Bed material flow modeling in CFB boiler of

Nagan Raya power plant

Cite as: AIP Conference Proceedings 2062, 020039 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5086586
Published Online: 25 January 2019

Ariyana Dwiputra, Bambang Teguh Prasetyo, Himawan S., Iqbal Felani, Hendra Budiono, Riki Jaka, and Andhy
Fathoni

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AIP Conference Proceedings 2062, 020039 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5086586 2062, 020039

© 2019 Author(s).
 Bed Material Flow Modeling in CFB Boiler of Nagan Raya
Power Plant
Ariyana Dwiputra1, a), Bambang Teguh Prasetyo2, b), Himawan S2), Iqbal Felani1),
Hendra Budiono1), Riki Jaka2), Andhy Fathoni2)
1
PT PLN (Persero), Research Institute, Jl. Durentiga 102 Jakarta Selatan 12760 Indonesia
2
Laboratory for Thermodynamics, Engines and Propulsion Technology – Agency for The Assessment and
Application of Technology, Gd. 230 – Puspiptek, Serpong, Tangerang 15314 Indonesia
a)
Corresponding author: ariyana.dp@gmail.com, ariyana@pln.co.id
b)
bambang.teguh@bppt.go.id

Abstract. The Nagan Raya power plant is one of the steam power plants in Indonesia using CFB boilers with a
capacity of 100 MWe. During operation there are often problems that occur in boilers that cause shutdown or forced
outage. One of them is a tube leak suspected to be eroded by the flow of bed material (sand) in the boiler. Therefore, it
is necessary to simulate the flow using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software to predict the flow of bed
material in the boiler. An Eulerian granular multiphase model is used to perform a three dimensional (3D)
hydrodynamic simulation, full-loop, time-dependent, on the CFB boiler. In this study the simulated parameters were
the diameter of the sand in the form of a mixture of 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm and 0.4 mm, with each assumption being
25% by volume. In this simulation also varied the ratio of primary air and secondary air. The simulation results are
presented in terms of pressure profile, volume fraction and velocity profile of sand, and sand motion animation. The
results show that the flow of sand changes significantly in the airflow distribution and the difference in sand size.

INTRODUCTION
Most papers that discuss CFB boiler simulations are based on empirical models. Throughout the years, the
models are more complex. For example, the Hyppanen research group started out with a combination of a
dimensionless solid mass balance model and 1 dimension [1]. Recently, the Hyppanen group publish their latest
research for a 3D simulation of mixing gases and solids [2-4]. The research group also presented simulations of
various boilers with varying capacities ranging from 15 MWe [2], 235 MWe [3], to 460 MWe [4].
Based on the flow distribution and combustion behavior within the furnace, it was possible to develop a
comprehensive 3D boiler model. The study involves primary fragmentation, fuel population equilibrium,
devolatilization and burning [5-7]. The furnace was divided into 4 zones based on the flow characteristics. This
model has been applied to a 12 MWth boiler built at Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden. The effect of
mixing and geometry on overall performance is validated using the measured data. Meanwhile, Pallares and
Johnsson [8,9], in their paper split CFB boilers in 6 zones. This method difference reflects the different
understanding of thermal-fluid phenomena in the boiler.
In practice, it was difficult to describe the conditions in the boiler more concisely due to the current boiler
technology is increasingly complex with the addition of nozzles, evaporators and various other couplings in different
zones within the boiler itself. The computational simulation of fluid dynamics enables the description of thermal-
fluid phenomena in the boiler in more detail, so that, over the past few years [10-12] many researchers have made
research using CFD software.
Flour and Boucker [10] presented the simulation results of an industrial CFB on a test-rig using a self-developed
programming code called ESTET-ASTRID. Flour and Boucker offered a new definition of average diameter to

The 10th International Meeting of Advances in Thermofluids (IMAT 2018)

AIP Conf. Proc. 2062, 020039-1–020039-10; https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5086586
Published by AIP Publishing. 978-0-7354-1790-8/$30.00

