Numerical study of the effect of the gas and solids distributors on the uniformity of the radial solids concentration distribution in CFB risers

The non-uniform radial solids distribution usually has a negative effect on the performance of the circulating fluidized bed (CFB) riser since it may greatly decrease the reactor efficiency and controllability. In order to improve the performance of industrial CFB risers, the numerical study of the effects of the gas distributor and solids distributor at the CFB riser inlet on the uniformity of the radial solids distribution was carried out in this study. Two potential approaches to improve the uniformity of radial solids concentration profile were proposed: (1) the use of the center-sparse side-dense air jets arrangement for the gas distributor and (2) the use of the side-covered arrangement for the solids distributor. The Eulerian-Eulerian computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model with kinetic theory of granular flow was adopted to simulate the gas-solids two-phase flow in a CFB riser with FCC particles. The numerical results show that the patterns of the inlet gas distributor and solids distributor have significant effect on the flow structure in both the entrance region and the fully-developed region in the riser. The gas distributor with center-sparse side-dense air jet arrangement improves the uniformity of the radial solids distribution, while the center-dense side-sparse air jet arrangement steepens the non-uniformity of the solids radial profile. The core-annulus structure can be greatly flattened by applying a side-covered solids distributor, while it can be heavily steepened by employing the center-covered solids distributor.     

Full‐Loop Simulation of Gas‐Solids Flow in a Pilot‐Scale Circulating Fluidized Bed

In order to study the system hydrodynamics in a circulating fluidized bed (CFB), a 3D full‐loop simulation was conducted for a pilot‐scale CFB. The Eulerian‐Eulerian two‐fluid model with the kinetic theory of granular theory helped to simulate the gas‐solids flow in the CFB. The system hydrodynamics including pressure balance, vectors of gas and solids, distribution of solids holdup, and instantaneous circulating rates were obtained to get a comprehensive understanding of the system. It was predicted that the main driving force was the pressure drop of the storage tank. The storage height and valve opening were critical operating factors to control the riser operation. The effects of operating conditions including solids circulating rates and superficial gas velocity on the hydrodynamics were investigated to provide guidance for the stable operation of the CFB system.     

Multi‐scale CFD simulation of operating diagram for gas–solid risers

Our recently presented multi‐scale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach has proven to be able to capture the choking phenomena in a circulating fluidized bed (CFB). However, how to transfer this capability to assist industrial operation remains to be explored. To this end, this paper presents further simulation results over the intrinsic flow regime diagram and the operating diagram for gas–solid risers, showing the variation of flow regimes with gas velocity and solids flux as well as riser height. It is confirmed that the choking in CFB risers, characterized by the saturation carrying capacity and the coexistence of both dense and dilute flows, holds clear‐cut definition in hydrodynamics. In physics, both the choking, non‐choking transitions, and the critical point in‐between are intrinsic nature of gas–solid riser flows; they initiate as functions of gas velocity and solids flux. In engineering operation, however, their appearances vary with the riser height used. As a result, the intrinsic flow regime diagram can be defined by the combination of gas velocity and solids flux, although it is hard to obtain in practice owing to the limitation of riser height. The operating diagram of a CFB should be, accordingly, height‐dependent in practice, demanding the riser height as a parameter besides commonly believed gas velocity and solids flux.     

Numerical and experimental studies on the flow multiplicity phenomenon for gas-solids two-phase flows in CFB risers

The flow multiplicity phenomenon in circulating fluidized bed (CFB) risers, i.e. under the same superficial gas velocity and solids circulation rate, the CFB risers may sometimes exhibit multiple flow structures, was numerically and experimentally investigated in this study. To investigate the flow multiplicity phenomenon, the experiments of gas-solids two-phase flows in a 2-D CFB riser with different flow profiles at the inlet of the CFB riser were conducted. Specially designed gas inlet distributors with add-ons are used to generate different flow profiles at the inlet of the CFB rise. The CFD model using Eulerian-Eulerian approach with k-ε turbulence model for each phase was employed to numerically analyze the flow multiplicity phenomenon. It is experimentally and numerically proved that for gas-solids two-phase flows, the flow profiles in the fully-developed region are dominated by the flow profiles at the inlet. The solids concentration profile is closely coupled with the velocity profile, and the inlet solids concentration and velocity profiles can largely influence the fully-developed solids concentration and velocity profiles.     

