Solid Circulation Characteristics in a 3 kW Chemical-looping Combustor

− To overcome disadvantages of conventional two interconnected fluidized beds system, a novel two-interconnected fluidized bed process has been adopted to 3kW chemical-looping combustor. This system has two bubbling beds, solid injection nozzles, solid conveying lines, and downcomers. In this study, effects of operating variables such as gas velocity through the solid injection nozzle, fluidizing velocity, solid height, geometry of solid intake hole, bed temperature on solid circulation rate have been investigated in a 3kW chemical-looping combustor. The solid circulation rate increased as the solid height and the opening area of solid intake holes increased. The effect of the fluidizing velocity and the bed temperature were negligible. Moreover, long-term operation of continuous solid circulation up to 50 hours has been performed to check feasibility of stable operation. The pressure drop profiles in the bubbling beds and the downcomers were maintained steadily and solid circulation was smooth and stable.