The characteristics of bed agglomeration/defluidization in fluidized bed firing palm fruit bunch and rice straw

• The bed agglomeration was investigated during the FBC of palm bunch and rice straw.
• Bed temperature, sand size, air velocity and static bed height affected the bed agglomeration tendency.
• The combustion of bunch showed higher in the bed agglomeration tendency than that of straw.
• The formation of the ash derived K-silicate melts was responsible for the agglomeration.
• The collision between the burning fuel particles and the bed particles dominated the ash migration.

The behaviors of bed particle agglomeration and defluidization were investigated during the combustion of oil palm bunch and rice straw in a laboratory scale bubbling fluidized bed reactor. The study focused on (1) the effects of fuel inorganic properties and operating variables on the bed agglomeration tendency and (2) the elucidation in the behaviors of fuel inorganic elements and the governing mode of the agglomeration. It was experimentally found that the defluidization caused by the bed agglomeration was clearly detectable from the decrease of measured bed pressure. The accumulation and growth of the agglomerates provided the partial to complete defluidization. The fuel inorganic composition was the significant influence on the bed agglomeration. The combustion of palm bunch showed higher in the bed agglomeration tendency than the straw combustion in every experimental condition. The defluidization was accelerated in response to the increase in bed temperature and bed particle size, and the decrease of air velocity and static bed height. In the SEM/EDS analysis, the agglomeration was attributed to the formation of the molten substance rich in silicon and fuel derived potassium, likely the potassium silicate compounds, which presented as the adhesive coating and bonding layer. The filling of irregularity on the bed particle surface by the liquid material to form the adhesive layer was dominated by the collision with burning fuel particles. The propagation/reaction inward the bed particles by some reactive constituents was found. The thermodynamic analysis on the ternary phase diagram corroborated that the formation of the liquid material derived from the fuel inorganic elements controlled the agglomeration; the large melt fraction in the adhesive materials at the observed bed temperature range (62–99%) was estimated.