A hydrodynamic model for biomass gasification in a circulating fluidized bed riser

This study presents a three-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) model and experimental measurements of the hydrodynamics in the riser section of a Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) biomass gasifier consisting of a binary mixture of polydisperse particles. The model is based on multi-fluid (Eulerian-Eulerian) approach with constitutive equations adopted from the Kinetic Theory of Granular Flow (KTGF). The study first presents an assessment of the various options of the constitutive and closure equations for a binary mixture followed by sensitivity analysis of the model to the solution time step, cell size, turbulence and the alternative formulations of the granular energy equation. Accordingly, a robust and reliable hydrodynamic model is recommended and validated using conventional pressure measurements and Positron Emission Particle Tracking (PEPT) technique. Furthermore, the model predictions and experiments revealed evidence of the particle re-circulation within the lower part of the riser, which is an important feature contributing to rapid mass and heat transfer in a CFB gasifier. The present hydrodynamic model can be further developed; by incorporating appropriate reactions and heat transfer equations, in order to fully predict the performance and products of a CFB biomass gasifier.