A Combined Experimental and Numerical Thermo-Hydrodynamic Investigation of High-Temperature Fluidized-Bed Thermal Energy Storage

Abstract

The present research describes the design, analysis, and modeling of an air-granular particle fluidized-bed system with dimensions of 0.08 m × 0.4 m × 0.08 m. The hydrodynamic and thermal experiments are designed to verify the numerical model previously created for this purpose. The gas-solid two-phase flow is described using a three-dimensional, two-fluid model based on the Eulerian–Eulerian method. The experiment is conducted, and the numerical model is updated for the new geometry while maintaining the solution parameters. Silica sand and sintered bauxite particles are employed in both experimental and numerical investigations to examine the behaviors of these particles. The hydrodynamic validity of the numerical model is established by the use of experimental findings for pressure drop and bed expansion ratio. The thermal tests are conducted with 585 K hot sand, and the temperature distribution in the bed is measured using K-type thermocouples and compared with the simulation data. Both the hydrodynamical and thermal experimental data appear to agree with the conclusions of the computational analyses. The validated model is then used to mimic the performance of the bed at elevated temperatures. The performance indicators are discussed and calculated for 973 K, demonstrating that as the temperature rises, the system efficiency increases.