Eventos Anais de eventos
COBEM 2023
27th International Congress of Mechanical Engineering
EXPERIMENTAL DETERMINATION OF THE MINIMUM FLUIDIZATION VELOCITY OF THE AÇAÍ SEED TO BE USED IN FLUIDIZED BED FURNACES
Submission Author:
Amanda Carvalho , PA
Co-Authors:
Amanda Carvalho , Hendrick Zarate Rocha, Danielle R S Guerra, Manoel Fernandes Martins Nogueira, Arthur Vilhena Lima, Paloma Gama da Silva
Presenter: Amanda Carvalho
doi://10.26678/ABCM.COBEM2023.COB2023-2234
Abstract
In recent decades, the use of biofuels has become an essential alternative to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, in accordance with the Kyoto protocol. A growing concern for the quality of the air that the population breathes requires that large companies adapt their productive processes. In Brazil, the state of Pará is the largest producer of açaí, with a production of approximately 1,300,000 tons per year. For each ton of processed açaí, approximately 90% of the seeds are obtained, resulting in an annual mass of seeds available of around 1,170,000 tons. However, most of this waste is dumped in sanitary landfills in Belém and in the producing municipalities, or is accumulated as open garbage, causing considerable environmental impacts. Currently, the industry uses several processes for energy recovery based on fluidization technologies. Fluidization is a process that allows the suspension of particles in a fluid, subject to a certain flow, in a way that does not cause the particles to be dragged, but instead gives them the property of becoming part of the fluid. This technology is advantageous because fluidized beds have a higher heat transfer rate and a more efficient thermochemical conversion. One of the most important parameters in particle fluidization is the minimum fluidization velocity of the bed, which depends on the size, shape, and specific mass of the particles. However, the existing information on fluidization characteristics of açaí seeds is very limited. The present study aims to determine the minimum fluidization velocity of the açaí seed for its application in fluidization processes, such as fluidized bed boilers. The different properties of the açaí seed particles and their influence on the fluidization behavior in a cold fluidized bed were determined by analyzing the pressure difference and the air velocity introduced into the bed of the açaí seed. This will provide valuable information for the industry to use açaí seeds as a fuel source for energy production, which could lead to a significant reduction in waste and environmental impacts.
Keywords
Acai seed, fluidized bed, minimum fluidization velocity
