A New Correction Factor for Theoretical Prediction of Mass Transfer Coefficients in Bubble Columns

Abstract

The volumetric liquid-side mass transfer coefficients kLa in 1-butanol, toluene, ethanol and tap water were used in order to show that, when the classical penetration theory is applied to ellipsoidal bubbles, it needs to be corrected. The kLa data were obtained in a 0.102 m diameter bubble column operated in the homogeneous flow regime at pressures varied from 0.1 to 1.0 MPa. The new correction factor (lower than unity) was correlated with the dimensionless Eötvös number, Eo (gravitational force to surface tension force ratio). The kLa data (32 points) are fitted with a mean error of 8.2%.