NUMERICAL MODELING OF BIOMASS FLUIDISED BED GASIFICATION

Presented By :Rajesh Choudhary (M100332ME) Guide: Dr. C. Muraleedharan

Contents
Introduction Biomass & its availability Gasification & Fluidized bed Modelling approach Two fluid model

Solution methods & CFD code

Literature survey & results Objective

Methodology
References
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Introduction
Energy crises, Industrialization and urbanization of the society, Conventional sources of energy are finite, Decentralized power projects, Hydrogen as an attractive energy source, Energy generated from biomass sources accounts for 12%

of the energy consumed at a global level1, 3-5 % among the industrialized countries, and 18-49% in developing countries. India has a potential of about 16000 MW of power generation capacity from biomass sources.
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Biomass & its Availability

Estimates made of agricultural residues has led to values of 16000 2000 MWe from agricultural residues excluding sugarcane based residues. The waste land in the country amounts to 60 to 100 million Hectares as estimated. One Hectare of land when developed well can generate 15 to 20 tonnes (dry) of solid biomass, and handled poorly will generate 4 to 6 tonnes (dry) of biomass. This amounts to 300 to 1500 million tonnes of solid biomass availability. Simple energy calculations at 8000 tonnes per MWe operating for 8000 hours a year yield an energy potential of 40000 to 180,000 MWe capacities.
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Gasification
Combustion. Biomass gasification. The product gas consists of carbon monoxide, carbon

dioxide, hydrogen, methane, trace amounts of higher hydrocarbons (ethane, ethane), water, nitrogen (with air as oxidant) and various contaminants, such as small char particles, ash, tars, higher hydrocarbons, alkalies, ammonia, acids, alkalies, and the like. The producer gas so produced has a low calorific value (1000-1200 Kcal/Nm3), but can be burnt with a high efficiency and a good degree of control without emitting smoke. The conversion efficiency of the gasification process is in the range of 60%- 70%.

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When biomass is heated it releases volatile matter, at about 300-600C

temperature leaving fixed carbon. CO2 and water vapor formed and possibly carbon monoxide depending on the mixture ration. This is an exothermic process releasing energy which can sustain the pyrolysis and combustion process continuously by transferring heat to the fresh biomass at 1200-1400C. The hot gases further react with the fixed carbon to convert CO2 to CO and H20 to H2. These are called reduction reactions and are endothermic in nature. As a consequence, the temperature is reduced and the thermal energy is converted to chemical energy stored in CO and H2 molecules At the end of the process the gas, after cooling, would have a typical composition of 20% CO, 20% H2, 2% CH4, and 12% CO2 the rest being N2 and equilibrium moisture.

Fluidized Bed

FIG. 1 Various situations for beds of particles.[1]

Modelling Approach
In Lagrangian approach fluid is considered to be formed of

small fluid particles. The motion of these fluid particles is tracked and laws of particle mechanics are applied to them for analysis. With the increasing number of particles analysis becomes cumbersome. In Eulerian approach properties of fluid flow, such as, velocity, acceleration, pressure and density, are described as function of space and time. This provides a picture of the properties of flow at every point in space as it varies with time. This formulation of the flow field allows detailed mathematically analysis of any flow field.

Two Fluid Model

In the two-fluid continuum model the gas phase and the

suspended particulate phase are considered to be continuous and fully interpenetrating. For engineering scale fluidised beds, this type of modelling can be justified due to the huge number of particles (typically 109-1012) present in the system of interest. The conservation equations employed in the models can in fact be seen as a generalisation of the Navier-Stokes equations for interacting continua.

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The governing equations employed in the theoretical model can be seen as a generalization of the Navier-Stokes equations for two interacting continua. [16]
-------- (1) -------- (2)

-------- (3)

-------- (4)
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-------- (5)

-------- (6)

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Solution Methods
Finite Difference Method

Discretization Methods

Finite Volume Method

Finite Element Method

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CFD Code

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Literature Survey
C.C. Pain, S. Mansoorzadeh, J.L.M. Gomes, C.R.E. de Oliveira, A numerical investigation of bubbling gassolid fluidized bed dynamics in 2-D geometries, Powder Technology 128 (2002) 56 77 (Reference) Model of a 2-D gas-solid fluidized bed involving incompressible, isothermal mixtures with no phase change was presented. The model was based on a transient, mixed finite element discretization. They resulted that the gas velocity in the regions with lower concentration of particles was larger. In addition, a larger solid velocity was detected in the regions near the walls. Due to higher shear stress of particles near the top of the bed, the granular temperature of particles was higher at the top than in other regions of the bed.

