Hydrodynamics Of Bubble Columns Research Articles

Hydrodynamics of molten media bubble columns for hydrogen production through methane pyrolysis

Methane pyrolysis using a molten media bubble column reactor is a promising technique for hydrogen production with low carbon dioxide emissions at a feasible price. Understanding the bubble dynamics in molten media is essential to elucidate the reaction mechanisms and establish design requirements for efficient reactors. Computational fluid dynamics provides an effective means to understand the hydrodynamics in opaque molten media. This research used the volume of fluid method to study the effects of gas injection rate as well as variations in gas and molten media (iron, aluminum, and a salt mixture of sodium bromide and potassium bromide in a 48.7:51.3 molar ratio) properties on bubble dynamics. The computational model was first validated using existing experimental and empirical observations. This study makes fundamental contributions to the understanding of bubble dynamics in molten media. First, it was confirmed that gas properties had a small effect on bubble dynamics. The difference in bubble diameters between argon at ambient temperature and 1600 °C was less than 10%. Second, it was found that the volumetric gas injection rate and molten media properties significantly impacted the bubble dynamics, including the bubble diameter and flow regime. Future work will build on these findings to recommend appropriate operating conditions and molten media for specific pyrolysis reactor designs.

Numerical simulations of particle concentration and size effects in a slurry bubble column with a CFD‐PBM coupled model

AbstractThe combined effects of particle concentration (0–20 vol%) and particle size on the hydrodynamics of a slurry bubble column were studied by computational fluid dynamics coupled with population balance model (CFD‐PBM) in a wide range of superficial gas velocity (0.02–0.20 m/s). This CFD‐PBM coupled model included multiple effects of particles, namely increased slurry viscosity, reduced drag force, promoted bubble coalescence, and attenuated liquid turbulence, among which turbulence attenuation was crucial. To quantify liquid turbulence attenuation, a mechanistic model was established by equating the energy dissipated by particle motion to the attenuated liquid turbulence energy calculated from turbulent energy spectrum. The turbulent energy dissipation rate was reduced by over 60% at a solid concentration of 20%. Using this model, the effects of particle concentration and particle size on overall gas holdup were well predicted. This model advanced our understanding of how particles affect the gas holdup in a slurry bubble column.

Computational fluid dynamics simulation of the heterogeneous regime in a large-scale bubble column

Bubble columns are used in many industrial applications, but the complex fluid dynamics phenomena has limited their design and optimization processes. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a promising tool to investigate the complex multi-scale flow physics characterising multiphase reactors. In this work, a CFD Eulerian-Eulerian modelling approach is developed to describe the hydrodynamics of a large-scale bubble column operated over a wide range of superficial gas velocities (0.0188 – 0.20 m/s). Available experimental results were used for the model validation. A drag law for oblate bubbles was considered and coupled with a drag modification function to include the effects of bubble–bubble interactions. The numerical approach was tested considering a mono-dispersed approximation and including coalescence and breakup by using a Population Balance Model (PBM). The role played by the lift force was investigated and, for the reactor configuration considered, it turned out to be essential in the description of the local flow properties.

Buoyancy-driven bubbly flows: role of meso-scale structures on the relative motion between phases in bubble columns operated in the heterogeneous regime

The hydrodynamics of bubble columns in the heterogeneous regime is investigated from experiments with bubbles at large particle Reynolds numbers and without coalescence. The void fraction field $\varepsilon$ at small scales, analysed with Voronoï tessellations, corresponds to a random Poisson process (RPP) in homogeneous conditions but it significantly differs from an RPP in the heterogeneous regime. The distance to an RPP allows identifying meso-scale structures, namely clusters, void regions and intermediate regions. A series of arguments demonstrate that the bubble motion is driven by the dynamics of these structures. Notably, bubbles in clusters (respectively in intermediate regions) are moving up faster, up to 3.5 (respectively 2) times the terminal velocity, than bubbles in void regions whose absolute velocity equals the mean liquid velocity. In addition, the mean unconditional relative velocity of bubbles is recovered from mean relative velocities conditional to meso-scale structures, weighted by the proportion of bubbles in each structure. Assuming buoyancy–inertia equilibrium for each structure, the relative velocity is related to the characteristic size and concentration of meso-scale structures. By considering the latter quantity's values at large gas superficial velocities, a cartoon of the internal flow structure is proposed. Arguments are proposed to help understanding why the relative velocity scales as $(gD\varepsilon )^{1/2}$ (with $D$ the column's diameter and $g$ gravity's acceleration). The proposed cartoon seems consistent with a fast-track mechanism that, for the moderate Rouse numbers studied, leads to liquid velocity fluctuations proportional to the relative velocity. The potential impact of coalescence on the above analysis is also commented.

