Axial gas phase dispersion in a molten salt oxidation reactor

Abstract

Gas phase axial dispersion characteristics were determined in a molten salt oxidation reactor (air-molten sodium carbonate salt two phase system). The effects of the gas velocity (0.05-0.22 m/s) and molten salt bed tem- perature (870-970 o C) on the gas phase axial dispersion coefficient were studied. The amount of axial gas-phase dis- persion was experimentally evaluated by means of residence time distribution (RTD) experiments using an inert gas tracer (CO). The experimentally determined RTD curves were interpreted by using the axial dispersions model, which proved to be a suitable means of describing the axial mixing in the gas phase. The results indicated that the axial dis- persion coefficients exhibited an asymptotic value with increasing gas velocity due to the plug-flow like behavior in the higher gas velocity. Temperature had positive effects on the gas phase dispersion. The effect of the temperature on the dispersion intensity was interpreted in terms of the liquid circulation velocity using the drift-flux model.