Theoretical Considerations about the Steady State Combustion of Wood Char in a Bubbling Fluidized Bed Reactor

Published Date

DOI: 10.4236/epe.2013.53021

Author(s

Carlos Pinho

Affiliation(s)

Transport Phenomena Research Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.

ABSTRACT

A theoretical study on the performance of steady state bubbling fluidized bed burners is presented using a simple mathematical model. The proposed model has pedagogical and practical advantages due to its simplicity. The calculations, whose results are plotted in several graphics, were based on data obtained in laboratory scale experiments. The experiments were carried out with wood chars and the model allows a proper evaluation of physical and chemical phenomena taking place inside the reactor, as well as a fast approach to the pre-design phase, before going towards more complex and time consuming numerical modeling. In the first part of the paper the steady state modeling is compared with the combustion of successive batches of char particles. Afterwards, the performance of a 1 m diameter bed operating from 700℃ to 800℃ is shown.

KEYWORDS

Biomass; Wood Char; Fluidized Bed

Cite this paper

C. Pinho, "Theoretical Considerations about the Steady State Combustion of Wood Char in a Bubbling Fluidized Bed Reactor," Energy and Power Engineering, Vol. 5 No. 3, 2013, pp. 212-224. doi: 10.4236/epe.2013.53021.

References

[1]	G. P. Hammond and A. J. Stapleton, “Exergy Analysis of the United Kingdom Energy System,” Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part A: Journal of Power and Energy, Vol. 215, No. 2, 2001, pp. 141-162.
[2]	I. Obernberger, “Decentralized Biomass Combustion: State of the Art and Future Development,” Biomass and Energy, Vol. 15, No. 1, 1998, pp. 33-56.
[3]	A. Strehler, “Technologies of Wood Combustion,” Eco logical Engineering, Vol. 16, Suppl. 1, 2000, pp. S25-S40. doi:10.1016/S0925-8574(00)00049-5
[4]	P. McKendry, “Energy Production from Biomass (Part 1): Overview of Biomass,” Bioresource Technology, Vol. 83, No. 1, 2002, pp. 37-46. doi:10.1016/S0960-8524(01)00118-3
[5]	P. McKendry, “Energy Production from Biomass (Part 2): Conversion Technologies,” Bioresource Technology, Vol. 83, No. 1, 2002, pp. 47-54. doi:10.1016/S0960-8524(01)00119-5
[6]	P. McKendry, “Energy Production from Biomass (Part 3): Gasification Technologies,” Bioresource Technology, Vol. 83, No. 1, 2002, pp. 55-63. doi:10.1016/S0960-8524(01)00120-1
[7]	J. G. Speight, “Synthetic Fuels Handbook. Properties, Process and Performance,” McGraw-Hill, New York, 2008.
[8]	S. C. Bhattacharya, “State of the Art of Biomass Com bustion,” Energy Sources, Vol. 20, No. 2, 1998, pp. 113-135. doi:10.1080/00908319808970051
[9]	G. Grassi, “Modern Bioenery in the European Union,” Renewable Energy, Vol. 16, No. 1-4, 1999, pp. 985-990. doi:10.1016/S0960-1481(98)00347-4
[10]	L. Núnez-Regueira, J. A. Rodríguez-Anón and J. Proupín Castineiras, “Calorific Values and Flammability of Forest Species in Galicia. Continental High Mountainous and Humid Atlantic Zones,” Bioresource Technology, Vol. 61, No. 2, 1997, pp. 111-119. doi:10.1016/S0960-8524(97)00053-9
[11]	L. Núnez-Regueira, J. Rodríguez, J. Proupín and B. Mourino, “Forest Waste as an Alternative Energy Source,” Thermochimica Acta, Vol. 328, No. 1-2, 1999, pp. 105-110. doi:10.1016/S0040-6031(98)00630-3
[12]	L. Núnez-Regueira, J. A. Rodríguez-Anón, J. Proupín Castineiras, A. Vilanova-Diz and N. Montero-Santove?a, “Determination of Calorific Value of Forest Waste Bio mass by Static Bomb Calorimetry,” Thermochimica Acta, Vol. 371, No. 1-2, 2001, pp. 21-31.
[13]	L. Núnez-Regueira, J. A. Rodríguez-Anón, J. Proupín Castineiras and O. Núnez-Fernández, “Calculation of Forest Biomass Indices as a Toll to Fight Fores Fires,” Thermochimica Acta, Vol. 378, No. 1-2, 2001, pp. 9-25. doi:10.1016/S0040-6031(01)00591-3
