Effect of a pulsating flow on hydrodynamics and fluid catalytic cracking chemical reaction in a circulating fluidized bed riser

The three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (3D-CFD) of a pulsating flow applied to the fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) reaction was investigated in the riser of a circulating fluidized bed reactor. The kinetic parameters of the FCC and coke burning reactions for predicting the reactant conversion and product yield percentages were applied. To increase the reactant conversion level and product yield, the effect of the pulsating flow operating parameters was considered using a 2k statistical experimental design with four factors (amplitude, frequency, types of the waveform, and amplitude ratio). The 3D-CFD simulation was successfully validated from the experimental literature data. The frequency and type of the waveform were found to be the significant operating parameters. The expression of the fitted regression model and response surface contour were derived and revealed that the pulsating flow provides a higher reactant conversion level and product yield percentages compared to a non-pulsating or steady flow. (C) 2021 Chinese Society of Particuology and Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study investigated the three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (3D-CFD) of a pulsating flow applied to the fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) reaction in the riser of a circulating fluidized bed reactor. By considering the operating parameters of pulsating flow, it was found that frequency and type of the waveform significantly affect the reactant conversion level and product yield percentages.