Single bubble in a 3D sand fluidized bed gasifier environment: A CFD-MPPIC simulation

• Published in: Chemical engineering science 2021-02, Vol.231, p.116291, Article 116291
• Main Authors: Torres Brauer, N., Serrano Rosales, B., de Lasa, H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomass; CFD-MPPIC; Computational fluid dynamics; Fluidized bed; Gasification; Multiphase particle-in-cell; Single bubble
• ISSN: 0009-2509; 1873-4405
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2020.116291

[Display omitted] •We studied single bubbles in a sand fluidized bed used for biomass gasification.•We developed Computational Fluid Dynamic Simulations using the CFD-MPPIC method.•We computed single bubbles in a bed of sand particles and cylindrical wood pellets.•We developed bubble dynamics calculations using available bubble drag correlations.•We validated the CFD-MPPIC with a Hybrid model which include CREC-Optiprobes data. Biomass gasification can be performed in dense phase sand fluidized beds. The proposed model involves Computational Fluid Dynamics Multiphase Particle-In-Cell (CFD-MPPIC) simulations, allowing the evaluation of bubble dynamics and bubble drag correlations. The proposed model accounts for a single bubble injection into a unit loaded with 520-µm sand particles and 2.7 cm × 0.7 cm cylindrical wood pellets. Model development also includes the selection of an adequate number of computational cells, the sizing of the particle-in-cell population, and the cell distribution throughout the column. Predictions of the proposed CFD-MPPIC Model were compared with bubbles measured by the HESC Model (Torres Brauer et al., 2020). This data was obtained in a 0.44 m diameter Plexiglas unit, using CREC-Optiprobes and a spherical cap bubble assumption. It is anticipated that the CFD-MPPIC Model could have significant value for the design of scaled-up biomass units operated under dense phase fluidization conditions.