Impact of Feed Injection Strategies on Fluidization Dynamics for Biomass Thermochemical Conversion: Abstract No. ENFL-644

To better understand some of the key parameters that control biomass conversion processes in dense granular beds, an efficient computational framework for large-scale simulations of dense, reactive particulate flows using a Lagrange-Euler approach has been developed. This framework is applied here to the investigation of feed injection in a hot fluidized bed reactor, and how it may impact thebiomass conversion dynamics. A simple, pseudo-two dimensional configuration is adopted to facilitate the parametric study. Chemical processes are modeled using global kinetics that accurately reproduce particle mass loss and gas release. A posteriori analysis of particle heating rate, mixing and segregation, along with products distribution and residence time inside the reactor is performed fordifferent injection strategies, and compared to non-reactive cases. Results highlight some non-trivial coupling between chemistry and flow dynamics.