Experimental study on gas-solid flow charcteristics in a CFB riser of 54m in height

Abstract

Understanding the height effect on the gas-solid flow characteristics in a CFB riser is important as more and more large capacity CFB boilers are used and to be developed. In this study, a cold CFB test rig with a riser of 240mm in I.D. and 38m and 54m in height was built. The influences of operating conditions, such as solid inventory and fluidizing gas velocity, on the axial voidage profile along the riser were assessed. When the gas velocity exceeds the transport velocity, the S-shaped profile of voidage in the riser was established. At the same time, the voidage in top-dilute section reached the saturation carrying capacity, and the solids circulation rate did not vary with the height of the riser nor the solids inventory. It was also found the critical solids inventory for the saturation carrying capacity increases as the riser height increases. When the height was changed from 38m to 54m, the critical solids inventory increased about 25% from about 40kg to about 50kg, and pressure drop in the furnace also increased about 25%.