Hydrodynamics and Mass Transfer in Gas‐Liquid‐Solid Circulating Fluidized Beds

Although extensive work has been performed on the hydrodynamics and gas‐liquid mass transfer in conventional three‐phase fluidized beds, relevant documented reports on gas‐liquid‐solid circulating fluidized beds (GLSCFBs) are scarce. In this work, the radial distribution of gas and solid holdups were investigated at two axial positions in a GLSCFB. The results show that gas bubbles and solid particles distribute uniformly in the axial direction but non‐uniformly in the radial direction. The radial non‐uniformity demonstrates a strong factor on the gas‐liquid mass transfer coefficients. A local mass transfer model is proposed to describe the gas‐liquid mass transfer at various radial positions. The local mass transfer coefficients appear to be symmetric about the central line of the riser with a lower value in the wall region. The effects of gas flow rates, particle circulating rates and liquid velocities on gas‐liquid mass transfer have also been investigated.     

Particle‐resolved PIV experiments of solid‐liquid mixing in a turbulent stirred tank

Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) experiments on turbulent solid‐liquid stirred tank flow with careful refractive index matching of the two phases have been performed. The spatial resolution of the PIV data is finer than the size of the spherical, uniformly sized solid particles, thereby providing insight in the flow around individual particles. The impeller is a down‐pumping pitch‐blade turbine. The impeller‐based Reynolds number has been fixed to Re = 10⁴. Overall solids volume fractions up to 8% have been investigated. The PIV experiments are impeller‐angle resolved, that is, conditioned on the angular position of the impeller. The two‐phase systems are in partially suspended states with an inhomogeneous distribution of solids: high solids loadings near the bottom and near the outer walls of the tank, much less solids in the bulk of the tank. The liquid velocity fields show very strong phase coupling effects with the particles increasingly attenuating the overall circulation patterns as well as the liquid velocity fluctuation levels when the solids volume fraction is increased. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 389–402, 2018     

A mechanistic study of agglomeration in fluidised beds at elevated pressures

Effect of operating pressure on the hydrodynamics of agglomerating gas–solid fluidised bed was investigated using a combination of discrete element method (DEM) for describing the movement of particles and computational fluid dynamic (CFD) for describing the flow of the gas phase. The inter‐particle cohesive force was calculated based on a time dependent model developed for solid bridging by the viscous flow. Motion of agglomerates was described by the multi‐sphere method. Fluidisation behaviour of an agglomerating bed was successfully simulated in terms of increasing the size of agglomerates. The results showed that increasing the operating pressure postpones de‐fluidisation of the bed. Since the DEM approach is a particle level simulation and study about particle–particle interactions is possible, a micro‐scale investigation in terms of cohesive force and repulsive force during agglomeration at elevated pressures was done. The micro‐scale results showed that although the number of contacts between particles was decreased by increasing operating pressure, stronger solid bridge formed between colliding particles at higher pressures. © 2012 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering     

Ash partitioning during the oxy-fuel combustion of lignite and its dependence on the recirculation of flue gas impurities (H2O, HCl and SO2)

Oxy-fuel combustion of a brown coal (i.e. lignite) has been carried out at 1000 °C to experimentally examine the vaporisation of organically bound metals and the agglomeration of ash particles as a function of the concentration of gaseous impurities including H₂O, HCl and SO₂ in ∼27% O₂ balanced with CO₂. The properties of bulk ash and individual metals were investigated intensively. Particularly, attention was paid to Na which is notorious for fouling and to organically bound Al which has been less studied. The results indicate that, the organically bound metals, although possessing a very low content in the raw coal, are vital for the agglomeration of ash particles, which are also highly sensitive to the loading of gas impurities in flue gas. HCl recirculation is the most crucial factor promoting the vaporisation of metals via chlorination. Apart from alkali metals, the organically bound Al and Ti were also vaporised noticeably. Recirculation of SO₂ promoted the sulfation of Na to condense into liquid droplet which increased fine ash yield. Co-existence of bulk HCl and SO₂ played a synergetic role in the sufation of Na via an initial chlorination of the char-bound Na. In contrast, co-existence of steam with HCl and SO₂ favored the formation of Na alumino-silicates, which are favorable for ash agglomeration.     

