Reactor, fluidization and environmental studies

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This proposal seeks renewed funding to extend promising research in several areas and to initiate new research of importance to energy, industrial capabilities and the environment: 1. Our probabilistic approach to the modelling of catalytic fluidized bed reactors will be extended to incorporate transient behaviour, gas-solid reactions, selective removal of one or more product, and distributed addition of reactants. This will enhance the value of the model as a simulation and design tool. 2. We will seek to improve computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modelling of particle and fluid dynamics in fluidized beds by carrying out simple experiments in liquid- and gas-fluidized beds for direct comparison with predictions, minimizing the number of assumptions and unknown. It is also planned to operate a mobile experimental fluidized bed system that will travel to different laboratories for advanced testing and comparison of instrumentation techniques, while also providing a unique database for validation of CFD and other models. 3. Because of their relevance in a number of industrial processes where tightly-packed heat transfer tubes and other fixed internal surfaces are incorporated into fluidized bed reactors, the hydrodynamics of "congested" fluidized beds will be investigated, with a view to optimizing particle circulation and overall flow uniformity. 4. Biomass is of special importance with respect to avoiding greenhouse gas emissions in Canada and elsewhere. However, biomass particles are difficult to treat due to their unique physical characterisitics. Experiments will be carried out to improve the basis for fluidizing biomass particles. 5. Our work on separating CO2 from flue gas streams using calcium sorbent will be extended to novel sorbents in which inert refractories are incorporated into the powder matrix to prevent sintering, which we have found to be the major cause of loss of sorption capacity upon cycling. 6. Brominated flame retardants are of growing concern in the environment. Experimental and mass balance modelling studies will be carried out to improve the understanding of how polybrominated dephenyl ethers (PBDEs) are transferring from electronic wastes, other consumer products, and applied bio-solids into air, water and soil.