Fluidized Bed Technology: Challenges and Perspectives

Abstract

Fluidized beds are recognized as important gas-solid contacting technology in chemical synthesis reactors, in combustion/gasification/pyrolysis of coal and biomass, in multiple drying applications, in solar thermal energy capture and storage, and more recently also in the production of hydrogen by either catalytic steam reforming of organic feedstock, or thermal water splitting using oxidation-reduction cycles. Although the process understanding and operational experience has significantly been expanded over the past decades, some challenges remain the be dealt with, as discussed in the paper. These challenges are mostly of gas-solid hydrodynamic nature.