Simulation of biomass-steam gasification in fluidized bed reactors: Model setup, comparisons and preliminary predictions

Linbo Yan; C Jim Lim; Guangxi Yue; Boshu He; John R Grace

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2016.09.089

Simulation of biomass-steam gasification in fluidized bed reactors: Model setup, comparisons and preliminary predictions

Bioresour Technol. 2016 Dec:221:625-635. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2016.09.089. Epub 2016 Sep 22.

Authors

Linbo Yan¹, C Jim Lim², Guangxi Yue³, Boshu He⁴, John R Grace²

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Combustion and Thermal Systems, School of Mechanical, Electronic and Control Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3 Canada; Department of Thermal Engineering, Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering of Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
² Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3 Canada.
³ Department of Thermal Engineering, Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering of Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
⁴ Institute of Combustion and Thermal Systems, School of Mechanical, Electronic and Control Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China. Electronic address: hebs@bjtu.edu.cn.

PMID: 27693728
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2016.09.089

Abstract

A user-defined solver integrating the solid-gas surface reactions and the multi-phase particle-in-cell (MP-PIC) approach is built based on the OpenFOAM software. The solver is tested against experiments. Then, biomass-steam gasification in a dual fluidized bed (DFB) gasifier is preliminarily predicted. It is found that the predictions agree well with the experimental results. The bed material circulation loop in the DFB can form automatically and the bed height is about 1m. The voidage gradually increases along the height of the bed zone in the bubbling fluidized bed (BFB) of the DFB. The U-bend and cyclone can separate the syngas in the BFB and the flue gas in the circulating fluidized bed. The concentration of the gasification products is relatively higher in the conical transition section, and the dry and nitrogen-free syngas at the BFB outlet is predicted to be composed of 55% H₂, 20% CO, 20% CO₂ and 5% CH₄.

Keywords: Biomass-steam gasification; Dual fluidized bed (DFB); Multiphase particle in cell (MP-PIC); OpenFOAM; Simulation.

MeSH terms

Biomass
Bioreactors*
Biotechnology / instrumentation*
Biotechnology / methods
Carbon Dioxide / metabolism
Computer Simulation
Equipment Design
Gases
Methane / metabolism
Models, Theoretical*
Software
Steam

Substances

Gases
Steam
Carbon Dioxide
Methane