CFD design of a sorber for CO2 capture with 75 and 375 mircron particles

•Bubble free fluidized bed reactors for CO2 capture were designed.•The CFD model computes multiphase flow turbulence.•The model was used to compute heat transfer coefficients for an optimal design.•Equilibrium limitations require the use of several stages for 90% CO2 removal.

A fluidized bed, with a conical inlet to promote spouted bed type flow, carbonate based sorber design for removal of CO2 from flue gases is presented. CFD simulations for a binary mixture show that a plug flow model is a good first approximation for the bubble-free fluidization achieved using two binary mixtures of 75 and 375 μm particles. For a 75 μm binary mixture, bubbles appeared initially similar to spouted bed behavior. A binary mixture of 375 μm particles fluidized as an oscillating bed without bubble formation. The CFD model was used to compute wall-to-bed heat transfer coefficients needed for an optimal design. Equilibrium limitations require the use of several stages for removal of 90% CO2