Numerical Study on Heat Distribution and Transfer Characteristics of a Manifold in a Coal Mine VAM TFRR Oxidation Bed

ABSTRACT

A thermal flow-reversal reactor is candidate for utilizing low concentration ventilation air methane. In this paper, a numerical study is performed by using the FLUENT software to explore the details of the transient preheating and starting process of the thermal flow-reversal reactor oxidation bed. The bed was heated by hot gas, which was transported and distributed through the holes of manifolds to the middle of the bed. The homogeneous porous media and coupled heat transfer models were chosen; and the mass and heat flow distributions passing through the holes, the heat transfer on the outer surface of the manifold and the temperature distribution of the bed were calculated. The results indicate that the heat of the hot gas passing through the holes decreases gradually along the direction of the hot gas flowing in the manifold, causing the temperature of the bed decrease accordingly. The calculated temperatures of the oxidation bed are compared with the tested results. The maximum error between the calculation and the test was 8.9%.

Keywords:

Heat flow distribution, mass flow distribution, regenerative oxidation bed, thermal reverse-flow reactor (TFRR), ventilation air methane (VAM).