TITLE: H-Coal Fluid Dynamics Topical Report. Part I. Literature Search.

AUTHOR: I. A. Vasalos;   E. M. Bild;   D. F. Tatterson;   C. C. Wallin.

INST.  AUTHOR: Amoco Oil Co., Naperville, IL. Research and Development Dept.

SPONSOR: Department of Energy.

LANGUAGE: English

PUB.  TYPE: Technical Report

PUB.  COUNTRY: United States

SOURCE: Department of Energy [DE],  May 78,  95p.

NTIS REPORT NO.: FE25886

ABSTRACT:

An analysis of literature related to the fluid dynamics of gas/liquid/solid systems has provided information useful in understanding the fluid dynamics of the H-Coal reactor. In the H-Coal process, the catalytic hydroliquefaction of coal takes place in an ebullated bed reactor, where catalyst pellets, coal and fly ash fines, liquids, and gas are present. The need to understand the hydrodynamic properties of the H-Coal reactor necessitated a literature search in the following areas: the hydrodynamics of fluidization, experimental techniques in multi-phase flow, and the physical properties of coal/oil mixtures. The section on hydrodynamics of fluidization reviews prior work on liquid/solid fluidization, gas/liquid vertical flow, and gas/liquid/solid fluidization.  Experimental conditions, data correlations, and models in these areas are reviewed. Bubble behavior in liquids and liquid fluidized beds is also covered. The bulk of existing data is for fluidization with air and water in small-scale equipment. This report also reviews experimental techniques available for studying multi-phase systems. Techniques using external detectors such as gamma-ray scans, radioactive tracers, and some sonic probes are favored for use in the H-Coal project because they dod not disturb the flow. Light, impedance, and conductivity probes which require detectors inside the reactor are also reviewed. The physical properties of coal/oil slurries and papers on viscosity measurement of these slurries are also discussed. The literature indicates that the viscosity of these slurries is a function of temperature, solids volume fraction, and solids particle size distribution. Empirical correlations for analyzing the viscosity data are also reviewed. (ERA citation 04:025239)

CONTRACT  NUMBER: EF-77-C-01-2588