Numerical simulation of the hydrodynamics in a novel jet loop bubble column with helical sieve tapes

Hydrodynamics and mixing in a novel down-flow jet loop reactor (DFJLR) with an internal helical sieve tape (HST) were studied by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. A helical sieve tape inside the draft tube caused a significant portion of the gas bubbles to flow helically, which increased radial mixing, overall gas holdup, axial liquid velocity, and turbulent kinetic energy. Compared with a similar reactor without a helical sieve tape, the gas holdup in reactors with a helical tape or a helical sieve tape inside the draft tube was increased, respectively, by 50 % and 75 %. A helical sieve tape with an area ratio of 27 % and helical pitch length of 492 mm was efficient in increasing gas holdup while keeping a lower pressure drop. Data and designs presented in this work will give insight and further understanding for reactor scale-up as a function of geometry and flow patterns for industrial applications.

Buoyancy-driven bubbly flows: scaling of velocities in bubble columns operated in the heterogeneous regime

The hydrodynamics of bubble columns in the heterogeneous regime is revisited. Focusing on air–water systems at large aspect ratio, we show from dimensional analysis that buoyancy equilibrates inertia, and that velocities scale as $(gD\varepsilon )^{1/2}$ , where $D$ is the bubble column diameter, $\varepsilon$ the void fraction and $g$ the gravitational acceleration. From new experiments in a $0.4$ m diameter column with ${{O}}(10^3)$ particle Reynolds number bubbles and from a detailed analysis of published data, we confirm the self-organization prevailing in the heterogeneous regime, and that the liquid flow rate is only set by the column diameter $D$ . Besides, direct liquid and gas velocity measurements demonstrate that the relative velocity increases above the terminal velocity $U_T$ in the heterogeneous regime, and that it tends to ${\sim }2.4 U_T$ at very large gas superficial velocities $V_{sg}$ . The proposed velocity scaling is shown to hold for liquid and gas mean velocities and for their standard deviations. Furthermore, it is found to be valid over a wide range of conditions, corresponding to Froude numbers $Fr=V_{sg}/(gD)^{1/2}$ from 0.02 to 0.5. Then, the relevance of this scaling for coalescing media is discussed. Moreover, following the successful prediction of the void fraction with a Zuber & Findlay approach at the beginning of the heterogeneous regime, we show how the void fraction is correlated with $Fr$ . Further investigations are finally suggested to connect the increase in relative velocity with meso-scale structures known to exist in the heterogeneous regime.

Hydrodynamics of molten-metal bubble columns in the near-bubbling field using volume of fluid computational fluid dynamics

Using molten-metal bubble columns (MMBCs), non-oxidative CH4 pyrolysis producing H2 and solid carbon has emerged as an efficient low-carbon H2 production compared to steam-methane reforming (SMR). Because hydrodynamic parameters such as gas holdup and bubble size have significant impacts on heat and mass transfer, understanding the hydrodynamics of MMBCs is crucial for determining the optimal operating conditions and reactor design. A volume of fluid computational fluid dynamics (VOF-CFD) model coupled with a large eddy simulation (LES) turbulence equation was developed and validated for MMBCs. A novel bubble detection algorithm was also proposed for the CFD simulation. Using the validated CFD model, the hydrodynamics of a CH4-Sn system were investigated in a near-bubbling field at 900 °C and ambient pressure. The gas holdup increased from 1.1 to 1.9 % as the superficial gas velocity rose from 2.6 to 5.2 mm/s. The mean bubble size also increased from 4.7 to 5.4 mm for the gas velocities under the bubbling flow regime. The interfacial surface area between the gas and liquid phases was approximately 8.6 to 15.1 m2/m3 in the bubbling flow regime. The VOF-CFD simulations near the nozzle may thus provide the bubble size generated from the gas distributor according to operational and geometrical modifications.

