Hydrodynamic analysis of carbon nanotube clusters in distributor-less conical fluidized beds with step-by-step scaling

As a high-performance material with great application potential,the application of carbon nanotubes has been limited by their production volume.A distributor-less conical fluidized bed is the main equipment used in the industrial production of carbon nanotubes.To improve the production volume and product quality of carbon nanotubes,the study of fluidized-bed-diameter scaling is important.Three different diameters of distributor-less conical fluidized beds were established,and then the particle behavior and bubble characteristics of carbon nanotube clusters at these bed diameters were investigated.Time-series and wavelet analysis methods were used to analyze the pressure-fluctuation signals inside the fluidized beds.Results showed that the distributor-less design caused the airflow to break through the middle of the bed,which did not change with the change in bed diameter.The powder-bridging phenomenon of carbon nanotube clusters in a 100-mm-diameter fluidized bed was related to the special microstructure of carbon nanotube clusters.The frequency of pressure fluctuations in the bed decreased nonlinearly with increasing bed diameter.This study can guide the design and scale-up of distributor-less conical fluidized beds,especially for the scale-up of carbon nanotube production equipment,which can contribute to the improvement of carbon nanotubes’capacity and quality in industrial production.

Experimental study on secondary air mixing along the bed height in a circulating fluidized bed with a multitracer-gas method

A multitracer-gas method was proposed to study the secondary air(SA)mixing along the bed height in a circulating fluidized bed(CFB)using carbon monoxide(CO),oxygen(O_(2)),and carbon dioxide(CO_(2))as tracer gases.Experiments were carried out on a cold CFB test rig with a cross-section of 0.42 m×0.73 m and a height of 5.50 m.The effects of superficial velocity,SA ratio,bed inventory,and particle diameter on the SA mixing were investigated.The results indicate that there are some differences in the measurement results obtained using different tracer gases,wherein the deviation between CO and CO_(2) ranges from 42%to 66%and that between O_(2) and CO_(2) ranges from 45%to 71%in the lower part of the fluidized bed.However,these differences became less pronounced as the bed height increased.Besides,the high solid concentration and fine particle diameter in the CFB may weaken the difference.The measurement results of different tracer gases show the same trends under the variation of operating parameters.Increasing superficial velocity and SA ratio and decreasing particle diameter result in better mixing of the SA.The effect of bed inventory on SA mixing is not monotonic.

Particle residence time distribution and axial dispersion coefficient in a pressurized circulating fluidized bed by using multiphase particle-in-cell simulation

The particle residence time distribution(RTD)and axial dispersion coefficient are key parameters for the design and operation of a pressurized circulating fluidized bed(PCFB).In this study,the effects of pressure(0.1-0.6 MPa),fluidizing gas velocity(2-7 m·s^(-1)),and solid circulation rate(10-90 kg·m^(-2)·s^(-1))on particle RTD and axial dispersion coefficient in a PCFB are numerically investigated based on the multiphase particle-in-cell(MP-PIC)method.The details of the gas-solid flow behaviors of PCFB are revealed.Based on the gas-solid flow pattern,the particles tend to move more orderly under elevated pressures.With an increase in either fluidizing gas velocity or solid circulation rate,the mean residence time of particles decreases while the axial dispersion coefficient increases.With an increase in pressure,the core-annulus flow is strengthened,which leads to a wider shape of the particle RTD curve and a larger mean particle residence time.The back-mixing of particles increases with increasing pressure,resulting in an increase in the axial dispersion coefficient.

Simulation of gas-solid flow characteristics of the circulating fluidized bed boiler under pure-oxygen combustion conditions

