ISSN Online: 2379-1748
ISBN Flash Drive: 978-1-56700-469-4
ISBN Online: 978-1-56700-470-0
Second Thermal and Fluids Engineering Conference
CFD SIMULATION OF COAL GASIFICATION IN A BUBBLING FLUIDIZED BED REACTOR
Abstract
Gasification of coal for the production of chemical precursors offers a potential replacement for processes currently utilizing petroleum. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) will play a crucial role in the development of new gasification technologies. This study presents CFD simulations of coal gasification in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor using silica sand as a fluidization medium at three operating temperatures. Simulations were conducted using the Multiphase Flow with Interphase eXchanges (MFiX) software package using an Eulerian-Eulerian approach. Coal was introduced to the sand bed through a point source under the influence of a gas carrier stream. Models for gas product distributions were developed from experiments while the Carbonaceous Chemistry for Computational Modeling (C3M) computer program was used to determine kinetic rate expressions. Relevant design characteristics such as bed hydrodynamics and effluent composition were analyzed. Gaseous product compositions were validated with experimental values.