A Non-Invasive Method for Measuring Bubble Column Hydrodynamics Based on an Image Analysis Technique

Bubble size and its distribution are the important parameters which have a direct impact on mass transfer in bubble column reactors. For this, a new robust image processing technique was presented for investigating hydrodynamic aspects and bubble behavior in real chemical or biochemical processes. The experiments were performed in a small-scale bubble column. The study was conducted for the wide range of clear liquid heights and superficial gas velocities. However, a major challenge in image analysis techniques is identification of overlapping or cluster bubbles. This problem can be overcome with the help of the proposed algorithm. In this respect, large numbers of videos were recorded using a high-speed camera. Based on detailed experiments, the gas–liquid dispersion area was divided into different zones. A foam region width was found as inversely proportional to the clear liquid height. An entry region width was found as directly proportional to the clear liquid height. Hydrodynamic parameters, including gas holdup, bubble size distribution, and Sauter mean bubble diameter were evaluated and compared for different operating conditions. The gas holdup was calculated from both height measurement and pixel intensity methods, and it was found to be indirectly proportional to clear liquid height. Bubble sizes affect the bubble column performance; therefore, bubbles are tracked to calculate the bubble size distribution. Experimental results proved that the proposed scheme is robust.

Hydrodynamics of gas-liquid bubble columns under bubbling, transient, and jetting flow regimes using volume of fluid computational fluid dynamics

A volume of fluid computational fluid dynamics (VOF-CFD) model was used to investigate hydrodynamics of air-water bubble columns in the gas distributor region under bubbling, transient, and jetting flow regimes. The Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) and large eddy simulation (LES) turbulence equations were coupled with the VOF-CFisms@2015D model. A novel bubble detection algorithm was developed to calculate the bubble size, where a gas fraction of 0.5 was adopted to detect bubbles in the gas-liquid mixture. The CFD results for all three flow regimes were compared to the experimental data in terms of the bubble size distribution (BSD) and mean bubble size. In the framework of VOF, the LES turbulence model captured bubble behaviors in the three flow regimes more accurately than the RANS approach by taking computational time 20% more. Increasing the surface tension from 0.025 to 0.0719 N/m resulted in the increment of the Sauter mean diameter from 4.0 to 5.4 mm. The VOF-CFD model coupled with LES yielded the initial BSD near the gas distributor, which is necessary for Eulerian CFD often applied to an entire column.

On Inter-bubble distances and bubble clustering in bubbly Flows: An experimental study

• Positional relationships of bubbles were studied experimentally in the dense swarms. • Dimensionless inter-bubble distances were extracted from X-ray measurement data. • The distance of nearest neighbor bubbles is close to that of FCC structure. • Vertical clustering is observed for Eo ≥ 3.82. • Clustering orientation was found to be independent of the gas holdup in this study. Swarm effects in bubble columns result from the interaction of the bubbles at higher gas holdup. The flow around individual bubbles in a swarm influences the movement of the following bubbles and this has a feedback on the flow regime on a larger scale. That is, hydrodynamics that can no longer be described with models for single rising bubbles. The experimental investigation of the multiscale hydrodynamics in three-dimensional bubble columns was so far limited by the available measurement techniques. In this study, ultrafast X-ray tomography (UFXCT) was applied on bubbly flows in a lab scale bubble column to determine inter-bubble distances and clustering characteristics in the vicinity of individual bubbles for different gas holdups and bubble diameters. Applying the pair correlation function reveals a pronounced vertical clustering for large bubbles with Eo ≥ 3.82, whereas no clustering has been observed for bubbles of lower Eo . It was found that clustering orientation mainly depends on deformability of the bubbles but not on gas holdup.

