The fluidized bed laboratory contains a variety of bubbling and circulating fluidized beds in which to perform experiments. An automated flow loop has been constructed to facilitate the collection of data during experiments. Gas flows are conditioned in temperature and humidity.
Flow rate is measured with calibrated orifice flow meters.
Temperatures within the fluidized bed and at heat-transfer surfaces are monitored with thermocouples. Our research investigates thermochemical conversion of fuels in fluidized bed reactors. We are interested in the heat and mass transfer processes that control reaction in combustors and gasifiers. This information is important in the design of energy conversion equipment both for the production of gaseous and liquid fuels and the generation of electric power. Our studies have focused on fluidized combustion of high-sulfur bituminous coals, gasification of biomass feedstocks, and hydrodynamic behavior of circulating fluidized bed reactors.