CFD-DPM-based numerical simulation for char gasification in an entrained flow reactor: Effect of residence time distribution

The rate of conversion during gasification of char particles depends on the type of reagents, the concentration of reactants, and reactor temperature, among many other parameters; however, the overall conversion depends on the residence time distribution (RTD) of the particles in the reactor. The objective of the present work is to investigate the influence of gasifying agents, their concentration, and reactor wall temperature on the RTD of the char particles. The aim also includes studying the effect of mean residence time on the overall char conversion during gasification of Victorian brown coal in an entrained flow reactor. Two gasifying reagents, namely, CO2 and H2O, are selected in the present study. A discrete particle model (DPM) is coupled with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to simulate the solid phase dynamics. Gasification is modelled using a lumped approach. The mean residence time of the solid char particles, determined using three different methods, is observed to increase with the CO2 concentration and wall temperature but decrease in the H2O environment. The longer residence time leads to higher overall char conversion in a CO2 environment despite the higher reactivity of H2O compared to CO2 as a gasifying reagent.