Catalytic Ozone Decomposition in a Gas‐Solids Circulating Fluidized‐Bed Riser

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of the catalytic ozone decomposition reaction in a circulating fluidized‐bed (CFB) riser, using iron‐impregnated fluid catalytic cracking particles as catalyst, is carried out. The catalytic reaction is defined as a one‐step reaction, and the reaction equation is modified by with respect to the particle surface area, A_p, and an empirical coefficient. The Eularian‐Eularian method with the kinetic theory of granular flow is used to solve the gas‐solids two‐phase flow in the CFB riser. The simulation results are compared with experimental data, and the reaction rate is modified by using an empirical coefficient, to provide better simulation results than the original reaction rate. Moreover, the particle size has great effects on the reaction rate. The generality of the CFD model is further validated under different operating conditions of the riser.     

Experiment and 3D simulation of slugging regime in a circulating fluidized bed

A circulating fluidized bed (CFB) is widely applied in many industries because it has high efficiency. To develop and improve the process, an understanding of the hydrodynamics inside the CFB is very important. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) represents a powerful tool for helping to understand the phenomena involved in the process. In this study, a CFD model was developed to represent a cold model of the laboratory scale CFB which was designed to study the hydrodynamics of a CFB using commercial CFD software. The Eulerian approach with kinetic theory of granular flow was used for simulating the hydrodynamics inside the system. After proper tuning of relevant parameters, the pressure profile along the equipment from the simulation was well agreed with that from the experiment. The simulation result expresses the hydrodynamic parameters of the slug flow such as solid volume fraction, gas and solid velocities and granular temperature in the riser.     

Two-dimensional transient numerical simulation of solids and gas flow in the riser section of a circulating fluidized bed

A computational fluid dynamics software (CFX) was modified for gas/particle flow systems and used to predict the flow parameters in the riser section of a circulating fluidized bed (CFB). Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) particles and air were used as the solids and gas phases, respectively. Two-dimensional, transient, isothermal flows were simulated for the continuous phase (air) and the dispersed phase (solid particles). Conservation equations of mass and momentum for each phase were solved using the finite volume numerical technique. Two-dimensional gas and particle flow profiles were obtained for the velocity, volume fraction, and pressure drop for each phase. Calculations showed that the inlet and exit conditions play a significant role in the overall mixing of the gas and particulate phases and in the establishment of the flow regime. The flow behavior was analyzed based on the different frequency of oscillations in the riser. Comparison of the calculated solids mass flux, solids density and pressure drop with the measured pilot-scale PSRI data (reported in this paper) showed a good agreement.     

A CFD study of gas–solid jet in a CFB riser flow

Three‐dimensional high‐resolution numerical simulations of a gas–solid jet in a high‐density riser flow were conducted. The impact of gas–solid injection on the riser flow hydrodynamics was investigated with respect to voidage, tracer mass fractions, and solids velocity distribution. The behaviors of a gas–solid jet in the riser crossflow were studied through the unsteady numerical simulations. Substantial separation of the jetting gas and solids in the riser crossflow was observed. Mixing of the injected gas and solids with the riser flow was investigated and backmixing of gas and solids was evaluated. In the current numerical study, both the overall hydrodynamics of riser flow and the characteristics of gas–solid jet were reasonably predicted compared with the experimental measurements made at NETL. Published 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012     