Under the pressure of carbon neutrality,many carbon capture,utilization and storage technologies have witnessed rapid development in the recent years,including oxy-fuel combustion(OFC)technology.However,the conventional OFC technology usually depends on the flue gas recirculation system,which faces significant investment,high energy consumption,and potential low-temperature corrosion problem.Considering these deficiencies,the direct utilization of pure oxygen to achieve particle fluidization and fuel combustion may reduce the overall energy consumption and CO_(2)-capture costs.In this paper,the fundamental structure of a self-designed 130 t·h^(-1) pure-oxygen combustion circulating fluidized bed(CFB)boiler was provided,and the computational particle fluid dynamics method was used to analyze the gas-solid flow characteristics of this new-concept boiler under different working conditions.The results indicate that through the careful selection of design or operational parameters,such as average bed-material size and fluidization velocity,the pure-oxygen combustion CFB system can maintain the ideal fluidization state,namely significant internal and external particle circulation.Besides,the contraction section of the boiler leads to the particle backflow in the lower furnace,resulting in the particle suspension concentration near the wall region being higher than that in the center region.Conversely,the upper furnace still retains the classic core-annulus flow structure.In addition to increasing solid circulation rate by reducing the average bed-material size,altering primary gas ratio and bed inventory can also exert varying degrees of influence on the gas-solid flow characteristics of the pure-oxygen combustion CFB boiler.

Mathematical Modelling and Design of Helical Coil Heat Exchanger for Production of Hot Air for Fluidized Bed Dryer

In global industrialization, efforts have been made to increase the rate of heat transfer in heat exchanger, minimizing the size of heat exchanger to reduce cost as well as increasing the effectiveness. Helical coil heat exchanger (HCHE) has been proven to be effective in improving heat transfer due to its large surface area. In this study, HCHE was designed to provide hot air needed for fluidized bed drying processes. The HCHE design model was fabricated and evaluated to study the efficiency of the hot air output for a laboratory fluidized bed dryer. The mathematical model for estimation of the final (output) temperature of air, Taf, passing through the HCHE was developed and validated experimentally. The drying of bitter kola particulates was carried out with a drying temperature of 50C 3C and a bed height-to-bed diameter ratio (H/D) of 1.5. The time taken to dry bitter kola particulates to 0.4% moisture content was 1 hour 45 minutes. Hence, HCHE is recommended for use in the production of hot for laboratory-scale fluidized bed dryers.

Heat and Mass Transfer for a Nanofluid Flow in Fluidized Bed Dryer in Presence of Induced Magnetic Field

This research entails the study of heat and mass transfer of nanofluid flow in a fluidized bed dryer used in tea drying processes in presence of induced magnetic field. A mathematical model describing the fluid flow in a Fluidized bed dryer was developed using the nonlinear partial differential equations. Due to their non-linearity, the equations were solved numerically by use of the finite difference method. The effects of physical flow parameters on velocity, temperature, concentration and magnetic induction profiles were studied and results were presented graphically. From the mathematical analysis, it was deduced that addition of silver nanoparticles into the fluid flow enhanced velocity and temperature profiles. This led to improved heat transfer in the fluidized bed dryer, hence amplifying the tea drying process. Furthermore, it was noted that induced magnetic field tends to decrease the fluid velocity, which results in uniform distribution of heat leading to efficient heat transfer between the tea particles and the fluid, thus improving the drying process. The research findings provide information to industries on ways to optimize thermal performance of fluidized bed dryers.

Pre-reduction of WO_(3)-Co_(3)O_(4)by H_(2)-C_(2)H_4 in a fluidized bed

In order to avoid the formation ofηphase(W_(6)Co_(6)C or W_(3)Co_(3)C)that adversely affects the sintering process and its products in the preparation process of ultra-fine WC-Co powder,a technical route of prereduction of WO_(3)-Co_(3)O_(4)to WO_(2)-Co and then deep reduction carbonization to WC-Co powder has been proposed.This study mainly investigates the influence of gas partial pressure on the pre-reduction process of WO_(3)-Co_(3)O_(4)under a mixed atmosphere of H_(2)-C_(2)H_(4)-Ar at 600℃and establishes the kinetic equations of pre-reduction and carbon evolution.The results indicate that increasing the partial pressure of hydrogen is conducive to the rapid and complete conversion of WO_(3) to WO_(2).High carbon content can be generated by the deposition of C_(2)H_(4),and it hinders the diffusion of the reducing gas;WO_(3)still cannot be completely reduced to WO_(2)as the partial pressure of C_(2)H_(4) increases to 60%.For the carbon evolution of C_(2)H_(4),the carbon amount is positively related to the H_(2)partial pressure,but it shows the highest amount and evolution rate when the ethylene partial pressure is 20%.Based on the reduction rate curves of WO_(3) and carbon evolution rate curves of C_(2)H_(4),the rate equations of pre-reduction and carbon evolution of WO_(3)-Co_(3)O_(4)system at 600℃are established.The pre-reduction reaction belongs to the first-order reaction,and its equation is expressed as follows:r=-(dw_(WO_(3)))/dt=(9±0.15)×10^(-2)×P_(H_(2))^(0.44)P_(C_(2)H_(4))&(0.57)The carbon deposition rate equation of C_(2)H_(4) can be expressed as follows:r=-(dc_C)/dt=r_f-r_b≌7.35×10^(-2)×P_(C_(2)H_(4))^(0.31)

