(425f) Experimental Research and Analytical Modelling of a Gas-Solid Vortex Reactor (GSVR)

Experimental research and analytical modelling of a Gas-Solid
Vortex Reactor (GSVR)

J. Z. Kovacevic, G. J. Heynderickx*,G. B.
Marin

Laboratory for Chemical Technology, Ghent University, Krijgslaan
281 (S5) 9000 Gent, Belgium;

Tel +32 926 44 516 Fax +32 926 44 999; email:
Geraldine.Heynderickx@UGent.be

Process Intensification requires the development of new reactor
technologies. The Gas-Solid Vortex Reactor (GSVR) also known as the Rotating
Fluidized Bed Reactor in Static Geometry (RFB-SG), provides intensification
opportunities by substituting gravitational by centrifugal force. The most
common limitations of operating a Static Fluidized Bed (FB) in the
gravitational field are thus overcome. The
high slip velocities (~1 to 10 m/s), the high solids fractions (~0.3 to 0.6),
the short residence times (~50 ms), as shown by Ashcraft ^2,3, allow
the GSVR to promote high throughput operations, uniform gas-solid contacting
and enhanced heat and mass transfer, resulting in an intensified process on
particle scale as well as on reactor scale. As an over-all result, the
dimensions of the reactor can be drastically reduced. Process Intensification can
be realized for different conditions: operating conditions as well as
geometrical configuration.

A Fluidized Bed reactor technology in which the
gravitational force field is replaced by a centrifugal force field has been
considered since the seventies mainly with a rotating reactor. Extensive
experimental research on the subject has not been performed, the main reason
being the problematic scale-up of a rotating reactor. In the present work the
centrifugal field is realized in a static reactor by a tangential introduction
of the fluid phase as described in detail by Ekatpure et al ⁴. The presented
study focuses on the influence of solids density, particle diameter and gas velocities
on reactor hydrodynamics. 2D Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) is used as a
measuring technique to determine the particle velocities. Captured images are
post processed and a particle velocity profile is obtained as shown in the
added figures. At the same time the pressure profile in the rotating bed is
measured using multiple pressure probes. By combining velocity and pressure
profiles, the bed behaviour and influence of solids density, particle diameter
and gas velocities are examined, and used to develop an analytical model for
the GSVR based on the Chen⁵ partial fluidization model.

Typical 2D solids
velocity profile in the GSVR based on PIV measurements

References

1.       De Wilde, J. and A. de Broqueville, Rotating fluidized beds in a static geometry: Experimental proof of
concept. AIChE Journal, 2007. 53(4):
p. 793-810.

2. Ashcraft, R.W., G.J. Heynderickx, and G.B. Marin, Modeling fast biomass pyrolysis in a gas?solid vortex reactor. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2012. 207?208:p. 195-208.
3. Robert W. Ashcraft, Jelena Kovacevic, Geraldine J. Heynderickx, and Guy B. Marin, et al., Assessment of a Gas?Solid Vortex Reactor for SO2/NOx Adsorption from Flue Gas. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2013. 52(2): p. 861-875.
4. Rahul P. Ekatpure, Vaishali U. Suryawanshi, Geraldine J. Heynderickx, Axel de Broqueville, Guy B. Marin, Experimental investigation of a gas?solid rotating bed reactor with static geometry. Chemical Engineering and Processing: Process Intensification, 2011. 50(1): p. 77-84.
5. Chen, Y.M., Fundamentals of a Centrifugal Fluidized Bed  AIChE Journal, 1987. 33(5): p. 722-728.

Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the ?Long Term
Structural Methusalem Funding? by the Flemish government. The work was also
partially supported by a European Research Council Advanced Grant, ERC-MADPII,
project number 41L02311.  ADDIN EN.REFLIST