Josmar D. Pagliuso

Experiments on the local heat transfer characteristics of a circulating fluidized bed

Abstract The role of particle diameter in the heat transfer of a gas–solid suspension to the walls of a circulating fluidized bed was studied for particles of uniform size. This work reports and analyzes new experimental results for the local bed to wall heat transfer coefficient, not including the radiation component, in a long active heat transfer surface length laboratory bed, which extend previous findings and clear up some divergences. The research included determining the effects of extension and location of the heat transfer surface, circulating solids mass flux and average suspension density. An experimental set-up was built, with a 72.5 mm internal diameter riser, 6.0 m high, composed of six double pipe heat exchangers, 0.93 m high, located one above the other. Five narrow sized diameter quartz sand particles − 179, 230, 385, 460 and 545 μm − were tested. Temperature was kept approximately constant at 423 K and the superficial gas velocity at 10.5 m/s. The major influence of suspension density on the wall heat transfer was confirmed, and contrary to other authors, a significant effect of particle size was found, which becomes more relevant for smaller particles and increasing suspension density. It was observed that the extension of the heat transfer surface area did not influence the heat transfer coefficient for lengths greater than 0.93 m.The heat transfer surface location did not show any effect, except for the exchanger at the botton of the riser. A simple correlation was proposed to calculate the heat transfer coefficient as a function of particle diameter and suspension density.

O efeito da granulometria na decrepitação durante a decomposição térmica de calcários e carvão

The use of fluidized bed combustors to burn coal is largely studied to permit the addition of limestone to capture SO2. The particle size for coal and limestone is an important parameter in this process. Thermogravimetry (TG) is used to elucidate the combustion and sulfation processes, but the experimental parameters must be evaluated to be representative in fluidized bed combustors. In the present study the effect of particle size is analyzed in the calcination of limestones and the combustion of coal through the thermogravimetric curve for limestone and derivative thermogravimetric curve for coal. Small peaks representing mass losses between 400 and 500 oC are observed due to the jumping of particles out of the crucible. This effect, recognized as decrepitation is observed for mid-sized particles provoked by the release of water vapor trapped within their lattice.

Performance of a tuyère gas distributor

The flow discharge coefficient of tuyere gas distributors with six radial holes was obtained as a function of the tuyere head holes diameter Reynolds number, with the holes to riser flow cross-sectional area ratio as parameter. The fraction of the pressure drop which occurred in the tuyere head holes, a significant parameter for satisfactory operation of a fluidized bed, was also determined. The flow phenomena in the thin-plate standard square-edged orifice meter and in the tuyere discharge holes were studied; the differences in the corresponding discharge coefficient values are discussed in the light of the flow pattern dissimilarities. The possibility of adopting the standard thin-plate square-edged orifice meter or perforated-plate discharge coefficients to calculate the tuyere coefficient was analyzed, as well as the influence of the presence or absence of a solids fluidized bed over the distributor plate.

Effect of Sorbent Physical Structure—Pore Size Distribution and Surface Morphology—on the Limestone Capability for Sulfation

Sulfur oxides are present in the gases from burning coals and these pollutants are harmful to the environment. Sulfur removal in the fluidized bed reactor applying limestones is an efficient technology. During sulfation, the formation of CaSO4 leads to the partial or complete blockade of the particle interior, resulting in a low efficiency of the use of limestones. As the desulphurization capacities of the sorbents are strongly affected by thermal condition, this paper focuses on the study of the development of the particles’ physical structure before and during sulfation reaction. The experiments were performed for two Brazilian limestones, a calcite and a dolomite. The particles were well characterized by BET analysis and mercury porosimetry and the behavior of the sorbents was observed through thermogravimetry analysis (TGA). The morphological analysis of the surface of both raw calcite and dolomite particles indicated that dolomite was a less compact sorbent. However, after calcination and sulfation, the change in pore and voids distributions showed that for dolomite both swelling and partial pore filling could take place, whereas for calcite the spaces between particles were maintained constant, possibly owing to a less intense swelling. In 30 min of reaction under air atmosphere TGA measurements provided conversions of 0.40 ±0.061 for the calcite, and 0.55 ±0.089 for the dolomite. The results showed strong dependence on meso and macropores region with high conversion of the sorbents. The reactivity differences between calcite and dolomite can also be explained based on the swelling of the particles.Copyright

New particulate solids pneumatic feeding device with mass flowrate control

Abstract A new solids feed valve design was developed, based on the destruction of the repose cone resulting from the deposition of solid particles over a horizontal surface by fluidization of its base, followed by pneumatic transport of the fallen particles. Tests were carried out to determine the mass flowrate of solids of types A, B, C and D, according to Geldarts classification, as a function of the air flowrate.

The Mutagenic Potential Caused by the Emissions from Combustion of Crude Glycerin and Diesel Fuel

This study evaluated the use of crude glycerin as an alternative of energy generation to replace the traditional fuels. The Tradescantia stamen hair mutation assay (Trad-SH) was applied to study the mutagenic effects caused by the emissions generated in the direct combustion of diesel oil and glycerin in a flame tube furnace. Tradescantia inflorescences were exposed to gaseous emissions from the combustion tests in a fumigation chamber for 30-40 min. The analysis of variance and the Tukey test were applied to compare the differences between six test groups (intoxicated with emissions from glycerin and diesel oil combustion) and a control group. Only one glycerin group showed statistical differences (0.05), possibly due to the complexity of the burning process and impurities, besides the acrolein present in its emissions. The high heating value (HHV) of crude glycerin (25.5 MJ/kg) was lower than diesel oil (45.19 MJ/kg), but it was comparable to other fuels. Although the use of glycerin as a biofuel could be an important aspect to be considered, the results showed that the glycerin had a substantial mutagenic potential similar to that of diesel oil.