Preliminary study for the suitability of eucalyptus chips and coal for combustion in a fluidized bed reactor

The combustion with fluidized bed reactors has as main advantages the best energy utilization of combustible materials and a lower generation of pollutants. The fluidization success depends on the characteristics of the particles that compose the bed. This research aimed to perform a preliminary eva...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Angenor Geovani Auler, Matheus Vilares Mem de Sá, Paulo Eichler, Jaqueline Lidorio de Mattia, Guilherme Silva, Guilherme de Souza, Fernando Almeida Santos
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Embrapa Florestas 2020-12-01
Series:Pesquisa Florestal Brasileira
Subjects:
Online Access:https://pfb.cnpf.embrapa.br/pfb/index.php/pfb/article/view/1739
Description
Summary:The combustion with fluidized bed reactors has as main advantages the best energy utilization of combustible materials and a lower generation of pollutants. The fluidization success depends on the characteristics of the particles that compose the bed. This research aimed to perform a preliminary evaluation and characterization of the energy potential and the fluidization curves in fluidized beds formed by binary mixtures of eucalyptus chips + sand and mineral coal + sand. We tested: 1) physical characterization of solid fuels; 2) chemical characterization of combustible materials; 3) thermogravimetric analysis of fuels; 4) determination of the fluidization curves and minimum fluidization velocity for a polydisperse bed. We observed 19.15 MJ kg-1 of lower calorific value for eucalyptus chips and 10.1 MJ kg-1 for coal. The increase in biomass percentage in mixture caused a pressure drop in bed, indicating the formation of preferred paths and a necessity to increase fluid velocity. The fluidization of coal and Eucalyptus chips can be viable in a bubbling fluid bed process, motivating future theoretical and experimental studies involving the application of this methodology in the development of clean and sustainable technologies.
ISSN:1809-3647
1983-2605