循环型高通量输送床的建立与控制

密相输送床气化和双流化床气化是基于循环型流化床反应器发展起来的两种新型煤和生物质气化技术,根据这两种技术对流动的要求,提出了在循环流化床的下行床底部耦合一段移动床,为输送床内的流动提供足够高的驱动压力而提高颗粒循环量的技术思想。在根据该思想而建立的直径90 mm的输送床实验装置上的实验研究表明,利用所提出的床型构造可在表观气速9.6 m•s^-1下实现400 kg•m^-2•s^-1的颗粒循环量。输送床的一次风速和移动床松动风速是影响颗粒循环量和输送床内颗粒浓度的主要因素,但循环量随输送床一次风速的增大而增加的走势弱于普通循环流化床。移动床松动风速在小于颗粒最小流化速度的范围内轻微变动即可显著改变颗粒循环量和输送床内颗粒浓度。在保持输送床总气速不变的前提下,通过二次风可在40%的比例范围内调节颗粒循环量,且调节作用随二次风位置的增高而减弱。     

TWO-DIMENSIONAL TRANSIENT NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF SOLIDS AND GAS FLOW IN THE RISER SECTION OF A CIRCULATING FLUIDIZED BED

A computational fluid dynamics software (CFX) was modified for gas/particle flow systems and used to predict the flow parameters in the riser section of a circulating fluidized bed (CFB). Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) particles and air were used as the solids and gas phases, respectively. Two-dimensional, transient, isothermal flows were simulated for the continuous phase (air) and the dispersed phase (solid particles). Conservation equations of mass and momentum for each phase were solved using the finite volume numerical technique. Two-dimensional gas and particle flow profiles were obtained for the velocity, volume fraction, and pressure drop for each phase. Calculations showed that the inlet and exit conditions play a significant role in the overall mixing of the gas and particulate phases and in the establishment of the flow regime. The flow behavior was analyzed based on the different frequency of oscillations in the riser. Comparison of the calculated solids mass flux, solids density and pressure drop with the measured pilot-scale PSRI data (reported in this paper) showed a good agreement.     

气固两相上行流动中颗粒加速行为的研究

根据空气－FCC颗粒在16m高循环床提升管内的压力梯度实验数据,对提高升管颗粒加速区的平衡颗粒浓度、颗粒加速区长度以及操作条件的影响进行了系统的分析研究。颗粒的加速导致了颗粒表观浓度沿提升管轴向的不均匀分布,加速区截面上颗粒表观浓度随操作参数的变化明显不同于充分发展段;颗粒加速区长度受操作条件影响非常著,增加颗粒循环量或减小表观气速,都将延长颗粒加速过程,颗粒表观浓度也随之增加;特别地,当提升管底部有大量颗粒聚集和絮状物形成时,颗粒加速区将显著增长,甚至扩展到整个提升管高度。     

Radial profiles of solids loading and flux in a gas–solid circulating fluidized bed

An electrical-impedance tomography (EIT) system has been developed to non-invasively measure radial voidage profiles in the riser of a pilot-scale circulating fluidized bed (CFB), yielding quantitative information that is validated by comparison to a gamma-densitometry tomography (GDT) system. EIT and GDT were applied to the CFB riser (14-cm inner diameter, 5.77-m height) containing fluid catalytic cracking particles in air. For all cases, the average and near-wall voidages from EIT and GDT agreed to within 0.03 and 0.07, respectively. This good agreement suggests that, where feasible, EIT can be used in place of GDT, which is advantageous since EIT systems are often safer, less expensive, and faster than GDT systems. The results also compared well to two correlations for radial voidage profile from the literature. Finally, a procedure for determining radial solids flux profiles from radial voidage profiles using an additional correlation [M.J. Rhodes, X.S. Wang, H. Cheng, T. Hirama, B.M. Gibbs, Similar profiles of solids flux in circulating fluidized-bed risers, Chemical Engineering Science 47 (1992) 1635–1643] was investigated. It was found that the accuracy of this correlation strongly depends on the voidage and/or solids flux measurement at the riser center.     

