Hydrodynamic Characteristics of a Pilot-Scale Dual Fluidized Bed with Continuous Feeding and Discharging of Solids: Experiment and 3D Simulation

The hydrodynamic properties of a dual fluidized bed (DFB) with continuous feeding and discharging of solids were investigated on a pilot-scale plant in cold mode and simulated coupled with the structure-based drag model. We present a deep analysis that focuses directly on the problem of predicting the fluid dynamics behavior of this type of system for which empirical data is limited or unavailable. The fluidization of a DFB shows complex hydrodynamic characteristics because of the intricate interactions between different compartments experimentally. We prove that the simulation based on the structure-based drag model involving different fluidized structures is able to give an accurate prediction of pilot-scale DFB fluidization and capture the correct flow behaviors under different conditions. This work is expected to give thorough analysis and further exploration of the overall fluidization dynamics for DFB optimization and scale-up.