020039-1
approach the value of the drag force. They also introduced a porosity model to estimate the value of pressure drop
loss in the fluidization zone.
Xiao [11] presented the CFD simulation results of a 135 MWe Boiler with an updated drag force model and
compared the results with the measurement data. Hartge [12] simulated CFD-3D on a pilot-scale CFB with a
rectangular cross-section of the pilot and found that the simulations they performed with the drag coefficient of the
energy minimization multi scale model (EMMS) successfully predicted dense bottom area very well.
Most CFD simulations nowadays focus on furnace space [10-12]. Some even use only 2D simulations [13-15] to
be able to understand what is going on inside CFB boilers and get detailed information, 3D simulation is
indispensable.
Zhang Nan [15] performed a 3D simulation which he referred to as full-loop simulations shows the dynamics of
mixing gases and solid fuels both horizontally and vertically, the effects of various non-uniform geometries such as
coal inlet inlet, input nozzle for secondary air. This simulation is done for pilot model. Euler model of granular
multifasa with drag coefficient based on energy minimization multi-scale model (EMMS), to simulate the dynamics
of three-dimensional flow fluid (3D), full-loop on CFB boiler semi-industrial scale. In this simulation, the Euler
granular model in Fluent®6.3.26 is used to simulate the flow. The three-dimensional (3D), time-dependent
simulation of a full-loop CFB shows that the axial profile of the cross section of the average solid-volume fraction,
and the axial velocity profile and the volume fraction of the solid is accordance with the experimental data.
Based on the suitability of the simulation and experimental results, Zhang Nan used the same model to simulate
the dynamics of three-dimensional (3D), full-loop, time-dependent fluid dynamics in industrial-scale CFB boilers
with a capacity of 150 MWe [16]. The granular Euler model in Fluent®6.3.26 is still used to study the flow behavior
in the boiler, where the solid phase voltage is approximated by granular flow kinetic theory, and correlation of the
drag coefficient is corrected by considering the particle cluster. Simulation results are presented in the form of a
pressure profile across the solid circulation loop, the profile of the solid volume fraction and the vertical velocity of
the solid, as well as the uniform solid flux distribution into the two parallel cyclones. The simulation results show
the model's capability, with emphasis on EMMS corrected coefficient, in predicting two-phase flow behavior.
Ravindra Kumar [17] uses Fluent to analyze combustion in CFB boilers. This study focuses on a mixture of two
gas-solid phases that flow up through the fast beds. The studied procedure applies to all CFB types, which discuss
various ways of analyzing pressure and temperature in the CFB.
This paper presents the material bed flow in CFB using a turbulent k-Ɛ model to describe the gas-solid flow in
the CFB. Variations in mean particle diameter and superficial velocity, affects the kinetic energy of turbulence in
different mean fractions in the combustion zone.

DATA PROCESS
Air requirement for 1 Boiler unit taken from operating data of 114 MWe Performance Test is shown in Table .1.
As for the process design data from CFB Boiler Nagan Raya PLTU as shown in Table 2.
TABLE 1. Air Requirement TABLE 2. Design Data
Primary Air 159,9 kNm3/hr
Secondary Air: 126,31 kNm3/hr
FAF Air : 7,72 kNm3/hr
Coal Support Air 22,72 kNm3/hr

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 FIGURE 1. Simulation Domain FIGURE 2. Geometry Model Simulation Domain

SOLUTION
Two-phase coupling SIMPLE method is chosen for pressure velocity coupling, the first-order UPWIND scheme
is used for discretization of momentum equations and volume fractions. The size of the time step is 0.001 s at the
beginning of the iteration which is gradually increased to 0.02 s at the end of the calculation. Referring to [16], the
solid material flux at the outlet of the cyclone separator is monitored to assess when the simulation reaches a steady
state, after that the average time is carried out.

a) Tetrahedra (1.033.274 unit cell) b) Polyhedral (301.814 unit cell)

FIGURE 3. Mesh default in Fluent

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 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Grid independent test

The grid independent test results are specified for the sand velocity profile and the total air pressure in all four
elements. Figure 4. shows the sand velocity profile when the calculation has reached a steady state of about 60
seconds real physical time. In one element in the furnace area, each simulation shows the same relative velocity,
which is 1.7m / s. This value does not reflect the expected condition considering that Fluent only issued a number
with one digit behind the comma. Therefore, the value of the total air pressure is used at the same steady state after
60 seconds. Figure 5. shows the total pressure profile. The value taken at one element in the furnace area in each
simulation shows the price of the total air pressure is slightly different and is shown in Figure 6.

