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.     

Characteristics and mechanism of catalytic effect of inner minerals on combustion of oil shale coke

The micro fluidized bed reaction analyzer (MFBRA) was used to study the combustion characteristics of oil shale mineral catalytic semi-coke. This study compared the effect of minerals inside char and bed material (oil shale ash) outside char on char combustion, and the process and mechanism of char combustion in the fluidized bed were further revealed. Both of minerals inside char and bed material outside char had a marked catalysis for char combustion and their combined catalysis was most notable. It is found that the CaO and Fe₂O₃ were the major active components in oil shale minerals for catalytic combustion of char, and the catalysis of CaO was stronger than that of Fe₂O₃. The activation energy of char combustion ranged from 60.41 kJ/mol to 78.97 kJ/mol, and it would significantly decrease with presence of the catalysis by minerals in oil shale. For char combustion in a fluidized bed, the contribution of minerals to catalytic combustion was mainly reflected in four reactions, such as volatiles cracking and combustion, surface carbon combustion, internal carbon combustion and CO combustion.     

油页岩矿物质催化半焦燃烧特性及机理

利用微型流化床反应分析仪(MFBRA)研究了油页岩矿物质催化半焦燃烧特性,重点考察了半焦内部矿物质和外部页岩灰床料对半焦燃烧的催化作用,揭示了流化床反应器中半焦燃烧过程和机理。结果表明:内部矿物质和外部床料对半焦燃烧均具有明显催化作用,而两者共同催化效果最为显著。矿物质中CaO和Fe₂O₃对半焦燃烧具有催化活性,CaO催化作用强于Fe₂O₃。油页岩半焦燃烧反应活化能在60.41～78.97 kJ/mol之间,矿物质的催化作用会明显降低反应活化能。流化床反应器中,矿物质对半焦燃烧的催化作用主要表现在四个反应,即:挥发分裂解和燃烧、半焦表面炭燃烧、半焦内部炭燃烧以及一氧化碳燃烧。     

A simplified model of SO2 capture by limestone in 71 MWe pressurized fluidized bed combustor

A mathematical model of SO₂ capture by uncalcined limestone particles with solid attrition under pressurized fluidized bed combustion conditions was developed based on the shrinking unreacted-core model. Since the thickness of the product layer is sufficiently much smaller than the particle size, a flat surface model was employed. The difference in SO₂ capture behavior between continuous solid attrition and intermittent attrition was investigated. The reaction rate for intermittent solid attrition was found to be lower than that for continuous attrition mode under low SO₂ concentration conditions. A simple mathematical expression to calculate reaction rate of SO₂ capture per unit external surface area of limestone is proposed.The present simplified mathematical model of SO₂ capture by single limestone particle under periodical attrition conditions was applied to the analysis of a large-scale pressurized fluidized bed combustor. By giving the period of attrition as a parameter, the experimental results agreed well with the model results. From the vertical concentration profile of SO₂ concentration, the emission of SO₂ was found to be governed by the balance between SO₂ formation rate from char and SO₂ capture by limestone at the upper surface of the dense bed. A simplified expression to estimate SO₂ emission from pressurized fluidized bed combustors was proposed.     

Numerical modeling of a jetting fluidized bed gasifier and the comparison with the experimental data

A model for a jetting fluidized bed gasifier is developed, treating the grid, bubble and freeboard zones in series. Reactions including char combustion, steam gasification, CO₂ gasification and water–gas shift reaction are taken into account. The effects on model predictions of assumptions regarding the primary products of char combustion and char reactivity factor are analyzed by comparing the predictions with experimental data from a bench-scale jetting fluidized bed gasifier using different kinds of chars. Contributions of various reactions and different zones and phases to carbon conversion are analyzed.     

Attrition of spherical electrode carbon particles during batch fluidized combustion

Spherical electrode carbon particles prepared from carbon rods of dry cell batteries have been used to study the attrition behaviour in a bubbling fluidized bed combustor. Experiments have been conducted in a 40 mm I.D. and 1 m high fluidized bed combustor operated at 1 m/s superficial velocity. The bed was operated with nitrogen and with two different oxygen concentrations at 850°C to study the effect of combustion on attrition of these particles. The experimental technique used allowed the time resolution of attrited fines generation, providing detailed curves of attrition rates as a function of time. Attrition rate constants have been evaluated. Results show an enhancement of attrition due to combustion even for spherical, homogeneous and smooth particles.     