Effective Analysis of Different Gas Diffusers on Bubble Hydrodynamics in Bubble Column and Airlift Reactors towards Mass Transfer Enhancement

Even bubble column reactors (BCR) and airlift reactors (ALR) have been developed in terms of various related aspects towards mass transfer enhancement, the effective analysis of gas diffuser types on mass transfer and gas–liquid hydrodynamic characteristics is still limited. Therefore, the present study aims to analyze the relative effect of different types of air diffusers on bubble hydrodynamics and mass transfer performance to understand their behaviors and define the best type. The experiments were conducted by varying different diffuser types, reactor types (BCR and ALR), and superficial gas velocity (Vg) (0.12 to 1.00 cm/s). Five air diffusers including commercial fine sand (F-sand) and coarse sand (C-sand) diffusers, and acrylic perforated diffusers with orifice sizes of 0.3 mm (H-0.3), 0.6 mm (H-0.6), and 1.2 mm (H-1.2), were used in this study. For every condition, it was analyzed in terms of bubble hydrodynamics and oxygen mass transfer coefficient (KLa). Lastly, the selected diffusers that provided the highest KLa coefficient were evaluated with a solid media addition case. The results of both reactor classes showed that F-sand, the smallest orifice diffuser, showed the smallest air bubbles (3.14–4.90 mm) compared to other diffusers, followed by C-sand, which larger about 22–28% on average than F-sand. ALR exhibited a better ability to maintain smaller bubbles than BCR. Moreover, F-sand and C-sand diffusers showed a slower rising velocity through their smaller bubbles and the tiny bubble recirculation in ALR. Using F-sand in ALR, the rising velocity is about 1.60–2.58 dm/s, which is slower than that in BCR about 39–54%. F-sand and C-sand were also found as the significant diffusers in terms of interfacial area and gas hold-up. Then, the KLa coefficient was estimated in every diffuser and reactor under the varying of Vg. Up to 270% higher KLa value was achieved from the use of F-sand and C-sand compared to other types due to their smaller bubbles generated/maintained and longer bubble retention time through slower rising velocity. After adding 10% ring shape plastic media into the reactors with F-sand and C-sand diffusers, a better performance was achieved in terms of KLa coefficient (up to 39%) as well as gas hold-up and liquid mixing. Lastly, ALR also had a larger portion of mixed flow pattern than BCR. This eventually promoted mass transfer by enhancing the mixed flow regime.

Effect of solid loading and particle size on the phase holdup distribution and bubble behaviour in a pilot-scale slurry bubble column

Complexities in the hydrodynamics of slurry bubble columns lead to noticeable uncertainty in the design and scale-up of these multiphase reactors. Knowledge of local hydrodynamics can alleviate this problem. The effect of solids properties on the local hydrodynamic parameters is a critical subject where the lack of knowledge is undeniable. In the present study, optical fiber probes were used to study the effect of particle size and concentration on the solids and gas distribution inside the bubble column. A pilot-scale cylindrical bubble column 270 cm in height and 29.2 cm in diameter was employed. Glass beads with various mean diameters (35, 71, 156 µm) and 1, 3 and 5 vol% were added to tap water in order to make the slurry phase. Air with a wide range of superficial gas velocities (up to 20 cm/s) was injected into the slurry phase. The results demonstrated that the solid particles' radial and axial distributions were not uniform in the column. Solids concentration showed a local maximum in the near-wall region. Gas holdup had a parabolic shape except for large particles at high solids concentration in which the maximum of the gas holdup was observed at the sides rather than the centerline. The variations in the pressure fluctuations revealed that the particle size decrease led to an increase in the bubble size; however, the initial bubble size was independent of the particle size. Moreover, the increase in the solids concentration resulted in an increase in the gas holdup in the homogeneous flow regime; and a decrease in the heterogeneous one. Finally, a predictive model that can estimate the radial and axial solids distributions in the slurry bubble column is presented.

