Development of a 5kWth internally circulating fluidized bed reactor containing quartz sand for continuously-fed coal-coke gasification and a beam-down solar concentrating system

• Published in: Energy (Oxford) Vol. 166; pp. 1 - 16
• Main Authors: Gokon, Nobuyuki, Kumaki, Satoshi, Miyaguchi, Yosuke, Bellan, Selvan, Kodama, Tatsuya, Cho, Hyunseok
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-01-2019
• Subjects: Beam-down optics; Coal cokes; Fluidized bed; Solar reactor; Steam gasification; Thermal storage; Thermal storage; Beam-down optics; Coal cokes; Steam gasification; Solar reactor; Fluidized bed
• ISSN: 0360-5442
• DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2018.10.036

The operational mode of a batch-type fluidized bed reactor containing quartz sand and coal-coke particles was tested under xenon arc lamp (Xe-light) illumination to develop processes for the continuous feeding and gasification of coke particles in the quartz sand fluidized bed. This paper focuses on the fluidizing, heating, and steam gasification performances of a windowed internally circulating fluidized bed reactor. The operational modes explored in this study were: (1) elevated temperature processes associated with the use of Xe-light radiation to reach gasification temperatures, and, (2) the gasification process driving steam gasification at high-temperatures, working with stream gasification of continuously-fed coal-coke. The gasification performances were used to evaluate the performance of quartz sand as a thermal-transfer/sensible heat-storage medium. The peak rate of gas production was greatly enhanced for the high volume fraction of coal-coke. In addition, the light-to-energy conversion rate of 11.0–13.2% and carbon conversion rate up to 80% were reached in the simplified distributor structure of gasification reactor.
•Perforated flat-plate distributor with patterned holes improved thermal durability.•Production rates for all gas species were enhanced with increasing steam flow rate.•Flow ratio impacts temperature levels and stability of the ICBF for gasification.•Light-to-energy conversion 13.2% was obtained at a maximum for the ICFB reactor.