Fluidization Fundamentals and Applications to the Conversion of Solid Fuel in Boilers and Gasifiers

Fluidized bed has been of interest for chemical engineering applications since its first formal introduction in the form of a patent on a gasifier 100 years ago.  Since then, several gasifiers and boilers have been introduced in commercial operation and the interest in research has increased, particularly after the beginning of the 1970s, as seen from a below diagrams. The right-hand diagram is composed by data from the Scopus database, showing that the growing interest in the 1970s remains over the years. The left-hand diagram indicates the development of gasifiers, exemplified by the Winkler gasifiers, reflected by their size. Development trends are found also in other aspects of equipment, notably in boilers whose size and performance has increased diring the years.

The objective of the course is to give a broad overview over fluidized bed conversion, from boilers to gasifies for the conversion of all kinds of solid fuels, ranging from coal to biomass and even municipal solid waste and sewage sludge. Environmental aspects are elucidated with certaim emphasis on the use of FB for the reduction of CO2 emissions.

The course consists of 16 hours lectures. Among the topics are:

1. Introductory description of equipment and concepts. The operation conditions for boilers and gasifiers);
2. Fluidization fundamentals for bubbling and circulating beds;
3. Fuels and fuel properties;
4. Description of equipment: boilers and gasifiers and their components (gas distributors, particle separators, loop seals and standpipes);
5. Conversion (combustion and gasification) in fluidized bed;
6. Environmental aspects, including CO2 removal.

• Everybody interested in this topic;
• Engineers (mechanical and chemical);
• R&D specialists in some detailed topic, who want to get an overview;
• Project managers;
• Consultants;
• Energy planners;
• Teachers and students.

• Since the course is given as an online course, it will simply contain the lectures mentioned. The material presented will be distributed before the course. Questions and discussions can be handled by the computer system used.