Chemical Looping Fuel Reactor Ash Separator Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional chemical looping systems face challenges in efficiently separating fuel particles, ash, and oxygen carriers, leading to excessive solid quantities being treated and the need for complex and costly ash separators at the bottom of reactors.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a carbon separator connected to an ash separator allows for the efficient separation of fuel particles, ash, and oxide particles, with controlled fluidization velocities, enabling compact and economic operation by separating these compounds effectively and avoiding ash enrichment and agglomeration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional ash separator is placed at the bottom of the fuel and/or air reactor to extract ash, then ash can be removed from the system, but the separator system becomes heavy and complex, and the solid quantity to be treated becomes ten times higher than the really needed solid quantity
Solution Approach 1:
The separation process is divided into two distinct stages: first, the carbon separator separates fuel particles from the mixture of ash and oxide particles; second, the ash separator separates ash from oxide particles. This segmentation allows each separator to handle a reduced solid quantity, avoiding the need to treat the entire mixture containing all solids at once, thereby reducing the complexity and size of the separator system while maintaining effective ash removal capability
2Manufacturing precision
If the carbon separator separates all solids including ash and oxide particles together, then complete separation can be achieved, but the solid quantity to be treated becomes ten times higher than the really needed solid quantity
Solution Approach 1:
The separation process is segmented into two sequential steps: the carbon separator first removes fuel particles, allowing the ash separator to then focus exclusively on separating ash from oxide particles. This segmentation enables the ash separator to treat only the necessary solid quantity (ash plus some oxide particles) rather than the total solid quantity from the fuel reactor, reducing the quantity to be treated by a factor of ten while maintaining complete separation of all three components
Solution Approach 2:
The carbon separator performs a preliminary separation action by removing fuel particles before the mixture enters the ash separator. This preliminary action reduces the solid burden on the ash separator to only ash and oxide particles, enabling more efficient and targeted separation with reduced equipment size and lower solid handling requirements
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This arrangement simplifies the separation process, reduces the amount of solids to be treated, and eliminates the need for complex bottom ash separators, allowing for efficient regeneration of oxide particles and removal of ash, thereby optimizing the chemical looping process.
Implementation Method 1
Most of chemical looping technologies use the fluidized beds technology for the fuel reactor to benefit from the high residence time as well as from the good mixing associated with fluidized beds
Implementation Method 2
The fuel reactor is advantageously connected to a low efficiency cyclone separator comprising a lower outlet connected to the carbon separator and an upper outlet connected to a high efficiency cyclone separator
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The invention is related to a system (1) for converting fuel material comprising : - a first reactor (2) in which a fuel material reacts with an oxide material for producing reaction products including fuel particles, ash and oxide particles, - a second reactor (3) for oxidizing the oxide particles produced in the first reactor (2), - a carbon separator (4) that receives fuel particles, ash and oxide particles produced in the first reactor (2) and suitable for separating the oxide particles and ash from the fuel particles, the carbon separator (4) comprising an outlet path (4c) for the oxide particles and ash exhaust, characterized in that said outlet path (4c) of the carbon separator (4) is connected to an ash separator (10) for separating the ash from the oxide particles.