Computer modeling of coal gasification reactors. Year 4. Annual report, October 1978-September 1979

The research in Year 4 was primarily directed to the application of the fluidized bed computer model to specific gasifier systems. These simulations include jet penetration of bubble formation, solids mixing and product gas composition for the Insititute of Gas Technology (IGT) six-inch diameter bench scale reactor, and cold flow predictions of jet penetration and solids recirculation in the IGT-UGAS and Westinghouse-Agglomerating Combustor/Gasifier reactors. The fluidized bed coal gasifier computer model is designed to provide a description of the hydrodynamic mixing and coupled chemistry within the reactor. This model should permit a designer to predict: bubble size, gas composition and temperature, stagnant particle regimes, elutriation, jet penetration, and solids mixing. It is basically a hydrodynamic model, including particle scale effects, which can, therefore, be used to study scaleup and optimization of fluidized bed gasifiers. The hydrodynamic component of the model has been validated through comparison with cold flow visualization data and limited hot flow measurements. The chemistry component of the model is, in most aspects, identical to the chemistry of the classical models of fluidized bed gasification. A major difference between the classical models and the present fluidized bed coal gasification computer model is that the classical models require specificationmore » of the bed hydrodynamics, such as bubble size. The present model can predict bubble size and the associated solids mixing.« less