Also available on Youtube.
About This Webinar
Presented by Tanner Stelmach of CPFD at the 2026 Barracuda Virtual Reactor Users’ Conference.
Circulating fluidized bed combustors (CFBCs) are widely used for efficient, low-emission conversion of solid fuels due to their excellent gas-solid mixing, fuel flexibility, and ability to control combustion temperatures. Their complex multiphase flow behavior, however, makes reactor design, scale-up, and optimization challenging using experimental methods alone. This presentation introduces a Barracuda Virtual Reactor application model for industrial CFBC systems, demonstrating how Barracuda can be applied to simulate gas-particle hydrodynamics, heat transfer, combustion chemistry, and pollutant formation in both laboratory- and industrial-scale reactors. A validated 50 kW model is used to establish confidence in the reaction kinetics before scaling to a 110 MW industrial combustor, where the simulation captures particle circulation, devolatilization, char combustion, and species distributions throughout the reactor. The presentation also explores an ammonia co-firing case, illustrating how the model can be extended to evaluate decarbonization strategies by predicting changes in combustion behavior and flue gas composition. Together, these examples demonstrate how Barracuda Virtual Reactor enables engineers to gain detailed insight into CFBC performance, reduce development risk, and evaluate advanced operating strategies for improved efficiency and lower emissions.
About the Speaker
Since joining the team in 2023, Tanner has worked as a CFD Engineer on commercial projects, contributed to the CPFD support and training teams, and supported the development of Virtual Reactor through testing and validation. Tanner received his Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Colorado.