Comparative analysis of heat transfer in a counter-current moving bed

There is a strong drive to reduce the carbon footprint of many processes. Mining and metallurgical processes are energy intensive and there is opportunity to improve their overall energy efficiency. One such way is via waste heat recovery from hot solids or gases. CSIRO is currently investigating the recovery of waste heat from the second stage of the Dry Slag Granulation process by countercurrent direct-contact cooling of the slag granules with air in a moving bed. One of the factors hindering the design and scale up of a counter-current moving bed, for the cooling of slag granules, is the uncertainty in the degree of heat transfer from the solids to the air at the granular level. Therefore an appropriate model to determine and predict air temperature variation along the length of the moving bed was investigated.