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COMPREHENSIVE MATHEMATICAL MODEL FOR COAL

COMBUSTION IN THE CIRCULATING FLUIDIZED BED
COMBUSTOR
JIN Xiaozhong, LU Junfu, YANG Hairui, LIU Qing, YUE
Guangxi, FENG Junkai
Department of Thermal Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing
100084

ABSTRACT
Char combustion is on a special reducing condition in the dense bed of a circulating fluidized bed
combustor. Experimental findings were used to develop comprehensive mathematical model to
simulate the hydrodynamic and combustion processes in a circulating fluidized bed combustor. In
the model, gas-solid interaction was used to account for the mass transfer between the bubble
phase and the emulsion phase in the dense bed, which contributes to the reducing atmosphere in
the dense bed. A core-annular structure was assumed in the dilute area rather than a one-
dimension model. The submodels were combined to build the comprehensive model to analyze the
combustion in CFBC and the effect of operating parameters on the coal combustion. The model
predictions agree well with experimental results.

Key words: reducing condition; gas-solid; mass transfer; volatiles release; core-annular.

INTRODUCTION
Circulating fluidized bed combustion has proved advantageous over bubbling fluidized bed
combustion in terms of desulfuration, scaling, and fuel flexibility. In the last decade, CFBC has
received considerable attention for use in commercial power generation and, hence, has also been
subjected to extensive experimental and modeling studies.
Processes involved in a CFBC boiler are complex and often interrelated to each other. A
comprehensive mathematical model is used to simulate the flow, combustion, and heat transfer in
circulating fluidized bed combustors to optimize the process and to predict about the combustor
behavior over a broad range of operating conditions .
Generally the riser is divided vertically into a dense bed and a more dilute freeboard zone [1].
Measurements of a 75t/h circulating fluidized bed boiler showed that char combustion in the dense
bed was in a reducing atmosphere. The phenomena can be explained by the gas-solid flow in the
dense bed. According to the two-phase theory of fluidization, the dense bed is divided into two
regions: a solids-free bubble phase and a solids-laden emulsion phase. The emulsion phase
remains at incipient fluidization conditions and with the gas in the so-called excess gas flow (u0-
umf), in excess of what is required to maintain incipient fluidization in the emulsion phase,
assumed to pass through the bed as solid-free bubbles [2]. Some models simulating the dense bed
are based on the two-phase theory of fluidization. Various assumptions have been employed to
represent the motion of the gas and solids within this framework. However, two-phase models are
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unable to predict the gas back mixing and the recycle peak in solids mixing. This paper presents a
three-phase model to describe the gas and solids flows and the reactions in the dense bed.
Above the dense bed, the riser cross-section may be approximately divided into a core region,
where the bulk of the gas as a dilute suspension flows upward, and an annular wall region, where
relatively dense sheets of particles intermittently cascade downwards [3]. The axial voidage profile
in the dilute region was analyzed with an exponential decay model [4]. The model proposed by Lee
and Hyppanen uses a sigmoid concept to describe the solids concentration distribution in the riser.
For the gas flow, the most common assumption is plug flow in the whole bed. Some models
assume plug flow in the dilute region and perfect mixing in the dense region [5].
The char combustion is usually treated as a shrinking particle with mixed the combustion
controlled by both the chemical reaction and the gas film diffusion. The combustion within the
char pores is neglected. The impact of heat and mass transfer on the char combustion was
investigated by Palchonok et al. [6].
The coal devolatilization is usually simplified as a uniform process in the dense region, an
instantaneous process in the feed plane, or as dependent on the coal type, particle size, and heating
rate. A single particle devolatilization model could be combined with the CFBC fluid dynamics to
estimate the residence time in each zone [7].
This work presents a model for coal combustion in a circulating fluidized bed combustor. The
model focuses on the impact of the gas mass transfer between each region on the combustion in
the riser. The model predictions are compared with experimental results obtained in a laboratory
scale unit for the oxygen and CO concentration profiles and the particle size distribution in the
riser.

1 EXPERIMENTAL

1.1 Apparatus
The circulating fluidized bed combustor used in this investigation consisted of a 150 mm
inner diameter, 5 m high riser, solids feeding system, a cyclone, a recirculation system with a J-
valve, a heat exchanger, and a continuous gas component analysis system. The father details were
introduced in literature [8].

