Experimental investigation and mathematical modelling of wood combustion in a moving grate boiler

The use of biomass to generate energy offers significant environmental advantages for the reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases. The main objective of this study was to investigate the performance of a small scale biomass heating plant: i.e. combustion characteristics and emissions. An extensive series of experimental tests was carried out at a small scale residential biomass heating plant i.e. wood chip fired boiler. The concentrations of CO, NO_x, particulate matter in the flue gas were measured. In addition, mathematical modelling work using FLIC and FLUENT codes was carried out in order to simulate the overall performance of the wood fired heating system. Results showed that pollutant emissions from the boiler were within the relative emission limits. Mass concentration of CO emission was 550-1600 mg/m³ (10% O₂). NO_x concentration in the flue gas from the wood chips combustion varied slightly between 28 and 60 ppmv. Mass concentration of PM₁₀ in the flue gas was 205 mg/m³ (10% O₂) The modelling results showed that most of the fuel was burnt inside the furnace and little CO was released from the system due to the high flue gas temperature in the furnace. The injection of the secondary air provided adequate mixing and favourable combustion conditions in the over-bed chamber in the wood chips fired boiler. This study has shown that the use of wood heating system result in much lower CO₂ emissions than from a fossil fuel e.g. coal fired heating system.     

Modelling and experimental investigation of devolatilizing wood in a fluidized bed combustor

A two-dimensional model is developed for the determination of devolatilization time and char yield of cylindrical wood particles in a bubbling fluidized bed combustor. By using the concept of shape factor, the model is extended to particles of cuboid shape. The model prediction of the devolatilization time agrees with the measured data (present and those reported in the literature) for cylindrical and cuboidal shaped particles within ±20% while the char yield is predicted within ±17%. Influence of some important parameters namely, thermal diffusivity, external heat transfer coefficient and shrinkage, on the devolatilization time and char yield are studied. Thermal diffusivity shows noticeable influence on devolatilization time. The external heat transfer coefficient shows little influence beyond a value of 300 W/(m² K). However particle shrinkage shows negligible effect on the devolatilization time but has a significant influence on the char yield.     

Modelling of circulating fluidized bed combustion of a char

The combustion of a char in the 41 mm ID riser of a laboratory circulating fluidized bed combustor has been investigated at different air excesses and rates of solids (char and sand) circulating in the loop. Riser performance was characterized by an axial oxygen concentration profile as well as by the overall carbon content and particle size distribution. The proposed model accounts for carbon surface reaction, intraparticle and external diffusion, and attrition. External diffusion effects were relevant in the riser dense region where char was potentially entrapped in large clusters of inert solids. Experimental data and results of the model calculations are in satisfactory agreement.     

Spontaneous ignition of wood, char and RDF in a lab scale packed bed

Many municipal waste combustors use preheated primary air in the first zone to dry the waste. In most cases the preheat temperature does not exceed 140 °C. In previous experiments it is found that at temperatures around 200 °C, in some circumstances, self- or spontaneous ignition can be achieved. Using preheated air can be a powerful tool to control the ignition and combustion processes in a waste combustion plant. To use this tool effectively, the influence of the preheated air on the fuel bed needs to be well understood. The present work is done to investigate in a systematically way the spontaneous ignition behaviour of a packed bed heated with a preheated air stream. Experiments on a lab scale packed bed reactor are carried out for various fuel types. Because MSW is an highly inhomogeneous fuel, wood and char are used as model fuels. To include the inhomogeneous character of MWS, also experiments are carried out with RDF. Parameters such as primary air flow velocity and temperature, addition of inert material, moisture content of the fuel (wood chips) and particle size (char) have been changed to see their effect on the spontaneous ignition temperature and on the minimum air temperature needed for ignition. The spontaneous ignition temperature is defined as the bed temperature at which a transition takes place from a negligible or slow fuel reaction rate to a rapid oxidation of either the volatiles or the solid fuel without an external source such as a spark or a flame. The minimum or critical air temperature is defined as the lowest air temperature at which ignition can be obtained. It is found that the type of fuel has influence on the ignition temperatures. Besides both the critical air temperature needed for the spontaneous ignition and the spontaneous ignition temperature increase with an increase in the primary air velocity (between 0.1 and 0.5  m/s) and increasing the added inert fraction (between 0 and 40 wt%), irrespective of the fuel type. The effect of air flow velocity and temperature and also the effect of inert on both the critical air temperature and the spontaneous ignition temperature can be explained qualitatively by using Semenov’s analysis of thermal explosions. Semenov’s theory is quantitatively applied to predict the spontaneous ignition and the critical air temperatures for wood.     

