Analysis of the chaotic dynamics of a high-flux CFB riser using solids concentration measurements

A high-flux circulating fluidized bed (CFB) riser (0.076-m I.D. and 10-m high) was operated in a wide range of operating conditions to study its chaotic dynamics, using FCC catalyst particles (dp = 67 μm, ρp = 1500 kg·m−3). Local solids concentration fluctuations measured using a reflective-type fiber optic probe were processed to determine chaotic invariants (Kolmogorov entropy and correlation dimension). Radial and axial profiles of the chaotic invariants at different operating conditions show that the core region exhibits higher values of the chaotic invariants than the wall region. Both invariants vary strongly with local mean solids concentration. The transition section of the riser exhibits more complex dynamics while the bottom and top sections exhibit a more uniform macroscopic and less-complex microscopic flow structure. Increasing gas velocity leads to more complex and less predictable solids concentration fluctuations, while increasing solids flux generally lowers complexity and increases predictability. Very high solids flux, however, was observed to increase the entropy.