1.2 Materials
Table 1 Analysis of test coal
The net heating value of Proximate analysis W100 Ultimate analysis W100
the coal used in experiments Moisture 9.47 C 43.98
was 17270kJ/kg. Its proximate Ash 19.77 H 2.88
analysis and ultimate analysis Volatile matter 26.61 N 1.00
are listed in Table 1. Fixed Carbon 44.15 S 0.36
1.3 Procedure O 6.10

During each run, steady state was maintained for three hours before measuring the bed
temperature, pressure, and O2, CO, CO2 and SO2 concentrations along the riser.
At the end of each run, the solids at the furnace exit, the fly ash and the circulating ash were

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collected, and the bed material in the dense bed was drained from the bottom of the riser.

2 MODEL DESCRIPTION
1

2.1 Dense bed

ub
ub ue
The riser was divided into a dense bed at the
bottom and a dilute freeboard zone, separated by the
secondary air injection level.
The dense bed is assumed to consist of three us
[9]
distinct phases as shown in Fig. 1 : us
ub E m u lsio n
(1) Particle-free bubble phase in which the gas B u b ble

moves upward in plug flow; Wake C lo ud

(2) Cloud/wake phase which moves upward
Fig.1 Gas and solids flow in dense bed
with the bubble phase (solids in the cloud phase are
well mixed with the solids in the emulsion phase, and the gas moves upward in plug flow);
(3) Emulsion phase, in which the solids move downward and the gas can move upward or
downward in plug flow.
The bubble phase fraction is determined by the gas balance. The overall gas balance, based
on a superficial gas velocity u0, can be written as:
u0 = ub + ( f w + f c ) c ub + [1 (1 + f w + f c )] e uge
(1)
[10]
The bubble velocity ub can be calculated using
ub = (u0 umf ) + 0.71(gd b )
0 .5
(2)
Here umf is the minor fluidized velocity. The bubble diameter db is obtained from
d bm d b
= exp( 0.3z / d t ) (3)
d bm d b0
where dbm is the maximum bubble diameter in the dense bed.
0 .4
2
d bm = 0 . 652 d t (u 0 u mf ) (4)
4
The cloud volume fraction based on the bubble volume fc is
3 u mf mf (5)
fc =
u br u mf / mf

The mass exchange coefficient between the bubbles and the cloud, Kbc, was taken as [9]
u D12g14 (6)
K bc = 4 . 5 mf + 5 . 85 5 4


db db
The mass exchange coefficient between the emulsion and the cloud, Kce, was taken as
1 2
D mf u br
K ce = 6 . 77 3

(7)
db
For the i th gas component in the bubble phase, the mass balance equation is
(u b At C i, b ) (u b A t )
A t R i, b + A t K bc ,i (C i , b C i , c ) (1 C i , b + 2 C i , c ) =0 (8)
z z

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The fourth term is the consequence of the bubble property variation with height. A change of
bubble volume will have to be compensated by net gas flow either into or out of the bubble. 1 and
2 determine the direction of this cross-flow between the bubble and the cloud/wake phase.
(u b A t )<
If 0 , 1 = 1, 2 = 0 ;
z
(u b A t )
If > 0 , 1 = 0, 2 = 1
z
For the i th gas component in the cloud/wake phase, the mass balance equation is
[ ( f w + f c )c A t u b C i, c ] (u b At )
+ (1 C i, b + 2 C i, c )
z z
[u b ( f w + f c )c A t ] (u b A t ) (u 0 A t )
(3 C i, c + 4 C i, e ) + (9)
z z z
+ K bc ,i A t (C i, c C i, b ) + K ce ,i A t (C i, c C i, e ) A t ( f w + f c )R i, c = 0
where 3 and 4 determine the direction of this cross-flow between the cloud/wake and the
emulsion phase.
[u b( f w + f c ) c At ] (u b At ) (u 0 At )
If + < 0 , 3=1, 4=0;
z z z

[u b( f w + f c ) c At ] (u bAt ) (u 0 At )
If + 0 , 3=0, 4=1.
z z z
For the i th gas component in the emulsion phase, the mass balance equation is:
[
{1 - (1 + f w + f c )e At u ge C i ,e ]}
z
[u b ( f w + f c ) c At ] (u b At ) (u 0 At )
+ (3 C i ,c + 4 C i ,e ) +
z z z (10)
+ K ce ,i At (C i ,c C i ,e ) [1 At (1 + f w + f c )]At R i ,e = 0

2.2 Solids mass balance

Fragmentation was assumed to occur as happening immediately at the feed port. The coal
size distribution was calculated by the equation proposed by Bellgardt et al. [11]
q (d p,new ) = k 0.33 q (d p,old ) with d p,new = d p,old k 0.33 (11)
The particles are assumed to the spherical. The particle density is assumed to remain constant
throughout the bed. Char particle shrinkage is the result of combustion and attrition. Then, the
mass balance equation for each size char in the dense bed is
3

Fc,i + Rc,i + RDc,i +

di
(c,i+1 + c,i+1 )xc,i+1 + Edn,ci At = E0,ci At +
d i +1 d i
3 3

3 (12)
(c,i + c,i )xc,i + 3d i1 3 (c,i + c,i )xc,i + Dc,i
d i d i 1
The mass balance equation for each size ash is similar to the char, only without shrinking due
to reaction.

