CFD Simulation for Characterization and Scale-Up of Pulsed Biomass Transport

Lucas Massaro Sousa (1, 2) , Benjamin Amblard (1) , Sina Tebianian (1)

1 IFPEN - IFP Energies nouvelles
2 University of Greenwich

Stable feeding of biomass powders into reactors represents a technical operational challenge for renewable energy generation. The injection of sawdust powders has been recently published with a horizontal pressurized gas injector under several experimental conditions. Valid numerical models based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are useful for hydrodynamics characterization of different equipment scales. In this study, the applicability of the CFD multiphase particle-in-cell approach (MP-PIC) for the considered injector is investigated. The model is tested under different operating conditions, showing relative deviations lower than 14% and 2% respectively for solids flux and flow concentration experimental data. The effect of model inputs (mesh refinement, drag model, particle-to-wall interaction) on the system’s hydrodynamics is discussed. The gas–solid flow hydrodynamics is obtained from the simulations providing additional insight on pulsed biomass transport. Ultimately, the model is used to investigate different injector diameters and to propose a feeder operation map as a function of dimensionless parameters.

Mots clés: CFD; MP-PIC; Barracuda; pneumatic transport; bulk solids handling; nonmechanical feeder

Domaines: Sciences de l'environnement; Mathématiques [math]

Lucas Massaro Sousa, Benjamin Amblard, Sina Tebianian. CFD Simulation for Characterization and Scale-Up of Pulsed Biomass Transport. Chemical Engineering Science, 2022, 255, pp.117652. ⟨10.1016/j.ces.2022.117652⟩. ⟨hal-03705435⟩