Discussion on the influence of internal components on the flow field distribution of a new gas–solid non-catalytic fluidized bed (NRFB)

Abstract

This study proposed a novel fluidized bed (NRFB) accompanied by grid trays, air distributor, and other internals, which can realize the continuous production of gas–solid non-catalytic reactions. In the reactor, the reverse flow of the gas–solid phase enabled the solid particles to contact efficiently with the gas and to produce solid particles. The discrete phase model was used to simulate the characteristics of the gas–solid two-phase flow and distribution in NRFB with different types of air distributors and different amounts of grid trays. The improved equal-area torus method and the uniformity index were used to quantitatively investigate the particle’s time-average radial concentration in NRFB. The results show that the air distributor can effectively ensure the uniform distribution of gas in the discharge area in NRFB. “Core-annulus” structures occur in the dense phase section in the NRFB without grid tray. The radial distribution uniformity of particle concentration can be improved by about 17% with 9 grid trays installed in NRFB, and more particles would stay in the dense phase section, which is more suitable for reaction, which can effectively improve the reaction efficiency. The guidance for the construction of experimental equipment and fluidization operation can be provided by the results, which are of great significance for the continuous production of “gas–solid non-catalytic reactions” in fine chemical industries.