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2.3 Volatiles release distribution

When coal enters a circulating fluidized bed, it undergoes rapid thermal decomposition,
releasing volatile matter such as methane, tar, and other hydrocarbons. As a first approximation,
the volatile mass released from a batch of coal can be described through the single reaction model.
dV
dt = Aexp( RT
Ev
)(V V ) (13)
Since the temperature difference along the riser is small, Eq. 13 can be integrated with
respect to time so that V(t) exponentially approaches V. A simple volatiles release distribution
along the riser can then be derived.
Above the coal feed plane, the mass fraction of volatiles released along the riser is assumed
decay exponentially. Then the accumulated weight fraction of volatiles released from height hF to
h is:

dh = (1 f )V (1 exp[ ad (h hF )])

h
dV
dh (14)
hF

where ad is the decay factor for volatiles release above the coal feed plane and f is the
volatiles weight fraction released in the dilute zone. Both ad and f can be correlated from
experimental data.
Below the coal feed plane, the mass fraction of volatiles released is assumed to be uniformly
distributed. In the dense bed, the volatiles are released mainly in the emulsion and in the
cloud/wake.

2.4 Char combustion

The products of char combustion include CO and CO2.
1 2 2 (15)
C+ O 2 2 CO + 1 CO 2

where is

2 p+2 dc <0.05mm

= p+2 p
2 p+20.095(100dc 0.05) (16)
0.05<dc 1.0mm
p+2

where
5.19 10 4
p = 2500exp (17)
RTp

Using the shrinking unreacted core model with the controlled by both the chemical reaction
and the mass transfer in the gas film and with a first-order combustion reaction, the shrinking rates
of the char particles are given by the following expression:
1
kc = (18)
1 dc
+
k s Sh Dg

The interstitial mass transfer rate to the particle surface was calculated using the equation
proposed by La Nauze[12].
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Sh = 2 + 0.69(Re / )2 Sc 3
1 1
(19)

2.5 Homogeneous gas combustion

Hayhurst et al. took into account the influence of water vapor to calculate the CO reaction
[13]
rate :

= 1.3 10 11 C CO C O 0.5 C H O 0.5 exp ( 15098/ T )

d C CO
2 2 (20)
dt
H2 oxidation is assumed to happen immediately without kinetic influence. However, CH4
oxidation occurs as a one step mechanism given by:

= 7.0 1011 CCH 0.5 CO 1.5 exp( 30196/T )T

dCCH

4
4 2 (21)
dt

2.6 Core-annular structure E up,i+1 E dn,i+1

The dilute region has a core-annulus structure with Char combustion

solids rising through the core in a dilute suspension and Char attrition
a
Ash attrition
solids descending near the walls in a suspension with Core E +E
Eg net mix

higher solids concentration (illustrated in Fig. 2). The core

c E mix
region consists of a dilute suspension of particles flowing
upward with slip velocities between the gas and solids on
ug E up,i E dn,i
the order of the single particle terminal velocity. There is
bi-directional lateral flow of gas and solids between the Fig.2 Core-annulus Structure
core and the annulus.
The gas flow rate through the annulus is relatively minor, so that the gas transfer between the
core and the annulus also affects char combustion in the annulus. Morefor, the char combustion
rate in the annulus is expressed as:
1 (22)
k =
c
1 dc 1
+ +
k s Sh D k ca

Where kca is the gas mass transfer rate between the core and the annulus. Here kca is selected as
0.5ms-1.

2.7 Exit
Sanderson found a more or less linear dependency of the reflection coefficient e on the
circulation flux[14].
Gs
e = 1 k e (23)
(u u t )s
where ke depends on the cross sectional area and the exit geometry, e.g. circular or rectangular.

