Scale-up of chemical looping combustion

The use of chemical looping combustion (CLC) for power generation is a possible pathway to meet demands for developing clean and efficient fossil fuelbased energy systems. CLC is an advanced technology that captures CO₂ inherently and could prove to be an advantageous next electricity generation technology in a carbon-constrained energy scenario. Fluidized bed reactors are used in CLC. The scale-up of laboratory-scale or prototype CLC reactors is necessary to develop an understanding of the potential and efficiencies of CLC because commercial installations would be large, requiring huge amounts of infrastructure, equipment, and investment. In this study, scaling laws were used as a guide to design and then build two different-sized CLC reactors. Testing of the reactors involved a focus on chemical similarities. Comparisons of the performance of both reactors, including the fuel conversion and temperature change, showed good correlations.