a) b) c)

d)

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S. Gerber, F. Behrendt, M. Oevermann, An Eulerian modelling approach of wood gasification in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor using char as bed material, Fuel 89 (2010) 29032917 (Reference) a) An Eulerian modelling approach was used for the modelling of wood gasification in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor using char as bed material. b) Besides the capability to decompose tar the use of char as a bed material has some potential advantages over traditional catalysts such as olivine or limestone: (i) There is no need for regeneration as char is a by product of biomass gasification and deactivated char will simply be further gasified, (ii) Due its lower density compared to traditional bed materials there is a also a lower pressure loss in the reactor and fluidization occurs at lower velocities of the interstitial fluid, and (iii) As a by product it comes at almost no cost.
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Gerber et al. continue (Reference) c) Bubble formation and growth was mainly due to the pyrolysis of wood into gaseous components and to a minor part by heterogeneous gasification reactions and exothermic gas phase oxidation reactions at the bottom of the reactor.

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FIG. 2 Positions of gas phase volume fraction g at the beginning of the simulation. [3]

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K. Papadikis, S.Gu, A.V.Bridgwater, CFD modelling of the fast pyrolysis of biomass in fluidised bed reactors. Part-B Heat, momentum and mass transport in bubbling fluidised beds, Chemical Engineering Science 64 (2009) 1036 1045 (Reference) a) The hydrodynamics of the fluidised bed was investigated at different simulation times with the particle position indicated by the black spot inside the contours.

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FIG. 3 Fluidized bed hydrodynamics with biomass particle position [4]

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Priyanka Kaushal, Jalal Abedi, Nader Mahinpey, A comprehensive mathematical model for biomass gasification in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor, Fuel 89 (2010) 36503661.(Reference) A one-dimensional, two-phase (bubble and emulsion), two-zone (bottom dense bed and upper freeboard), steady state model presented and was capable of predicting temperature, solid hold ups and gas concentration along the reactors major axis.

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FIG. 4 Comparison of model prediction for steam as the gasifying medium..[7]

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X. F. Dong and A. B. Yu, Heterogeneous phenomena of bubble flow in gas-fluidized beds, 5th international conference on CFD in the process industries CSIRO, Australia13-15 December 2006(Reference) a) Except for the initial/boundary conditions, internal blocks can be another main influence factor to breakup bubbles and promote smoother fluidization.

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FIG. 5 Arrangement of internal blocks: (a) mesh; (b) inline; (c) staggered. [8]

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S. Ravelli, A. Perdichizzi, G. Barigozzi. Description, applications and numerical modelling of bubbling fluidized bed combustion in waste-toenergy plants, Energy and Combustion Science 34 (2008) 224253 (Reference) The minimum load implies the following disadvantages: reduction in combustion efficiency (98% against 100%), heat transfer from the flue gas to the boiler tubes (6610kW against 8065 kW) and bed temperature (971K against 1078 K).

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FIG. 6 Profiles of velocity magnitude at line x = 2.29 m. [9]

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J. Wiman and A. E. Almstedt, Influence of pressure, fluidization velocity and particle size on the hydrodynamics of a freely bubbling fluidized bed, Chemical Engineering Science, Vol. 53, No. 12, pp. 2167-2176, 1998. (Reference)

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FIG. 7 Variation of with excess gas velocity, pressure and mean particle diameter. [10]

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Wiman et al. continue... (Reference)

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FIG. 8 Variation of G in the centre of the bed cross-section with excess gas velocity, pressure and mean particle diameter. [10]

FIG. 9 Variation of in the centre of the bed cross-section with excess gas velocity, pressure and mean particle diameter. [10]

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D. Gera, M. Gautam, Y. Tsuji, T. Kawaguchi, T. Tanaka, Computer simulation of bubbles in large-particle fluidized beds, powder technology 98 (1998) 38-47. (Reference) Distinct Element Model
Account for individual particles.
Individual particle motion can be traced.

Two Fluid Model

Consider only mean size & density.
Only averaged particle motion can be computed.

Particle interaction are calculated from coefficient of restitution and friction between the particles.
Large computational time. It can predict the raining of individual panicles into the bubble fromits roof.
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Particle interaction is normally expressed as a function of particle porosity.

Less computational time. Prediction of raining of individual panicles is not possible.

Table 1 Salient features of discrete element method and two fluid model. [11]

Objective
To develop a two dimensional model for biomass fluidized

bed gasification and to code it in C Language for investigating the property variation. To develop a three dimensional model for biomass fluidized bed gasification and to solve it using FLUENT.

