Experimental fluiddynamic investigation of a fluidized bed system for thermal fuel conversion with the scope to realize efficient biomass-based zero and negative emission technologies

The climate crisis calls for solutions to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and, moreover, to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the short-term cycle (negative emission technologies - NET). Technologies that use sustainably produced biomass for energy and simultaneously capture CO2 and make it available for storage can make a relevant contribution here. The dual fluidized bed technology developed in Vienna, which has recently undergone significant further development, can be used both for the production of renewable gases and for the process-inherent capture of CO2 according to the chemical looping principle. For scale-up towards a commercial plant, a design process is necessary concerning the optimal dimensioning of the geometrical proportions of such a plant. In order to enable a rational system design on a scientific basis, the Fluid4NET project adapts and equips an existing fluid dynamic cold model of a two-bed fluidized bed pilot plant in such a way that the investigation of gas flow and chemical looping becomes possible. In the course of targeted measurements of gas and particle flows in the fluidized bed system, the design on the cold model can be optimized with respect to the gas-solid contact quality and the desired operational stability. The aim of the project is to arrive at a rationally based fluidized bed system design for a possible, scaled-up plant through a deep understanding of the fluid dynamic processes.