Gas Holdup Distribution Research Articles

Structure optimization of gas-liquid combined loop reactor using a CFD-PBE coupled model

Flow characteristics, such as flow pattern, gas holdup, and bubble size distribution, in an internal loop reactor with external liquid circulation, are simulated to investigate the influence of reactor internals by using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-population balance equations (PBE) coupled model. Numerical results reveal that introducing a downcomer tube and a draft tube can help to improve the mass and heat transfer of the reactor through enhanced liquid circulation, increased gas holdup and reduced bubble diameter. The hydrodynamic behavior in the internal loop reactor with external liquid circulation can be managed effectively by adjusting the diameter and axial position of the draft tube.

The Axial Distribution of Gas Hold-Up and Solid Concentration in Slurry Reactor and its Effect to the Design of Slurry Reactor

The axial distribution of gas hold-up and solid concentration in the slurry reactor are studied by the cold-model test, the principle of distribution is got. Furthermore, a new concept, fresh gas hold-up is put forward. As to the process of DME from synthesis gas by one-step process in the slurry reactor, according to the principle of axial distribution of gas hold-up and solid concentration in the reactor, the author put forward a novel design of the slurry, thus the space of the reactor is used fully, the reactive conversion can be raised, the productive capacity of reactor also can be raised.

CFD-DPM Modeling of Gas-Liquid Flow in a Stirred Vessel

Gas-liquid flow in a stirred vessel was simulated numerically with computational fluid dynamics(CFD). Gas was treated as discrete phase and described by discrete phase model (DPM), while the liquid was considered as a continuum and solved under Euler reference frame. The liquid velocity, gas holdup and gas residence time distribution in the stirred vessel were predicted. The simulation results show that gas dispersion in the stirred vessel is very non-uniformity and high gas holdup is found in the centre of the stirred vessel and vortexes while relatively low in bottom region and region between two impellers. Liquid velocity has great influence on bubble residence time and size distributions.

Modeling of aerated stirred tanks with shear-thinning power law liquids

Detailed simulations of aerated stirred tanks with shear-thinning power law liquids are presented. The lattice-Boltzmann scheme was used to discretize the filtered conservation equations of the liquid phase. The motion of bubbles was tracked based on the Euler–Lagrange approach with a bubble cluster concept. The collision, breakup and coalescence of bubbles were modeled as stochastic events. The predicted flow field of a single-phase stirred tank with shear-thinning power law liquid shows reasonable agreement with experimental data. For aerated systems, qualitatively similar gas holdup distribution was achieved when comparing the predicted result with experiments. Using the proposed modeling approach, it was found that a change in rheology alters the number mean diameter, Sauter diameter and the shape of bubble size distribution.

On the measurement of gas holdup distribution near the region of impeller in a gas–liquid stirred Rushton tank by means of γ-CT

Three flow patterns of flooding, loading and complete recirculation in a gas–liquid stirred Rushton tank were identified based on experimental observation. The gas–liquid system was composed of air and water. Under different operating conditions of gas flow rate and impeller rotating speed, the distribution of gas holdup near the region of impeller was measured using a γ-CT scan method. Both quantitative digital distribution curves of gas holdup and their qualitative color CT images were obtained. At the region of impeller, there was a convex characteristic peak of gas holdup distribution both in radial and in axial directions, and with the region being gradually away from the impeller, the distribution of gas holdup became flatter. The values of gas holdup in S33 regime were a little higher than those in L33 regime. Higher impeller rotating speed had some effect on the increasing of gas holdup at the region of higher axial height. The experimental measurement results were basically consistent with those previously published by Bombač. The hole number and diameter of sparger had little influence on the distribution of gas holdup, while the sparger's installed height had significant influence on them. When the sparger was installed close to the bottom of Rushton tank, a comparatively smoother distribution of gas holdup above the space of impeller could be obtained. The research results in this paper were useful for better understanding of gas holdup distribution near the region of impeller of Rushton tank, and could also provide experimental data for CFD simulation.

