Numerical simulation on gas-droplet flow characteristics and spray evaporation process in CFB-FGD tower

Nozzle arrangement in the nozzle spray system has a significant impact on the gas-droplet flow characteristics and the temperature distribution within the circulating fluidized bed flue gas desulphurization (CFB-FGD) tower, which is critical to the SO₂ removal efficiency. The effects of spray direction, nozzle number and nozzle spray angle on gas-droplet distribution and temperature distribution inside the FGD tower are investigated with numerical simulation based on a Eulerian-Lagrangian mathematical model. An optimal nozzle arrangement scheme is proposed to improve the contact between gas and water droplets and the flue gas temperature distribution. Results show that upward spray direction is beneficial to the interaction between water droplets, improving gas-droplet flow characteristics and spray evaporation process, and water droplets number trapped by tower wall could be reduced in the water droplets evaporation. With the increase in nozzle number, it is conducive to the contact between flue gas and water droplets to increase the evaporation efficiency of water droplets, as well as the uniformity of temperature distribution inside the tower. With nozzle spray angle increases from 30° to 120°, flue gas velocity decreases, water droplets number trapped by the tower wall increases. The temperature distribution at different cross-section is the most uniform when the nozzle spray angle is 60°.