Modeling and experimental studies on single particle coal devolatilization and residual char combustion in fluidized bed

Single particle devolatilization followed by combustion of the residual coal char particle has been analyzed in a batch-fluidized bed. The kinetic scheme with distributed activation energy is used for coal devolatilization while multiple chemical reactions with volume reaction mechanism are considered for residual char combustion. Both the models couple kinetics with heat transfer. Finite Volume Method (FVM) is employed to solve fully transient partial differential equations coupled with reaction kinetics. The devolatilization model is used to predict the devolatilization time along with residual mass and particle temperature, while the combined devolatilization and char combustion model is used to predict the overall mass loss and temperature profile of coal. The computed results are compared with the experimental results of the present authors for combustion of Indian sub-bituminous coal (15% ash) in a fluidized bed combustor as well as with published experimental results for coal with low ash high volatile matter. The effects of various operating parameters like bed temperature, oxygen mole fraction in bulk phase on devolatilization time and burn-out time of coal particle in bubbling fluidized bed have been examined through simulation. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.