Modelling of packed bed membrane reactors for autothermal production of ultrapure hydrogen

The conceptual feasibility of a packed bed membrane reactor for the autothermal reforming (ATR) of methane for the production of ultrapure hydrogen was investigated. By integrating H₂ permselective Pd-based membranes under autothermal conditions, a high degree of process integration and intensification can be accomplished which is particularly interesting for small scale H₂ production units. A two-dimensional pseudo-homogeneous packed bed membrane reactor model was developed that solves the continuity and momentum equations and the component mass and energy balances. In adiabatic operation, autothermal operation can be achieved; however, large axial temperature excursions were seen at the reactor inlet, which are disadvantageous for membrane life and catalyst performance. Different operation modes, such as cooling the reactor wall with sweep gas or distributive feeding of O₂ along the reactor length to moderate the temperature profile, are evaluated. The concentration polarisation because of the selective hydrogen removal along the membrane length was found to become significant with increasing membrane permeability thereby constraining the reactor design. To decrease the negative effects of mass transfer limitations to the membrane wall, a small membrane tube diameter needs to be selected. For a relatively small ratio of the membrane tube diameter to the particle diameter, the porosity profile needs to be taken into account to prevent overestimation of the H₂ removal rate. It is concluded that autothermal production of H₂ in a PBMR is feasible, provided that the membranes are positioned outside the inlet region with large temperature gradients.     

Modelling coal combustion: the current position

At the present time, computer models for coal combustion are not sufficiently accurate to enable the design of combustion plant or the selection of a coal based on combustion behaviour. Most comprehensive combustion models can predict with reasonable accuracy flow fields and heat transfer, but usually with a much lesser degree of accuracy than the combustion of the coal particles through to char burnout. Many research programmes are aimed at developing a much more accurate predictive tool for assessing coals specially fired in burners or furnaces employing a range of NO_x abatement technologies. Some of the current developments in CFD coal combustion modelling are outlined here. Particular attention is paid to the first step, where the devolatilisation pre-processor code is used to compute the pyrolysis rate, the yields and the composition of volatiles and char. These parameters are used as inputs to the devolatilisation and volatile combustion sub-models, where various options can be used, and also the char burnout sub-models. The accuracy of the sub-models is examined using data from four well-studied coals, three from the UK and one from the US. The main network devolatilisation codes are compared with experimental data. Two char combustion models have also been investigated in order to compare char burnout predictions and the development of char morphology and surface area during burnout are considered. The applications of these sub-models to two combustion situations were considered. These involve reactions in a drop tube furnace and a low NO_x industrial burner and in both cases, the model predictions were compared with experimental measurements.     

A method of evaluating limestone reactivity with SO2 under fluidized bed combustion conditions

The reactivity of limestone with sulphur dioxide has been evaluated during conditions similar to those existing in a fluidized bed combustor using a fixed-bed quartz reactor. The reactivity of up to 11 particle sizes of 2 limestones were evaluated, and an exponential decay function was found to best describe the rate behaviour versus conversion of CaO to CaSO₄. The two constants in the exponential decay approximation could both be expressed as functions of particle size. Subsequently, the limestone reactivity as a function of both size and conversion could be reasonably well described by a total of 4 to 6 constants. An analytical sulphur capture model for fluidized bed boilers (FBB) that incorporates this type of reactivity function is proposed.     

Experimental validation of packed bed chemical-looping combustion

Chemical-looping combustion has emerged as a promising alternative technology, intrinsically integrating CO₂ capture in power production. A novel reactor concept based on dynamically operated packed beds has been proposed [Noorman, S., van Sint Annaland, M., Kuipers, J.A.M., 2007. Packed bed reactor technology for chemical-looping combustion. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 46, 4212-4220] and in this work, packed bed chemical-looping combustion was investigated experimentally to provide an experimental proof-of-principle. Using information obtained from both the reduction and oxidation cycles, the measured maximum temperature rise and front velocities in the packed bed during the oxidation cycle corresponded very well with analytical expressions describing the system, especially when the contribution of the formation of carbon during the reduction cycle was taken into account.     

Modelling fluidized bed combustion of high-volatile solid fuels

A model of an atmospheric bubbling fluidized bed combustor operated with high-volatile solid fuel feedings is presented. It aims at the assessment of axial burning profiles along the reactor and of the associated temperature profiles, relevant to combustor performance and operability. The combustor is divided into three sections: the dense bed, the splashing region and the freeboard. Three combustible phases are considered: volatile matter, relatively large non-elutriable char particles and fine char particles of elutriable size. The model takes into account phenomena that assume particular importance with high-volatile solid fuels, namely fuel particle fragmentation and attrition in the bed and volatile matter segregation and postcombustion above the bed. An energy balance on the splashing zone is set up, taking into account volatile matter and elutriated fines postcombustion and radiative and convective heat fluxes to the bed and the freeboard.Results from calculations with a high-volatile biomass fuel indicate that combustion occurs to comparable extents in the bed and in the splashing region of the combustor. Due to volatile matter segregation with respect to the bed, a significant fraction of the heat is released into the splashing region of the combustor and this results in an increase of the temperature in this region. Extensive bed solids recirculation associated to solids ejection/falling back due to bubbles bursting at bed surface promotes thermal feedback from this region to the bed of as much as 80-90% of the heat released by afterburning of volatile matter and elutriated fines. Depending on the operating conditions a significant fraction of the volatile matter may burn in the freeboard or in the cyclone.     

