State-of-the-art computation of dynamics and erosion in fluidized bed tube banks

Abstract

Argonne National Laboratory's state-of-the-art hydrodynamic and erosion modeling capabilities are summarized in this paper. Recent improvements in the hydrodynamic model, and the monolayer energy dissipation and Finnie erosion models are explained as are the implementation of the Neilson-Gilchrist erosion model. Hydrodynamic results are presented and the erosion models are compared with each other for a generic two-dimensional few-tube approximation of a cold model fluidized bed combustor experiment as well as for single round and square tubes. Power spectral methods constituting means, autocorrelations, power spectral densities, variances ad cross-correlations are used to analyze the hydrodynamic results and to attempt correlating them with the erosion patterns and rates. All of the erosion models predict order of magnitude agreement with each other and with limited erosion data. However, the monolayer energy dissipation model produces more reliable trends such as the effect of fluidizing velocity on the overall erosion rate. 29 refs., 13 figs., 2 tabs.