CFD analysis of two‐phase turbulent flow in internal airlift reactors

AbstractThe hydrodynamic performance of three internal airlift reactor configurations was studied by the Eulerian–Eulerian k–ε model for a two‐phase turbulent flow. Comparative evaluation of different drag and lift force coefficient models in terms of liquid velocity in the riser and downcomer and gas holdup in the riser was highlighted. Drag correlations as a function of Eötvös number performed better results in comparison to the drag expressions related to Reynolds number. However, the drag correlation as a function of both Reynolds and Eötvös numbers fitted well with experimental results for the riser gas holdup and downcomer liquid velocity in configurations I and II. Positive lift coefficients increase the liquid velocity and decrease the riser gas holdup, while opposite results were obtained for negative values. By studying the effects of bubble size and their shape, the smaller bubbles provide a lower liquid velocity and a gas holdup. The effects of bubble‐induced turbulence and other non‐drag closure models such as turbulent dispersion and added mass forces were analysed. The gas velocity and gas holdup distributions, liquid velocity in the riser and downcomer, vectors of velocity magnitude and streamlines for liquid phase, the dynamics of gas holdup distribution and turbulent viscosity at different superficial gas velocities for different reactor configurations were computed. The effects of various geometrical parameters such as the draft tube clearance and the ratio of the riser to the downcomer cross‐sectional area on liquid velocities in the riser and the downcomer, the gas velocity and the gas holdup were explored. © 2011 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering

Application of three-dimensional electrical resistance tomography to characterize gas holdup distribution in laboratory flotation cell

Flotation is a separation process in which a hydrophobic material is separated from a hydrophilic one. It is commonly used in several branches of processing. The purpose of this paper was to use three dimensional Electrical Resistance Tomography (ERT) for the measurement of the spatial distribution of gas holdup in a mechanical flotation cell. Using an array of metal electrodes installed on the wall of the cell, a set of electric currents was injected to the cell and the resulting voltages were measured. The electrical conductivity within the cell was estimated based on the known currents and measured voltages. The gas holdup distribution was computed based on Maxwell model. The method was tested in a 50 dm 3 mechanical flotation cell filled with water. The gas holdup distribution is presented at various values of the rotor speed and gas superficial velocity in non-frothed and frothed cases. Moreover, the performance of two rotor–stator mechanisms was compared. The results indicate that the 3D gas holdup distribution in a mechanical flotation cell under different conditions can be estimated using ERT. Moreover, differences in the gas holdup distribution can be detected depending on which rotor–stator mechanism is in use.

Multi-scale analysis of gas–liquid interaction and CFD simulation of gas–liquid flow in bubble columns

The ratio of effective drag coefficient to bubble diameter is of critical importance for CFD simulation of gas–liquid flow in bubble columns. In this study, a novel model is proposed to calculate the ratio on the basis of the Dual-Bubble-Size (DBS) model. The motivation of the study is that a stability condition reflecting the compromise between different dominant mechanisms can serve for a closure in addition to mass and momentum conservative constraints, and the interphase momentum transfer should be related to different paths of energy dissipation. With the DBS model, we can first offer a physical interpretation on macro-scale regime transition via the shift of global minimum point of micro-scale energy dissipation from one potential trough to the other. Then the proposed drag model is integrated into a CFD simulation. Prior to this integration, we investigate the respective effects of bubble diameter and correction factor and found that the effect of bubble diameter is limited, whereas the correction factor due to the bubble swarm effect is eminent and appropriate correction factor has to be selected for different correlations of standard drag efficient to be in accord with experiments. By contrast, the DBS drag model can well predict the radial gas holdup distribution, the total gas holdup as well as the two-phase flow field without the need to adjust model parameters, showing its great potential and advantage in understanding the complex nature of multi-scale structure of gas–liquid flow in bubble columns.

