Modeling of wet jet in fluidized bed

Abstract

A wet jet zone is established in many applications wherever feeding and dispersing a liquid, solution or slurry into fluidized bed by gases is needed. In the present study, a simple mathematical model has been developed to simulate the wet jet in fluidized bed. The different stages involved inside the jet zone have been estimated and analyzed. The evaporation stage of traveling droplets through the jet flare has been treated. The rates of evaporation of each size at all positions along the jet flare have been estimated according to the velocities and surrounding conditions. The final droplet sizes have been determined. Moreover, the total evaporation rate from traveling droplets, before collision either with entrained sand particles or flare boundaries, has been estimated. The traveling droplets, partially evaporated, may collide and settle on entrained sand particles. The model predicts the settlement rates of liquid droplets on entrained sand particles. The total part evaporated from settled liquid has been estimated as well. The study has been applied to the pneumatic feeding of liquid fuel into fluidized bed combustors operating at 850 ∘ C . The model has been utilized to predict the ratio of fuel vapor that releases inside the jet flare. The remaining part is assumed to evaporate inside the emulsion phase. Three different liquid fuels have been considered: a heavy oil, diesel fuel and gasoline. The main independent variables are those related to the injection conditions including the initial velocity of dispersing air, u 0 , and air-to-liquid mass ratio, ALR. The model results demonstrate that only very small droplets completely evaporate inside the flare. The liquid settling over the entrained sand particles plays an essential role in the fuel evaporation inside the flare. The phenomenon is dominant at conditions that result in generation of droplets of larger sizes, i.e., heavier fuel, lower u 0 , and greater ALR. The ratio of vapor fuel released in jet flare increases with lighter fuel, higher u 0 and lower ALR. At u 0 = 200 m / s and ALR = 1.0 nearly all-liquid fuel evaporates inside the flare.