CONTROL OF INTERFACIAL DUST CAKE TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY OF MOVING BED GRANULAR FILTERS

Abstract

The goal of this research is to improve the performance of moving bed granular filters for gas cleaning at high temperatures and pressures. A second objective is to better understand dust capture interfacial phenomena and cake formation in moving bed filters. The experimental bed tested in the present study has several unique design features configured as cold flow, axially symmetric, counter-current flow to simulate a filter operating at high temperatures (1088 K) and elevated pressures (10 atmospheres). The granular filter is evaluated in two separate performance studies: (1) optimization of particle collection efficiency and bed pressure drop in a factorial study at near-atmospheric operating pressures through appropriate use of granular bed materials, particle sizes, and feed rates; and (2) high temperature and high pressure model simulation conducted at above-atmospheric pressures and room temperature utilizing dust and granular flow rates, granular size, system pressure, and superficial velocity. The factorial study involves a composite design of 16 near-atmospheric tests, while the model simulation study is comprised of 7 above-atmospheric tests. Similarity rules were validated in tests at four different mass dust ratios and showed nearly constant collection efficiencies ({approx} 99.5 {+-} 0.3%) for operating pressures of 160 kPa gage (23.2 psig) at room temperature (20 C), which simulates the hydrodynamic conditions expected for typical gasification streams (1088 K, 10 atmospheres). An important outcome from the near-atmospheric pressure studies are relationships developed using central composite design between the independent variables, superficial velocity (0.16-0.22 m/s), dust feed rate (0.08-0.74 kg/hr), and granular flow rate (3.32-15.4 kg/hr). These operating equations were optimized in contour plots for bed conditions that simultaneously satisfy low-pressure drop and high particle collection efficiency.