On CFD-DEM modeling of fluidized beds for bioenergy applications

Thermochemical processing of biomass in fluidized beds is of pivotal importance to displacing substantial quantities of fossil-based fuel and product consumption. One key issue with this technology is the limitations of empirical insight to support robust performance optimization and scale-up, necessitating the development of process-scale models. In this context, coupled Computational Fluid Dynamics and Discrete Element Method (CFD–DEM) is essential to understanding the complex interaction between the hydrodynamics and chemical processes involved in the thermochemical processing of biomass in fluidized beds. This talk will focus on our work on computational modeling of biomass gasification and pyrolysis in fluidized beds. We will showcase how we utilized the CFD–DEM model at the Biomass Conversion and Modeling Laboratory at the University of Tennessee to accurately capture the formation of inorganic contaminants during biomass gasification. We will also discuss our work in the Consortium for Computational Physics and Chemistry at Oak Ridge National Laboratory focused on simulating autothermal pyrolysis using CFD–DEM model coupled with particle-scale simulation.