Investigation of sorption-enhanced hydrogen production by glycerol steam reforming in bubbling fluidized bed

Abstract

Sorption-enhanced glycerol steam reforming process is numerically investigated by the multiphase particle-in-cell model within the Eulerian-Lagrangian framework in the bubbling fluidized bed with the aim of exploring the particle-level fundamentals of the binary particles. After the verification, the particle-scale evaluations and gas thermal properties are comprehensively presented. The results reveal that the size- and density-induced segregation results in the preferential distribution of CaO particles in the bottom zone of the bed. The particles in the bottom, freeboard, wake vortex and bubbling regions have a comparatively large heat transfer coefficient, velocity and slip velocity. At the same volume fraction, slip velocity and time instant, the heat transfer coefficient of sorbent is lower than that of catalyst. Increasing the superficial velocity elevates the heat transfer coefficient while reduces the C3H8O3 consumption and H2 yield. The probed results are of profound significance to the in-depth comprehension about complex gas–solid reacting flow and the process optimization of the sorption-enhanced hydrogen production system.