TITLE: Study of Ebullated Bed Fluid Dynamics for H-Coal. Quarterly Progress Report No. 5, December 1, 1978--February 28, 1979.

AUTHOR: I. A. Vasalos;   E. M. Bild;   J. W. Jones.

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],  Mar 79,  74p.

ABSTRACT:

Coal-fine plugging problems in the unit were alleviated by the addition of nitrogen purge lines to the system. To prevent plugging problems, lines are purged when the unit is shut down. Once a plug develops, the nitrogen blast is used to free the line. The initial catalyst level was lowered to prevent catalyst carryover in the recycle cup. Key experiments with nitrogen, kerosene, HDS-2A catalyst (3/16'' length) and with coal concentrations of 11.5, 15, and 16.5 vol % were completed. Experiments with 16.5 vol % slurries were also conducted at 100 exp 0 F and 150 exp 0 F in addition to those at 75 exp 0 F. Bed expansions were determined with gamma-ray scans of the reactor length for each test. Liquid holdups were determined by gamma-ray scans and DP measurements. Data obtained at different reactor and operating conditions were correlated with models identified during the literature search. The liquid/catalyst data were correlated with the Richardson--Zaki equation. This relates the liquid holdup to the nth power to the ratio of liquid superficial velocity to the catalyst terminal velocity. The index, n, increases with coal char concentration and decreases with increasing temperature.  Gas/liquid/catalyst data were correlated using the drift flux correlation of Darton and Harrison. It was found that increasing coal concentration and lowering temperature enhanced the transition from ideal bubbly to churn turbulent flow - the unstable bed operation. Additional data were also obtained by using argon-41 radioactive tracer tests. (ERA citation 04:051009)

CONTRACT  NUMBER: EF-77-C-01-2588