Numerical and Experimental Study of Flow Structure in a Furnace Model with a Fluidized Bed

The article is devoted to numerical and experimental studies of the flow structure in fluidized bed furnace models. The main methods and approaches to numerical modeling of the fluidized bed flow structure are analyzed. Two characteristic geometries of the working chambers of fluidized bed and circulating fluidized bed units were considered as objects. As a result of the experiments, the distributions of the concentration of layer particles in the inner volume of the working chambers were determined. It was found that in the model chamber of the circulating fluidized bed at a speed of 1.5 m/s, the particle flow in height is divided into zones with the maximum concentration of particles in the lower part and the dilute phase in the central part of the chamber, and at a speed of 6 m/ s, the dilute phase occupied the entire volume of the chamber. No flow separation was detected in the fluidized bed chamber under similar conditions. Based on the data obtained as a result of the experiment, a numerical simulation of the fluidization process in the chamber of the unit with a circulating fluidized bed was carried out. A comparison of the numerical simulation results with the experimental data for the modes at air supply speeds of 4, 5 and 6 m / s showed that the average deviation of the pressure drop in the furnace is more than 5 %. It is established that numerical simulation of the process reproduces the structure of the flow accurately enough for qualitative assessments of the effectiveness of engineering and design solutions.