FIGURE 4. Sand velocity profile (m/s) for various elements.

FIGURE 5. Total Air Pressure Profile (Pa) for various elements.

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 4500
4000

Total Air Pressure (Pa)
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
50 150 250 350
elements (x1000)

FIGURE 6. Total Air Pressure Profile (Pa) in the same area of the furnace.

From the results of the independent grid test, it shows that the value of the total air pressure taken on one element
in the furnace area is still different in each calculation with the number of different elements. The results on the
number of elements 240,273 have approached with the results of calculations with the number of grids given by
Fluent (335,691). Therefore, the number of elements 240,273 is then used in the next calculation.

Multiphase fluid dynamics simulations with 0.1mm sand diameter

By using the simulation setting magnitude, a modeling is performed with assumption of all sand is 0.1mm in
diameter. Steady conditions are achieved after 60 seconds of real time. The results that can be displayed are profiles
of total pressure, velocity, volume fractions of both sand and air, etc. Figure 7.a-c shows the sand velocity profile in
a vertical section in altitude 6.5m, 4.3m, and 0.5m from symmetric surface and the enlargement of the horizontal
cross section, 15m from the bed (Figure 7.d).
In the vertical plane near the front wall (Figure 7.a), the sand moves down nearly to the left wall and rises nearly
to the right wall (see Figure 7.d). At the bottom of the panel and platen zone the sand velocity drops relatively high
by 5.6m / s. The phenomenon of the descent of sand in this zone because this zone is depressed due to the secondary
air velocity from the nozzle that is in the adjacent zone (Figure 7.b).
In the vertical plane around the middle of the boiler, which is 0.5m from symmetric surface (Figure 7.c), the sand
moves up across the horizontal cross section (see Figure 7.d). Sand speed ranges from 5-6 m / s. The phenomenon of
sand rising in this zone is due to the strength of the primary and secondary air impulses.

(b)

(a) (c)

(d)

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 FIGURE 7. Sand Velocity Profile (m/s) vertical plane (a) 6,5m, (b) 4,3m, and (c) 0,5m from symmetric surface, and (d)
horizontal plane 15 meter from bed

In the area slightly above the bed, close to the front wall and 4.3 m away from symmetric surface (Figure 7.a and
b), the horizontal direction of the sand is relatively high (8m / s) around the front wall of the boiler.
Figure 8. is the sand volume fraction in the same fields as Figure 7. There are zones near the left wall of the
boiler, there is a high concentration of sand (0.01: red). High sand concentration, high velocity occurs at the bottom
of the panel and platen near the front wall. This condition can endanger the water wall, tube evaporator panel and
superheater platen tube.

(b)

FIGURE 8. Sand Volume Fraction in vertical plane (a) 6,5m, (b) 4,3m, and (c) 0,5m from symmetric surface, and (d) horizontal
(a) plane 15 meter from bed (c)

In the horizontal cyclone section, about 6m from the top wall of the cyclone (Figure 9.a), a number of sands
enter the cyclone with relatively high speeds (around 6 - 8m / s) swiping against the outer cyclone wall. This
condition can damage the evaporator tubes on the cyclone wall. (d)

(a) Velocity (m/s) (b) Volume Fraction

FIGURE 9. Horizontal Plane Profile, 6m from cyclone roof
(a) (b)

The sand volume fraction in the same section as Figure 9 is shown in Figure 10. In this section, the circulating
sand is relatively small, but when seen in Figure 8.a and b, the volume fraction of the sand that entering the cyclone
is relatively large. Thus, when observed in the hole in the center of the cyclone pipe (Figure 9.b) and the vertical
cross section (Figure 9.b) there was a small fraction of the sand volume (about 0.0025) which was carried away by
the exhaust gas to the convection area.
Assuming all sand is 0.1mm in diameter, all the sand moves up towards the roof of the boiler furnace. Most
circulate to the furnace via cyclone, and some circulate in the furnace room. The movement of sand rising in the

020039-6
boiler room is not uniformly. A small portion of sand is also still there that comes out through the cyclone to the
convection zone. Thus the aim of Circulating Fluidized Bed is not perfect.

