Separation of liquid–liquid dispersion in a batch settler: CFD‐PBM simulations incorporating interfacial coalescence

Abstract

AbstractSeveral commercially important chemical processes involve liquid–liquid phase separation. In the present work, we have developed a multi‐fluid Eulerian CFD model using OpenFOAM that incorporates binary and interfacial coalescence processes. We simulated separation of kerosene dispersed in water in a batch settler and validated the predictions using the measurements of time‐evolution of coalescing and settling interfaces, local dispersed‐phase volume fraction (αO) and drop size distribution (DSD). Simulations are performed to understand the contributions of binary and interfacial coalescence processes to the phase separation process. While the time‐evolution of coalescing and settling fronts can be predicted reasonably well using the two‐fluid model with empirically‐corrected drag models, local αO and DSD could not be predicted. We have shown that the comprehensive multi‐fluid Eulerian model, which incorporates binary and interfacial coalescence, predicts the time‐evolution of the coalescing and settling fronts, local αO and the DSD in an excellent agreement with the measurements.