Study on the performance of non-mechanical valves as feeders devices of biomass powders in circulating fluidized beds reactors

• Grant number: 16/25946-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Effective date (Start): June 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): August 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Industrial Operations and Equipment for Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Maria Do Carmo Ferreira
• Grantee: Lucas Massaro Sousa
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 18/11031-8 - Feeding biomass powders into circulating fluidized bed reactors using non-mechanical devices: a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis, BE.EP.DD

Abstract

The use of biomass is considered an excellent alternative for sustainable power production plants, for example, in process such as pyrolisis, gasification and combustion. Nevertheless, a common problem in operation of thermoelectric reactors is to ensure a stable, efficient and economic feeding of the particulate materials into the reactor. The solid feeding can be particularly limiting in the case of biomass particles, since these powders have unusual characteristics in terms of size distribution, composition and shape when compared to conventional materials. In addition to being influenced by particle characteristics, the operation is also affected by the configuration and geometry of the feeder used, resulting in a complex interaction of factors, and the way in which this set of variables influences the flow has not yet been sufficiently studied and clarified. In this project, the performance of non-mechanical feeding valves (L-type valves and spouted beds) with sawdust powders (three different size distributions) and coffee grounds (two humidities) will be analyzed Circulating Fluidized Bed reactors (CFB) with transport pipes of two different diameters, covering a wide range of operating conditions. Tests will be performed by varying the type of biomass, the average diameter and humidity of the powders, the aeration and transport flow rate and the distance between the end of the inner tube and the transport air inlet in the spouted beds. In this way, we intend to verify the influence of the characteristics of the powders, the feeder configuration and the geometric parameters of the valves on quantitative parameters (solids flow rate and pressure drop in valves and CFB) and qualitative (feed and flow stability) which describe the operability of the non-mechanical feeding valves. The valve performance will be related to the physical characteristics and flowability parameters of each material. The collected data will be used to validate correlations and models available on the literature that describe the flow on the valves. The results obtained in the CFD simulations of the feeders will be compared with the experimental pressure and flow profiles of experimental solids, as well as with data from the literature, and will contribute to the advance of the state of the art in relation to the feeding of unconventional solids. (AU)

Scientific publications

(7)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SOUSA, L. MASSARO; FERREIRA, M. C.. Spent coffee grounds as a renewable source of energy: An analysis of bulk powder flowability. PARTICUOLOGY, v. 43, p. 92-100, APR 2019. (16/25946-2)

MASSARO SOUSA, L.; FERREIRA, M. C.. On the performance of a spouted bed type device for feeding spent coffee grounds to a circulating fluidized bed reactor. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING RESEARCH & DESIGN, v. 160, p. 31-38, AUG 2020. (16/25946-2, 18/11031-8)

MASSARO SOUSA, L.; FERREIRA, M. C.; HOU, Q. F.; YU, A. B.. Feeding spent coffee ground powders with a non-mechanical L-valve: Experimental analysis and TFM simulation. Powder Technology, v. 360, p. 1055-1066, JAN 15 2020. (18/11031-8, 16/25946-2)

SOUSA, L. MASSARO; FERREIRA, M. C.. Analysis of the performance of an L-valve feeding spent coffee ground powders into a circulating fluidized bed. Powder Technology, v. 362, p. 759-769, FEB 15 2020. (16/25946-2, 18/11031-8)

MASSARO SOUSA, L.; FERREIRA, M. C.. Densification behavior of dry spent coffee ground powders: Experimental analysis and predictive methods. Powder Technology, v. 357, p. 149-157, DEC 1 2019. (16/25946-2)

SOUSA, LUCAS MASSARO; FERREIRA, MARIA C.; HOU, QINFU F.; YU, AIBING B.. Feeding spent coffee grounds into reactors: TFM simulation of a non-mechanical spouted bed type feeder. WASTE MANAGEMENT, v. 109, p. 161-170, MAY 15 2020. (18/11031-8, 16/25946-2)

SOUSA, L. MASSARO; SCHULZ, C. G.; CONDOTTA, R.; FERREIRA, M. C.. On the design of conical hoppers for spent coffee grounds: Moisture content and particle-size effects. Journal of Food Engineering, v. 300, JUL 2021. (18/11031-8, 16/25946-2)