Slurry Droplet Dynamics and Absorption Reaction Characteristics in Industrial-Scale Wet Flue Gas Desulfurization Reactor

Wet flue gas desulfurization technology has been frequently utilized across various industries including metallurgy and petrochemicals due to its notable efficiency in desulfurization and dust removal. This study utilizes the multiphase particle-in-cell method to simulate and analyze flow dynamics of flue gas and lime slurry in a wet desulfurization reactor. Following the validation of the established model, the impacts of desulfurization reactor configurations, slurry injection orientations, and internal structures on gas–solid dynamics and absorption reaction characteristics are examined. The findings reveal that the fluctuations of gas turbulent viscosity are most pronounced at the reactor inlet. Both the inlet angle and diameter significantly influence the lateral distribution of flue gas velocity and dynamic pressure. Slurry droplets exhibit a slip velocity ranging from 7.5 to 8.4 m/s. Additionally, the flue gas temperature increases with enlarging the inlet angle and reactor diameter. Along the radial direction, the solid heat transfer coefficient diminishes alongside reductions in the solid Reynolds number and heat transfer coefficient as the solid temperature increases. The SO2 mass fraction diminishes with increasing inlet angle and reactor diameter. However, beyond an inlet angle of 90° and a reactor diameter of 13 m, the alteration in the SO2 mass fraction becomes negligible. Moreover, the inlet angle and diameter negatively correlate with desulfurization efficiency, with the tower diameter exerting the most significant impact on efficiency. Nevertheless, installing a baffle at the reactor bottom proves ineffective in enhancing the SO2 removal rate.