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Study of hydrodynamic characteristics in a circulating fluidized bed gasifier for plastic waste by computational fluid dynamics modeling and simulation

  • SPECIAL FEATURE: ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Recent Thermal Treatment Research of Wastes (7th i-CIPEC)
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Abstract

For designing an efficient circulating fluidized bed reactor, understanding the complex hydrodynamic characteristics in the reactor is required. Hence, in the present study, the modeling and simulation of the circulating fluidized bed gasifier using plastic waste were carried out with Eulerian-Granular approach. Several cases were investigated as changing superficial gas velocities or sizes of plastic waste particle. Firstly, cases were examined with four different velocities when the particle diameter is 1 mm. At the gas velocity of 6 or 8 m/s, gas volume fraction is more than 95 % throughout the reactor and particle velocity has positive value overall. Therefore, a circulating fluidized bed seems to be formed in both cases. Comparing those two cases, better solid mixing can be expected considering the mass fraction and solid velocity at the superficial gas velocity of 6 m/s. Thus this case was further studied for the effect of particle size. As the diameters of plastic waste particle are 1 or 3 mm, it is considered that a circulating fluidized bed is formed. And plastic waste and sand particles are well mixed throughout the reactor. However, the particle diameter increases over 3 mm then, it is very hard to maintain circulating fluidization condition.

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Abbreviations

d :

Particle diameter (m)

F :

Coefficient for interphase drag force (kg m−3 s−1)

g :

Gravitational acceleration (m s−2)

P :

Pressure (pa)

S sj :

jth solid phase stress tensor (Pa)

V :

Velocity vector (m s−1)

ε :

Void fraction

ρ :

Density (kg m−3)

τ g :

Deviatoric stress tensor for gas phase (Pa)

G:

Gas

sj:

jth solid phase

sk:

kth solid phase

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Engineering, Yonsei University, 1 Yonseidae-gil, Wonju, Gangwon, 220-710, South Korea

    Ji Eun Lee, Hang Seok Choi & Yong Chil Seo

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  1. Ji Eun Lee
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  2. Hang Seok Choi
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  3. Yong Chil Seo
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Correspondence to Hang Seok Choi.

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Lee, J.E., Choi, H.S. & Seo, Y.C. Study of hydrodynamic characteristics in a circulating fluidized bed gasifier for plastic waste by computational fluid dynamics modeling and simulation. J Mater Cycles Waste Manag 16, 665–676 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-014-0275-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-014-0275-5

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