Motion analysis of waste rock in gas-solids fluidized bed in coal dry beneficiation

Through the analysis of forces acting on the waste rock in the gas solid fluidized bed, the waste rock velocity equations and displacement equations in the gas solids fluidized bed were achieved and the influential factors of the waste rock motion in the fluidized bed were studied in this paper. The conclusions show that the primary factors influencing the waste rock motion are the waste rock grain size and the scraper velocity according to the computer simulation. This has provided the theoretical foundation both for improving the separating effect and ascertaining the length of the separating cell.

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.

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.

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.

PRESSURE FLUCTUATIONS IN GAS-SOLIDS FLUIDIZED BEDS

Pressure fluctuation data measured in a series of fluidized beds with diameters of 0.05, 0.1, 0.29, 0.60 and 1.56 m showed that the maximum amplitude or standard deviation increased with increasing the superficial gas velocity and static bed height for relatively shallow beds and became insensitive to the increase in static bed height in relatively deep beds. The amplitude appeared to be less dependent on the measurement location in the dense bed. Predictions based on bubble passage, bubble eruption at the upper bed surface and bed oscillation all failed to explain all observed trends and underestimated the amplitude of pressure fluctuations, suggesting that the global pressure fluctuations in gas-solids bubbling fluidized beds are the superposition of local pressure variations, bed oscillations and pressure waves generated from the bubble formation in the distributor region, bubble coalescence during their rise and bubble eruption at the upper bed surface.

ELECTROSTATIC PHENOMENA IN GAS-SOLIDS FLUIDIZED BEDS

Electrostatic charges are generated by particle-wall, particle-particle and particle-gas contacts in gas-solids transport lines and fluidized bed reactors. High particle charge densities can lead to particle agglomeration, particle segregation, fouling of reactor walls and internals, leading to undesirable by-product and premature shut-down of processing equipment. In this paper, the charge generation, dissipation and segregation mechanisms are examined based on literature data and recent experimental findings in our laboratory. The particle-wall contact charging is found to be the dominant charge generation mechanism for gas-solids pneumatic transport lines, while bipolar charging due to intimate particle-particle contact is believed to be the dominant charge generation mechanism in gas fluidized beds. Such a bipolar charging mechanism is also supported by the segregation patterns of charged particles in fluidized beds in which highly charged particles tend to concentrate in the bubble wake and drift region behind rising bubbles.

Effect of structure parameters on forces acting on baffles used in gas-solids fluidized beds

Effects of some important structural parameters,i.e.slat pitch,and layout position,on dynamic forces acting on the baffles were examined in the fluidized bed of FCC particles operating under different superficial gas velocities.The experimental baffles were made of multiple inclined slats.We found that the forces acting on the baffles decreased significantly with reducing pitch between the slats.For the baffles with a small slat pitch,the forces acting on the baffles increased slightly and then decreased with increasing superficial gas velocity,which is very different from the measured results of a single slat or tube immersed in fluidized beds.The different results are greatly related to the appearance of the“gas cushion”beneath the baffles,whose height increases with increasing superficial gas velocity.On the other hand,a region with stronger particle circulation induced by the inclined slat array was observed in the experiments.The slat near the wall and located below the region of downward-flowing particles was found to be subjected to the severest forces.Therefore,the slats located in similar locations of industrial baffles are suggested to be reinforced to increase their structural strength.

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.

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.

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.

CFD simulation of pressure fluctuation characteristics in the gas-solid fluidized bed:Comparisons with experiments

A simple hydrodynamic model based on two-fluid theory, taking into account the effect of discrete particles on both the gas- and solid-phase momentum equations, was used to numerically investigate the pressure fluctuation characteristics in a gas-solid fluidized bed with the aid of CFX 4.4, a commercial CFD software package, by adding user-defined Fortran subroutines. Numerical simulations together with typical experimental measurements show that pressure fluctuations originate above the distributor when a gas pulse is injected into the fluidized bed. The pressure above the bubble gradually increases due to the presence of a rising bubble. When the bubble passes through the bed surface, the pressure near the bed surface gradually decreases to a lower value. Moreover, the pressure signals in the bubbling fluidized beds show obviously periodic characteristics. The major frequency of pressure fluctuations at the same vertical position is affected slightly by the operating gas velocity, and the amplitude of pressure fluctuations is related to both the operating gas velocity and the vertical height. In this study, the influence of the operating gas velocity on the pressure wave propagation velocity can be ignored, and only two peak frequencies in the power spectrum of the pressure fluctuations are observed which are associated with the bubble formation above the distributor and its eruption at the bed surface.

CFD simulation of bubbling and collapsing characteristics in a gas-solid fluidized bed

Computational Fluid Dynamics （CFD） has become an alternative method to experiments for understanding the fluid dynamics of multiphase flow. A two-fluid model, which contains additional terms in both the gas- and solid-phase momentum equations, is used to investigate the fluidization quality in a fluidized bed. A case study for quartz sand with a density of 2,660 kg/m^3 and a diameter of 500 μm, whose physical property is similar to a new kind of catalyst for producing clean fuels through the residue fluid catalytic cracking process, is simulated in a two-dimensional fluidized bed with 0.57 m width and 1.00 m height. Transient bubbling and collapsing characteristics are numerically investigated in the platform of CFX 4.4 by integrating user-defined Fortran subroutines. The results show that the fluidization and collapse process is in fair agreement with the classical theory of Geldart B classification, but the collapse time is affected by bubbles at the interface between the dense phase and freeboard.

