scholarly journals Investigating Agglomeration Tendency of Co-Gasification between High Alkali Biomass and Woody Biomass in a Bubbling Fluidized Bed System

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanakorn Kittivech ◽  
Suneerat Fukuda

Palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) is known as problematic biomass due to its high alkali content, i.e., more than half of inorganic matter is potassium (K). EFB when used as a fuel in fluidized beds with silica sand as bed material could form the sticky compound K2O·nSiO2 starting at around 750 °C and adhere bed particles together, resulting in bed agglomeration. Blending EFB with rubber wood sawdust (RWS) could improve the chemical properties and consequent ash composition of the blended fuel. In this study, RWS was blended with EFB at three ratios: RWS:EFB = 25:75, RWS:EFB = 50:50, and RWS:EFB = 75:25. Adding RWS to the fuel prolonged de-fluidization time. The high content of CaO in the RWS ash acted as an inhibitor to prevent the formation of K2O·nSiO2 and, instead, enhanced the formation of K2CO3, a higher melting point compound, which reduced bed agglomeration. During the experiment using RWS:EFB = 75:25, no bed agglomeration was found.

Author(s):  
H. J. M. Visser ◽  
S. C. van Lith ◽  
J. H. A. Kiel

In (bubbling) fluidized-bed combustion and gasification of biomass, several potential problems are associated with the inorganic components of the fuel. A major problem area is de-fluidization due to bed agglomeration. The most common found process leading to de-fluidization in commercial-scale installations is “coating-induced” agglomeration. During reactor operation, a coating is formed on the surface of bed material grains and at certain critical conditions (e.g., coating thickness or temperature) sintering of the coatings initiates the agglomeration. In an experimental approach, this work describes a fundamental study on the mechanisms of de-fluidization. For the studied process of bed de-fluidization due to sintering of grain-coating layers, it was found that the onset of the process depends on: a) a critical coating thickness, b) on the fluidization velocity when it is below approx. four times the minimum fluidization velocity and c) on the viscosity (stickiness) of the outside of the grains (coating).


Author(s):  
Ehsan Ghiasi ◽  
Alejandro Montes ◽  
Fatemeh Ferdosian ◽  
Honghi Tran ◽  
Chunbao (Charles) Xu

Abstract The agglomeration of bed material is one of the most serious problems in combustion of biomass in fluidized-bed boilers, due to the presence of some inorganic alkali elements such as K and Na in the biomass ash, which form low-melting-point alkali compounds during the process. In this study, agglomeration behaviors of bed materials (silica sand particles) were investigated in a bench-scale bubbling fluidized-bed reactor operating at 800 °C using simulated biomass ash components: KCl, K2SO4, and a mixture of KCl and K2SO4 at eutectic composition (molar ratio K2SO4/(KCl+ K2SO4)=0.26). The signals of temperature and differential pressure across the bed were monitored while heating up the fluidized bed of silica sand particles premixed with various amounts of KCl, and the KCl-K2SO4 mixture in bubbling bed regime. A sharp decrease in temperature and differential pressure was observed around 750 °C and 690 °C for 0.4–0.6 wt% loading of the low melting-point KCl and KCl-K2SO4 mixture, respectively, suggesting the formation of bed material agglomeration and even de-fluidization of the bed. Moreover, this work demonstrated the effectiveness of kaolin and aluminum sulfate to minimize agglomeration. The results indicated that these additives could successfully prevent the formation of agglomerates by forming compounds with high melting points.


Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 4336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanakorn Kittivech ◽  
Suneerat Fukuda

The high level of potassium compounds in Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) induces ash-related problems, such as bed agglomeration, which is caused by the formation of a low-melting-point sticky compound: K2On·SiO2, especially in fluidised bed gasification using silica sand as bed material. Dolomite was found to be an effective alternative bed material for preventing bed agglomeration by the release of CaO via calcination processes during gasification. CaO acts as a catalyst to inhibit bed agglomeration by possibly enhancing the formation of K2CO3 instead of K2O·nSiO2. Alumina sand was also found to be a suitable alternative bed material to prevent bed agglomeration; however, due to the relatively high density of alumina sand, high gas velocity was needed to ensure good mixing and fluidisation. Using both dolomite and alumina sand as bed materials yielded a product gas having similar higher heating value (HHV) to that when using silica sand (i.e., 3.8–3.9 MJ/Nm3).


Catalysts ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1380
Author(s):  
Teresa Berdugo Vilches ◽  
Jelena Maric ◽  
Henrik Thunman ◽  
Martin Seemann

Potassium (K) is a notorious villain among the ash components found in the biomass, being the cause of bed agglomeration and contributing to fouling and corrosion. At the same time, K is known to have catalytic properties towards fuel conversion in combustion and gasification environments. Olivine (MgFe silicate) used as gasifier bed material has a higher propensity to form catalytically active K species than traditional silica sand beds, which tend to react with K to form stable and inactive silicates. In a dual fluidized bed (DFB) gasifier, many of those catalytic effects are expected to be relevant, given that the bed material becomes naturally enriched with ash elements from the fuel. However, a comprehensive overview of how enrichment of the bed with alkali affects fuel conversion in both parts of the DFB system is lacking. In this work, the effects of ash-enriched olivine on fuel conversion in the gasification and combustion parts of the process are mapped. The work is based on a dedicated experimental campaign in a Chalmers DFB gasifier, wherein enrichment of the bed material with K is promoted by the addition of a reaction partner, i.e., sulfur, which ensures K retention in the bed in forms other than inactive silicates. The choice of sulfur is based on its affinity for K under combustion conditions. The addition of sulfur proved to be an efficient strategy for capturing catalytic K in olivine particles. In the gasification part, K-loaded olivine enhanced the char gasification rate, decreased the tar concentration, and promoted the WGS equilibrium. In the combustion part, K prevented full oxidation of CO, which could be mitigated by the addition of sulfur to the cyclone outlet.