[14]	European Environment Agency, “How Much Bioenergy Can Europe Produce without Harming the Environment?” EEA Report 7/2006, Copenhagen, 2006.
[15]	G. Boyle, “Renewable Energy. Power for a Sustainable Future,” The Open University, Milton Keynes, 1986.
[16]	N. El Bassam, “Energy Plant Species. Their Use and Impact on Environment and Development,” James and James (Science Publishers) Ltd., London, 1998.
[17]	D. L. Klass, “Biomass for Renewable Energy, Fuels and Chemicals,” Academic Press, San Diego, 1998.
[18]	J. Werther, M. Saenger, E. U. Hartge, T. Ogada and Z. Siagi, “Combustion of Agricultural Residues,” Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, Vol. 26, No. 1, 2000, pp. 1-27. doi:10.1016/S0360-1285(99)00005-2
[19]	A. Demirbas, “Combustion Characteristics of Different Biomass Fuels,” Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, Vol. 30, No. 2, 2004, pp. 219-230. doi:10.1016/j.pecs.2003.10.004
[20]	C. Descamps, C. Bouallou and M. Kanniche, “Efficiency of an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) Power Plant including CO2 Removal,” Energy, Vol. 33, No. 6, 2008, pp. 874-881. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2007.07.013
[21]	S. Oka, “Fluidized Bed Combustion,” Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, 2004.
[22]	M. M. Avedesian and J. F. Davidson, “Combustion of Carbon Particles in a Fluidised Bed,” Transactions of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, Vol. 51, 1973, pp. 121-131.
[23]	H. A. Becker, J. M. Beer and B. M. Gibbs, “A Model for Fluidized-Bed Combustion of Coal,” Institute of Fuel Symposium Series No. 1: Fluidised Combustion, 1975, pp. A1-1-A1-10.
[24]	I. B. Ross and J. F. Davidson, “The Combustion of Car bon Particles in a Fluidised Bed,” Transactions of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, Vol. 59, 1981, pp. 108-114.
[25]	I. B. Ross, M. S. Patel and J. F. Davidson, “The Temperature of Burning Carbon Particles,” Transactions of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, Vol. 59, 1981, pp. 83-88.
[26]	C. M. C. T. Pinho and J. R. F. Guedes de Carvalho, “The Combustion of Coke Particles in a Fluidised Bed. Some Aspects of Kinetic Data Collection,” I. Chem. E. Symposium Series, No. 87, 1984, pp. 77-84.
[27]	A. N. Hayhurst, “Does Carbon Monoxide Burn inside a Fluidised Bed? A New Model for the Combustion of Coal Char Particles in Fluidised Beds,” Combustion and Flame, Vol. 85, No. 1-2, 1991, pp. 155-168. doi:10.1016/0010-2180(91)90184-D
[28]	J. R. F. Guedes de Carvalho, A. M. F. R. Pinto and C. M. C. T. Pinho, “Mass Transfer around Carbon Particles Burning in Fluidised Beds,” Transactions of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, Vol. 69, No. 1, 1991, pp. 63-70.
[29]	O. D. S. Mota, A. M. F. R. Pinto and J. B. L. M. Campos, “Fluidised-Bed Combustion of a Charge of a Coke with a Wide Distribution of Particle Sizes,” Chemical Engi neering Science, Vol. 49, No. 8, 1994, pp. 1097-1105. doi:10.1016/0009-2509(94)85082-8
[30]	A. N. Hayhurst and M. S. Parmar, “Does Solid Carbon Burn in Oxygen to Give the Gaseous Intermediate CO or Produce CO2 Directly? Some Experiments in a Hot Bed of Sand Fluidised by Air,” Chemical Engineering Science, Vol. 53, No. 3, 1998, pp. 427-438. doi:10.1016/S0009-2509(97)00334-5
[31]	L. Ribeiro and C. Pinho, “Generic Behaviour of Propane Combustion in Fluidized Beds,” Chemical Engineering Research and Design, Vol. 82, No. 12, 2004, pp. 1597-1603. doi:10.1205/cerd.82.12.1597.58039
[32]	L. Ribeiro, and C. Pinho, “Combustion of Slugs of Pro pane and Air Moving through an Incipiently Fluidized Bed,” Combustion Theory and Modelling, Vol. 11, No. 3, 2007, pp. 401-425.
