(603j) Hydrodynamics of a Fluidized Bed Reactor for Fast Pyrolysis of Biomass

Fast pyrolysis is a thermochemical process in which biomass is directly converted into liquid fuels and basic chemicals. Among the technologies applied in fast pyrolysis, the fluidized bed reactors are the most widely used, mainly due to the high mixing performance that this configuration provides, which allows high heat transfer rates and excellent temperature control.  In this work the hydrodynamics of a bubbling fluidized bed reactor was investigated, both experimentally and numerically by CFD modeling of fluidizing gas and fluidized particles, in order to allow validation of the model results. The Eulerian approach was used to model the flow of gas and solid phase, both phases treated as interpenetrating continua and governed by a separate set of Navier-Stokes equations. The transport of particles was modeled using drag forces acting on the local volume fraction of solids. The results allow to make a preliminary analysis of the hydrodynamic behavior of a bubbling fluidized bed reactor, helping to understand and develop the process for pyrolysis of biomass.