The Effect of Grid Resolution and Reaction Models in Simulation of a Fluidized Bed Gasifier Through Nonintrusive Uncertainty Quantification Techniques

Abstract

To improve quality of numerical models used in simulations of a fluidized bed gasifier at any scale, the sources of uncertainty in the simulation have to be identified and quantified. There are several sources of uncertainty that can affect any simulation result and scale up process such as uncertainty in the model input values, uncertainty in the reaction models and kinetic rates, uncertainty in selection of the appropriate numerical models affecting the hydrodynamics, uncertainty in selection of adequate computational grid resolution (uncertainty due to discretization error), uncertainty in the selection of proper numerical techniques required for solution of the discretized conservation equations, and many more. The current study aims to investigate the effect that reaction models for gasification, char oxidation, carbon monoxide oxidation, and water gas shift will have on the syngas composition at different grid resolution, along with bed temperature, which affects the reactions. The global sensitivity analysis conducted showed that among various reaction models employed for water gas shift, gasification, char oxidation, the choice of reaction model for water gas shift has the greatest influence on syngas composition, with gasification reaction model being second. Syngas composition also shows a small sensitivity to temperature of the bed. The hydrodynamic behavior of the bed did not change beyond grid spacing of 18 times the particle diameter. However, the syngas concentration continued to be affected by the grid resolution as low as 9 times the particle diameter. This is due to a better resolution of the phasic interface between the gas and solid that leads to stronger heterogeneous reactions.