随操作条件的变化规律。结果表明,导流筒内截面平均气含率随表观气速的增大而增大,较之气液两相流,在低固含率时,加入固体对气含率影响不明显,而在较高固含率下,气含率有明显降低,但固体再增加时对气含率变化影响不大。在较低表观气速下,进料浆速对导流筒内气含率轴向分布趋势有一定的影响,但在较高表观气速下影响不大,导流筒内的气含率大于环隙内的气含率且随气速增大差别更加明显,浆相连续有利于气相分散并增大环隙内的气含率。导流筒内循环浆速径向分布呈抛物状,中心高、近壁处低,受进料浆速和入口固含率影响都不大。浆相循环强度最低为20,高可达180。固含率轴、径向分布受表观气速和进料浆速的影响,固含率轴、径向分布基本均匀,随进料浆速增加,反应器内固含率降低。     

Positron Imaging Studies of Rotating Drums

The potential of the radioisotope tracer technique of positron emission tomography (PET) and the related techniques of positron emission projection imaging (PEPI) and positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) is illustrated with reference to laboratory scale studies of particulate motion in rotating drums, operating either in batch or continuous flow modes. Sand grains, glass beads and TiO2 granules down to 0.5mm diameter were labelled. Using PEPT the transition between rolling and slumping modes has been identified and the velocity profile within the active layer has been determined for a range of drum diameters. PEPI has been used to measure and explain residence time distributions, while all three techniques have been used to study segregation based on particle size, both radially and axially within the drum. Data on particle motion within a novel baffled drum is also presented.