Characterization on hydrodynamic behavior in liquid‐containing gas‐solid fluidized bed reactor

In many industrial processes involving gas–solid fluidized bed rectors, the addition of a liquid phase significantly alters the hydrodynamics. To fully characterize the hydrodynamics in the fluidized bed, pressure and acoustic measuring techniques were applied to study the behavior of gas bubbles and particles. A camera was used to take pictures to verify the pressure and acoustic results. During the liquid‐addition process, the pressure technique captured the bubble size variation and bubble motion while the acoustic technique reflected particle motion and particle size growth. Hurst and V‐statistics analyses of acoustic emission were used for the first time to detect periodic behavior during the injection process. The new break formation and change trend of V_max were used as the criteria to judge occurrence of abnormal fluidization states, such as agglomeration and gas channeling formation. These measurement techniques are beneficial in the elimination of adverse effects caused by the addition of liquid. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 1056–1065, 2013     

Particles agglomeration in a conical fluidized bed in relation with air temperature profiles

Particles agglomeration is obtained by spraying liquid over solid particles fluidized by hot air. The growth mechanism depends on the operating parameters (geometry and process conditions) and initial materials, influencing drying conditions and agitation, leading either to agglomeration or coating or wet quenching. It is linked to air temperature and/or humidity distributions appearing in the well-mixing system of the fluidized bed due to the penetration of the sprayed liquid jet.In this study, air temperatures distributions in a conical fluidized bed of model particles (glass beads) top sprayed with water were measured varying the initial particles load (250, 500, 750 g), the fluidizing air inlet temperature (60-70-80 °C), the liquid feed rate (2.65, 5.33, ) and the relative air spraying pressure (1,2,3 bars). Three thermal zones were identified (heat transfer, isothermal, wetting-active), with sizes and shapes related to particles circulation patterns and drying and spraying conditions influenced by the operating parameters. Subsequent agglomeration trials, were carried out with glass beads and soluble maltodextrin particles agglomerated, respectively, with an acacia gum solution and water. They showed a relationship between the air temperatures distribution and the resulting growth mechanism. Particularly, controlled agglomeration was obtained for a wetting-active zone occupying 18-30% of the fluidized bed.     

Analysis of the effect of small amounts of liquid on gas–solid fluidization using CFD‐DEM simulations

Gas–solid fluidization involving small amounts of liquid is simulated using a CFD‐DEM model. The model tracks the amount of liquid on each particle and wall element and incorporates finite rates of liquid transfer between particles and pendular liquid bridges which form between two particles as well as between a particle and a wall element. Viscous and capillary forces due to these bridges are modeled. Fluidization–defluidization curves show that minimum fluidization velocity and defluidized bed height increase with Bond number (Bo), the ratio of surface tension to gravitational forces, due to cohesion and inhomogeneous flow structures. Under fluidized conditions, hydrodynamics and liquid bridging behavior change dramatically with increasing Bo, and to a lesser extent with capillary number, the ratio of viscous to surface tension forces. Bed fluidity is kept relatively constant across wetting conditions when one maintains a constant ratio of superficial velocity to minimum fluidization velocity under wet conditions. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 5290–5302, 2017     

A novel three‐phase airlift reactor without circulation of solids

A novel configuration of a three‐phase internal loop airlift reactor is proposed. The draft is divided in two sections: (top) gas–liquid contact section; (bottom) liquid–solid contact section. Solids particles are fluidized in the bottom section by liquid circulation. The main advantage compared with classic airlift or three‐phase fluidized bed is the reduced stress on particles as interference with bubbles is prevented. Experiments with silica sand (325 µm diameter) were carried out to characterise the hydrodynamics of the airlift. The influence of superficial gas velocity, overall solids hold‐up and sparger height were assessed. A theoretical analysis was proposed to derive simple design criteria.     

Regime transition in viscous and pseudo viscous systems: A comparative study

A comprehensive quantitative study on the effect of liquid viscosity (1 ≤ µ_L ≤ 1149 mPa‐s) on the local flow phenomena of the gas phase in a small diameter bubble column is performed using ultrafast electron beam X‐ray tomography. The internal dynamic flow structure and the bubble size distribution shows a dual role of the liquid viscosity on the hydrodynamics. Further, the effect of solid concentration (C_s = 0.05, 0.20) on the local flow behavior of the gas phase is studied for the pseudo slurry viscosities similar to the liquid viscosities of the gas–liquid systems. The effects of liquid and pseudo slurry viscosities on flow structure, bubble size distribution, and gas phase distribution are compared. The bubble coalescence is significantly enhanced with the addition of particles as compared to the system without particles for apparently same viscosity. The superficial gas velocity at which transition from homogeneous bubbly to slug flow regime occurs is initiated by the addition of particles as compared to the particle free system for apparently same viscosity. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 60: 3079–3090, 2014     

Spherical agglomeration in a conical drum

The spherical agglomeration process is a means of size enlargement in which agitated particles, suspended in a liquid, are bonded together by a second liquid, which will wet the solid surfaces and be immiscible with the suspending medium. A process is described in which agglomeration takes place in a cone shaped vessel, rotating horizontally about its symmetric axis. The cone configuration of the agglomerator imparts a longitudinal impulse to the charge, which is most effective on the largest particles. This causes a size classification within the cone, with the largest agglomerates congregating at the base. The result is the continuous production of uniformly sized, highly spherical pellets. The factors affecting agglomerate growth and size are outlined and discussed.     

