Design, testing, and operation of a plug-flow, inclined fluidized bed reactor

Technical Report · Tue Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:5834633

Merriam, N W; Cha, Chang Yul

This report describes the design, testing, and initial operation of a plug-flow, fluidized bed reactor. The reactor is designed to overcome the problem of nonuniform residence times of particles having different sizes, which is common when using conventional, vertical, fluidized beds. Cold-flow tests using solid tracers have verified that the inclined fluidized bed is a plug-flow reactor. The reactor retains the desirable characteristics of fluidized beds such as high heat transfer rates, good mixing, high throughput, and no moving parts, while it also has the capability for uniform residence times of different-sized particles and nonisothermal operation. Combustion tests show the reactor is capable of burning 96 to 99% of the organic carbon from oil shales containing 6.2 to 13.9 wt % organic carbon and 76% from retorted shale containing 2.9 wt % organic carbon. Retorting tests using eastern shale with steam produce very heavy, viscous oil that does not flow from the present oil collection equipment. Oil would not flow from collection equipment during shakedown tests of the combined retort and combustor system with eastern and western shale retorted with pyrolysis gas. Yields were estimated from spent shale analyses at 103 and 114% of Fischer assay for tests using western and eastern shales. Recommendations are made for improvements in the oil collection equipment and future tests. Provision should be made to separate and remove heavy oil above its pour point. A factorial matrix of tests to study residence time, gas composition, and bed temperature is recommended. 14 refs., 10 figs., 10 tabs.

• Research Organization: Western Research Inst., Laramie, WY (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: FC21-83FE60177
• OSTI ID: 5834633
• Report Number(s): DOE/FE/60177-2438; ON: DE88001704
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040402* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Surface Methods
040500 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Properties & Composition
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBON BURNING
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTORS
COMBUSTION
DATA
DECOMPOSITION
DESIGN
DIAGRAMS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY TRANSFER
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FISCHER ASSAY
FLOWSHEETS
FLUIDIZED-BED COMBUSTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GAS-FLOW PROCESSES
HEAT TRANSFER
INFORMATION
MATERIALS
NUMERICAL DATA
OIL SHALES
OIL YIELDS
OXIDATION
RETORTING
STAR BURNING
STEAM
TESTING
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
YIELDS