INVESTIGATION OF HEAT TRANSFER AND COMBUSTION IN THE ADVANCED FLUIDIZED BED COMBUSTOR (FBC)

This technical report summarizes the research conducted and progress achieved during the period from January 1, 1998 to March 31, 1998. The systematic combustion tests were conducted to investigate the thermal performance and heat transfer effect of the exploratory hot model. The different ratios of the top to the bottom secondary air flow rate were chosen to study the effect of the secondary air flow rate. The test results indicated that the secondary air flow rate was a very sensitive factor to the combustion temperature profile. The heat transfer coefficients were changed along the combustor height. Numerical simulation was continued to determine the pressure profiles and temperature profiles in the hot combustor model. The pressure change at the bottom is greater than that of the top region because of a large amount of primary air input. The higher pressure zone is formed where the secondary air flows into the center region of the combustor. The high temperature zone of the bottom section is located at the fuel injector nozzle outlet. The lower temperature profiles were near the combustor wall because the cooling effect of the heat exchanger. The center temperature of the combustor at the upper secondary air nozzles is higher than that at the lower secondary air nozzles