Waste heat disposal via fluidized beds

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1974 · Chem. Eng. Prog.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7362820

Dickey, B R; Grimmett, E S; Kilian, D C

A concept is described for disposal of waste heat using fluidized beds which offers flexibility of dry or evaporative cooling, lower makeup-water requirements, no chemical or thermal pollution of the water source, lower capital and operating costs, and lower water-quality requirements. The concept, evolved from work on fluidized-bed solidification of radioactive wastes, can be applied to manufacturing processes, refrigeration, and electric power generation. Existing fossil-fueled thermal power plants, for example, are estimated to generate 10 x 10/sup 15/ Btu/yr of waste heat. Nuclear plants with their lower thermal efficiency will generate even more: about 20 x 10/sup 15/ Bty/yr estimated for 1980. Current methods of waste-heat disposal, including once-through, evaporative, and dry-air cooling, can chemically or thermally pollute the water source or require significant amounts of auxiliary power. The fluid-bed cooler operates by passing the hot fluid to be cooled through a finned-tube heat exchanger within a shallow fluidized bed to heat air or both air and water, depending on whether it is operated as a dry or wet cooling tower. In the partially or totally wet operation, water is fed through a distributor located within or above the fluidized bed, and dissolved solids in the water would be deposited continuously in the bed. A comparison of surface-to-air heat transfer coefficients showed 10 to 15 Btu/hr/sq ft//sup 0/F for the conventional dry cooling tower vs. 40 to 60 Btu/hr/sq ft//sup 0/F for the fluidized-bed type, based on 1-in.-diam tubes and 0.5 to 0.8 mm sand particles. British workers have reported heat transfer coefficients as high as 70 to 80 Btu/hr/sq ft//sup 0/F in shallow fluidized beds. Factors affecting the efficiency of fluidized-bed cooling towers include fluidizing velocity, particle size, tube diameter, and particle density. (Gas Abstr.)

• OSTI ID: 7362820
• Journal Information: Chem. Eng. Prog.; (United States), Journal Name: Chem. Eng. Prog.; (United States) Vol. 70; ISSN CEPRA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200104* -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Components
200201 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Waste Management-- Thermal Effluents
COOLING SYSTEMS
ENERGY
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY TRANSFER
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDIZED BED
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
HEAT
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT TRANSFER
HEATING
MANAGEMENT
OPERATION
PERFORMANCE
POLLUTION
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
POWER PLANTS
THERMAL POLLUTION
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
USES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE HEAT
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES