Combustion fluidized bed

FluidiZed-Bed Combustion. Fluidized-bed combustors are able to bum coal particles effectively in the range of 1.5 mm to 6 mm in size, which are floating in place in an expanded bed (40). Coal and limestone for SO2 capture can be fed to the combustion zone, and ash can be removed from it, by pneumatic transfer. Very Htfle precombustion processing is needed to prepare either the coal or the sorbent for entry into the furnace (41). 

At the same time calculations on the modified MEIS are possible without additional kinetic models and do not require extra experimental data for calculations, which makes it possible to use less initial information and obviously reduces the time and labor spent for computing experiment. Furthermore, there arise principally new possibilities for the analysis of methods to mitigate emissions from pulverized-coal boilers, since at separate modeling of different mechanisms of NO formation the measures taken can result in different consequences for each in terms of efficiency. Consideration of kinetic constraints in MEIS will substantially expand the sphere of their application to study other methods of coal combustion (fluidized bed, fixed bed, etc.) and to model processes of forming other pollutants such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons, CO, soot, etc. 

Thermal treatment processes use energy to destroy or decontaminate waste. These technologies include low or high energy thermal processes. Several types of thermal processes include flame combustion, fluidized bed combustion, infrared incineration, pyrolysis and plasma heat systems. 

FIGURE 23.11 Pulse combustion fluidized bed drying system. 1, Material 2, pulse combustor 3, motor 4, heater 5, burner and 6, blower. 

Whereas Geldart s classification relates fluidized-bed behavior to the average particle size in a bed, particle feed sizes maybe quite different. For example, in fluidized-bed coal (qv) combustion, large coal particles are fed to a bed made up mostly of smaller limestone particles (see Coal conversion processes). 

Ga.s-to-Pa.rticle Heat Transfer. Heat transfer between gas and particles is rapid because of the enormous particle surface area available. A Group A particle in a fluidized bed can be considered to have a uniform internal temperature. For Group B particles, particle temperature gradients occur in processes where rapid heat transfer occurs, such as in coal combustion. 

The spent sorbent from fluidized-bed combustion may be taken directiy to disposal and is much easier than the disposal of salts produced by wet limestone scmbbing. Alternatively, the spent sorbent maybe regenerated using synthesis gas, CO/H2. 

New furnace concepts in evolutionary stages include fluidized-bed furnaces (25), coal gasification furnaces (26), and MHD furnaces (27,28). Of these technologies, fluidized-bed combustion has reached commercial-scale operations (Fig. 11). 

Cobalt aHoys may find appHcation ia a fluidized-bed process for the direct combustion of coal (qv). CoCrAlY-coated Haynes 188 has proven to be one of the most resistant materials to a fireside corrosion process encountered ia tubes coimected the fluidized-bed combustor to a steam turbiae. 

The first of these reactions takes place at temperatures of about 150°C, the second reaction proceeds at about 550—660°C. Typical furnaces used to carry out the reaction include cast-iron retorts the Mannheim mechanical furnace, which consists of an enclosed stationary circular muffle having a concave bottom pan and a domed cover and the Laury furnace, which employs a horizontal two-chambered rotating cylinder for the reaction vessel. The most recent design is the Cannon fluid-bed reactor in which the sulfuric acid vapor is injected with the combustion gases into a fluidized bed of salts. The Mannaheim furnace has also been used with potassium chloride as the feed. 

F/uidi ed-BedIncinerator. Fluidized-bed incinerators are employed in the paper and petroleum (qv) industries, in the processing of nuclear wastes, and the disposal of sewage sludge. These are quite versatile and can be used for disposal of soflds, Hquids, and gaseous combustible wastes. 

The common types of dryers are rotary, hearth, flash (spray), and fluidized beds (10). Hot gases are used invariably to remove moisture. The gas flow can be either cocurrent or countercurrent to the flow of soHds, the former tends to be more efficient. In the hearths, the gas flow is countercurrent as the soHds are raked down from one hearth to the next below. Flash dryers are very rapid because the soHds are exposed only briefly to the hot gases. Fluidized-bed dryers, which use hot gases to suspend the soHds, are rapid and efficient, but require elaborate dust coHection systems. These are preferred when fine soHds are involved, and are used commonly for drying fine coal. Indirect-fired dryers are used when the soHds are heat sensitive or combustible. 

Chemical recovery ia sodium-based sulfite pulpiag is more complicated, and a large number of processes have been proposed. The most common process iavolves liquor iaciaeration under reduciag conditions to give a smelt, which is dissolved to produce a kraft-type green liquor. Sulfide is stripped from the liquor as H2S after the pH is lowered by CO2. The H2S is oxidized to sulfur ia a separate stream by reaction with SO2, and the sulfur is subsequendy burned to reform SO2. Alternatively, ia a pyrolysis process such as SCA-Bidemd, the H2S gas is burned direcdy to SO2. A rather novel approach is the Sonoco process, ia which alumina is added to the spent liquors which are then burned ia a kiln to form sodium aluminate. In anther method, used particulady ia neutral sulfite semichemical processes, fluidized-bed combustion is employed to give a mixture of sodium carbonate and sodium sulfate, which can be sold to kraft mills as makeup chemical. 

A more simplified description is a unit that combusts materials in the presence of oxygen at temperatures normally ranging from 800 to 1650°C. A typical configuration of an incinerator is shown in Figure 9. Typical types of incineration units that are discussed herein are catalytic oxidation, fluidized beds, hquid injection, multiple hearth furnaces, and rotary kiln. Thermal desorption is also discussed. However, an overview of the main factors affecting incinerator performance is presented first, below. 

PressurizedFIuidized-Bed Combustors. By 1983 the pressurized fluidized-bed combustor (PFBC) had been demonstrated to have capacities up to 80 MWt (49). PFBCs operate at pressures of up to 1500 kPa (220 psi) and fluidization velocities of 1—2 m/s. Compared to an AFBC of the same capacity, a PFBC is smaller, exhibits higher combustion efficiencies with less elutfiation of fine particles, and utilizes dolomite, CaCO MgCO, rather than limestone to capture SO2. 

Sohd fuels are burned in a variety of systems, some of which are similar to those fired by Hquid fuels. In this article the most commonly burned soHd fuel, coal, is discussed. The main coal combustion technologies are fixed-bed, eg, stokers, for the largest particles pulverized-coal for the smallest particles and fluidized-bed for medium size particles (99,100) (see Coal). 

Fluidized combustion of coal entails the burning of coal particles in a hot fluidized bed of noncombustible particles, usually a mixture of ash and limestone. Once the coal is fed into the bed it is rapidly dispersed throughout the bed as it bums. The bed temperature is controUed by means of heat exchanger tubes. Elutriation is responsible for the removal of the smallest soHd particles and the larger soHd particles are removed through bed drain pipes. To increase combustion efficiency the particles elutriated from the bed are coUected in a cyclone and are either re-injected into the main bed or burned in a separate bed operated at lower fluidizing velocity and higher temperature. 

Fluidized beds are ideal for the combustion of high sulfur coals since the sulfur dioxide produced by combustion reacts with the introduced calcined limestone to produce calcium sulfate. The chemistry involved can be simplified and reduced to two steps, calcination and sulfation. 

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