2.8 Numerical procedure

The dense bed is divided into a number of horizontal cells, each of which is divided further
into bubble, cloud/wake, and emulsion phases with the gases and solids fully mixed in each phase.
The dilute bed is also divided into a number of horizontal cells, each of which is divided further

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into core and annulus. The initial conditions for the dilute bed are taken from the solids and gases
flowing upward from the dense bed. The population balance in the dense bed is calculated
assuming that the flux of incoming particles includes the circulating particles and the particles
descending in the annulus. The populations are also balanced.
The systems of equations are solved for each cell. The iterative solution procedure continues
until bed temperature, particle size distribution and oxygen concentration along the riser fulfill the
convergence criteria.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The model described in the previous section was applied to predict the coal combustion in the
bench scale circulating fluidized bed combustor.
The experimental results are compared with the model prediction for a typical run at a
temperature of 850 and a superficial gas velocity of 6 ms-1 at the bed temperature in Fig.3 and
Fig.4. 55% of the total air rate was injected at the bottom of the riser. The air excess rate was 1.1.
Fig. 3(b) indicates that the CO concentration in the dense bed is high, even though the
oxygen concentration is relatively high (as shown in Fig. 3(a)). The combustion in the dense bed is
in a special reducing atmosphere as confirmed by experiments carried out by Leckner[15]. Hayhurst
investigated the behavior in a bubbling fluidized bed and also found that the reaction rates were
much lower than that homogeneous gas reaction rate[13]. This effect can be explained by the gas-
solid flow in the dense bed. In the dense bed, the oxygen penetrates the bed in bubble form, while
the majority of the particles stay in the emulsion phase. The mass transfer resistance between each
phase is restricted by the char reaction. Therefore the CO produced by char combustion can not
get enough oxygen to react further.

20 0.2
Model prediction
Model prediction
Experimental data Experimental data
CO2100

CCO100

10 0.1

0 2 4
0 2 4
H/m
H/m

(a) axial O2 concentration profiles (b) axial CO concentration profiles

Fig. 3 Experimental and calculated gas profiles for the typical run
Fig. 4 shows the carbon content of the fly ash and the bed material in the dense bed. The
model predictions, taking into account the mass transfer resistance between each phase in the
dense bed, agrees well with the experimental results.
Fig. 5(a) shows the oxygen profiles for different primary air fractions. In each run, the
superficial gas velocity was 6ms-1 at a bed temperature of 850 and the excess ratio of the air
rate was 1.1. An increased primary air fraction reduced the carbon content of the fly ash..

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20 20
Model prediction Model prediction
Experimental data Experimental data
CC100

CC100
10 10

0 200 400 0
500 1000 1500
d/m d/m

(a) fly ash carbon content (b) bed material carbon content
Fig.4 Experimental and calculated carbon content of particles
Experiment (a1=0.4) Experiment (ug=6 ms-1)
20 20
Experiment (a1=0.5) Experiment (ug=7 ms-1)
a1=0.4 ug=4.5ms-1
a1=0.5 ug=6 ms-1
CO2 100

ug=7 ms-1
CO2100

10 a1=0.6
10

0 2 4 0 2 4
H/m H/m

(a) O2 profiles for varies primary air fractions (b) O2 profiles for varies superficial gas velocity
Fig. 5 Experimental and calculated axial profiles of oxygen concentration
Fig. 5(b) shows the oxygen profiles at different superficial gas velocities. Higher superficial
gas velocities resulted in higher bubble rising velocities, with lower mass transfer coefficients
between each phase in the dense bed, so the oxygen concentration is higher in the dense bed due to
the lower combustion rate caused by the gas mass transfer resistance.

4 CONCLUSIONS
A comprehensive model for a circulating fluidized bed is introduced with three distinct areas in
the dense bed derived from bubbling bed theory. The gas-solids flow in the upper part of the riser is
described using the core-annular approach.
The model predictions agree reasonably well with the experimental results. With the three-phase
assumption in the dense bed, the model clearly explains the special reducing combustion in the dense
bed. Validation of the model by further experimental data is still required.

NOMENCLATURE
a1 Primary air fraction dt Bed diameter, m
Ar Archimedes number Dg Gas diffusion coefficient, m2s-1
At Bed cross-sectional area, m2 D Drainage, kgs-1
C Gas component concentration, kmolm-3 E Active energy, kJkmol-1
d Diameter, m E0 Elutriation rate, kgm-2s-1

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Fdp Particle density function, mm-1 Rf Solids reflux rate

Fr Froude number Rg Universal gas constant, Jmol-1K-1
Gs External solid circulation flux, kgm-2s-1 Re Reynolds number
k Constant Sh Sherwood number
-1
kc Char reaction rate, ms Sc Schmidt number
Kat Attrition factor T Temperature, K
N Number of particles with diameter di u Velocity, ms-1
n0 Number of cells in the dense area ut Single particle terminal velocity, ms-1
n1 Number of cells in the dilute zone V Volatiles released from coal, kmol
P Pressure, Pa W Weight, kg
Q Volumetric gas flow rate, m s 3 -1
xi Weight fraction of i size particles
-1
r Reaction rate, kmols
References

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Note: Published in Tsinghua Science and Technology, 2001, 6(4): 319~325

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