Investigation into the operation of an autothermal two-section subbituminous coal fluidized bed gasifier

Using a newly developed experimental setup,the features and advantages of an autothermal single-casing atmospheric sub-bituminous coal fluidized bed air-blown gasifier,combining a combustion and gasification section,and mixing the dispersed phase(inert material,char)and heat exchange between them through an annular transfer device,have been revealed.To increase the efficiency of the gasifier,an experimental-computational method was developed find the conditions for optimal operation,combining changing the annular flow's geometry and regulating the primary air for gasification.A simple and reliable multizone thermodynamic calculation model makes it possible to predict the composition of char and syngas in the gasification section with acceptable accuracy.This method confirmed that a two-section fluidized bed gasifier can provide efficient gasification of solid fuels and is suitable for use in small-scale cogeneration plants.Syngas with a heating value of 3.6-4.5 MJ/m^(3)and CGE of 38.2%-42.3%was obtained in the experimental setup without optimizing the primary air flow rate.With optimization,the indicators increased to the heating value of syngas of 5.20-5.34 MJ/m^(3)and CGE of 42.5%-50.0%.With heat regeneration of 0.8,CGE increases to 70%.

Scale-up and thermal stability analysis of fluidized bed reactors for ethylene polymerization

A set of hydrodynamic similarity laws is applied to the scale-up of ethylene polymerization fluidized bed reactors(FBRs)under the condensed mode operation.The thermal stability of open-loop controlled FBRs is investigated by the homotopy continuation method.And the Hopf bifurcation point is selected as an index of the thermal stability similarity.The simulation results show the similarity in state variables,operation parameters,the space-time yield(STY),and the thermal stability of FBRs with different scales.Furthermore,the thermal stability behaviors and similarity of the closed-loop controlled FBRs with different scales are analyzed.The observed similar trend of Hopf bifurcation curves reveals the similarity in the thermal stability of closed-loop controlled FBRs with different scaling ratios.In general,the results of the thermal stability similarity confirm that the hydrodynamics scaling laws proposed in the work are applicable to the scale-up of FBRs under the condensed mode operation.

Comparative analysis on gas–solid drag models in MFIX-DEM simulations of bubbling fluidized bed

In this study,the open-source software MFIX-DEM simulations of a bubbling fluidized bed(BFB)are applied to assess nine drag models according to experimental and direct numerical simulation(DNS)results.The influence of superficial gas velocity on gas–solid flow is also examined.The results show that according to the distribution of time-averaged particle axial velocity in y direction,except for Wen–Yu and Tenneti–Garg–Subramaniam(TGS),other drag models are consistent with the experimental and DNS results.For the TGS drag model,the layer-by-layer movement of particles is observed,which indicates the particle velocity is not correctly predicted.The time domain and frequency domain analysis results of pressure drop of each drag model are similar.It is recommended to use the drag model derived from DNS or fine grid computational fluid dynamics–discrete element method(CFD-DEM)data first for CFD-DEM simulations.For the investigated BFB,the superficial gas velocity less than 0.9 m·s^(-1) should be adopted to obtain normal hydrodynamics.