Tomography measurements of gas holdup in rotating foam reactors with Newtonian, non-Newtonian and foaming liquids

Rotating solid foam reactors have already proven to show high mass transfer rates and to be a potential alternative to slurry reactors. The rotation of a foam block stirrer results in a high mass transfer and in the development of different reactor sections showing specific hydrodynamics and gas holdup distributions. In order to optimize the reactor system the hydrodynamics in a lab scale reactor are studied using γ -ray tomography, a powerful method to measure the gas holdup in three-phase reactors. The influence of liquid properties, such as viscosity and surface tension, and the rotational speed on the gas/liquid distribution in the different reactor sections is investigated. Especially the viscosity has a strong effect on the entrapment of gas bubbles in the foam block structure, while the surface tension is the dominant parameter in the outer reactor section. The influence of these parameters on the inset of foaming and the collapse of the gas/liquid dispersion is investigated. Conclusions on the mass transfer performance are drawn and recommendations for further optimizations of the reactor design and the operational conditions depending on the liquid properties are developed.

Numerical Simulation of Absorbing CO2 with Ionic Liquids

AbstractAlthough separating CO2 from flue gas with ionic liquids has been regarded as a new and effective method, the mass transfer properties of CO2 absorption in these solvents have not been researched. In this paper, a coupled computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model and population balance model (PBM) was applied to study the mass transfer properties for capturing CO2 with ionic liquids solvents. The numerical simulation was performed using the Fluent code. Considering the unique properties of ionic liquids, the Eulerian‐Eulerian two‐flow model with a new drag coefficient correlation was employed for the gas‐liquid fluid dynamic simulation. The gas holdup, interfacial area, and bubble size distribution in the bubble column reactor were predicted. The mass transfer coefficients were estimated with Higbie's penetration model. Furthermore, the velocity field and pressure field in the reactor were also predicted in this paper.

Local gas holdup in a draft tube airlift bioreactor

Airlift column bioreactors are gas–liquid contact devices characterized by a rising channel and a down flow channel due to gas holdup differences in these two channels. Local gas holdup distribution strongly affects the overall gas–liquid flow dynamics in airlift columns. In this work, local gas holdup distributions in a draft tube airlift column covering both bubbly flow and churn–turbulent flow regimes have been studied using computed tomography (CT) technique as well as conventional techniques. The radial and axial evolutions of the gas holdup distribution will be discussed, together with the effects of superficial gas velocity and geometry parameters. The obtained gas holdup results will also be used to verify various empirical and semi-empirical correlations in the literature. Moreover, the obtained gas holdup information, combined with liquid flow dynamic information reported in Luo and Al-Dahhan (2008a, b) , forms a benchmark database for the design and scale-up of airlift column bioreactors and for computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling validations.

Gas–liquid dispersion in a fibrous fixed bed biofilm reactor at growth and non-growth conditions

There is limited data on gas dispersion characteristics of fixed bed biofilm reactors under growth and non-growth conditions. In this paper, the gas–liquid dispersion of a bubble bed packed with a fibrous structured packing for biofilm application is studied. The reactor is operated with Pseudomonas putida aimed at aniline degradation in wastewater. Gas hold-up and bubble size distribution are determined. Running gas–liquid reaction conditions as well as non-reactive flow gas hold-up and bubble size distribution in the presence of surface-active and viscous components were measured. The properties of the gas dispersion proved to be stabilized by the fibrous bed presence and showed improvement of the dispersion parameter by the packing. Gas hold-up was found to increase monotonously with the rise of gas superficial velocity and viscosity and with surface tension fall. Liquid superficial velocity showed marginal effect. Apart from showing high gas hold-up and low bubble size due to surface-active and viscous dissolved elements, the biochemical reaction did not pose any significant additional effect. In agreement with the expected lack of bubble coalescence and break-up in the highly ionic solution practiced, the population size distribution and average bubble size were found to vary with the major operation factors opposite to their gas hold-up contribution. Gas hold-up was correlated with the specific bubble-to-channel size ratio and further with the variables considered. An empirical equation is proposed that relates gas hold-up with all studied variables. Assuming geometric similarity of the prototype and the real vessels, the equation as well as its corresponding range of fluid velocities can be used for bioreactor design and scale-up. The results concerning the gas hold-up are shown to be comparable with previous studies of mesh wire packing.

