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U.S. Department of Energy
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Industrial application fluidized bed combustion category III indirect field heaters. Quarterly technical report No. 8, April 1--June 30, 1978

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6545289· OSTI ID:6545289

A program is underway to evaluate the technical and economic potential for the application of fluidized bed combustion to refinery and petrochemical plant indirect fired process heaters. Two pertinent areas not being addressed in the on-going boiler-oriented programs and which are being investigated here concern the effects of larger tube size and hydrocarbon coking. Phase I of the program consists of the design, construction and operation of three laboratory facilities to carry out these studies. Fluidized bed performance studies, including bed mixing and density measurement, have been completed on six alternative tube bundle configurations ranging from 2-inch to 6-inch diameter tubes arranged on nominal 2-diameter, 3-diameter and 4-diameter horizontal spacing. Conductive/convective heat transfer coefficients as a function of tube size, location and surface orientation have also been obtained on these same bundle configurations and on isolated single tubes. Finally, evaluations have been made on the effect of altering the tube-to-grid dimensions and of operating with limestone beds of different particle size distributions. A Process Stream Coking Test Unit has been commissioned and is being used to study the parameters affecting coke laydown on the internal surfaces of hydrocarbon containing tubes under conditions of high temperature and heat transfer rate. Two test runs have been completed. Design, procurement and early construction activities are underway for the third laboratory facility which will be a ''hot'' coal-fired, fluidized-bed combustor. The component parts of this facility are described in some detail in this report. The facility will be used to study overall heat transfer coefficients and combustion performance.

Research Organization:
Exxon Research and Engineering Co., Florham Park, NJ (USA). Engineering Technology Dept.
OSTI ID:
6545289
Report Number(s):
HCP/T2471-24
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English