Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is one of the key technologies needed to mitigate carbon dioxide emission from industrial sources and... Show moreCarbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is one of the key technologies needed to mitigate carbon dioxide emission from industrial sources and power plants. Development of CFD-based design tool for prediction of the extent of CO2 capture in a regenerable dry sorbent-based technology, in an efficient power plant design (i.e., modern IGCC power plants) was the driving force behind this project. In this study, we established a systematic methodology, starting from investigating the properties of the sorbent and its reaction mechanism, to developing a model for design and scale-up of the reactors that is needed to deploy this technology at larger scales. This dissertation provides a coupled CFD-PBE model based on the novel FCMOM approach with broad application in reaction engineering and reactor design where the polydisperse nature of the phases has strong effect on the hydrodynamics of the system. Detailed investigations of the MgO-based sorbent and its performance toward capturing CO2 from a coal gas stream were performed that result in development of the two-zone variable diffusivity shrinking core reaction model. Furthermore, a baseline design for a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) reactor, using numerical modeling and threedimensional simulations of a full-loop circulating fluidized bed reactor was provided based on the coupled CFD-PBE, which in combination with the reaction model can perform as a base for parametric studies and optimization of the process. PH.D in Chemical Engineering, December 2013 Show less
