Kinetic study of fast pyrolysis of sawdust in a conical spouted bed reactor in the range 400–500 °C

An original reactor (a conical spouted bed reactor) is used for the kinetic study of Pinus insignis sawdust pyrolysis in the range 400–500 °C under the usual conditions of this reactor for pyrolysis in a continuous regime. The equipment meets the requirements for pyrolysis kinetic study (bed isothermality, high mass and heat transfer between phases and short residence time of gaseous products). The results of yield of products are evidence of the good performance of the conical spouted bed reactor for obtaining a liquid product, with a maximum yield of 70 wt% in the range 440–460 °C. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Recycling poly-(methyl methacrylate) by pyrolysis in a conical spouted bed reactor

The pyrolysis of poly-(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) has been studied in a pyrolysis plant provided with a conical spouted bed reactor. This reactor is an interesting technology for the pyrolysis of waste plastics due to its excellent hydrodynamic behaviour and its high heat transfer and versatility. A previous kinetic study was carried out in thermobalance, in which the degradation of this polymer was observed to begin at low temperatures, 553 K. Consequently, the activation energy is low compared to other plastics. The influence of temperature on pyrolysis product distribution in the conical spouted bed reactor has been studied in the 673–823 K range. The products obtained at low temperatures are mainly the monomers of the polymer used for the study methyl methacrylate (MMA) and ethyl acrylate (EA). When the pyrolysis temperature is increased, the yield of monomers is lower due to the higher severity of secondary reactions, and there is a significant increase in the yield of gases. The maximum monomer recovery has been obtained at 673 K, with the yields of MMA and EA being 86.5% and 6.2%, respectively.     

Influence of Operating Conditions for Fast Pyrolysis and Pyrolysis Oil Production in a Conical Spouted‐Bed Reactor

Fast pyrolysis experiments of larch sawdust were conducted in a conical spouted‐bed reactor to study the influences of reaction temperature, inlet gas velocity, feeding rate, and particle size on the product yield and pyrolysis oil quality. For the first time, the optimal conditions were determined for various pyrolysis operations of such reactor to increase the yield and quality of pyrolysis oil. The results demonstrate that the biomass particle size, reaction temperature, biomass feeding rate, and inlet gas velocity all affected the quality and yield of the pyrolysis oil, in this order.     

Continuous pyrolysis of waste tyres in a conical spouted bed reactor

Continuous pyrolysis of scrap tyres has been carried out in a conical spouted bed reactor and the results (yields, composition of the volatile fraction and carbon black properties) have been compared with those obtained operating in batch mode in a previous study. Continuous operation in the 425-600 °C range gives way to a yield of 1.8-6.8 wt.% of gases, 44.5-55.0 wt.% of liquid fraction (C₅-C₁₀ range hydrocarbons, with a maximum yield of limonene of 19.3 wt.% at 425 °C), 9.2-11.5 wt.% of tar and 33.9-35.8 wt.% of char. The main differences between the continuous and batch processes are in the yield of light aromatics, which is higher in the continuous process, and in that of the heavy liquid fraction or tar, which is higher in the batch process. These are the advantages of the continuous process, although hydrogenation of the liquid fraction is required even in this case in order to use it as fuel. The high yield of limonene, the flexibility in the operating conditions and the capacity for a continuous removal of the residual carbon black from the reactor are the advantages of conical spouted bed technology. The excellent performance of the conical spouted bed reactor for the tyre pyrolysis process is due to the solid cyclic movement, the good contact between phases, the high heating rate and the reduced residence time of the volatile products.     

Hydrodynamics of a Novel Biomass Autothermal Fast Pyrolysis Reactor: Flow Pattern and Pressure Drop

A novel biomass, autothermal, fast pyrolysis reactor with a draft tube and an internal dipleg dividing the reactor into two interconnected beds is proposed. This internally interconnected fluidized beds (IIFB) reactor is designed to produce high‐quality bio‐oil using catalysts. Meanwhile, the pyrolysis by‐products, i.e., char, coke and non‐condensable gases, are expected to burn in the combustion bed to provide the heat for the pyrolysis. On the other hand, the catalysts can be regenerated simultaneously. In this study, experiments on the hydrodynamics of a cold model IIFB reactor are reported. Geldart group B and D sand particles were used as the bed materials. The effects of spouting and fluidizing gas velocities, particle size, static bed height and the total pressure loss coefficient of the pyrolysis bed exit, on the flow patterns and pressure drops of the two interconnected beds are studied. Six distinct flow patterns, i.e., fixed bed (F), periodic spouted/bubbling bed (PS/B), spouted bed with aeration (SA), spout‐fluidized bed (SF), spout‐fluidized bed with slugging (SFS) and spouted bed with backward jet (SBJ) are identified. The investigations on the pressure drops of the two beds show that both of them are seen to increase at first (mainly in the F flow pattern), then to decrease (mainly in the PS/B and SA flow patterns) and finally to increase again (mainly in the SA and SF flow patterns), with the increase of the spouting gas velocity. It is observed that a larger particle size and lower static bed height lead to lower pressure drops of the two beds.     

