Influence of membrane walls on particle dynamics in a circulating fluidized bed

Membrane walls composed of vertical tubes connected by fins are commonly employed as heat-transfer surfaces to remove heat from circulating-fluidized bed (CFB) combustors. Despite the importance of the membrane wall geometry to CFB combustors, little research has been carried out with respect to the influence of the membrane wall geometry on the flow and voidage in CFB risers. To understand the heat-transfer mechanism and erosion near the membrane wall, a better picture of local flow structure is needed. In this study, simulated membrane walls were installed in an experimental cold model CFB riser to investigate their influence on local hydrodynamics. Both voidage and particle velocity near the tubes were measured using separate fiber optic probes. Experimental results are compared with corresponding results for the same riser with smooth flat walls.