[33]	J. S. M. Botteril, “Fluid-Bed Heat Transfer,” Academic Press, London, 1975.
[34]	F. Scala and R. Chirone, “Combustion and Attrition of Biomass Chars in a Fluidized Bed,” Energy and Fuels, Vol. 20, No. 1, 2006, pp. 91-102. doi:10.1021/ef050102g
[35]	S. C. Bhattacharya and W. Z. Wu, “Fluidized Bed Combustion of Rice Husk Disposal and Energy Recovery,” Energy from Biomass and Wastes Symposium, Institute of Gas Technology, New Orleans, 1988.
[36]	D. A. Tillman, A. J. Rossi and W. D. Kitto, “Wood Combustion: Principles, Process and Economics,” Academic Press, San Diego, 1981.
[37]	L-E. ?mand and B. Leckner, “Co-Combustion of Sewage Sludge with Wood/Coal in a Circulating Fluidized Bed Boiler—A Study of Gaseous Emissions,” 1st Biennial Meeting of the Scandinavian-Nordic Section of the Combustion Institute, Chalmers University of Technology. Goteborg, 18-20 April 2001.
[38]	L-E, ?mand, H. Miettinen-Westberg, M. Karlsson, B. Leckner, K. Lucke, S. Budinger, E. U. Hartge and J. Werther, “Co-Combustion of Sewage Sludge with Wood/ Coal in a Circulating Fluidized Bed Boiler—A Study of NO and N2O Emissions,” 3rd International Symposium on Incineration and Flue Gas Treatment Technologies, Brussels, 2-4 July 2001, p. Session 5.
[39]	W. C. Yang, “Handbook of Fluidization and Fluid-Particle Systems,” Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, 2003. doi:10.1201/9780203912744
[40]	J. C. Roscoe, A. R. Witkowski and D. Harrison, “The Temperature of Coke Particles in a Fluidised Combus tor,” Transactions of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, Vol. 58, 1980, pp. 69-72.
[41]	J. Adánez, F. de Diego, F. García-Labiano, A. Abad and J. C. Abanades, “Determination of Biomass Char Combustion Reactivities for FBC Applications by a Combined Method,” Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 40, No. 20, 2001, pp. 4317-4323. doi:10.1021/ie0102394
[42]	Y. H. Khraisha, “Batch Combustion of Oil Shale Particles in a Fluidized Bed Reactor,” Fuel Processing Technology, Vol. 86, No. 6, 2005, pp. 691-706. doi:10.1016/j.fuproc.2004.07.002
[43]	M. Komatina, V. Manovic and D. Dakic, “An Experimental Study of Temperature of Burning Coal Particle in Fluidized Bed,” Energy and Fuels, Vol. 20, No. 1, 2006, pp. 114-119. doi:10.1021/ef050222o
[44]	K. Annamalai, “Interactive Processes in Evaporation and Combustion of Liquid Drop Arrays and Clouds,” In: H. H. Chiv and N. Chigier, Eds., Mechanics and Combustion of Droplets and Sprays, Begell House, Inc., New York, 1995, pp. 116-160.
[45]	J. F. Davidson and D. Harrison, “Fluidised Particles,” Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1963.
[46]	S. Hovmand, W. Freedman and J. F. Davidson, “Chemical Reaction in a Pilot-Scale Fluidized Bed,” Transactions of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, Vol. 49, 1971, pp. 149-162.
[47]	T. G. Dobre and J. G. Marcano, “Chemical Engineering. Modelling, Simulation and Similitude,” Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim, 2007.
[48]	N. A. R. Moreira, “Characterization of the Combustion of Vegetable Chars in Fluidized Bed (In Portuguese-Caracteriza??o da Combust?o de Carv?es Vegetais em Leito Fluidizado),” Ph.D. Thesis, University of Oporto, Porto, 2008.
[49]	R. D. La Nauze, K. Jung and J. Kastl, “Mass Transfer to Large Particles in Fluidised Beds of Smaller Particles,” Chemical Engineering Science, Vol. 39, No. 11, 1984, pp. 1623-1633. doi:10.1016/0009-2509(84)80089-5
[50]	P. S. Fennell, S. Kadchha, H.-Y. Lee, J. S. Dennis and A. N. Hayhurst, “The Measurement of the Rate of Burning of Different Coal Chars in an Electrically Heated Fluidised Bed of Sand,” Chemical Engineering Science, Vol. 62, No. 1-2, 2007, pp. 608-618. doi:10.1016/j.ces.2006.09.024

For further details log on website :
http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=31124