Attrition of char agglomerates

A 15.2 cm diameter fluidized bed system with single- and multiple-jet distributors was designed and constructed to study the attrition behavior and mechanism of Kentucky No. 9 char from IGT's U-GAS fluidized bed gasifier. The effects of the jet and auxiliary gas velocities, the number of jets, the bed height, and the roughness of the fluidized bed wall on the attrition of char particles were studied. Particle shape variation during attrition was calculated by comparing our experimental data on pressure drop for a packed bed with the Ergun equation prediction. A mathematical procedure was developed to translate the size distribution variation of particles in the fluidized bed to the attrition rate expression.     

Modelling fast pyrolysis of biomass in a fluidized bed reactor

A compartmental one-dimensional model of a fluidized bed pyrolytic converter of biomass is presented. Reference conditions are those of non-catalytic fast pyrolysis of biomass in a shallow fluidized bed with external regeneration of the bed material. The fate of biomass and of the resulting char has been modelled by considering elutriation of biomass and char particles, char attrition as well as bed drain/regeneration. The course of primary and secondary pyrolitic reactions is modelled according to a semi-lumped reaction network using well-established kinetic parameters taken from the literature. A specific focus of the present study is the role of the heterogeneous volatile–char secondary reactions, whose rate has been modelled by borrowing a kinetic expression from the neighbouring area of tar adsorption/decomposition over char. The results of computations highlight the relevance of heterogeneous volatile–char secondary reactions and of the closely associated control of char loading in the bed. The sensitivity of the reactor performance to char elutriation and attrition, to proper management of bed drain/regeneration, and to control of gas phase backmixing is demonstrated. Model results provide useful guidelines for optimal design and control of fluidized bed pyrolyzers and pinpoint future research priorities.     

An extended DEM–CFD model for char combustion in a bubbling fluidized bed combustor of inert sand

This paper proposes a transient three-phase numerical model for the simulation of multiphase flow, heat and mass transfer and combustion in a bubbling fluidized bed of inert sand. The gas phase is treated as a continuum and solved using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach; the solid particles are treated as two discrete phases with different reactivity characteristics and solved on the individual particle scale using an extended discrete element model (DEM). A new char combustion submodel considering sand inhibitory effects is also developed to describe char particle combustion behavior in the fluidized bed. Two conditions, i.e. a single larger graphite particle and a batch of smaller graphite particles, are used to test the prediction capability of the model. The model is validated by comparing the predicted results with the previous measured results and conclusions in the literature in terms of bed hydrodynamics, individual particle temperature, char residence time and concentrations of the products. The effects of bed temperature, oxygen concentration and superficial velocity on char combustion behavior are also examined through model simulation. The results indicate that the proposed model provides a proximal approach to elucidate multiphase flow and combustion mechanisms in fluidized bed combustors.     

Combustion of single char particles in a turbulent fluidized bed

The combustion of single bituminous char particles (4-12 mm diameter) was studied in a turbulent fluidized bed operated at 1098 K using air as the fluidising medium. Results indicated that particles burn with constant density following a shrinking sphere model. Burning rates are much higher than those observed in a bubbling fluidized bed. The rate of transfer of oxygen to the particle surface is also higher than that observed in bubbling beds. A model is proposed to calculate the Sherwood numbers of the burning carbon particles. Experimental values of the Sherwood numbers agree well with those predicted from the model.     

