Influence of cross-sectional aspect ratio on biochar segregation in a bubbling fluidized bed

Abstract

In this study, computational particle fluid dynamics was applied to investigate the segregation characteristics of biochar in a bubbling fluidized bed. The aspect ratio of the bubbling fluidized bed was changed and the effects of the aspect ratio on the segregation characteristics were investigated. The segregation characteristics of a mixture of biochar and sand particles were analyzed in terms of bubble size distribution, pressure fluctuations, and mixing index. As the aspect ratio increased, the bubble size decreased, leading to a clearer segregation of biochar and sand particles. The mixing index of the biochar and sand particles decreased as the aspect ratio increased.