A hydrodynamic model of a circulating fluidised bed with low‐density particles

In this study, a two‐dimensional mathematical model was developed considering the hydrodynamic behaviour of a circulating fluidised bed biomass gasifier (CFBBG), which is also applicable for other low‐density particles. In the modelling, the CFB riser was divided into two regions: a dense region at the bottom and a dilute region at the top of the riser. Kunii and Levenspiel's [Kunii and Levenspiel, Powder Technol. 61, 193‐206 (1990)] model was adopted to express the vertical solids distribution with some other assumptions. Radial distributions of bed voidage were taken into account in the upper zone by using Zhang et al.'s [Zhang et al., Chem. Eng. Sci. 46(12), 3045‐3052 (1991)] correlation. For model validation purposes, a cold model CFB was employed, in which sawdust was transported with air as the fluidising agent. The column is 10 m in height and 280 mm in diameter, and is equipped with pressure transducers to measure axial pressure profile and with a reflective optical fibre probe to measure local solids holdup. A satisfactory agreement between the model predictions and experimental data was found. © 2011 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering     

High-resolution Eulerian simulation of RMS of solid volume fraction fluctuation and particle clustering characteristics in a CFB riser

High-resolution Eulerian simulation has recently emerged as an effective approach for studying the mechanics of heterogeneous gas-solid flow. In this study, it is used to study the characteristics of RMS of solid volume fraction fluctuation and particle clustering structures in a CFB riser. It was shown that the experimentally founded RMS of solid volume fraction fluctuation variation with local mean solid volume fraction can be well predicted and the experimentally measured particle clustering characteristics, including the solid volume fraction inside cluster, cluster time fraction, cluster frequency, cluster existence time, vertical and horizontal cluster velocity and vertical cluster size, can be qualitatively predicted by high-resolution Eulerian simulation.     

A new correlation for predicting solids concentration in the fully developed zone of circulating fluidized bed risers

The present work focuses on developing a new comprehensive correlation for better prediction of the solids concentration in the fully developed region of co-current upward gas-solid flow in circulating fluidized bed (CFB) risers. Systematic experiments were carried out in two risers (15.1 m and 10.5 m high with the same 0.1 m i.d.) with FCC and sand particles. The results obtained from about 200 sets of operating conditions show that the average solids concentration in the fully developed region is more than just a function of the corresponding terminal solids concentration, as most previous correlations are based on. Operating conditions, particle properties and riser diameters also have significant effects on the solids concentrations in the fully developed region of CFB risers. Based on our experimental data and those reported in the open literature from CFB risers up to 0.4 m in diameter and 27 m in height with superficial gas velocities and solids circulation rates up to 11.5 m/s and 685 kg/m²·s, a new empirical correlation for predicting the average solids concentrations in the fully developed region of CFB risers is proposed. The correlation works well for a wide range of operating conditions, particle properties and riser diameters.     

Hydrodynamic modeling of a circulating fluidized bed

Hydrodynamics plays a crucial role in defining the performance of circulating fluidized beds (CFB). The numerical simulation of CFBs is very important in the prediction of its flow behavior. From this point of view, in the present study a dynamic two dimensional model is developed considering the hydrodynamic behavior of CFB. In the modeling, the CFB riser is analyzed in two regions: The bottom zone in turbulent fluidization regime is modeled in detail as two-phase flow which is subdivided into a solid-free bubble phase and a solid-laden emulsion phase. In the upper zone core-annulus solids flow structure is established. Simulation model takes into account the axial and radial distribution of voidage, velocity and pressure drop for gas and solid phase, and solids volume fraction and particle size distribution for solid phase. The model results are compared with and validated against atmospheric cold bed CFB units' experimental data given in the literature for axial and radial distribution of void fraction, solids volume fraction and particle velocity, total pressure drop along the bed height and radial solids flux. Ranges of experimental data used in comparisons are as follows: bed diameter from 0.05-0.418 m, bed height from 5-18 m, mean particle diameter from 67-520 μm, particle density from 1398 to 2620 kg/m³, mass fluxes from 21.3 to 300 kg/m²s and gas superficial velocities from 2.52-9.1 m/s.As a result of sensitivity analysis, the variation in mean particle diameter and superficial velocity, does affect the pressure especially in the core region and it does not affect considerably the pressure in the annulus region. Radial pressure profile is getting flatter in the core region as the mean particle diameter increases. Similar results can be obtained for lower superficial velocities. It has also been found that the contribution to the total pressure drop by gas and solids friction components is negligibly small when compared to the acceleration and solids hydrodynamic head components. At the bottom of the riser, in the core region the acceleration component of the pressure drop in total pressure drop changes from 0.65% to 0.28% from the riser center to the core-annulus interface, respectively; within the annulus region the acceleration component in total pressure drop changes from 0.22% to 0.11% radially from the core-annulus interface to the riser wall. On the other hand, the acceleration component weakens as it moves upwards in the riser decreasing to 1% in both regions at the top of the riser which is an important indicator of the fact that hydrodynamic head of solids is the most important factor in the total pressure drop.     