海藻生物质颗粒流化床燃烧试验研究

在小型流化床试验台上研究了海藻颗粒(条浒苔与马尾藻)的流化床燃烧。海藻在流化床内的挥发分析出燃烧时间都在1 min左右。条浒苔颗粒在流化床中燃烧先进行脱水和挥发分的燃烧,接着发生焦炭燃烧,其燃烧过程符合缩核模型,炭核由外向内逐层燃烧,而灰层半径几乎不变。但马尾藻颗粒由于挥发分的大量快速释放而迅速膨胀破碎成屑。另外通过对条浒苔颗粒及不同燃烧时间后收集的焦炭颗粒剖面的SEM扫描电镜观察,发现随着燃烧的进行,颗粒内孔隙增大,微孔表面粗糙。进一步详细研究了两种海藻颗粒(条浒苔与马尾藻)在流化床内单次投料下的燃烧。随着床温的升高,条浒苔释放NO_x相对浓度增加,CO相对浓度减少。而马尾藻释放气体中SO₂与NO_x含量相对条浒苔有所增加;随着床温的升高,CO相对浓度减少。床温的升高使得床内传热速率加快,两种海藻挥发分的析出提前,燃尽时间缩短。风速、床高的升高使得两种海藻燃烧容易,燃尽时间缩短。     

Effects of high temperature and combustion on fluidized material attrition in a fluidized bed

This study investigated the effects of high temperature and combustion conditions on the attrition of fluidized material in a fluidized bed. Silica sand was fluidized in air at an atmospheric pressure between 873 K and 1,073 K. The operating parameters evaluated in investigating the attrition rate of fluidized material included particle size, temperature and both combustion and non-combustion conditions. Experimental results indicated that the total weight of attrition increased with increasing temperature and decreased with increasing particle size. The attrition was higher during the initial fluidization period than the later period, due to the loss of sharp corners and edges of the attrition particles. The initial and final attrition rates during combustion were higher than those in the non-combustion condition, because the heat and thermal shock were produced to increase attrition rate during incineration. Comparing the experimental data with previous correlations, that reveals a significant level of error in the prediction results from existing correlations. This error may occur because the experimental equations neglected the operating temperature and particle size.     

Modeling and experimental studies on single particle coal devolatilization and residual char combustion in fluidized bed

Single particle devolatilization followed by combustion of the residual coal char particle has been analyzed in a batch-fluidized bed. The kinetic scheme with distributed activation energy is used for coal devolatilization while multiple chemical reactions with volume reaction mechanism are considered for residual char combustion. Both the models couple kinetics with heat transfer. Finite Volume Method (FVM) is employed to solve fully transient partial differential equations coupled with reaction kinetics. The devolatilization model is used to predict the devolatilization time along with residual mass and particle temperature, while the combined devolatilization and char combustion model is used to predict the overall mass loss and temperature profile of coal. The computed results are compared with the experimental results of the present authors for combustion of Indian sub-bituminous coal (15% ash) in a fluidized bed combustor as well as with published experimental results for coal with low ash high volatile matter. The effects of various operating parameters like bed temperature, oxygen mole fraction in bulk phase on devolatilization time and burn-out time of coal particle in bubbling fluidized bed have been examined through simulation.     

典型尺寸燃煤颗粒富氧燃烧特性及燃烧本征动力学研究

利用微型流化床加热速度快、温度分布均匀以及气体近平推流等优势,在直径20 mm自动控温的微型流化床反应分析仪中研究了粒度分布为1.7～3.35 mm和0.12～0.23 mm两种典型尺寸燃煤颗粒在790～900℃温度范围内的富氧燃烧行为。通过快速响应过程质谱对燃烧产生的烟气进行实时监测,成功地识别和记录了粗颗粒燃烧过程中经历的挥发分燃烧和原位新生半焦燃烧两个主要阶段。挥发分析出速度最快,然后快速燃烧,而半焦燃烧速度较慢。相比之下,细颗粒燃烧的这两个阶段具有几乎相同的速率,因而相互耦合而难以区分。根据实验结果,挥发分析出和燃烧为快速反应,煤颗粒燃烧过程速率受原位新生半焦燃烧过程控制。进一步研究了挥发分和原位新生半焦燃烧动力学行为,获得其本征动力学的活化能分别为107.2和143.9 kJ/mol。     

Model of combustion and dispersion of carbon deposited on porous bed material during bubbling fluidized bed combustion

Porous bed materials capture volatile matter as carbon deposits during fluidized bed combustion of high-volatile fuels such as biomass and wastes. Carbon deposits burn in a dense bed mixed with bed materials; thereby enhancing horizontal dispersion of carbonaceous materials. Commercial scaling-up requires a model that simultaneously assesses carbon deposit combustion and horizontal solid dispersion. This study measured the carbon deposit combustion rate using a fluidized bed. A one-dimensional model of carbon deposit combustion in a fluidized bed is based on the carbon deposit burning rate. A two-dimensional model incorporates reactions and solid dispersion to predict the horizontal concentration profile. Experiments using a bubbling fluidized bed validated that model.     

