Three-dimensional simulation of a coal gas fueled chemical looping combustion process

A three-dimensional numerical model has been developed to simulate the chemical looping combustion process in the fuel reactor. A bubbling fluidized bed with a length of 0.24 m, width 0.24 m and height 1 m was adopted as the fuel reactor. The oxygen carrier investigated here was initially prepared with 14 wt% of metal oxide CuO on 86 wt% of inert material Al2O3. The coal gas from coal gasification was used as the fuel and its composition was assumed as 55 vol.% CO, 30 vol.% H2 and 15 vol.% CO2. The flow patterns, distributions of gas components, profiles of bubbles and conversions of gas reactants were obtained. In addition, the effects of particle diameter and superficial gas velocity on the fuel conversion were studied, respectively. The fuel conversion would increase if the gas residence time and the surface to volume ratio of particles are increased.

► In this study, a comprehensive three-dimensional numerical model was developed to simulate the process of chemical-looping combustion.
► Coal gas produced from coal gasification in the IGCC power plant was chosen as the inlet fuel gas to study the potentiality of chemical-looping combustion with solid fuel.
► The flow patterns, distributions of gas components, profiles of bubbles and conversions of gas reactants were obtained.
► Meanwhile, the effects of particle diameter and superficial gas velocity on the fuel conversion were also taken into account.
► The fuel conversion would increase if the gas residence time and the surface to volume ratio of particles are increased.