Modeling and Simulation of the Hydrodynamic Behavior in a High-Density Downer Reactor

The hydrodynamic behavior in a high-density downer reactor was studied. A two-fluid model based on the kinetic theory of granular flow with a k-ε turbulent model was developed to simulate the flow behavior in the system. This simulation achieved an averaged solid fraction in the bed as high as 18% in this operating regime. The flow development in high-density downer consists of 3 regions, which are first acceleration, second acceleration, and fully developed regions. In the fully developed region, the lateral distribution of the solid volume fraction is low and almost uniform in the center region with a high density peak near the wall region. Gas and solid velocities gradually increase toward the wall and form a peak near the wall region. In addition, the solid volume fraction, gas and solid velocities increase with solid circulation rate.