Progress and Perspectives on Erosion in Circulating Fluidized Bed Boilers: Mechanisms, Numerical Simulation, and Mitigation Strategies

Erosion is widely encountered in circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boilers. Investigations into erosion mechanisms and mitigation strategies are essential for improving the operational reliability and reducing economic losses. This paper presents a bibliometric analysis and review of recent progress in erosion-related studies for CFB boilers, identifying three main research hotspots: CFD-based erosion prediction from flow dynamics, anti-wear coatings from materials science that consider chemical corrosion, and boiler design adaptations for biomass. Building upon classical studies on solid particle erosion mechanisms and accounting for the high-temperature and reactive chemical environments characteristic of CFB boilers, the erosion mechanisms in CFB boilers are systematically summarized. It is revealed that particle flow parameters dominate the erosion process, coupled with chemical corrosion. Subsequently, the application of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods to erosion prediction and mitigation in CFB boilers is reviewed, and the characteristics of various anti-wear techniques are discussed. It is found that CFD can serve as an effective tool for the design of anti-wear techniques; however, the design must account not only for erosion resistance but also for the resulting impacts on boiler heat transfer and thermal inertia. Finally, perspectives and future research directions for erosion studies in CFB boilers are outlined.