Effects of particle type on the particle fluidization and distribution in a liquid–solid circulating fluidized bed boiler

A liquid-solid circulating fluidized bed boiler is designed and built for visualization research by applying the fluidized bed heat transfer and fouling prevention technology to the water side of the boiler. Four types of engineering plastic particles with different physical properties are selected as the solid working media. The effect of particle types on the fluidization and distribution of particles in the boiler is investigated under different feedwater flow rates and amount of added particles by using the charge couple device image measurement and acquisition system. The results show that all kinds of particles can't be normally fluidized and accumulate in the drum at low amount of added particles and feedwater flow rate. The particles with great density and low sphericity are more likely to accumulate. The average solid holdup in the riser tubes increases with the increase in feedwater flow rate and the amount of added particles. The non-uniform degree of particle distribution in the riser tubes generally decreases with the increase in feedwater flow rate and the amount of added particles. The particles with small density and settling velocity have high average solid holdup in the riser tubes under close sphericity. In generally,the smaller the density and settling velocity, the more uniform the particle distribution in the riser tubes.Three-dimensional diagrams of the non-uniform degree of particle distribution in the riser tubes of the boiler are established.

Influence of layer thickness on formation quality,microstructure,mechanical properties,and corrosion resistance of WE43 magnesium alloy fabricated by laser powder bed fusion

Laser powder bed fusion(L-PBF)of Mg alloys has provided tremendous opportunities for customized production of aeronautical and medical parts.Layer thickness(LT)is of great significance to the L-PBF process but has not been studied for Mg alloys.In this study,WE43 Mg alloy bulk cubes,porous scaffolds,and thin walls with layer thicknesses of 10,20,30,and 40μm were fabricated.The required laser energy input increased with increasing layer thickness and was different for the bulk cubes and porous scaffolds.Porosity tended to occur at the connection joints in porous scaffolds for LT40 and could be eliminated by reducing the laser energy input.For thin wall parts,a large overhang angle or a small wall thickness resulted in porosity when a large layer thicknesses was used,and the porosity disappeared by reducing the layer thickness or laser energy input.A deeper keyhole penetration was found in all occasions with porosity,explaining the influence of layer thickness,geometrical structure,and laser energy input on the porosity.All the samples achieved a high fusion quality with a relative density of over 99.5%using the optimized laser energy input.The increased layer thickness resulted to more precipitation phases,finer grain sizes and decreased grain texture.With the similar high fusion quality,the tensile strength and elongation of bulk samples were significantly improved from 257 MPa and 1.41%with the 10μm layer to 287 MPa and 15.12%with the 40μm layer,in accordance with the microstructural change.The effect of layer thickness on the compressive properties of porous scaffolds was limited.However,the corrosion rate of bulk samples accelerated with increasing the layer thickness,mainly attributed to the increased number of precipitation phases.

Alloy design for laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing:a critical review

Metal additive manufacturing(AM)has been extensively studied in recent decades.Despite the significant progress achieved in manufacturing complex shapes and structures,challenges such as severe cracking when using existing alloys for laser powder bed fusion(L-PBF)AM have persisted.These challenges arise because commercial alloys are primarily designed for conventional casting or forging processes,overlooking the fast cooling rates,steep temperature gradients and multiple thermal cycles of L-PBF.To address this,there is an urgent need to develop novel alloys specifically tailored for L-PBF technologies.This review provides a comprehensive summary of the strategies employed in alloy design for L-PBF.It aims to guide future research on designing novel alloys dedicated to L-PBF instead of adapting existing alloys.The review begins by discussing the features of the L-PBF processes,focusing on rapid solidification and intrinsic heat treatment.Next,the printability of the four main existing alloys(Fe-,Ni-,Al-and Ti-based alloys)is critically assessed,with a comparison of their conventional weldability.It was found that the weldability criteria are not always applicable in estimating printability.Furthermore,the review presents recent advances in alloy development and associated strategies,categorizing them into crack mitigation-oriented,microstructure manipulation-oriented and machine learning-assisted approaches.Lastly,an outlook and suggestions are given to highlight the issues that need to be addressed in future work.

