Analysis/control of in-bed tube erosion phenomena in the fluidized bed combustion (FBC) system. Technical progress report number 10

Using the basic principle of flow disruption as a method of preventing erosion, different types of anti-erosion tubes were designed and tested. The main function of these protective devices was to decrease the bubble momentum and form a stagnant layer of bed material on the tube surface by changing the local flow pattern. The ball-studded tube with the in-line pattern was less effective in reducing weight loss than the ball-studded tube with the staggered pattern. The staggered, ball-studded tube had a erosion rate that was three times lower than that of a regular tube. It is believed that the flow drag of the in-line pattern was less than that of the staggered pattern, permitting a higher particle velocity and, therefore, a higher erosion. According to these results, the finned/ball-studded tube is considered a more effective protective device than either the finned tube or the ball-studded tube in terms of tube erosion in FBC