Mixing and combustion in a shallow coal-limestone fluidized bed combustor

A model based on the Monte Carlo approach was developed to simulate the mixing and combustion behavior of a shallow coal-limestone fluidized bed combustor. The model involved the coupling of two sub-models: a combustion sub-model based on the two-phase concept of fluidization and a mixing sub-model based on our previously developed dynamic mixing model. The combustion sub-model considered both the volatile and char combustion. It assumed that the combustor consisted of three distinct phases, i.e., jet, bubble and emulsion, with combustion occurring only in the emulsion phase. The mixing sub-model considered the upward or downward movement of a coal particle in the bed as being governed by certain probability laws; these laws were, in turn, affected by the bubbling hydrodynamics. In all, the combustor simulation model took into consideration the effects of coal feed rate, coal size distribution, limestone size, air flow rate and combustor temperature on the combustor behavior. The simulation results included the dynamic response of coal concentration profile, coal size distribution, coal particle elutriation rate as well as the mixing status between the coal and limestone particles.     

煤在富氧流化床燃烧条件下汞的析出及形态分布

目前有关于富氧气氛下流化床燃烧汞的形态转化特性的报道还不是很多,因此本文开展了富氧气氛下煤种对汞形态转化特性的影响的实验研究。采用流化床作为实验设备,选用徐州烟煤和淮北烟煤作为实验燃料,研究了空气气氛下不同温度和不同煤种对汞析出规律的影响,富氧气氛下煤种对汞形态转化规律的影响,并深入分析了相应的汞氧化机理。研究结果表明：在空气气氛下,温度的增加会促进汞的氧化,煤中的含硫量对汞的氧化也有影响;在富氧气氛下,徐州烟煤燃烧产生的气态总汞浓度高于淮北烟煤燃烧产生的气态总汞浓度,徐州烟煤的Hg²⁺（g）的分布率也比淮北烟煤的Hg²⁺（g）的分布率高出16%左右,因为徐州烟煤中高含硫量会影响Hg²⁺（g）的分布率;富氧气氛下徐州烟煤的Hg²⁺的分布率低于空气气氛下的,而淮北烟煤的Hg²⁺（g）分布率则与之相反,这与两种煤中硫含量的不同有关。     

Effects of fuel type and operating conditions on SO2 emission in fluidized bed combustion

The SO₂ emission from six fluidized bed combustors was examined. Approximately 71.5% of the fuel sulphur was found to be emitted as SO₂ in sorbent-free tests. General observations on the effects of Ca/S molar ratio, limestone size and recycle systems are presented. The effects of limestone type and superficial velocity were found to be insignificant, as was the effect of bed temperature in the range 800-950°C. In tests with fine solid and liquid fuels, circulating FBC's were found to provide significantly better sulphur capture than bubbling FBC's.     

Fluidized bed catalytic combustion

The principles and applications of fluidized bed catalytic combustion are described. The experience and current activities of the Boreskov Institute of Catalysis in the development of fluidized bed catalytic combustion of various fuels and organic wastes are briefly reviewed. Prospects for new applications of this technique are discussed.     

Transport phenomena in packed bed reactor technology for chemical looping combustion

Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is potentially the technology best suited for capturing CO₂ at low cost and efficiently providing a low energy option for the separation of CO₂ from flue gases. The process consists in the cyclic reduction and oxidation of metal oxide particles, which act as oxygen carriers. The particles are exchanged between two reactors, usually a circulating fluidised bed and a bubbling bed reactor, where the oxidation and reduction reactions occur, respectively. Noorman et al. (2007) explored a dynamically operated packed bed for CLC technology. Successive work undertaken by the same group (Noorman et al., 2009) has shown the feasibility of the concept, and expressions for the mass and heat front velocities were determined. In this work, the oxidation of the packed bed reactor is analysed as a problem presenting discontinuities which are sustained by transport processes and are indistinguishable from phase interfaces. Travelling mass and heat fronts arise as a consequence of the reaction kinetics; a specific problem is analysed, where the oxidation is modelled similarly to an adsorption problem and the mass front velocity is calculated for some limiting transport conditions. It is shown that the mass front velocity arises naturally when the Kotchine's procedure (Astarita and Ocone, 2002) is applied to the system. An interesting feature of the analysis presented here is that some general results can be obtained without making any specific assumption about the kinetics. The results obtained are indeed amenable to be extended to other processes where the reacting material is a bed of solid particles. The treatment presented can be implemented when small perturbations occur in the bed, thus giving useful information on predicting whether the unwanted changes in the process conditions are sustained or die out.     