Monitoring of the bubble columns hydrodynamics by recurrence quantification data analysis

Hydrodynamics of bubble column in the presence of different collectors was investigated by recurrence quantification analysis (RQA). By measuring the local pressure fluctuations of the gas-liquid bubble column by a piezo-resistive sensor and transforming the data to the state space, the recurrence plots were generated. Then, using the RQA, recurrence rate, determinism, and entropy of the plot were calculated. The RQA allows characterizing the flow regime and investigating the effect of adding various collectors, such as amine and ester, in square bubble columns. The results showed that determinism and entropy are sensitive parameters to detect the hydrodynamic changes in the bubble column. Furthermore, the transition range from homogeneous to heterogeneous regime was detected for tap water–air (4.4–5cm/s), 50ppm amine aqueous solution–air (4.4–5cm/s), and ester aqueous solution–air (2.5–3.5cm/s) systems. By examining the effect of adding collectors, it was found that entropy performs much better in detecting the changes in the hydrodynamics of the bubble column. For example, by adding 5ppm ester to water, entropy changed 2.5 times more than determinism. As a result, entropy can be considered as the proper recurrence parameter for investigating the hydrodynamics of bubble columns.

CFD simulation of bubble column hydrodynamics with a novel drag model based on EMMS approach

Drag model is of critical importance for CFD simulation of flow characteristics in bubble columns. In this study, a novel drag model termed DBS-Local for the ratio of effective drag coefficient to bubble diameter is derived from the Dual-Bubble-Size (DBS) model based on Energy-Minimization Multi-Scale (EMMS). A thorough comparison demonstrates that without adjustable parameters, both the DBS-Local model and the DBS-Global model are capable of improving the prediction of total and local gas holdup as well as the flow characteristics in different flow regimes. By contrast, other drag models either overestimate or underestimate the total or local gas holdup in certain flow regimes. Moreover, the centerline liquid velocity predicted by DBS-Local model shows best agreement with experiments, whereas the other models, especially the Ishii-Zuber model, over-estimate liquid velocity. This study demonstrates the significance of modeling the bubble-swarm effect based on EMMS approach.

Validation studies to assist in the development of scale and system independent CFD models for industrial bubble columns

Due to their widespread application there is substantial academic and industrial interest in modelling the hydrodynamics of bubble columns. To this end there is a need to develop and validate modelling approaches which are capable of being applied to industrial systems. In this paper we describe a model which is in good agreement with experimental data across a wide range of scales (columns from 0.19 to 3 m in diameter) and superficial velocities (0.03 to 0.25 m s–1). We have also developed an approach to account for the presence of surface-active compounds, which are frequently present in the liquid phase of industrial processes (e.g., water treatment or fermentation). Using this approach, it is possible to obtain computational predictions in good agreement with experimental measurements of hydrodynamic parameters (e.g., the overall hold-up) and oxygen transfer rates. Finally, to enable the validation work of others a substantial experimental dataset has been included with this work, and areas in need of further investigation have been highlighted.

Hydrodynamics in bubble columns with helically-finned tube Internals: Experiments and CFD-PBM simulation

Experiments and CFD-PBM simulation were performed in this study to investigate the effects of helically-finned tube (HFT) internals on the gas-liquid flow in a laboratory-scale bubble column. Hydrodynamic parameters, including gas holdup, bubble size and flow field as well as turbulence properties, were compared for an empty column and other two columns with bare-tube (BT) or HFT internals. We found that bare rods promote the stability of two-phase flow, whereas helical fins destabilize the flow. Meanwhile, the spatial distribution of gas holdup or bubble size becomes more uniform in the presence of HFT internals, whereas liquid velocity or turbulent dissipation rate evidently decreases. The fin-induced spiral movement, flow resistance and bubble accumulation are the mechanisms underlying these experimental observations. Integration of rod and helical fin may be promising for process intensification in bubble columns.

Experiments and CFD simulation of mass transfer and hydrodynamics in a cylindrical bubble column

Flow visualization, Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and dissolved oxygen charging experiments are carried out in a small-scale cylindrical air-water bubble column at different superficial gas velocities. Void fraction profile, total gas holdup, liquid phase velocity field and volumetric mass transfer coefficient are obtained. Details of each experiment are given, with a new procedure for obtaining a 2D void fraction profile from flow visualization by image processing and time averaging which could provide useful information for CFD model validation. The experimental results are analyzed and compared with simulations where good agreement is found for both local and global flow patterns. The averaged governing equations and constitutive relations used in the simulation are discussed briefly, with emphasis on the proper comparison between simulations and experiments based on the derivation of the two-fluid model. By conducting three sets of experiments related to phase distribution, velocity field and mass transfer in the same apparatus, a validated CFD model for multiphase mass transfer is established and can be used in the future design of a multi-phase reactor.