Effect of attrition on particle size distribution and SO2 capture in fluidized bed combustion under high CO2 partial pressure conditions

In both pressurized and oxygen-enriched fluidized bed combustion the partial pressure of CO₂ in the reactor becomes high, which affects SO₂ capture by limestone. Both of these technologies are also applicable to decreasing greenhouse gas emissions; the first one by increasing the efficiency of electric energy production and the latter by enabling capture of carbon dioxide for storage.Attrition increases the reaction rate by removing the sulphated layer on the particle, thus reducing the diffusion resistance. In the well-known solution for the shrinking core model the reaction time can be presented as the sum of the contributions of the kinetics and diffusion. It is shown that the effect of attrition can be expressed as an auxiliary term in this expression. A method to extract the diffusivity of the product layer from the SO₂ response in a bench-scale fluidized bed test using a limestone sample with a wide particle size distribution is presented. Based on a population balance model, a method to estimate the particle-size-dependent attrition rate from measured particle size distributions of the feed and bed material is illustrated for a 71-MW_e pressurized power plant. In addition attrition and its effect on the optimization of the limestone particle size for sulphur capture in oxygen-enriched combustion are discussed.     

Comparison among attrition-reaction models of SO2 capture by uncalcined limestone under pressurized fluidized bed combustion conditions

Mathematical models of SO₂ capture by uncalcined limestone (CaCO₃) particles with solid attrition were compared under pressurized fluidized bed combustion conditions. For reaction, we used: (1) a shrinking core model with a distinct border between the product (CaSO₄) layer with a conversion of unity and unreacted core with a conversion of zero, and (2) a distributed reaction model with smooth transition from the unreacted part to the product part with conversion between zero and unity. Continuous attrition and intermittent attrition were compared for attrition. Apparent conversion of the solid was overestimated regardless of the reaction model for continuous attrition. Attrition model plays an important role in determining limestone utilization efficiency, whereas the reaction model played only a minor role.     

Model development and validation: Co-combustion of residual char, gases and volatile fuels in the fast fluidized combustion chamber of a dual fluidized bed biomass gasifier

A one-dimensional steady state model has been developed for the combustion reactor of a dual fluidized bed biomass steam gasification system. The combustion reactor is operated as fast fluidized bed (riser) with staged air introduction (bottom, primary and secondary air). The main fuel i.e., residual biomass char (from the gasifier), is introduced together with the circulating bed material at the bottom of the riser. The riser is divided into two zones: bottom zone (modelled according to modified two phase theory) and upper zone (modelled with core-annulus approach). The model consists of sub-model for bed hydrodynamic, conversion and conservation. Biomass char is assumed to be a homogeneous matrix of C, H and O and is modelled as partially volatile fuel. The exit gas composition and the temperature profile predicted by the model are in good agreement with the measured value.     

Model for biomass char combustion in the riser of a dual fluidized bed gasification unit: Part II — Model validation and parameter variation

The two-phase combustion model for biomass char combustion in a riser of a dual fluidized bed gasification unit that has been presented in part I is validated using the data obtained from the 8 MWth dual fluidized bed reactor at Guessing/Austria. The model is capable of calculating the average temperatures in all zones, the gas phase composition, solid hold up, char feed rates and air ratio. The model predictions for the temperature profile along the riser and for the exiting gas composition are in good agreement with the measured values. The simulation results show that the residual char from the gasifier is only partly converted in the riser for char particles larger than 0.6 mm. Un-combusted char is circulated back into the gasification reactor. Parameter variations show that the exact location where additional liquid fuels are introduced in the middle zone of the riser does not affect the global behaviour of the combustion reactor. Based on the simulation results it is proposed that external supply of char (additional) may be a very effective method for reducing producer gas recycling to the riser, which is currently necessary to obtain the desired gasification temperatures.