From laboratorial to pilot fluidized bed reactors: Analysis of the scale-up phenomenon

One of the major setbacks regarding commercial size reactors is the scale-up phenomenon. Studies linking laboratory-scale to industrial-scale experiments are extremely scarce due to hard logistic and associated costs that are significant high. The use of numerical models can help to fill this gap thus minimizing the risk and uncertainty associated with this phenomenon. To assess the potential of numerical models to correctly predict the scale-up of a laboratory-scale reactor to a pilot scale one, a previously published numerical model was used. The two-dimensional model was built using data from a pilot scale gasification plant. After validating the model with pilot scale results, model was extended to predict biomass gasification in a laboratory-scale reactor. Numerical results in laboratory-scale were validated using experimental data available from the literature. Experimental errors were collected to perform uncertainty analysis. Height/cross section ratio between both reactors was chosen according to previously relevant studies. Influence of operation parameters in produced gas was investigated for both reactors. Residence time, temperature, syngas calorific and both carbon monoxide and hydrogen contents were higher for the large scale reactor. Still, the ability to predict correct trends was present in most cases for both reactors. Residence time proved to be one of the main factors for different results for different sizes. Also, the substrate characteristics such as the volatile content and size showed a considerable influence on the obtained results. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.