Construction and operation of an isothermal flow reactor system for study of SO₂ removal by injected limestone sorbents

Desulfurization capacity of Finnish limestones was studied with the aid of an isothermal flow reactor at the Laboratory of Fuel and Process Technology of the Technical Research Center of Finland over the years 1985–1989. Construction and operation of this isothermal flow reactor are presented in the article. Reaction temperature, residence time, and flue gas composition can be regulated independently of each other. The flue gas is formed by burning LPG (mixture of propane and propene). Other gases can be mixed with the flue gases to get the desired gas composition. The hot flue gas is led into a vertical reactor. To compensate heat losses the reactor tube is kept at the desired temperature with the aid of an electric resistance heater installed around the tube. Flow in the reactor is laminar. Limestone powder of 1–100 μm in particle size can be fed by a powder feeder at a rate of 0.2–5 g/min into the reactor. Reacted solid matter is collected with an axially movable, water‐cooled, and nitrogen‐diluted sampling probe in the reactor tube. It is very important to feed the fine powdered limestone as separate particles into the reactor and to sample the solid product so that detrimental reactions in the sampling system are minimized. The residence time of solid matter in the reactor ranges 0.1–1 s, depending on the gas amount flowing in the reactor tube, and on the position of the sampling probe in the tube. The sample is collected in a cyclone or a filter at the end of the probe. Calcium and sulfur compounds, specific surface area, and pore and particle size distributions are analyzed for the sample.