Abstract
The computational cost of the full-scale flue gas desulfurization (FGD) tower with perforated sieve trays is too high, considering the enormous scale ratio between the perforated hole at the sieve tray and the relevant size of the full-scale tower. As a result, the porous media model is used to replace the complex perforated structure at the sieve tray in this study, which has been validated for the measured data for both the small- and full-scale FGD tower. Under a lower inlet gas volume flow rate, the simulation result of the four-tray tower indicates that the uprising gas flow of high SO2 mass fraction can move along the wall of the tower. This region lacks two-phase mixing and, hence, its desulfurization efficiency is similar to that of empty and one-tray towers under the same flow conditions. However, when the gas volume flow rate increases, the liquid column becomes larger because of the stronger inertial of the uprising gas flow. In this situation, the implementation of the sieve tray suppresses the deflection of liquid flow and provides a better mixing within sieve trays, leading to a noticeable increase in desulfurization efficiency. This study provides insightful information for the design guideline for the relevant industries.
Highlights
In order to reduce the environmental acidification of sulfur dioxide (SO2) from the fossil fuel power plants or similar facilities, a flue gas desulfurization (FGD) tower is used to absorb the SO2 component from the exhaust gas before it enters the environments [1,2]
The two-phase chemical flow model is used together with the porous media model, which further validates the capability of the porous media model to replace the complex structures of the FGD tower
This study provides a reliable and fast computational framework and insightful information for the design guidelines for the FGD tower in the relevant industries
Summary
In order to reduce the environmental acidification of sulfur dioxide (SO2) from the fossil fuel power plants or similar facilities, a flue gas desulfurization (FGD) tower is used to absorb the SO2 component from the exhaust gas before it enters the environments [1,2]. The two-phase chemical flow model is used together with the porous media model, which further validates the capability of the porous media model to replace the complex structures of the FGD tower. It avoids having a tremendous number of grid points near the regions of sieve trays. The required computational time speeds up by 13 times, and it becomes easier to conduct different designs for the small-scale tower, such as the influences of sieve tray and inlet gas flow rate on the two-phase mixing and the ensuing desulfurization efficiency within the FGD tower. This study provides a reliable and fast computational framework and insightful information for the design guidelines for the FGD tower in the relevant industries
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