Mathematical modeling of polyethylene terephthalate pyrolysis in a spouted bed

A model has been developed for pyrolysis of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in a spouted bed reactor based on the conservation equations for heat, mass, and momentum transports. A spouted bed has been constructed and the kinetic parameters have been obtained within the temperature range of 723–833 K, using two particle size ranges, (0.1–1.0) × 10^?3 and (1.0–3.0) × 10^?3 m. The model' predictions for the radial distributions of temperature and concentration confirm the excellent mixing of particles. Thus, spouted beds are appropriate equipments for performing kinetic studies of PET pyrolysis. The inlet gas temperature and the mass of PET highly affect PET conversion. The amount of inert particles has a negligible effect on the conversion and it can be reduced as far as a stable spouting is preserved. The gas flow suffices to eliminate the external heat and mass‐transfer limitations. It can be reduced to the minimum value to decrease the energy consumption. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 61: 1900–1911, 2015     

Analysis of conical spouted bed fluid dynamics using carton mixtures

The pyrolysis has risen as an important alternative technology for generating value from waste. Among the modern solid wastes, the post-consumer carton packaging highlights due to the high value-added of the primary products obtained from pyrolysis. In an attempt to use conical spouted beds (CSBs) as a pyrolysis reactor for processing cartons, this present research aims at analyzing experimentally the air–carton mixtures flow dynamics in CSBs and stating comparisons with characteristic fluid dynamics obtained by using CFD technique. The flow behavior of air–carton disk is experimentally investigated by analyzing data of bed pressure drop, air velocity and fountain height. For the carton disk and polyethylene mixtures up to 50% cartons (in mass), and carton disks and sand mixtures comprising 5 and 10% cartons (in mass), the analysis of the experimental data shows that the stable spouted regimes are achieved. Furthermore, the simulated results demonstrate that the Eulerian approach using the Syamlal drag model is able to predict qualitatively the flow behavior in conical spouted beds comprising non-spherical particle mixtures.     

Computational modelling of the impact of particle size to the heat transfer coefficient between biomass particles and a fluidised bed

The fluid-particle interaction and the impact of different heat transfer conditions on pyrolysis of biomass inside a 150 g/h fluidised bed reactor are modelled. Two different size biomass particles (350 μm and 550 μm in diameter) are injected into the fluidised bed. The different biomass particle sizes result in different heat transfer conditions. This is due to the fact that the 350 μm diameter particle is smaller than the sand particles of the reactor (440 μm), while the 550 μm one is larger. The bed-to-particle heat transfer for both cases is calculated according to the literature. Conductive heat transfer is assumed for the larger biomass particle (550 μm) inside the bed, while biomass-sand contacts for the smaller biomass particle (350 μm) were considered unimportant. The Eulerian approach is used to model the bubbling behaviour of the sand, which is treated as a continuum. Biomass reaction kinetics is modelled according to the literature using a two-stage, semi-global model which takes into account secondary reactions. The particle motion inside the reactor is computed using drag laws, dependent on the local volume fraction of each phase. FLUENT 6.2 has been used as the modelling framework of the simulations with the whole pyrolysis model incorporated in the form of User Defined Function (UDF).     

CFD modelling of the fast pyrolysis of biomass in fluidised bed reactors. Part B: Heat, momentum and mass transport in bubbling fluidised beds

The fluid-particle interaction inside a 150 g/h fluidised bed reactor is modelled. The biomass particle is injected into the fluidised bed and the heat, momentum and mass transport from the fluidising gas and fluidised sand is modelled. The Eulerian approach is used to model the bubbling behaviour of the sand, which is treated as a continuum. Heat transfer from the bubbling bed to the discrete biomass particle, as well as biomass reaction kinetics are modelled according to the literature. The particle motion inside the reactor is computed using drag laws, dependent on the local volume fraction of each phase. FLUENT 6.2 has been used as the modelling framework of the simulations with the whole pyrolysis model incorporated in the form of user-defined function (UDF). The study completes the fast pyrolysis modelling in bubbling fluidised bed reactors.     

