Cyclone scale-up and radial gas concentration profiles

A two part study was undertaken to explain the performance of cyclones operated in circulating fluidized bed combustion (CFBC) systems. In the first part, collection efficiency tests were performed on a one-ninth scale polyacrylic cyclone model of the industrial scale cyclone at the 22 MWe CFBC facility at Chatham, New Brunswick. Emphasis was placed on scale-up considerations, loading effects, inlet geometry effects, and flow visualization trials. Experiments were performed at room temperature with inlet velocities between 3.7 and 5.5 m/s, solids loading between 0.05 and 7.5 mass solids/mass air with two different solids systems. There was disappointing agreement between the results from the Chatham unit, scaled according to Stokes Number scaling, and the findings obtained from the cold model unit. There was a minimum in the particle collection efficiency for particles of diameter 2.5 to 3.0 µm, apparently associated with agglomeration effects in the cyclone. Particle collection efficiency was found to increase with increased particle loading for the conditions studied. Changes in the inlet geometry gave inconclusive results. The experimental results were limited by problems associated with feeding and recycling the fines solids system used. In the second part radial gas concentration profiles of a secondary cyclone serving the UBC pilot scale Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustor were performed at temperatures of about 870 ℃. Concentrations of O₂ , CO₂ , NO[formula omitted] , CH₄ , CO and SO₂ were measured. An increase in [CO], and to a lesser extent [CO₂], was measured near the cyclone wall. There appeared to be little radial variation in the concentration of other species. Further work is required to allow the cold model to operate continuously, with particles which can be fed more freely, and to obtain radial gas concentration profiles within the primary cyclone of the UBC CFBC system.Applied Science, Faculty ofChemical and Biological Engineering, Department ofGraduat