(140c) Hydrodynamic Analysis of Spouting Characteristics in a Slot-Rectangular Spouted Bed Reactor

2019 AIChE Annual Meeting

Topic/Group: Fluidization and Fluid-Particle Systems

Tentative Session: Experimental
Investigation of Fluidization Processes

Title: Hydrodynamic
Analysis of Spouting Characteristics in a Slot-Rectangular Spouted Bed Reactor

Authors:

Steven L. Rowan:                              Steven.Rowan@netl.doe.gov

Ronald W. Breault:                          Ronald.Breault@netl.doe.gov

Narasimhan Soundarrajan:          Narasimhan.Soundarrajan@netl.doe.gov

Jingsi Yang:                                         Jingi.Yang@netl.doe.gov

Samuel Bayham:                               Samuel.Bayham@netl.doe.gov

Key Words:
Fluidization, Spouting, Reactors, Energy

Abstract:

An investigation of the dynamic
behavior of a spouted bed reactor being designed at the U.S. Department of
Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory is currently being
conducted.  Previously, high speed video and
time series pressure data analysis was used to identify and characterize
several internal and external spouting regimes in a transparent, small scale
cold flow model.  This paper presents an
analysis of the effects of high operating temperatures upon the hydrodynamics
of these varied spouting regimes via examination of pressure data, to provide a
better understanding of, and ability to recognize similar spouting conditions
in a non-transparent, high temperature spouted bed reactor. The time series
pressure data are analyzed via classical statistical methods, wavelet
extraction, and recurrence quantification analysis techniques. The tests were
conducted with 14/40 mesh (~400-1400 µm) Duralum
AB hollow alumina spheres in a 1” x 4” transparent cold flow spouted bed and a
2” x 8” non-transparent high temperature spouted bed reactor. The results of
this analysis show that it is possible to utilize data obtained from the cold
flow unit to characterize the spouting dynamics occurring in the high
temperature reactor unit.