Documentos de Académico
Documentos de Profesional
Documentos de Cultura
Curtis MARSH1*
1
CFD Design & Engineering, PO Box 30 003, Christchurch 8246, NEW ZEALAND
*Corresponding author, E-mail address: cmarsh@engineeringCFD.com
NOMENCLATURE Hydrate
A Pre-exponential factor Feed
E Activation energy
k Rate constant
R Gas constant ~1000 °C
T Temperature
INTRODUCTION
The calcination process is used in many industries such as Fuel
the cement, alumina and petrochemical industries. The
process of calcination is carried out at high temperatures
within furnaces or kilns of various designs including shaft
furnaces, rotary kilns, fluidized bed reactors or gas
suspension calciners.
Preheated
This paper covers the modelling approach used to simulate Combustion Air
a furnace within a gas suspension alumina calciner.
Alumina calcination is the last step in the Bayer process,
where bauxite ore is processed to extract the alumina
hydrate in the form of 2Al(OH)3. To produce the end Figure 1 Outline of Gas Suspension Calciner Furnace
product of alumina, the hydrate must be heated to high Background
temperatures to drive off the water producing alumina,
Al2O3. Only limited publications have been found relating
specifically to the alumina calcination process, with no
The control of the calcination process and the design of previous examples of complete CFD simulations found.
the associated process equipment has a direct influence on There are early examples of water based experiments,
the alumina crystalline phases that are produced and the however most recent publications relate to the reaction
degree of particle breakage. This affects the quality of the kinetics such as Rozic [2001] and Wang [2006]. There are
product which in turn has implication in the cost examples of CFD simulations of cement furnaces, Fidaros
aluminium production and pollution control. [2007], which do have similarities with alumina calciners.
Creating a numerical simulation of an alumina calciner The main point of difference is the particle size which
furnace is a complex problem as there are many physical determines which multiphase models can be used.
processes occurring simultaneously including the gas
flow, flow of solids particles, fuel combustion and the
RESULTS
The results of the furnace simulations are highly transient
in nature with the solids and temperature profiles
oscillating rapidly over time. The momentum of the
incoming stream of solids carries the alumina against the
air flow into the combustion zone at the base of the
furnace as shown in Figure 4. The solids stream is
dispersed as it strikes the wall of the furnace and is then
entrained within the air stream.
Solids Distribution
REFERENCES
FIDAROS D., BAXEVANOU C., DRITSELIS N.,
VLACHOS N., (2007), “Numerical modelling of flow and
transport processes in a calciner for cement production”,
Power Technology”, 171, 81-95.
GIDASPOW D., BEZBURUAH R. and DING J.,
(1992), “Hydrodynamics of Circulating Fluidized Beds,
Kinetic Theory Approach”, Fluidization VII, Proceedings
of the 7th Engineering Foundation Conference on
Fluidization, 75-82.
MAGNUSSEN B. F., and HJERTAGER B. H., (1976),
“Mathematical models of turbulent combustion with
special emphasis on soot formation and combustion.”
Figure 7 Flow of solids, gas and fuel oil. 16th Symp. (Int'l.) on Combustion. The Combustion
Institute.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS ROZIC, L. NOVAKOVIC, T., JOVANOVIC, N,
Present computing capabilities already make these TERLECKI-BARICEVIC, A. and GRBAVCIC Z.,
simulations very accessible to design projects, with run (2001), “The kinetics of the partial dehydration of gibbsite
times typically completed in several days. This allows a to activated alumina in a reactor for pneumatic transport”.
range of operating scenarios or design concepts to be J. Serb.Chem.Soc. 66(4)273-280.
readily investigated, well within the time frame of most WANG H., XU B., SMITH P., DAVIES M,. DESILVIA
projects. L., and WINGATE C. (2006), “Kinetic modelling of
gibbsite dehydration/amporphization in the temperature
Furnace designs can be optimised for particular fuel types, range 823-923K” J. Phys. and Chem. of Solids, 67, 2567-
which must include consideration of the rate of 2582.
combustion, the solids/temperature profile and the
processes the particles undergo. This can provide added
value to new designs, quantity the effects of changing fuel
types on existing units or help achieve capacity increases.
The appropriate furnace size can be determined for the
required unit capacity by investigating the particle
residence times, heat transfer to solids and the rate of
calcination, with a well designed furnace achieving
consistent particle composition, even at turn down. As
part of a new or modified furnace design the optimum
burner placement for the fuel selected can also be
determined.
Determining the optimum furnace design and burner
position has several benefits, including an improved
understanding of the processes within the furnace, reduced
risk, minimal commissioning time, improved product
quality, and reduced NOx and refractory damage.