Multiphase fluid dynamics simulations with mixed sand diameters: 0.1mm, 0.2mm,
0.3mm and 0.4mm respectively 25%

To study the movement behavior of bed material that is approach to the actual one, simulations are carried out
with a mixture of sand diameters from 0.1mm, 0.2mm, 0.3mm and 0.4mm. In the simulation it is assumed that the
volume percentage of each sand is 25%.

a). Sand diameter 0,1 mm b). Sand diameter 0,2 mm

c). Sand diameter 0,3 mm d). Sand diameter 0,4 mm

FIGURE 10. Sand Velocity Profile (m/s)

Figure 10.a - d shows the velocity profile in the vertical plane of the boiler at the centre of the cyclone (about
4.3m from the symmetric surface) for each diameter of the sand. 0.1 mm diameter sand circulates to Cyclone (Figure
10.a). Sand with a diameter of 0.2 mm moves up closer to the boiler roof and most of it circulates / falls still inside
the boiler furnace room. A small amount of sand circulates through cyclone (Figure 10.b). Sand with a diameter of
0.3mm and 0.4mm only circulates slightly exceeded above the bed. This phenomenon is similar to fluidized bed
furnace bubbling (Figure 9.c and d).

020039-7
 Multiphase fluid dynamics simulation with 0.1mm sand diameter, 70%: 30% ratio of
primary and secondary air

This simulation is intended to study the behavior of sand with the distribution of primary air velocity more
dominant than secondary air (Figure 11). Sand flow velocity is more homogeneous in the lower panel and platen
area. There is still sand recirculation in the boiler room with an upward flow in the field close to the symmetric wall
(Figure 11.c) and down flow in the plane close to the front wall of the boiler (Figure 11.c). The advantage of this
percentage is that the sand speed is lower (around 3 - 4m / s), because it has been distributed almost evenly in the
horizontal section of the boiler (Figure 11.d). By changing the ratio of primary and secondary air to 70%: 30% did
not significantly improve the CFB design goals.

(b)

(c)
(a)

(d)

FIGURE 11. Volume Fraction Profile in vertical plane (a) 6,5m, (b) 4,3m, and (c) 0,5m from symmetric surface, and (d)
horizontal plane 15 meter from bed

CONCLUSION
From the simulations that have been carried out, the following conclusions can be drawn as follows:
1. To minimize the number of cells, the simulation domain is modeled half of the boiler with the middle wall of
the boiler modeled as a symmetric surface.
2. If the geometry meshing follows the minimum face size, then the number of cells / elements is millions in
number, and will take a very long time when simulating. Therefore, with dimensional analysis enlargement is
carried out by combining the number of primary air nozzle and air loop seal.
3. The calculated number of primary air nozzles is validated by simulation in one volume control, and the
results show the number of primary air nozzles 210/2 pieces or equal to 100 nozzles for simulation domain.
4. The number of cells from 100,000 to 350,000 is optimized with the "grid independent test" technique and the
result is that the number of cells around 240,000 is accurate enough to use simulation calculations.
5. This CFB boiler design has not been fully successful because the movement of sand from the bed to the
boiler roof and into the cyclone is still not uniform.

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 6. There is still circulation of sand in the boiler room, with relatively high speed (6-8 m / s) and high
concentration in certain zones (bottom side panel and platen zone, left wall water wall near the front side of
the boiler, wall refractory left around the bed) which can cause damage.
7. Sand with a diameter of 0.1mm and 0.2mm will circulate through the cyclone with a relatively high speed on
the front side of the cyclone (6 - 8m / s), which can damage the cyclone wall.
8. A sand with a diameter of 0.1 mm, a small portion (about 0.0025) will be carried to the convection area,
while the 0.2 mm diameter will all return to the furnace.
9. Sand with a diameter of 0.3 and 0.4 mm will only be a fluidized bed bubbling.
10. Simulations with a comparison of primary and secondary air discharge 70% and 30% have not improved the
CFB design goals for this boiler.

SUGGESTION
1. It is better to be consistent in using sand size, and it is recommended to uses sand diameter of about 0.2mm.
2. More simulation needs to be done both with variations in the primary and secondary air debit ratio, as well as
loop-seal air.
3. If operationally possible, it is also necessary to simulate secondary air flow with a different debit for each
nozzle. The aim is to obtain a homogeneous profile of sand flow in the section of the boiler room.

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