Investigation of catalyst particle hydrodynamic and heat transfer in three phase flow circulating fluidized bed

Vaporization of gas oil droplets has significant effects on the gas–solid flow hydrodynamic and heat transfer characteristic. A three dimensional CFD model of the riser section of a CFB have been developed considering three phase flow hydrodynamic, heat transfer and evaporation of the feed droplets. Several experiments were performed in order to obtain the data needed to evaluate the model using a pilot scale CFB unit. The Eulerian approach was used to model both gas and catalyst particle phases comprising of continuity, momentum, heat transfer and species equations as well as an equation for solid phase granular temperature. The flow field and evaporating liquid droplet characteristics were modeled using the Lagrangian approach. The catalyst particle velocity and volume fraction were measured using a fiber optic probe. The comparison between model predictions of catalyst particle velocity and volume fraction with the experimental data indicated that they were in good agreements and the Syamlal-O'Brien was the most accurate drag equation. The CFD model was capable of predicting the main characteristic of the complex gas–solids flow hydrodynamic and heat transfer, including the cluster formation of the catalyst particles near the reactor wall. In addition, the simulation results showed droplet vaporization caused reduction of catalyst particle residence time. Moreover, the higher ratios of the feed to catalyst flow rates led to the lower values of the catalyst temperature profile minimum.