Non-invasive imaging of shallow bubble columns using electrical capacitance tomography

This paper deals with application of non-invasive electrical capacitance tomography to study the hydrodynamics of shallow bed bubble columns. Two bubble columns with different height to diameter ratio were used. Air–kerosene system that represents dielectric two-phase mixture was investigated. The ECT provided good measurement of the gas holdup at different gas velocities compared to the classical pressure measurements. The ECT was able to provide the gas hold up and the bubble velocities distribution across the column diameter at different gas velocities. The study revealed that spatial gas holdup and bubble velocity distributions are sharp with parabolic shape in the small bubble column (HD/DC=5). However, in the large bubble column (HD/DC=4) the gas holdup and bubble velocity profiles were flatter indicating improvement in the mixing homogeneity and leading to well-mixed reactor. 3D graphical visualization of the flow regimes and transition points were also examined using the ECT. In the small bubble column flow regimes were heterogeneous to slugs flow especially at high flow rate, resulted in downward flow near the walls and imperfect mixing.

Evaluation of Drag Force Effect on Hold-Up in a Gas-Liquid Stirred Tank Reactor

A comprehensive computational method based on the Eulerian–Eulerian approach is presented for gas–liquid flows in a mechanically stirred vessel. Separate submodels were developed to investigate the influence of the drag coefficient on bubbles due to the interaction between bubbles and turbulence. A new model is used for the definition of drag coefficient and a detailed simulation method is used to estimate the interphase drag force. A standard k−e turbulent model is used and the impeller rotation is modelled by the multiple reference frame approach. Simulation results are compared with previous drag models and the experimental measurements. The results indicate that the new model is able to predict the influence of turbulent intensity on drag coefficient and the distribution of gas holdup. The computational model and the proposed correlation for drag in turbulent flow will be useful for simulation gas holdup distribution and flow regimes in stirred vessels.

Numerical Simulation of the Multiphase Flow in the Rheinsahl–Heraeus (RH) System

Knowledge of gas–liquid multiphase flow behavior in the Rheinsahl–Heraeus (RH) system is of great significance to clarify the circulation flow rate, decarburization, and inclusion removal with a reliable description. Thus, based on the separate model of injecting gas behavior, a novel mathematical model of multiphase flow has been developed to give the distribution of gas holdup in the RH system. The numerical results show that the predicted circulation flow rates, the predicted flow velocities, and the predicted mixing times agree with the measured results in a water model and that the predicted tracer concentration curve agrees with the results obtained in an actual RH system. With a lower lifting gas flow rate, the rising gas bubbles are concentrated near the wall; with a higher lifting gas flow rate, gas bubbles can reach the center of the up-snorkel. A critical lifting gas flow rate is used to obtain the maximum circulation flow rate.

Gas–liquid mass transfer in rotating solid foam reactors

Three-phase reactor designs based on rotating solid foams for the application in the fine chemical industry are developed. The aim is to use solid foams both as a catalyst support and stirrer in order to mix the gas and liquid phases and create fine gas bubbles. Gas–liquid mass transfer data are presented for different solid foam stirrer configurations and compared to an optimized Rushton stirrer. Solid foam stirrers were developed in a blade and a block design. Both foam reactor designs work at stirring rates below 600 rpm. Using the foam blade design, gas bubbles are mainly created by the turbulence at the gas–liquid interface. Large bubbles are broken up by the foam blades. Using a foam block design, rotation leads to the structurization of the reactor volume into sections strongly differing in gas holdup, flow behavior and bubble size distribution. This results in a gas–liquid mass transfer, which is 50% higher than the Rushton stirrer used as comparison. The foam stirrer designs can be easily used in ordinary three-phase reactors and show a high potential for further optimization of the gas–liquid flow pattern and therefore for further increase of the rate of mass transfer.

