Experimental validation of multiphase particle-in-cell simulations of fluidization in a bubbling fluidized bed combustor

As part of our long-term aim at developing a complex CFD simulation tool for bubbling fluidized bed boilers operating in oxyfuel regime, we have performed specialized fluidization experiments to validate our numerical algorithm for multiphase flow simulation. The algorithm combines and extends the function of several components of OpenFOAM, using the multiphase particle-in-cell method implemented into a custom solver derived from coalChemistryFoam. In the first part of this contribution, the mathematical model and the important improvements in the implementation of the numerical algorithm are discussed.