HEAT TRANSFER IN SPOUTED BEDS

Experiments were carried out in order to analyse the wall-to-bed and fluid-to-particle heat transfer coefficients in spouted Beds. wall-to-bed heat transfer coefficients were determined in cylindrical-conical and conical spouted beds for various gas flow rates, particle sizes and bed heights for spouted beds with and without draft tubes.

A new definition for wall-to-bed transfer coefficient was proposed baaed on experimental observations.

The heat tranefer area was also studied to ensure that a physically significant fluid-to-particle heat transfer coefficient was achieved.     

Fluid Dynamics of a Sand‐Biomass Mixture in a Spouted‐Bed Reactor for Fast Pyrolysis

The spouted‐bed reactor represents an interesting alternative to pyrolysis as compared with conventional fluid beds due to its better performance in handling coarse and irregular materials, requiring lower fluidizing flow rates and providing intense thermal contact. The fluid dynamics of a mixture of sand and sugarcane bagasse in a spouted bed was investigated. Since this process involves a mixture of solids of different sizes, shapes, and densities, particle segregation was also analyzed. The results provided significant insights about the segregation phenomenon which may cause severe operating problems during pyrolysis. Various mixture compositions were identified in which the particles exhibited good circulation in the bed.     

Moisture Prediction During Paste Drying in a Spouted Bed

The objective of this work was to derive and experimentally verify a hybrid CST/neural network model to determine the moisture content of the powders produced during paste drying in a spouted bed and describe the highly coupled heat and the mass transfer. The model was derived from overall energy and mass balances with effective drying kinetics given by a neural network. Simulations were performed in MatLab and drying experiments for model verification were carried out for different pastes in a conical, semi-pilot-scale spouted bed.     

Unidimensional heat transfer analysis of elephant grass and sugar cane bagasse slow pyrolysis in a fixed bed reactor

Elephant grass (Pennicetum purpureum) and sugar cane bagasse slow pyrolysis experiments was carried out in a fixed bed reactor. A 20-cm internal diameter and 12-cm-long reactor was used. Particulate biomass filled up the reactor volume. Biomass was loaded into the reactor and heated in the axial direction using an electrical resistance located at the reactor's bottom. In order to control the temperature variation during the biomass pyrolysis process, four thermocouples were installed inside of the reactor.The remain residual mass was constant approximately after 73 min of heating; the running was stopped and remain carbonised; material was manually removed from the reactor. The residue formed three layer of biomass visually different described in detail here. Proximate analysis and higher heating value (HHV) tests were carried out to the material in each layer. Mass loss against time was recorded during experiments.The results indicated that the carbonisation ratio decreases in time because the carbon layer has low thermal conductivity and it does not permit proper heat transfer to the upper layer of biomass. It means that technology that avoids high-temperature gradients during the pyrolysis of bulk-dispersed biomass could avoid the problems described before.     

Simultaneous heat and mass transfer in spouted beds

The results of a fluid-particle heat and mass transfer study in air spouted beds of silica gel and activated coal particles, using a 9 cm I.D. column with a 30° and 90° conical base, are reported. The effects of gas velocity, particle size, bed depth and cone angle on the heat and mass transfer coefficients are discussed. Equations correlating heat and mass transfer coefficients have been established. The ratio (jn)_s/(j_D)₈ has been found to be dependent on the Reynolds number and the system of spouting.     

Drying of industrial sludge waste in a conical spouted bed dryer. Effect of air temperature and air velocity

To determine the performance of a conical spouted bed dryer for the drying of sludge waste, an experimental study of drying in a spouted bed regime was performed under different experimental conditions. The drying performance was determined based on the time evolution of solid moisture content, and the influence of operating conditions (inlet air temperature, air flow rate, and bed mass) on the drying rate of sludge waste in spouted beds of a conical geometry was analyzed.     