Analysis of Gas-Solid Flow Characteristics in a Spouted Fluidized Bed Dryer by Means of Computational Particle Fluid Dynamics

In order to grasp the particle flow characteristics and energy consumption of industrial fluidized spouted beds,we conduct numerical simulations on the basis of a Computational Particle Fluid Dynamics(CPFD)approach.In particular,the traction model of Wen-Yu-Ergun is used and different inlet conditions are considered.Using a low-speed fluidizing gas,the flow state of the particles is better and the amount of particles accumulated at the bottom of the bed wall becomes smaller.For the same air intake,the energy loss of a circular nozzle is larger than that of a square nozzle.

CFD Model of Dense Gas-solid Systems in Jetting Fluidized Beds

A CFD code has been developed based on the conservation principles describing gas and solid flow in fluidized beds. This code is employed to simulate not only the spatiotemporal gas and solid phase velocities and voidage profiles in a two dimensional bed but also fluid dynamics in the jet region. The computational results show that gas flow direction is upward in the entire bed accompanied with random local circulations, whilst solid flow direction is upward at the center and downward near the wall. The radical reason of strong back mixing of solid particles and good transfer behavior between two phases is that the jet entrains solid particles. Numerical calculation indicates that gas velocity, solid velocity and pressure profile have a significant change when the voidage is 0 8. The simulated time averaged voidage profiles agree with the experimental results and simulated data reported by Gidaspow and Ettehadieh(1983). Therefore, CFD model can be regarded as a useful tool to study the jet characteristics in dense gas solid fluidized beds.

Experiment and simulation on the pyrite removal from the recirculating load of pulverizer with a dilute phase gas-solid fluidized bed

In order to reduce the energy consumption and subsequent air pollution of coal-fired power station, based on the analysis to size and density distribution of particles from the recirculating load of the classifier of pulverizer, the separation experiment on sampling material from power plant with a dilute phase fluidized bed to remove pyrite and other minerals and numerical simulation on the separation process were done. The results show that the minimum fluidization velocity is 1.62 cm/s. Pyrite and other minerals in the material are separated. Ash of the upper and bottom layer material account for 33.34% and 73.42% respectively and sulfur content occupy 1.12% and 8.96% respectively. Scanning electron microscopy and spectroscopy tests show that sulfur in the bottom material exist in the form of pyrite. Numerical simulation on the flow field form of the dilute phase separation bed with gas-solid two phase and particle motion verifies the experimental results.

Effect of Gas Distributor Structure on Fluidization Characteristics in a Gas-Solid Fluidized Bed

In the present paper,the experimental method and computational fluid dynamics(CFD)method were used to investigate the effect of gas distributors with different orifice sizes and orifice pitches on fluidization characteristics in a gas-solid fluidized bed.The Euler-Euler two fluid model(TFM)approach based on the kinetic theory of granular flow(KTGF)and the standard k-epsilon turbulence model was employed in the numerical simulation by using ANSYS Fluent 15.0.The results showed that the orifice size and the orifice pitch of gas distributor had a significant influence on the flow characteristics in the gas-solid fluidized bed.With a decreasing orifice size and orifice pitch of gas distributor having the same opening area,the distributor pressure drop,the initial bubble size,and the height of dead zone just above the distributor were decreased,and the bed pressure drop was increased more than that of the larger orifice size and orifice pitch of distributors,the distribution of solid volume fraction was also more homogeneous for the smaller orifice size.

Wavelet analysis of pressure fluctuation signals in a gas-solid fluidized bed

It has been shown that much dynamic information is hidden in the pressure fluctuation signals of a gas-solid fluidized bed. Unfortunately, due to the random and capricious nature of this signal, it is hard to realize reliable analysis using traditional signal processing methods such as statistical analysis or spectral analysis, which is done in Fourier domain. Information in different frequency band can be extracted by using wavelet analysis. On the evidence of the composition of the pressure fluctuation signals, energy of low frequency (ELF) is proposed to show the transition of fluidized regimes from bubbling fluidization to turbulent fluidization. Plots are presented to describe the fluidized bed's evolution to help identify the state of different flow regimes and provide a characteristic curve to identify the fluidized status effectively and reliably.

Modularized dry coal beneficiation technique based on gas-solid fluidized bed

A 40-60 t/h modularized dry coal beneficiation process with a novel method to control the bed was designed around a gas-solid fluidized bed separator. Furthermore,the hydrodynamics of medium-solids consisting of wide-size-range magnetite powder (0.3-0.06 mm) and <1 mm fine coal were numerically studied. The simulation results show that the fluidization performance of the wide-size-range medium-solid bed is good. The separation performance of the modularized system was then investigated in detail using a mixture of <0.3 mm magnetite powder (mass fraction of 0.3-0.06 mm particles is 91.38 %) and <1 mm fine coal as solid media. The experimental results show that at separation densities of 1.33 g/cm3 or 1.61 g/cm3,50-6 mm coal can be separated effectively with probable error,E,values of 0.05 g/cm3 and 0.06 g/cm3,respectively. This technique is beneficial for saving water resources and for the clean utilization of coal.