Sensitivity analysis of reacting two-phase flow in nuclear heat-based gasification process

Current work investigates influence of operating parameters on chemical reactions occuring within two-phase reacting flow. This particular flow analysed, corresponds to processes in coal gasifier unit supplied in heat by a high temperature gas cooled nuclear reactor (HTGR).Due to the fact that gasification is a complex process, in which multiphase mixture undergoes chemical reactions, it crucial to answer questions about sensitivity to parameters changes. Performed analysis was dedicated to answer question about the optimal flow parameters. Controll of flow patern, namely the swirl of coal-oxygen mixture traversing the gasifier domain, allowed creating efficiency curve, relating gas composition with non-axial component of the velocity vector.Using numerical model of the process, numbers of simulations were run in order to determine operation point yielding the highest efficiency, defined as a ratio of lower heating values of a syngas product of gasification process and coal feed into the unit.