Author(s):  
Jaani Silvennoinen

Fluidized bed combustion (FBC) technology was commercialized in the 70s. Both bubbling fluidized bed (BFB) and circulating fluidized bed (CFB) technology are capable of handling a wide variety of solid fuels. Natural sand is typically used as the fluidizing material. However, the properties and behavior of some solid fuel ash may limit the use of these fuels due to bed agglomeration problems. Natural sand contains several minerals, typically mainly consisting of 20–50 wt.-% of plagioclase (NaAlSi3O8 + CaAlSi3O8), 10–30 wt.-% of potash feldspar (KAlSi3O8), and 25–100 wt.-% of quartz (SiO2). Biomass based fuels contain high amounts of alkali. Ash high in alkali may react with the free quartz of the natural sand, producing an alkali silicate mixture with low melting point. This mixture may act as an adhesive between fluidized bed particles and may, in the worst-case, result in serious fluidization problems. This problem can be avoided by using AGGLOSTOP™ quartz-free bed material. Four different bed materials were tested in a 15 kW laboratory-scale FBC test rig with plywood residue, which is known to cause severe fluidization problems in FB boilers. Two of the tested bed materials were quartz-free. When quartz-free bed materials were used, no signs of bed agglomeration were observed. The other two bed materials containing free quartz caused total defluidization at a temperature of around 750°C after about half an hour of operation. The concept of using AGGLOSTOP™ quartz-free bed material with high alkali fuels has been successfully applied in two industrial scale BFB boilers (15 and 74 MWth). The use of AGGLOSTOP™ fluidized bed material enables energy production in FB boilers based on high alkali fuels, which were earlier impossible to utilize due severe bed agglomeration problems. This paper focuses on the bed agglomeration phenomenon by discussing the results from laboratory and industrial-scale boilers and presents a new solution to extend the use of high alkali fuels in FB boilers.


2008 ◽  
Vol 130 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
H. J. M. Visser ◽  
S. C. van Lith ◽  
J. H. A. Kiel

In (bubbling) fluidized-bed combustion and gasification of biomass, several potential problems are associated with the inorganic components of the fuel. A major problem area is defluidization due to bed agglomeration. The most common found process leading to defluidization in commercial-scale installations is “coating-induced” agglomeration. During reactor operation, a coating is formed on the surface of bed material grains and at certain critical conditions (e.g., coating thickness or temperature) sintering of the coatings initiates the agglomeration. In an experimental approach, this work describes a fundamental study on the mechanisms of defluidization. For the studied process of bed defluidization due to sintering of grain-coating layers, it was found that the onset of the process depends on (a) a critical coating thickness, (b) on the fluidization velocity when it is below approximately four times the minimum fluidization velocity, and (c) on the viscosity (stickiness) of the outside of the grains (coating).


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rizka Karima

There’s so many pal solid waste or palm empty fruit bunches, but the utilization is not maximized, this research its to optimized utilization of palm solid waste to be wood vinegar and want to know the composition physical properties and chemical properties of wood vinegar from palm empty fruit bunches. Total yield of wood vinegar from palm empty fruit bunches its 15,94 % and total yield of charcoal its 64,58 %. GCMS result showing chemical properties from wood vinegar of burning < 100oC its obtained 19 compound and burning >100 oC its obtained 6 compound. The result physichal properties testing from crued wood vinegar its obtained specific gravity 1,0005 and 1,0010, pH value are 3,233 and 3,186, TAT content are 9,36 % and 11,12 %, phenol content its 0,44 %. The result physical properties testing from wood vinegar which has decolorizatin by activated carbon its obtained specific gravity are 0,9987 and 0,999, pH value are 3,036 and 3,012, TAT content are 8,29 % and 9,27 % and phenol content its 0,01 %.Keywords: palm bunches, wood vinegar, liquid smoke


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 210
Author(s):  
Viktor Stenberg ◽  
Magnus Rydén ◽  
Tobias Mattisson ◽  
Anders Lyngfelt

Oxygen carrier aided combustion (OCAC) is utilized to promote the combustion of relatively stable fuels already in the dense bed of bubbling fluidized beds by adding a new mechanism of fuel conversion, i.e., direct gas–solid reaction between the metal oxide and the fuel. Methane and a fuel gas mixture (PSA off-gas) consisting of H2, CH4 and CO were used as fuel. Two oxygen carrier bed materials—ilmenite and synthetic particles of calcium manganate—were investigated and compared to silica sand, an in this context inert bed material. The results with methane show that the fuel conversion is significantly higher inside the bed when using oxygen carrier particles, where the calcium manganate material displayed the highest conversion. In total, 99.3–99.7% of the methane was converted at 900 °C with ilmenite and calcium manganate as a bed material at the measurement point 9 cm above the distribution plate, whereas the bed with sand resulted in a gas conversion of 86.7%. Operation with PSA off-gas as fuel showed an overall high gas conversion at moderate temperatures (600–750 °C) and only minor differences were observed for the different bed materials. NO emissions were generally low, apart from the cases where a significant part of the fuel conversion took place above the bed, essentially causing flame combustion. The NO concentration was low in the bed with both fuels and especially low with PSA off-gas as fuel. No more than 11 ppm was detected at any height in the reactor, with any of the bed materials, in the bed temperature range of 700–750 °C.


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