Fluidized combustion of char and volatiles from coal

This paper reviews the literature about fluidized combustion of char and volatiles from coal. While the rate of combustion of particles bigger than about 2 mm is mainly limited by the rate of diffusion of oxygen, there is usually an effect of chemical rate. As particle diameter decreases, the influence of chemical rate increases. Char particles are porous and combustion occurs in pores near their exterior. Char reactivity can be modelled by an effective pore area for combustion. At high bed temperatures (>1,150 K), the rate of combustion of volatiles is limited by the rate of mixing of fuel and oxygen. At low bed temperatures (<1,000 K), combustion reactions are inhibited by the inert particles in the bed.