Analysis and Optimization of Material Flow inside the System of Rotary Coolers and Intake Pipeline via Discrete Element Method Modelling

Jakub Hlosta, David Žurovec, Jiří Rozbroj, Álvaro Ramírez-Gómez, Jan Nečas and Jiří Zegzulka
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Jakub Hlosta: ENET Centre, Bulk Solids Centre-Czech Republic, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 70833 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic
David Žurovec: ENET Centre, Bulk Solids Centre-Czech Republic, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 70833 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic
Jiří Rozbroj: ENET Centre, Bulk Solids Centre-Czech Republic, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 70833 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic
Álvaro Ramírez-Gómez: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry and Industrial Design, Technical University of Madrid, Ronda de Valencia 3, 28012 Madrid, Spain
Jan Nečas: ENET Centre, Bulk Solids Centre-Czech Republic, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 70833 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic
Jiří Zegzulka: ENET Centre, Bulk Solids Centre-Czech Republic, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 70833 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 7, 1-18

Abstract: There is hardly any industry that does not use transport, storage, and processing of particulate solids in its production process. In the past, all device designs were based on empirical relationships or the designer’s experience. In the field of particulate solids, however, the discrete element method (DEM) has been increasingly used in recent years. This study shows how this simulation tool can be used in practice. More specifically, in dealing with operating problems with a rotary cooler which ensures the transport and cooling of the hot fly ash generated by combustion in fluidized bed boilers. For the given operating conditions, an analysis of the current cooling design was carried out, consisting of a non-standard intake pipeline, which divides and supplies the material to two rotary coolers. The study revealed shortcomings in both the pipeline design and the cooler design. The material was unevenly dispensed between the two coolers, which combined with the limited transport capacity of the coolers, led to overflowing and congestion of the whole system. Therefore, after visualization of the material flow and export of the necessary data using DEM design measures to mitigate these unwanted phenomena were carried out.

Keywords: discrete element method (DEM) modelling; design; equipment optimization; flow prediction; rotary cooler (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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