Characterization, preparation, and reuse of metallic powders for laser powder bed fusion: a review

Laser powder bed fusion(L-PBF) has attracted significant attention in both the industry and academic fields since its inception, providing unprecedented advantages to fabricate complex-shaped metallic components. The printing quality and performance of L-PBF alloys are infuenced by numerous variables consisting of feedstock powders, manufacturing process,and post-treatment. As the starting materials, metallic powders play a critical role in infuencing the fabrication cost, printing consistency, and properties. Given their deterministic roles, the present review aims to retrospect the recent progress on metallic powders for L-PBF including characterization, preparation, and reuse. The powder characterization mainly serves for printing consistency while powder preparation and reuse are introduced to reduce the fabrication costs.Various powder characterization and preparation methods are presented in the beginning by analyzing the measurement principles, advantages, and limitations. Subsequently, the effect of powder reuse on the powder characteristics and mechanical performance of L-PBF parts is analyzed, focusing on steels, nickel-based superalloys, titanium and titanium alloys, and aluminum alloys. The evolution trends of powders and L-PBF parts vary depending on specific alloy systems, which makes the proposal of a unified reuse protocol infeasible. Finally,perspectives are presented to cater to the increased applications of L-PBF technologies for future investigations. The present state-of-the-art work can pave the way for the broad industrial applications of L-PBF by enhancing printing consistency and reducing the total costs from the perspective of powders.

Influence of heat treatment on microstructure,mechanical and corrosion behavior of WE43 alloy fabricated by laser-beam powder bed fusion

Magnesium(Mg)alloys are considered to be a new generation of revolutionary medical metals.Laser-beam powder bed fusion(PBF-LB)is suitable for fabricating metal implants withpersonalized and complicated structures.However,the as-built part usually exhibits undesirable microstructure and unsatisfactory performance.In this work,WE43 parts were firstly fabricated by PBF-LB and then subjected to heat treatment.Although a high densification rate of 99.91%was achieved using suitable processes,the as-built parts exhibited anisotropic and layeredmicrostructure with heterogeneously precipitated Nd-rich intermetallic.After heat treatment,fine and nano-scaled Mg24Y5particles were precipitated.Meanwhile,theα-Mg grainsunderwent recrystallization and turned coarsened slightly,which effectively weakened thetexture intensity and reduced the anisotropy.As a consequence,the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength were significantly improved to(250.2±3.5)MPa and(312±3.7)MPa,respectively,while the elongation was still maintained at a high level of 15.2%.Furthermore,the homogenized microstructure reduced the tendency of localized corrosion and favoredthe development of uniform passivation film.Thus,the degradation rate of WE43 parts was decreased by an order of magnitude.Besides,in-vitro cell experiments proved their favorable biocompatibility.

Microstructure and thermal properties of dissimilar M300–CuCr1Zr alloys by multi-material laser-based powder bed fusion

Multi-material laser-based powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) allows manufacturing of parts with 3-dimensional gradient and additional functionality in a single step. This research focuses on the combination of thermally-conductive CuCr1Zr with hard M300 tool steel.Two interface configurations of M300 on CuCr1Zr and CuCr1Zr on M300 were investigated. Ultra-fine grains form at the interface due to the low mutual solubility of Cu and steel. The material mixing zone size is dependent on the configurations and tunable in the range of0.1–0.3 mm by introducing a separate set of parameters for the interface layers. Microcracks and pores mainly occur in the transition zone.Regardless of these defects, the thermal diffusivity of bimetallic parts with 50vol% of CuCr1Zr significantly increases by 70%–150%compared to pure M300. The thermal diffusivity of CuCr1Zr and the hardness of M300 steel can be enhanced simultaneously by applying the aging heat treatment.

Numerical and experimental study on the particle erosion and gas–particle hydrodynamics in an integral multi-jet swirling spout-fluidized bed

In this paper,using the computational fluid dynamics based on Euler Lagrange and the commercial software Barracuda VR,the gas-particle hydrodynamics and the erosion of particles on the inner wall and internal components of the spouted bed in the integrated multi-jet swirling spout-fluidized bed(IMSSFB)are studied.Erosion experiments have obtained the characterization of particle erosion on internal components and verified the relevant numerical models.The results show that:the particle distribution within the IMSSFB is uneven due to the cyclonic effect of the axial swirl vane(ASV),resulting in particle erosion for the ASV being concentrated on one side;when the gas reaches the top,too high an erosion gas velocity leads to gas backflow.As the filling height increases,there is a tendency for the erosion position of the particles on the ASV to expand upwards.However,the effect of increasing gas velocity on the erosion position is insignificant.