Hydrate agglomeration modeling and pipeline hydrate slurry flow behavior simulation

Dynamic modeling and numerical simulation of hydrate slurry flow behavior are of great importance to offshore hydrate management.For this purpose, a dynamic model of hydrate agglomeration was proposed in this paper.Based on population balance equation, the frame of the dynamic model was established first, which took both hydrate agglomeration and hydrate breakage into consideration.Then, the calculating methods of four key parameters involved in the dynamic model were given according to hydrate agglomeration dynamics.The four key parameters are collision frequency, agglomeration efficiency, breakage frequency and the size distribution of sub particles resulting from particle breakage.After the whole dynamic model was built, it was combined with several traditional solid–liquid flow models and then together solved by the CFD software FLUENT 14.5.Finally, using this method, the influences of flow rate and hydrate volume fraction on hydrate particle size distribution, hydrate volume concentration distribution and pipeline pressure drop were simulated and analyzed.     

Mixing and Crystallization Kinetics in Gas‐liquid Reactive Crystallization

A study of gas‐liquid reactive crystallization for CO₂‐BaCl₂‐H₂O system was performed in a continuous flow crystallizer. The influences of mixing on the crystallization kinetics of barium carbonate crystals were investigated. The mixing parameters are stirrer speed, feed concentration, gas‐flow rate, pH of solution, addition rate of NaOH solution, and mean residence time. Under pH‐stat operation, the crystallization mechanism can be assessed by the addition rate of NaOH solution, which acts as an indicator for the absorption rate of carbon dioxide. Assuming a size‐independent agglomeration mechanism, the nucleation rate, growth rate and agglomeration kernel can be obtained, simultaneously, at steady state, by the method of moments. Evidence shows that feed concentration, feed rate, gas‐flow rate, and stirrer speed have a significant influence on the nucleation rates and mean particle sizes. This shows the effect of micromixing. The crystallization mechanism tends to be reaction limited when the feed concentration of barium chloride solution is higher than 5 mM, while at lower stirrer speeds and feed concentrations, the mechanism tends to be both mixing and reaction controlled. The growth rate depends on the mean supersaturation value and the pH of the solution and the mass‐transfer resistance cannot be completely eliminated in this work. For a monodispersal collision model, in the viscous sub‐range of turbulence, the agglomeration kernel can be expressed as β ∝ d^{3 –1/4}, showing a low efficiency of collision. The result is also demonstrated by the agglomeration kernel expression. Comparison with a liquid‐liquid‐mixing reactive crystallization system is also discussed.     

Effect of solid circulation rate on coating efficiency and agglomeration in circulating fluidized bed type coater

Circulating fluidized bed was proposed to be used as a coater, and coating experiments of glass beads with silica powder were performed in a circulating fluidized bed. Glass beads and silica powder were chosen as model particles, because their shape was almost spherical. The respective effects of gas flow rates supplied from a distributor and from an air nozzle for solid circulation, feed rate of powder suspension and particle content in the bed on coating efficiency and agglomeration are mainly discussed. Coating efficiency in circulating fluidized bed coater was correlated well with solid circulation time rather than with gas flow rates or solid circulation rate, while the agglomeration among core particles was mainly governed by solid circulation rate.     

Gas Sparger Orifice Sizes and Solid Particle Characteristics in a Bubble Column – Relative Effect on Hydrodynamics and Mass Transfer

The relative effects of the size of gas sparger orifices and properties of solid particles on gas‐liquid mass transfer are not yet fully understood. Here, the impact of sparger orifice sizes, solid particle shapes, and their loading amounts in a bubble column reactor on the absorption of oxygen in tap water was investigated. Their influence on the mass transfer coefficient and bubble hydrodynamic parameters was evaluated. The results show that the addition of solid particles can have both positive and negative effects on hydrodynamics and mass transfer, depending on the orifice size of the gas sparger. The introduction of ring‐shaped solid particles can improve the mass transfer rate by up to 28 % without requiring any significant additional power.     

