Particle velocities and their residence time distribution in the riser of a CFB

Positron Emission Particle Tracking of Granular Flows

Positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) is a noninvasive technique capable of imaging the three-dimensional dynamics of a wide variety of powders, particles, grains, and/or fluids. The PEPT technique can track the motion of particles with high temporal and spatial resolution and can be used to study various phenomena in systems spanning a broad range of scales, geometries, and physical states. We provide an introduction to the PEPT technique, an overview of its fundamental principles and operation, and a brief review of its application to a diverse range of scientific and industrial systems.

3D CPFD Simulation of Circulating Fluidized Bed Downer and Riser: Comparisons of Flow Structure and Solids Back-Mixing Behavior

The difference of gas-solids flow between a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) downer and riser was compared by computational particle fluid dynamics (CPFD) approach. The comparison was conducted under the same operating conditions. Simulation results demonstrated that the downer showed much more uniform solids holdup and solids velocity distribution compared with the riser. The radial non-uniformity index of the solids holdup in the riser was over 10 times than that in the downer. In addition, small clusters tended to be present in the whole downer, large clusters tended to be present near the wall in riser. It was found that the different cluster behavior is important in determining the different flow behaviors of solids in the downer and riser. While the particle residence time increased evenly along the downward direction in the downer, particles with both shorter and longer residence time were predicted in the whole riser. The nearly vertical cumulative residence time distribution (RTD) curve in the downer further demonstrated that the solids back-mixing in the downer is limited while that in the riser is severe. Solids turbulence in the downer was much weaker compared with the riser, while the large clusters formation near the wall in the riser would hinder solids transportation ability.

Flue Gas Desulphurization in Circulating Fluidized Beds

Sulphur dioxide (SO2) is mostly emitted from coal-fueled power plants, from waste incineration, from sulphuric acid manufacturing, from clay brick plants and from treating nonferrous metals. The emission of SO2 needs to be abated. Both wet scrubbing (absorption) and dry or semi-dry (reaction) systems are used. In the dry process, both bubbling and circulating fluidized beds (BFB, CFB) can be used as contactor. Experimental results demonstrate a SO2-removal efficiency in excess of 94% in a CFB application. A general model of the heterogeneous reaction is proposed, combining the external diffusion of SO2 across the gas film, the internal diffusion of SO2 in the porous particles and the reaction as such (irreversible, 1st order). For the reaction of SO2 with a fine particulate reactant, the reaction rate constant and the relevant contact time are the dominant parameters. Application of the model equations reveals that the circulating fluidized bed is the most appropriate technique, where the high solid to gas ratio guarantees a high conversion in a short reaction time. For the CFB operation, the required gas contact time in a CFB at given superficial gas velocities and solids circulation rates will determine the SO2 removal rate.

Experiments support an improved model for particle transport in fluidized beds

The upwards flow of particles in an Upflow Bubbling Fluidized Bed (UBFB) is studied experimentally and modelled from pressure drop considerations and energy loss equations. For Geldart group A powders tested, the upward solid flux, G_s, in the tube can be expressed in terms of the applied superficial gas velocity, the free fall (terminal) velocity of the particles during their hindered settling, KU_t, the pressure exerted at the base of the conveyor tube, and the tube length. The model expression \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$${{\boldsymbol{G}}}_{{\boldsymbol{s}}}=\frac{{\boldsymbol{\Delta }}{\boldsymbol{P}}}{({U}_{{\boldsymbol{g}}}-{\boldsymbol{K}}{{\boldsymbol{U}}}_{{\boldsymbol{t}}}){\boldsymbol{+}}\frac{{{\boldsymbol{K}}}^{{\boldsymbol{2}}}{\boldsymbol{g}}{\boldsymbol{L}}}{({{\boldsymbol{U}}}_{{\boldsymbol{g}}}-{\boldsymbol{K}}{{\boldsymbol{U}}}_{{\boldsymbol{t}}})}}$$\end{document}Gs=ΔP(Ug−KUt)+K2gL(Ug−KUt) can be used for design purposes, with K, the correction factor for hindered settling of the particles, approximately equal to 0.1 at high G_s-values, but a function of the solids fraction in the upward conveying. The energy efficiency of the system increases with increasing U and G_s. The model equation was tentatively applied to predict the effects of particle size, tube length and operation in Circulating Fluidized Bed mode. It is demonstrated that the UBFB is an efficient and flexible way of transporting particles upwards, with limited particle attrition or tube erosion due to the low gas velocity applied.

Positron emission particle tracking and its application to granular media

Positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) is a technique for tracking a single radioactively labelled particle. Accurate 3D tracking is possible even when the particle is moving at high speed inside a dense opaque system. In many cases, tracking a single particle within a granular system provides sufficient information to determine the time-averaged behaviour of the entire granular system. After a general introduction, this paper describes the detector systems (PET scanners and positron cameras) used to record PEPT data, the techniques used to label particles, and the algorithms used to process the data. This paper concentrates on the use of PEPT for studying granular systems: the focus is mainly on work at Birmingham, but reference is also made to work from other centres, and options for wider diversification are suggested.