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Empirical Design, Construction, and Experimental Test of a Small-Scale Bubbling Fluidized Bed Reactor

Author

Listed:
  • Carlos Vargas-Salgado

    (Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica (DIE), Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain)

  • Elías Hurtado-Pérez

    (Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica (DIE), Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain)

  • David Alfonso-Solar

    (Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ingeniería Energética (IUIIE), Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain)

  • Anders Malmquist

    (Department of Energy Technology Heat and Power Division, Royal Institute of Technology—KTH, 10044 Stockholm, Sweden)

Abstract

The methods currently used for designing a fluidized bed reactor in gasification plants do not meet an integrated methodology that optimizes all the different parameters for its sizing and operational regime. In the case of small-scale (several tens of kWs biomass gasifiers), this design is especially complex, and, for this reason, they have usually been built in a very heuristic trial and error way. In this paper, an integrated methodology tailoring all the different parameters for the design and sizing of a small-scale fluidized bed gasification plants is presented. Using this methodology, a 40 kWth biomass gasification reactor was designed, including the air distribution system. Based on this design, with several simplified assumptions, a reactor was built and commissioned. Results from the experimental tests using this gasifier are also presented in this paper. As a result, it can be said the prototype works properly, and it produces syngas able to produce thermal energy or even electricity.

Suggested Citation

  • Carlos Vargas-Salgado & Elías Hurtado-Pérez & David Alfonso-Solar & Anders Malmquist, 2021. "Empirical Design, Construction, and Experimental Test of a Small-Scale Bubbling Fluidized Bed Reactor," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-22, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:3:p:1061-:d:483922
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Beatrice Vincenti & Francesco Gallucci & Enrico Paris & Monica Carnevale & Adriano Palma & Mariangela Salerno & Carmine Cava & Orlando Palone & Giuliano Agati & Michele Vincenzo Migliarese Caputi & Do, 2023. "Syngas Quality in Fluidized Bed Gasification of Biomass: Comparison between Olivine and K-Feldspar as Bed Materials," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-12, February.
    2. Vargas-Salgado, Carlos & Águila-León, Jesús & Alfonso-Solar, David & Malmquist, Anders, 2022. "Simulations and experimental study to compare the behavior of a genset running on gasoline or syngas for small scale power generation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 244(PA).
    3. Ribó-Pérez, David & Herraiz-Cañete, Ángela & Alfonso-Solar, David & Vargas-Salgado, Carlos & Gómez-Navarro, Tomás, 2021. "Modelling biomass gasifiers in hybrid renewable energy microgrids; a complete procedure for enabling gasifiers simulation in HOMER," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 501-512.

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