Enhancement of the liquid feed distribution in gas‐solid fluidized beds by nozzle pulsations (induced by solenoid valve)

In this work, it was found that spray nozzles pulsations greatly improved the liquid feed spray distribution on fluidized bed particles. Pulsating a spray nozzle doubled its nozzle performance index at various operating conditions. The objective of this study was to impose fluctuations of well‐defined frequency and amplitude on the liquid spray to investigate potentially beneficial effects of fluctuations on the liquid feed distribution on the particles in the fluidized bed. Three sets of experiments were conducted to study the quality of the spray jet‐bed interaction using a conductance probe method. The jet penetration for each experiment was calculated theoretically. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2011     

Micromixing of Solid‐liquid Systems in a Stirred Tank with Double Impellers

The effect of solid particles on micromixing has been studied using the competitive iodide/iodate reaction system in stirred, multi‐impeller, solid‐liquid systems. The influences of particle size, impeller speed, solid holdup, feed position, and energy input have been investigated. The change of the segregation index with the power input was more distinguishable only for the 450–600 μm particles as compared with the large ones, at the same solid holdups. Also, for the small ones, cloud formation was observed at a particle concentration of 12.1 wt %. However, the influence of larger particles of 1–1.25 mm on micromixing was negligible, though both energy input and solid loading were increased. Besides, the optimal feed position was identified, and multiple feeds were also explored.     

Radial Particle Profiles in a Liquid‐Solid CFB with Varying Viscosity

Flow structure was characterized in a 76 mm diameter by 2.0 m high liquid‐solid circulating fluidized bed (LSCFB) with different viscous liquids ranging from 1.0 mPa·s to 4.8 mPa·s. Measurements of mean and local solids holdup were carried out in the axial and the radial direction, respectively. The results showed that a uniform axial and a nonuniform radial distribution of the time‐averaged solids holdup appeared in the LSCFB. The viscosity of the liquid phase reduces the nonuniform distribution of solid particles in the radial direction. By examining the instantaneous data signals, flow behavior in a viscous system was found to be more uniform and less vigorous. To further understand the hydrodynamics in a LSCFB, Hurst's rescaled range (R/S) analysis was also adopted to analyze its stochastic characteristics and the local flow properties.     

CFD Simulation of Liquid Film Flow on Inclined Plates

A two‐phase flow CFD model using the volume of fluid (VOF) method is presented for predicting the hydrodynamics of falling film flow on inclined plates, corresponding to the surface texture of structured packing. Using the proposed CFD model the influence of the solid surface microstructure, liquid properties and gas flow rate on the flow behavior was investigated. From the simulated results it was shown that under the condition of no gas flow the liquid flow patterns are dependent on the microstructure of the plates, and proper microstructuring of the solid surface will improve the formation of a continuous liquid film. It was also found that liquid properties, especially surface tension, play an important role in determining the thin‐film pattern. However, there are very different liquid film patterns under the action of gas flow. Thinner liquid films break easily, but thicker liquid films can remain continuous even at higher gas flow rates, which demonstrates that all factors affecting the liquid film thickness will affect the liquid film patterns under conditions of counter‐current two‐phase flow.     

Scaling down trickle bed reactors

The scaling down of trickle bed reactors for catalyst testing in deep hydrodesulphurisation (HDS) is evaluated. A multiphase micro-reactor system has been built specifically for HDS, consisting of a set of six 2 mm diameter packed beds with particles of approximately 100 μm. To confirm plug-flow behaviour (for integral conversion) and to guarantee the measurement of true kinetics, the hydrodynamics have to be investigated.

For this purpose, a ‘cold-flow’ set-up of the same dimensions as the HDS reactors, has been built. A liquid feed with a dye tracer pulse as well as gas are fed to a glass column, packed with glass particles. From the recorded outlet concentration, the influence of the gas- and liquid-flow rate on the mean residence time and residence-time distribution (RTD) have been determined.

This hydrodynamics investigation describes the deviation from plug flow in micro-scale packed beds. The results show that the deviations from plug flow are minimal. The effect of the gas-flow rate on the liquid-residence time is more pronounced in micro-packed beds than that in trickle beds with larger particles.

The RTD study presented here provides valuable insight into the behaviour of scaled-down kinetic-test facilities.     

Experimental study and modeling of fluidized bed coating and agglomeration

This work deals with the fluidized bed coating and agglomeration of solid particles. The effect of particle size on coating criteria was investigated using sand particles as the coating support and aqueous solutions containing NaCl as coating liquid. The results showed that both growth rate and efficiency increase with decreasing the particle size. The growth was mainly governed by layering for particles larger than 200 μm, whereas for finer particles it occurred by agglomeration. As the particle size became less than 90 μm, the coating operation led to uncontrolled growth and bed quenching. However, the coating of the same particles was successfully achieved by adding some coarser particles. In addition, a mathematical model based on the population balance concept, taking into account the simultaneous growth by layering and agglomeration, was established to predict the time evolution of the particle size distribution. The comparison between experimental and calculated data permitted the establishment of a law for the size dependency of the agglomeration kernel.