Modelling the co-firing of coal and biomass in a 10 kWth oxy-fuel fluidized bed

Abstract The oxy-fuel co-firing of solid fuels (such as coal, biomass, and solid waste) in fluidized beds is one of the most promising technologies for the industrial application of CO2 capture and waste disposal. However, both the practical experimentation and numerical simulations for elucidating co-firing in an oxy-fuel fluidized bed are still limited. In this study, a multiphase particle-in-cell scheme based on a 3D Eulerian–Lagrangian model was further developed following our previous research on oxy-fuel co-firing in a micro fluidized bed (Powder Technol. 2020, 373, 522–534). The refined JL 4-step mechanism for the CO-CO2 homogeneous reactions, the heterogeneous reactions of char oxidation and gasification, the heterogeneous reactions of NO and N2O formation from char-N, and the self-desulfurization effect were comprehensively considered. The improvement of the models was verified through the continuous operation of 10 kWth oxy-fuel fluidized bed tests (Fuel 2021,286,119,312; Energy Fuels, 2020, 34, 7373–7387), and the effects of the biomass blending ratio (Mb) on co-firing characteristics were discussed. It was found that the improvements could enhance the adaptability of the models to the oxy-fuel atmosphere, and the accurate prediction of NO, N2O, SO2. With an increase in Mb, the main reaction zone expanded or moved up along the riser height, and the volume of the high-temperature area increased, which promoted the burnout of particles and CO2 emission when Mb is 50%. The high volatility of biomass increased O2 consumption and CO concentration at the upper part of the riser, reduced N2O formation, and had a significant impact on NO reduction. The low sulfur content and high Ca/S ratio of the biomass considerably reduced the SO2 concentration. The simulation results also provided helpful information for the design and operation control of oxy-fuel co-firing of coal and biomass in a fluidized bed, such as the oxidant supply in different areas and grades, appropriate increase in the riser height, and reasonable adoption of Mb.