Prediction of the radial solids concentration distribution in circulating fluidized bed risers

The presented work deals with the development of a model for the prediction of the radial solids concentration distribution in circulating fluidized bed risers. In order to provide a substantial basis for the model development, non‑invasive investigations on the solids distribution over the cross-section of a pilot plant scale circulating fluidized bed riser are carried out using X‑ray computed tomography. The examined operating range covers cross-section averaged solids concentrations between 2.7 vol.% and 38.1 vol.% while superficial gas velocities were adjusted in the range from 0.4 m s‑1 up to 6.0 m s‑1. Especially in the case of dense gas‑solid flow conditions detrimental beam hardening effects gain influence, distorting the results of the X-ray measurements (1). Thus, a novel calibration method is presented to facilitate the derivation of volumetric solids concentrations from the measured tomographic attenuation data. In this, an emphasized feature consists in the elimination of low energetic radiation from the incident X‑ray spectrum to avoid beam hardening effects, which are caused by the pipe material and the fluidized solids. Evaluation of the presented technique by comparison of the derived cross-section averaged solids concentrations with those obtained from differential pressure measurements confirms its high accuracy. Subsequently, the technique is applied for quantitative analysis of the radial solids concentration distribution in a gas‑solid circulating fluidized bed riser in dependence of the overall solids holdup and the superficial gas velocity. The high spatial resolution and the non-invasive character of the applied technique allow for detailed examination of the solids concentration prevailing in close proximity of the inner riser wall as well as in the center of the cross-section. The tomographic X‑ray scans of the cross-section of the riser, operated under dilute and highly dense conditions, provide a comprehensive set of measurement data, based on which a model is developed that allows for the prediction of the radial solids concentration distribution in vertical gas-solid upflow. The proposed model is found to reliably predict the radial solids concentration distribution under dilute as well as under dense flow conditions. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). ScienceDirect Particle Tracking In Fluidized Beds With Secondary Gas Injection

Abstract Fluidized beds with secondary gas injection enjoy great popularity in process industry. Owing to their characteristic properties such as intense mixing of solids, excellent mass and heat transfer conditions as well as easy handling of solids, this type of apparatus is applied in various fields of process engineering nowadays. In the past decades research concerning fluidized beds with secondary gas injection has focused on understanding how solid particles and the injected gas are distributed within the apparatus. With the aid of invasive measurement techniques the region surrounding the injector nozzle was investigated with respect to the penetration depth of the gas jet above the nozzle orifice as well as the jet opening angle. A major drawback of the previously used measurement techniques consists in their invasive nature. Penetration of the injection zone by a probe can severely influence the local flow pattern and consequently has a detrimental effect on the reliability of the measured data. Therefore in the presented work for the first time the solids distribution as well as the motion of a single particle in a fluidized bed with secondary gas injection has been investigated by positron emission particle tracking (PEPT). This non-invasive technique is based on labeling one single particle, randomly selected from the bulk, radioactively, which allows for tracking its motion with high temporal and spatial resolution. The obtained data are compared with results derived from invasive measurements. Moreover PEPT-data have been used to perform investigations on the residence time behavior of particles within the jet region and the suspended phase. It could be found that the combination of invasive measurements and PEPT provide valuable information for the design and optimization of fluidized bed reactors with a well-defined injection zone

Non-invasive investigation of the cross-sectional solids distribution in CFB risers by X-ray computed tomography

We apply X-ray computed tomography for non-invasive investigation of the distribution of solids over the cross-section of a pilot plant scale circulating fluidized bed riser and present a novel method to derive volumetric solids concentrations from tomographic raw data. In this, the elimination of low-energetic radiation from the incident X-ray spectrum plays an essential role to avoid detrimental beam hardening effects, which are caused by the pipe material and the fluidized solids. The presented technique is applied for quantitative analysis of the radial solids concentration distribution in a gas-solid circulating fluidized bed riser. The examined operating range covers mean solids concentrations between 2.7 vol% and 37.2 vol% whilst the superficial gas velocity is varied between 1.5 m s−1 and 6.0 m s−1. The high spatial resolution of the measured data permits evaluation of the influence of the overall solids holdup and the superficial gas velocity on the radial solids concentration profile. Comparison of the cross-section averaged solids concentrations obtained by X-ray computed tomography with those inferred from differential pressure measurements confirms the high accuracy of the applied method. Based on a comprehensive set of measurement data a model is developed that allows for the prediction of the radial solids concentration distribution in vertical gas-solid upflow