Patent ID: 6214065
Filing Date: 2001-04-10
Classification: C10J,C10K

Abstract:
A method of operating a fluidized bed reactor system for reacting fuel, the reactor system comprising (i) a fluidized bed reactor chamber having a reactor chamber outlet for gas produced during fuel reaction, (ii) a particle separator connected to the reactor chamber outlet for separating solid material from gas exhausted from the reactor chamber, the particle separator having a solid particle outlet and a gas outlet, and (iii) a gas cooler having cooling surfaces and being connected to the gas outlet of the particle separator, the method comprising the steps of:(a) introducing solid material particles, fluidization medium and fuel into the reactor chamber to provide a fluidized bed therewithin;(b) reacting the fuel material within the fluidized bed to produce exhaust gas and discharging the exhaust gas from the reactor chamber outlet;(c) introducing the exhaust gas into the particle separator and separating solid particles from the gas in the particle separator;(d) discharging from the particle separator (i) gas through the gas outlet and (ii) a first flow of separated solid particles through the solid particle outlet;(e) cooling, in the gas cooler, the gas discharged from the separator;(f) branching off, from the first flow of solid particles, before or after discharging the first flow of solid particles from the particle separator, a second flow of solid particles; and(g) introducing the second flow of solid particles into the gas discharged from the separator upstream of the gas being cooled in said cooling step, so that the solid particles mechanically dislodge deposits from, and thereby clean, the cooling surfaces in the gas cooler.