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Methodology
Modelling of one-dimensional flow of air in fluidized bed by using

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FLUENT. Development of two-phase flow dynamics model and model parameters/correlations. Determination of applicable assumptions, initial conditions and boundary conditions of the model. Finite Difference method will be used for solving the two-dimensional problem. Code in C will be written using SIMPLE algorithm to determine the transient particle-gas dynamics behaviour, mass, momentum and energy equations for both solid phase and gas phase for two dimensional model. Investigation of different parameters for three dimensional two phase flow by using FLUENT. Validation of results obtained from C code with FLUENT model existing experimental results.

Work Done so Far...

Submitted a review report based on the literature about

numerical modeling of processes that are taking place during fluidization of particles and results obtained by different types of methodology about the transient particle-gas dynamic behaviour.

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References
1) Marcio L.de Souza-Santos, Solid Fuels Combustion and Gasification

Modeling, Simulation, and Equipment Operation

2)

C.C. Pain, S. Mansoorzadeh, J.L.M. Gomes, C.R.E. de Oliveira, A numerical investigation of bubbling gassolid fluidized bed dynamics in 2-D geometries, Powder Technology 128 (2002) 56 77
S. Gerber, F. Behrendt, M. Oevermann, An Eulerian modelling approach of wood gasification in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor using char as bed material, Fuel 89 (2010) 29032917 K. Papadikis, S.Gu, A.V.Bridgwater, CFD modelling of the fast pyrolysis of biomass in fluidised bed reactors. Part-B Heat, momentum and mass transport in bubbling fluidised beds, Chemical Engineering Science 64 (2009) 1036 1045 particle size on char entrainment in bubbling fluidized bed reactors, Biomass and Bioenergy 34 (2010) 2129.

3)

4)

5) K. Papadikis, S. Gu, A.V. Bridgwater, A CFD approach on the effect of

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References
6) K. Papadikis, S. Gu, A.V. Bridgwater, CFD modelling of the fast pyrolysis of

biomass in fluidised bed reactors, Part A: Eulerian computation of momentum transport in bubbling fluidised beds, Chemical Engineering Science 63 (2008) 4218 4227.
7) Priyanka

Kaushal, Jalal Abedi, Nader Mahinpey, A comprehensive mathematical model for biomass gasification in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor, Fuel 89 (2010) 36503661 fluidized beds, 5th international conference on CFD in the process industries CSIRO, Australia13-15 December 2006

8) X. F. Dong and A. B. Yu, Heterogeneous phenomena of bubble flow in gas-

9) S. Ravelli, A. Perdichizzi, G. Barigozzi. Description, applications and

numerical modelling of bubbling fluidized bed combustion in waste-to-energy plants, Energy and Combustion Science 34 (2008) 224253
10) J. Wiman and A. E. Almstedt, Influence of pressure, fluidization velocity and

particle size on the hydrodynamics of a freely bubbling fluidized bed, Chemical Engineering Science, Vol. 53, No. 12, pp. 2167-2176, 1998.
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References
11) D. Gera, M. Gautam, Y. Tsuji, T. Kawaguchi, T. Tanaka, Computer simulation of

bubbles in large-particle fluidized beds, powder technology 98 (1998) 38-47.

12) Heping Cui, John R. Grace, Fluidization of biomass particles: A review of

experimental multiphase flow aspects, Chemical Engineering Science 62 (2007) 45 55.

13) Yao Bin Yang, Changkook Ryu, Adela Khor, Nicola E. Yates, Vida N. Sharifi, Jim

Swithenbank, Effect of fuel properties on biomass combustion. Part II. Modelling approach- identification of the controlling factors, Fuel 84 (2005) 2116-2130.
14) Q. Xue, T.J. Heindel, R.O. Fox, A CFD model for biomass fast pyrolysis in

fluidized-bed reactors, Chemical Engineering Science 66(2001) 2440-2452

15) D.C. Sau, K.C. Biswal, Computational fluid dynamics and experimental study of

the hydrodynamics of a gassolid tapered fluidized bed, Applied Mathematical Modelling 35 (2011) 22652278.
16) J. A. M. Kuipers, K. J. Van Duin, F. P. H. Van

Beckum and W. P. M. Van Swaaij, Computer simulation of the hydrodynamics of a two-dimensional gas-fluidized bed, Computers &em. Engng, Vol. 17, No. 8, pp. 839-858, 1993

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