A fluidized bed reactor (400, 400′, 410, 410′, 420, 500, 700) configured to react a fuel in a fluidized bed of bed solids, the reactor comprising:
- a bedwall (303) separating at least a portion of the bed into:
- a LowOx reaction zone (312) comprising:
- a LowOx gas inlet (314) disposed at a first portion of a bottom of the container and configured to fluidize the bed solids in the LowOx reaction zone (312) to create a first bubbling fluidized bed;
- and
- a LowOx gas supply (311) configured to supply an inert and/or less-oxidizing gas to the LowOx gas inlet (314) to volatilize the fuel to yield a volatiles stream and char;
- and
- a HiOx reaction zone (332) comprising:
- an oxidant inlet (334) disposed at a second portion of the bottom of the container configured to fluidize the bed solids in the HiOx reaction zone (332) to create a second bubbling fluidized bed;
- a HiOx gas supply (331) configured to supply the oxidant inlet (334) with a gas that is more oxidizing than that supplied by the LowOx gas supply (311), the HiOx gas supply and oxidant inlet configured to combust the char to yield an exhaust gas;
- a gaswall (302) separating at least a gas phase above the bed into a volatilization stage (310) and a combustion stage (330);
- the volatilization stage (310) comprising:
- a fuel inlet (316) configured to convey the fuel into the volatilization stage (310);
- a volatiles stream outlet (318) configured to convey the volatiles stream out of the volatilization stage;
- and
- a volatiles pressure gauge (350) configured to measure pressure within the volatilization stage (310);
- the combustion stage (330) comprising:
- an exhaust gas outlet (337) configured to convey the exhaust gas out of the combustion stage;
- and
- a combustion pressure gauge (352) configured to measure pressure within the combustion stage;
- an opening (304) through and/or below the gaswall (302) and below at least one expected fluidized bed height (212, 213) of the first and second bubbling fluidized beds, the opening (304) configured to provide for a flow of the char and bed solids between the volatilization stage (310) and the combustion stage (330);
- a passage (299) between the LowOx and HiOx reaction zones configured to provide for a returnflow (285) of the bed solids from the HiOx reaction zone (332) to the LowOx reaction zone (312);
- a splashgenerator (114, 214, 414) coupled to a transport gas supply (211) comprising a transport gas, the splashgenerator configured to inject the transport gas into a portion of the bed solids in the LowOx reaction zone (312) to splash, spray, and/or jet a drivenflow (280) of the bed solids from the LowOx reaction zone (312) past the bedwall (303) into the HiOx reaction zone (332);
- and
- a controller (360) coupled to the pressure gauges (350, 352) and configured to control a pressure difference between the stages (310, 330) to control a fuel and/or char residence time within the volatilization stage (310).