Packed bed combustion of char particles: experiments and an ash model

This paper presents the results of a series of experiments on the packed bed combustion of coke particles, including temperature and gas concentration profiles in the bed and measurements of particle size, void fraction and sphericity on both fuel and ash. An earlier numerical model is extended to include the effects of ash on the bed void fraction and other properties as well as on heat conduction within the bed and heat and mass transfer between particulate and gas. The model is shown to give good agreement with experimental data. It is demonstrated that the physical properties of ash—particle size, void, and sphericity—can have a considerable influence on other bed processes.     

Simulation of packed bed reactors using lattice Boltzmann methods

Lattice Boltzmann (LB) methods are used to simulate hydrodynamics, reaction and subsequent mass transfer in a disordered packed bed of catalyst particles at sub-pore length-scales. In contrast to previous studies, a variety of modifications are introduced in the LB method enabling particle Pe numbers up to 10⁸, and hence realistic values of diffusivity, to be accessed. These include decoupling the hydrodynamics from mass transfer and the use of a rest fraction in the LB formulation of mass transfer. In addition the mass transfer simulations are modified to permit spatially varying values of diffusivity, essential to differentiate between intra- and inter-particle diffusivity (D_intra and D_inter, respectively). The simulation method is applied to both a disordered and ordered 2D packing for a range of Pe (15.6-1557.8) and Re (0.16-1.56) numbers, as well as various ratios of D_intra/D_inter (0-1), whilst simulating an esterfication reaction catalyzed by an ion-exchange resin. The value of D_intra is found to have limited effect, whilst reducing Pe number results in a considerable increase in overall conversion. The simulation method is then applied to a 3D lattice for which experimental conversion data is available. This experimental data is straddled by the simulation case of D_intra=0 and D_intra=D_inter, as expected.     

A simplified correlation for fixed bed pressure drop

An experimental study was conducted on the pressure drop characteristics of a variety of vertical packed beds in turbulent flow of air. The materials of different particle diameter, D_p, with a range of sphericity Φ, 0.55 ≤ Φ ≤ 1.00 were used in random loose packing to produce beds of different lengths, L, with a range of porosity, ε, 0.36 ≤ ε ≤ 0.56. In the covered test cases the cross-sectional velocity distribution at the exit plane of the packed beds and the pressure drop ΔP_Bed were measured in a particle Reynolds number range of Re_p, 675 ≤ Re_p ≤ 7772. The particular emphasis of the study was given to determine the influence of ε, Φ, D_p, L, Re_p on ΔP_Bed. In this respect the measurements of ΔP_Bed were compared with the well-known Ergun's Equation and the data were expressed in terms of correlations through introduced dimensionless parameters of pressure coefficient, ΔP^? and exit Reynolds number Re_exit. The proposed correlations of ΔP^? = ΔP^?(εRe_pD_p / L) and Re_exit = Re_exit(Re_pD_p / L) are found to be appropriate for the determination of ΔP_Bed and mean exit velocity, U, respectively with an acceptable fit of experimental data in an error margin less than ± 20%. The methodology is presented in this paper as an alternative approach to the available literature on packed beds.     

Optimization of the active component distribution through the catalyst bed

A variational problem was formulated to determine the optimal axially non-uniform catalyst activity distribution along the fixed catalyst bed. It was observed that the mass transport limitations or non-isothermal temperature profile are necessary conditions for potential optimization of the catalyst distribution along the bed length. Under isothermal conditions with linear dependence of the reaction rate on concentration at a constant mass transfer coefficient, the uniform distribution is optimal. Analytical solution for the first-order reaction and numerical solutions for power-law kinetics were found.     

流化床煤燃烧过程不同气氛下的气态氮释放特征

利用微型流化床反应装置,结合快速过程质谱仪,在850~940℃操作温度下,研究了三种不同粒度分布烟煤和无烟煤在热解、气化和燃烧反应条件下四种主要气态氮产物HCN、NH₃、NO和NO₂的释放规律。结果表明,微型流化床可以实时检测挥发分氮和焦炭氮的动态释放序和类型,热解、气化和燃烧反应气氛的改变主要影响HCN和NH₃的释放量。热解产物的气态氮主要是来自于挥发分,燃烧反应的HCN和NH₃的释放量与温度有明显关系,而气化反应的各类气态氮释放量随温度变化波动不大。煤颗粒尺寸和温度变化对烟煤和无烟煤中各类气态氮释放量产生影响比较复杂,其中NH₃的释放特性是区分挥发分N释放和半焦N释放的重要特征。