Numerical Study of Flow Features Around Submerged Circular and Square Piles at Flat and Scoured Beds Using OpenFOAM

Elucidating the flow features around piles in local scouring processes is crucial for studies of local scouring mechanisms and scour depth estimates.This study details the flow turbulence characteristics of two submerged piles that are determined by solving the Navier-Stokes equations with the improved delayed detached eddy simulation model.This model is verified by comparing experimental and numerical results for hydrodynamic parameters with the literature for both square-crossing piles(SCPs)and circular-crossing piles(CCPs).Original topographies of flat and scoured beds(i.e.,the initial and equilibrium scouring stages)are based on experimental results obtained by the authors in the present paper.SCP and CCP flow features in the scouring process are discussed.The results indicate that during the scouring process,the time-averaged drag coefficient and root mean square(rms)of the lift coefficient increase linearly in the CCP test,while the rms of the lift coefficient in the SCP test decreases linearly.Moreover,the minimum pressure coefficient is always located in the upstream corners in the SCP case but moves from 72.5°to 79.5°when the scour hole is completely developed in the CCP case.Downward flow behind the pile,which is generated by separated boundary layers above the top face of the pile,can reach the sand bed and turn the separated shear layers into patches of small vortices in the near-wake regions.Thus,the high shear stress zones are mainly at the scour edges under scoured-bed conditions.

Mechanical behaviours of bedded sandstone under hydromechanical coupling

The combination of the dipping effect and hydromechanical(H-M)coupling effect can easily lead to water inrush disasters in water-rich roadways with different dip angles in coal mines.Therefore,H-M coupling tests of bedded sandstones under identical osmotic pressure and various confining pressures were conducted.Then,the evolution curves of stress-strain,permeability and damage,macro-and mesoscopic failure characteristics were obtained.Subsequently,the mechanical behaviour was characterized,and finally the failure mechanism was revealed.The results showed that:(1)The failure of the sandstone with the bedding angle of 45°or 60°was the structure-dominant type,while that with the bedding angle of 0°,30°or 90°was the force-dominant type.(2)When the bedding angle was in the range of(0°,30°)or(45°,90°),the confining pressure played a dominant role in influencing the peak strength.However,withinβ∈(30°,45°),the bedding effect played a dominant role in the peak strength.(3)With the increase in bedding angle,the cohesion increased first,then decreased and finally increased,while the internal friction angle was the opposite.(4)When the bedding angle was 0°or 30°,the“water wedging”effect and the“bedding buckling”effect would lead to the forking or converging shear failure.When the bedding angle was 45°or 60°,the sliding friction effect would lead to the shear slipping failure.When the bedding angle was 90°,the combination of the“bedding buckling”effect and shear effect would lead to the mixed tension-shear failure.The above conclusions obtained are helpful for the prevention of water inrush disasters in water-rich roadways with different dips in coal mines.

The influences of perforating phase and bedding planes on the fracture deflection in laminated shale

The perforating phase leads to complex and diverse hydraulic fracture propagation behaviors in laminated shale formations. In this paper, a 2D high-speed imaging scheme which can capture the interaction between perforating phase and natural shale bedding planes was proposed. The phase field method was used to simulate the same conditions as in the experiment for verification and hydraulic fracture propagation mechanism under the competition of perforating phase and bedding planes was discussed.The results indicate that the bedding planes appear to be no influence on fracture propagation while the perforating phase is perpendicular to the bedding planes, and the fracture propagates along the perforating phase without deflection. When the perforating phase algins with the bedding planes, the fracture initiation pressure reserves the lowest value, and no deflection occurs during fracture propagation. When the perforating phase is the angle 45°, 60°and 75°of bedding planes, the bedding planes begin to play a key role on the fracture deflection. The maximum deflection degree is reached at the perforating phase of75°. Numerical simulation provides evidence that the existence of shale bedding planes is not exactly equivalent to anisotropy for fracture propagation and the difference of mechanical properties between different shale layers is the fundamental reason for fracture deflection. The findings help to understand the intrinsic characteristics of shale and provide a theoretical basis for the optimization design of field perforation parameters.