ADVANCED GAS DYNAMICS

Some Aspects of Fluidized Bed

Combustion of Paddy Husk

Author :S. C. Bhattacharya, Narendra Shah and Zaman Alikhani

Asian Institute of Technology
Bangkok, Thailand
Outline

● FBC - Why Paddy Husk ?

● Experimental Setup
● Materials and Methods
● Inferences Drawn
FBC and Paddy Husk…..

● Need of Bio-wastes as fuels

■ Depletion of Fossil Fuels,
■ Absence of disposable measures for agricultural wastes
● Husk amounts to 14 to 35 % of paddy harvested worldwide
● Average Heating Value comparison
■ Bituminous Coal - 7500 kcal/kg
■ Paddy Husk - 3600 kcal/kg
● Pros : Renewable source and lower sulfur content
● Cons: Inefficient for conventional grate- type furnaces
■ High silica content and large amount of ash
■ Large furnace area is required
■ Convert only about half the energy available in the husk
Schematic Diagram of FBC Unit
Materials

● Furnace : Square-sectioned (15*15 cm) 60 cm high fabricated from mild steel

● Air Distributor : An m.s. plate with holes of 0.1cm diameter drilled in a square pitch
of 1 cm (196 holes in total )
● Copper tubes were welded around the furnace walls for maintaining the bed
temperature
● Bed temperature measurement : Two chromel-alumel thermojunctions at heights
of 5 and 10 cm above the distributor were used
● Size of sand particles : 351-420 µm
○ Smaller size resulted in considerable entrainment
○ Larger sand particles would not mix well with the husk
● Depth of sand bed: 10 cm in unexpanded state
● Air flow : The superficial velocity of the ambient fluidization air through the bed
ranged from 11.1 to 22.2 m/min.
 Methodology

● The size of sand particles and depth of bed were decided after conducting the initial trial runs for
achieving permissible entrainment, desirable air flow rate and rate of combustion.

● Feeding of the husk : done by means of a screw feeder and a channel connected to the furnace
just above the bed and cooling jacket of water to prevent pyrolysis before reaching the bed

● Air for combustion was thus supplied in two parts:

○ Primary air : served as fluidization air and supplied the major portion of combustion air
○ Secondary air : supplied through a feed channel to ensure smooth feeding
● Air Blower : rotary type blower powered with an AC motor.

● Gas Burner was used to initiate the combustion :When the bed temperature reached about 480 °
C, the burner was removed and feeding the husk was started

● Measurement : Air flow rates (primary and secondary) were measured by float-type flow meters.
The pressure drop across the distributor was measured by a water-in-glass manometer
Determinations of the study
● The variation of the sand entrainment with different primary air flow rates (15, 20,
25 and 30 m3/h of ambient air) for the hot bed conditions.
● The maximum feed rate per unit area of the distributor for various primary air flow
rates.
● Combustible losses at various primary air flow rates with constant feed.
● The effect of secondary air flow rate on the efficiency of combustion.
● The effect of bed height on the maximum feed rate.
Results

The carry-over increases sharply with an

increase
The This in air combustion
Combustion
maximum
secondary
depicts flow.
influence
air
of husk
flowThus,
in
rate
ofatintensity
the 22.2
excess
was m/min,
bedvaried the
isair onfrom
the
4carry-over
increases
to corresponds
combustibles
accompanied
16 m3/h,
with while
increased
loss.
by athe to about
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A part
primary
primary
of the 25
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air percent
energy
attrition
flow
flow.rateof
ofavailable
At
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22.2 bed
m3/h), inheight
particles.
m/min,
the the
feed
the per
Ashusk,
maximum
arate hour.
result,
which
(9.3the Therefore,
kg/h)
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could
ashand to
collected
bethe
maintain
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bed released
from steady-state
temperature
the
was
in
FBC
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kg/h
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is7.5
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either
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about flue70gas
from
or
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kg/hm2
unburnt
a grate-type
achievedorfurnace.
atinregular
combustibles inshort
a grate-type intervals.
the elutriated
furnace.
carry-over.
Any
Questions ❓