基于CFD-DEM的斜面平台对下降管内混合颗粒流动的影响

    Impact of inclined platforms on mixed marticle flow in down-tube based on CFD-DEM

    • 摘要: 为改善生物质热解过程中混合颗粒在下降管热解反应器内部流动时生物质颗粒扰动较小、混合不充分的问题,该研究探讨了管内斜面平台对陶瓷球和生物质颗粒流动的影响。以斜面平台的位置、倾斜角度和高度为试验因素,以生物质颗粒管内离散度为评判标准,通过计算流体力学与离散元法(computational fluid dynamics-discrete element method,CFD-DEM)耦合仿真对混合颗粒流动过程进行模拟,并利用粒子图像测速技术进行了验证。结果表明,斜面平台高度对生物质颗粒离散度影响最大,其次为位置和角度,最佳工作参数为斜面平台底部距下降管拐角处245 mm,高度为27 mm,角度为149°,相较于无斜面平台工况,生物质颗粒离散度提高了50.24%,进而提升了混合颗粒的混合程度。斜面平台的引入使得下降管内生物质颗粒和陶瓷球的轴向平均速度分别降低了14.38%和11.43%,平均停留时间分别升高了20.00%和 5.75%,改变了无斜面平台时混合颗粒的向心流动特性,表现为抛物线形流动特性,打破了上疏下密的分布状态,使混合颗粒偏析降低,混合更为均匀。该研究结果能够为下降管式生物质热解反应器的设计与优化提供一定支持,有利于生物质快速热解技术的发展。

       

      Abstract: Biomass particles can often be confined to the insufficient disturbance and mixing flow within the down-tube pyrolysis reactor. In this study, a systematic investigation was implemented to explore the influence of an inclined platform inside the down-tube on the flow behavior of ceramic balls and biomass particles. The particle mixing was also analyzed using experimental and simulation. The parameters of the inclined platform were treated as the experimental variables, including the position, tilt angle, and height. While the degree of particle dispersion was taken as the evaluation criterion. The particle flow was then simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) coupled with the discrete element method (DEM). particle image velocimetry (PIV) was employed to verify the simulation. The results indicate that the height of the inclined platform shared the most significant effect on the dispersion degree of the particles, followed by the platform’s position and tilt angle. The optimal working parameters were determined after optimization, where the bottom of the inclined platform was positioned 245 mm from the corner of the down-tube, with a height of 27 mm and a tilt angle of 149°. The degree of particle dispersion increased by 50.24% under these optimal conditions, indicating the better homogeneity of the particle mixture. The inclined platform was introduced to significantly enhance the flow characteristics of the particles. Furthermore, the axial average velocities of the biomass particles and ceramic balls decreased by 14.38% and 11.43%, respectively, compared with the conditions without the inclined platform. Concurrently, the average residence time of the particles increased by 20.00% and 5.75% for the biomass particles and ceramic balls, respectively. As such, the inclined platform effectively extended the residence time of the particles within the down tube. Thus, the pyrolysis reactions were enhanced for the high efficiency of the reactor. Moreover, the inclined platform also altered the flow characteristics of the particles. In the absence of the inclined platform, the particles exhibited a distinct centripetal flow, leading to the uneven particle distribution with the segregation, where some particles were denser at the bottom and sparser at the top. With the aid of the inclined platform in place, the parabolic flow of particles was obtained to effectively disrupt the segregation for the more uniform distribution of particles. The homogeneity of the particle mixture further facilitated the efficiency of the pyrolysis reaction. It was of significant importance to optimize the pyrolysis performance of reactors. The inclined platform also increased the mixing and flow behavior for the better homogeneity of the particle mixture. The findings can offer new insights into the design and optimization of down-tube reactors in the further development and application of biomass pyrolysis. Especially, the high efficiency of biomass energy utilization also contributed to the pyrolysis reactions. The findings can hold great potential for the practical implications of biomass energy conversion.

       

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