Computer Simulation of the Performance of a Downer‐Regenerator CFB for the Partial Oxidation of n‐Butane to Maleic Anhydride

A reactor model for a downer‐regenerator circulating fluidized‐bed (CFB) during the partial oxidation of n‐butane to maleic anhydride is presented. Upflow reactors (risers) suffer from severe solids back mixing and gas‐solids‐separation, in comparison down flow reactors exhibit a more uniform gas‐solids flow and reduced backmixing, resulting in narrower residence time distributions. Due to the sensitivity of the VPO catalyst to over‐reduction, downer reactors present an interesting alternative to riser reactors. The reactor models for the downer and the regenerator fluidized‐bed are coupled with reduction and oxidation kinetics for the catalyst, respectively. The influence of the solids residence time distributions for the combined system of both reactors on the oxidation state of the catalyst is explored by a novel newly developed oxygen loading distribution. Simulation results suggest the limited solids‐flux in downers restrict the maximum butane concentrations, while the scale‐up is predicted to be uncritical.     

Modeling of core flow in a gas-solids riser

The heterogeneous flow structure in gas-solids riser reactors is typically represented by an upward solids flow in the core region and a back-mixing downward solids flow in the wall region. The hydrodynamic and reaction characteristics in these two regions are highly different, as most reactions with fresh catalyst solids occur in the core region and mostly spent catalyst solids are found in the wall region. Gross understanding on gas-solids riser flow can be conveniently obtained from a cross-section averaged one-dimensional modeling approach, which is probably only valid for the core region. The success of such an approach, however, has to rely on the appropriate modeling of controlling mechanisms of riser flows. Our recent studies show that commonly-employed Richardson-Zaki equation overestimates the hydrodynamic forces in the dense phase and acceleration regimes; there is also a non-negligible effect of solids collision on solids acceleration, and the wall effect should be taken into account in terms of wall boundary and back flow mixing. In this paper we propose a new mechanistic modeling to describe the hydrodynamics of upward flow of solids in a gas-solids riser, with new formula of hydrodynamic phase interactions. The modeling results are validated against published measurements of pressure and solids volume fraction in a wide range of particle property, gas velocity and solid mass flux. Parametric effects of operation conditions such as transport gas velocity and solid mass flux on hydrodynamic characteristics of riser flows are predicted.     

Experimental study on solids concentration distribution in a two-dimensional circulating fluidized bed

The axial and lateral solids holdup profiles in a 2-D circulating fluidized bed (CFB) were measured with an optical fibre probe under a wide range of operating conditions. The CFB is 7.6 m in height and has a 19×114 mm² narrow cross-section riser. The results showed that the operating conditions influence the flow structure significantly and control the flow in the same manner as that in cylindrical risers. The solids had lower concentrations at the riser centre than the near wall region. Compared with data from cylindrical columns, the axial and lateral profiles of solids holdup in 2-D riser had a similar pattern in shape, but were more uniform. The geometry of the riser was found to be an important factor that affects the solids distribution due to differences in terms of the perimeter per unit cross-sectional area and the wall-to-centre distance. To some extent, the two-dimensional and three-dimensional risers are more comparable under fast fluidization conditions. Generally, the solids distributions along the axial and the lateral directions in 2-D riser were dissimilar to those in cylindrical risers, while the main differences have been discussed in the current study.