Gas-Liquid flow characterization in bubble columns with various gas-liquid using electrical resistance tomography

Electrical resistance tomography (ERT) is an advanced and new detecting technique that can measure and monitor the parameters of two-phase flow on line, such as gas-liquid bubble column. It is fit for the industrial process where the conductible medium serves as the disperse phase to present the key bubble flow characteristics in multi-phase medium. Radial variation of the gas holdup and mean holdups are investigated in a 0.160 m i. d. bubble column using ERT with two axial locations (Plane 1 and Plane 2). In all the experiments, air was used as the gas phase, tap water as liquid phase, and a series of experiments were done by adding KCl, ethanol, oil sodium, and glycerol to change liquid conductivity, liquid surface tension and viscosity. The superficial gas velocity was varied from 0.02 to 0.2 m/s. The effect of conductivity, surface tension, viscosity on the mean holdups and radial gas holdup distribution is discussed. The results showed that the gas holdup decrease with the increase of surface tension and increase with the increase of viscosity. Meanwhile, the settings of initial liquid conductivity slightly influence the gas holdup values, and the experimental data increases with the increase of the initial setting values in the same conditions.

Computed Tomographic Investigation of the Influence of Gas Sparger Design on Gas Holdup Distribution in a Bubble Column

The effect of gas sparger design on the gas holdup radial profile in a bubble column (with a diameter of 0.162 m) has been studied using γ-ray computed tomography (CT). Six different configurations of gas spargers were examined, using an air−water system for selected superficial gas velocities from 2 cm/s to 30 cm/s, covering the homogeneous and heterogeneous (churn-turbulent) flow regimes. Two operating pressures were used: 1 and 4 atm. Differences were found between the gas holdup distributions produced by different spargers at dimensionless radii of r/R < 0.8 in the central region of the column. The cross and single nozzle spargers produced closely similar gas holdup distributions, while the perforated plate sparger produced a higher gas holdup when compared to other spargers with the same percentage open area (POA). At 4 atm, the sparger design did not have a significant effect on the gas holdup profiles, compared to atmospheric pressure, except for the case of the single-hole sparger, which was found to yield a higher gas holdup.

Structure–fracture relationships in gas-filled gelatin gels

Food aeration has become one of the fastest growing unit operations practiced in the food industry. Dispersed air (or other gases) provides an additional phase within the gel that may accommodate new textural and functional demands. This paper addresses the relationships between structural characteristics and fracture properties of gas-filled gelatin gels ( GGG), and compare these properties with those of control gelatin gels ( CGG). Three gases were used in the fabrication of GGG: air, nitrogen and helium. Experimental methods to determine density, gas hold-up, bubble sizes and bubble size distributions as well as fracture properties of GGG are presented. Increasing protein concentration produced higher density, lower gas hold-up and decreased polydispersity of bubbles due to its effect on increased solution viscosity. Type of gas affected density and gas hold-up due to the different diffusivities of gases and structures (bubble size, size distribution and number of bubbles per area) formed in GGG. Fracture values increased for both GGG and CGG with increasing protein concentration for the three gases used. GGG were weaker and less ductile than CGG, the decrease in stress and strain at fracture being between 70 and 80%, and 40 and 65%, respectively. A power law relationship ( σ f = 2.73 × 10 −12 ρ G 4.76) was found between the fracture stress and gel density for the three gases studied. This study shows that the presence of bubbles in gel-based food products results in unique textural properties conferred by the additional gaseous phase.

Relationship between Riser and Downcomer Gas Holdups in Semi-batch Circulating Bubble Columns

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