CFB air-blown flash pyrolysis. Part I: Engineering design and cold model performance

The objective of this work was to design, construct and test a novel circulating fluid bed fast pyrolysis reactor system for production of liquids from biomass. The novelty lies in incorporating an integral char combustor to provide autothermal operation of the reactor. A reactor design methodology was devised which correlated input parameters to process variables, namely temperature, heat transfer and gas/vapor residence time, for both the char combustor and biomass pyrolyser. From this methodology, a CFB reactor was designed with integral char combustion for 10 kg/h biomass throughput. A full-scale cold model of the CFB unit was developed and tested to derive suitable hydrodynamic relationships and performance constraints. The hot CFB reactor was constructed, its operability was tested and appropriate modifications were accomplished prior to the commissioning.A major requirement for the desired dual-mode operation of the reactor system conceived was the close coupling of the two reactor subsystems, namely the pyrolysis riser (medium temperature) and char combustor (high temperature). The basic CFB reactor design was proven effective in providing the high heat transfer rates – expressed as low voidage values in the riser and high solid circulation rates – to biomass particles in the very short vapor residence times (VRTs) required. The understanding of the complicated aspects related to two-phase gas–solids flow in the standpipe resulted in a smooth, stable transfer of solids over a wide range of operating parameters during cold CFB reactor operation. In the hot CFB unit testing, the use of two and three cyclones in series was proved insufficient to capture char and unconverted wood particles, especially during the reactor start-up phase. These problems were partially faced by adopting a configuration of a primary cyclone and inertia impinger in series, but further development is still required. A variety of configurations for the product collection system were built and tested, the most efficient being a combination of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger (condenser) and a cotton wool filter. However, the liquid recovery configuration gave rise to a number of problems, the most important being gradual plugging of the heat exchanger due to the formation of sticky solid–liquid agglomerates.     

Comparison of numerical simulations and experiments in conical gas-solid spouted bed

Flowbehavior of gas and particles in conical spouted beds is experimentally studied and simulated using the twofluid gas-solid model with the kinetic theory of granular flow. The bed pressure drop and fountain height are measured in a conical spouted bed of 100mmI.D. at different gas velocities. The simulation results are compared with measurements of bed pressure drop and fountain height. The comparison shows that the drag coefficient model used in cylindrical beds under-predicted bed pressure drop and fountain height in conical spouted beds due to the partial weight of particles supported by the inclined side walls. It is found that the numerical results using the drag coefficient model proposed based on the conical spouted bed in this study are in good agreement with experimental data. The present study provides a useful basis for further works on the CFD simulation of conical spouted bed.     

移动床中内构件对煤热解反应过程调控作用

在外热式内构件（多级折流板和多段集气管）移动床反应器内研究了淖毛湖煤的热解特性,并与常规固定床反应器中煤热解行为进行对比,考察了两反应器内的传热速率以及热解温度对产物分布、热解气组成、焦油组成和品质等影响规律。结果表明：在450℃低温热解时,煤颗粒在内构件移动床内的升温时间比固定床缩短了60%以上,内构件具有显著提高反应器内颗粒间传热速率的作用。随着热解温度的升高,热解气中的C₂H₄/C₂H₆和C₃H₆/C₃H₈的比值变大,挥发分的二次反应程度加大,但裂解程度低于固定床。内构件移动床中的焦油产率随温度的升高先增加后降低,在550℃时达到最高为10.8%（质量分数）,比固定床增高约28.6%。当热解温度越高时,移动床所产焦油中的沥青质组分含量越低,在750℃时焦油中轻质组分质量分数达到85.17%,脂肪烃含量降低到了28.00%。通过与固定床对比,揭示了内构件（多级折流板和集气管）调控淖毛湖煤热解反应并提高热解焦油产率和品质的作用。     

Drying Of Pastes In Spouted Beds Of Inert Particles: Design Criteria And Modeling

ABSTRACT

The drying of pastelike materials can be performed well in spouted beds (SB) of inert particles. In this work the drying performance of pastes in conical pastes in conical spouted beds is analyzed as a function of column dimensions, fluid flow characteristics and paste properties. imulated data on fluid flow together with the experimental results on drying of different pastelike materials are presented and discussed to provide criteria for the design of a conical spouted bed dryer for suspensions.     

Modeling of biomass devolatilization in a fluidized bed reactor

A simple model that simulates a single biomass particle devolatilization is described. The model takes into account the main physical and chemical factors influencing the phenomenon at high temperatures (>700 K), where the production of gaseous components far outweighs that of liquids. The predictions of the model are shown to be in good agreement with published data. The model is then applied to the devolatilization of biomass in a fluidized bed, in which attention is focused on heat transfer, particle mixing and elutriation, and gas production. Predictions on the overall devolatilization time for a biomass particle are compared with experimental results obtained in a fluidized bed reactor in which the process was monitored by continuous measurement of the bed pressure. Good correspondence of predicted with calculated values was obtained, supporting the validity of the many approximations made in the derivation of the governing relationships for the pyrolysis process.