Scaling and guidelines for erosion in fluidized beds

Abstract

This study develops a novel dimensionless erosion model, which we call the simplified closed form monolayer energy dissipation (SCFMED) erosion model, which is a function of fluidization Reynolds number. Explicit erosion scaling criteria are developed for the first time to the authors' knowledge using this model. Erosion guidelines are presented based upon fairly reliable semi-empirical laboratory and field data correlations and, remarkably, found to predict erosion rates on the same order of magnitude, in agreement with the SCFMED erosion model. A simplified erosion guideline procedure is developed using detailed computations for a cold few-tube approximation of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Grimethorpe tube bank “C1” configuration. The results from the simplified erosion guidelines procedure are compared with the full closed form MED erosion model and found to agree with available erosion data for aluminum tubes taking into account the scatter in erosion data and erodent hardness. An erosion scaling procedure is tested using detailed numerical computations for a cold and scaled hot few-tube approximation for the same (IEA) Grimethorpe tube bank “C1” configuration.