Gas-solid Flow Behaviors in a Pressurized Multi-stage Circulating Fluidized Bed with Geldart Group B Particles

Abstract

Abstract A comprehensive study of gas-solids flow behaviors was conducted in a novel multi-stage circulating fluidized bed (MCFB). Experiments were carried out in a cold model apparatus (a jetting fluidized bed, JFB, of 0.3 m diameter and 1.95 m tall, a riser of 0.15 m diameter and 12 m tall) at different elevated pressure, solids circulation rates and gas velocities. Geldart group B polystyrene particles of 400 μm in diameter and 1020 kg/m3 in density were used as bed materials. The characteristic of L-valve, axial and radial distributions of solids holdup were systematically tested at elevated pressures by pressure transducers with the frequency of 100 Hz and model PC6M of the optical fiber probes. Operating the L-valve at elevated pressure needs less cross-section average gas velocity compared to that at atmospheric pressure. Experimental results showed that under elevated pressure and high solids flow rate, the MCFB could more easily couple JFB with a riser, where the solids that entered could form three-level step-by-step supplement entrainment and multi-flow regimes formed. Besides, increasing operating pressure led to a higher the apparent solids holdup and local solids holdup. The local solids profiles behaved less uniform distribution at elevated pressure due to decreasing the gas velocity.