Modeling of solid-particle effects on bubble breakage and coalescence in slurry bubble columns

Solid particles heavily affect the hydrodynamics in slurry bubble columns. The effects arise through varying breakup and coalescence behavior of the bubbles with the presence of solid particles where particles in the micrometer range lead to a promotion of coalescence in particular. To simulate the gas-liquid-solid flow in a slurry bubble column, the Eulerian multifluid approach can be employed to couple computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with the population balance equation (PBE) and thus to account for breakup and coalescence of bubbles.In this work, three approaches are presented to modify the breakup and coalescence models to account for enhanced coalescence in the coupled CFD-PBE framework. The approaches are applied to a reference simulation case with available experimental data. In addition, the impacts of the modifications on the simulated bubble size distribution (BSD) and the applicability of the approaches are evaluated. The capabilities as well as the differences and limits of the approaches are demonstrated and explained.

Hydrodynamics of air–kerosene bubble column under elevated pressure in homogeneous flow regime

A multiphase computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model coupled with the population balance equation (PBE) was developed in a homogeneous air–kerosene bubble column under elevated pressure ( P ). The specific pressure drop (Δ P / L ), gas holdup ( α G ), and Sauter mean diameter ( d 32 ) were experimentally measured in the bubble column with 1.8 m height and 0.1 m inner diameter, which was operated at a superficial gas velocity of 12.3 mm·s −1 , and P = 1–35 bar (1 bar = 10 5 Pa). A modified drag coefficient model was proposed to consider the effect of bubble swarm and pressure on hydrodynamics of the bubble column. The Luo breakage model was modified to account for liquid density, viscosity, surface tension and gas density. The Δ P / L , α G , and d 32 obtained from the CFD model were compared with experimental data, and the gas density-dependent parameters of the CFD model were identified. With increasing P from 1 to 35 bar, the α G varied from 5.4% to 7.2% and the d 32 decreased from 2.3 to 1.5 mm. The CFD-PBE model is applicable to predict hydrodynamics of pressurized bubble columns for gas–organic liquid in the homogeneous regime.

Relative Effect of Additional Solid Media on Bubble Hydrodynamics in Bubble Column and Airlift Reactors towards Mass Transfer Enhancement

Many researchers have focused on multi-phase reactor development for improving mass transfer performance. However, solid particle addition in gas–liquid contactor for better oxygen mass transfer performance is still limited. Hence, this study aims to analyze the relative effect of different types of local solid media on the bubble hydrodynamic characteristics towards mass transfer enhancement in bubble columns (BCR) and airlift reactors (ALR). This was investigated by varying solid media types (ring, sphere, cylinder, and square), solid loadings (0%–15%), and superficial gas velocities (Vg) (2.6–15.3 × 10−3 m/s) in terms of the bubble hydrodynamic and oxygen mass transfer parameters. The result showed that bubble size distribution in BCR and ALR with additional plastic media was smaller than that without media addition, approximately 22%–27% and 5%–29%, respectively, due to the increase of the bubble breaking rate and the decrease of the bubble rising velocity (UB). Further, adding media in both reactors significantly decreased the UB value. Since media increased flow resistance, resulting in decreased liquid velocity, it can also be the moving bed to capture or block the bubbles from free rising. Therefore, oxygen mass transfer performance was investigated. The oxygen transfer coefficient (KLa) in BCR with solid media addition was enhanced up to 31%–56% compared to a non-addition case, while this enhancement was greater at higher solid loading due to its higher effective surface, resulting in a higher bubble break-up rate compared to the lower loading. In ALR, up to 38.5% enhanced KLa coefficient was archived after adding plastic media over the non-addition case. In conclusion, ring and cylinder media were found to be the most significant for improving KLa value in BCR and ALR, respectively, without extra energy.