Resistance characteristics and particle movement behavior of a petroleum coke particle packed bed in a vertical shaft calciner under different burden distribution methods

Because of the increasingly deteriorating quality of petroleum coke raw materials, abnormal furnace conditions, such as “firing and blasting”, frequently arise during the calcination of petroleum coke with a high powder/coke ratio in a vertical shaft calciner. This poses an urgent technical challenge that needs to be addressed. In iron and steel metallurgy, the burden distribution system is an important way to regulate blast furnace conditions and improve the permeability of a particle packed bed. In this work, advanced burden distribution concepts were introduced into the calcination process of petroleum coke in a vertical shaft calciner. Experimental devices were established to determine the resistance characteristics of a petroleum coke particle packed bed, along with a cold physical model of a 1/8 scale vertical shaft calciner. The influence of particle size and burden distribution methods on the resistance characteristics and particle motion behavior of the petroleum coke particle packed bed was systematically studied. The research findings indicate that both particle size and burden distribution methods significantly impact the resistance characteristics of petroleum coke particle packed beds. The smaller the particle size, the poorer the permeability of the bed. The layered burden distribution, symmetrical burden distribution, and dual-particle mixed conventional burden distribution all contribute to improving the permeability of the petroleum coke particle packed bed in the vertical shaft calciner. Furthermore, employing symmetrical burden distribution in Bed-3, which is packed with petroleum coke particles of diameters −3.2 + 2.5 mm and −1.0 + 0.8 mm, results in the smallest unit pressure drop, at only 1.7% of that of the conventional burden distribution of unscreened raw materials. This is the most effective means of improving the permeability of the bed. During the discharging process, particle size and symmetrical burden distribution have no significant impact on the motion characteristics of petroleum coke particles in the vertical shaft calciner. In general, in the calciner area, particles primarily move in a plug flow pattern and gradually transform into funnel flow in the cooling water jacket area. These research results provide the theoretical basis for addressing the technical challenges associated with powder coke calcination in vertical shaft calciners through reasonable burden distribution methods for fine and coarse particles.