1,721,427 research outputs found

    The effect of electrolyte concentration on counter-current gas–liquid bubble column fluid dynamics: Gas holdup, flow regime transition and bubble size distributions

    No full text
    Electrolytes are well-known to suppress the coalescence, stabilize the homogeneous flow regime and increase the gas holdup; however, there is a lack of studies concerning the influence of electrolyte concentration on counter-current bubble column fluid dynamics. In this paper, we contribute to the existing discussion by experimentally investigating the effect of electrolyte concentration (sodium chloride, NaCl) on gas holdup, flow regime transition and bubble size distributions in a large-diameter and large-scale counter-current bubble column (5.3 m in height and 0.24 m inner diameter). We considered gas superficial velocities in the range of 0.004–0.20 m/s and liquid superficial velocities up to −0.06 m/s. Air was used as the dispersed phase and various aqueous solutions of NaCl—up to the critical concentration—were used as the liquid phase. The gas holdup measurements were used to investigate the bubble column fluid dynamics and to analyze the flow regime transition. The image analysis was applied, near the sparger and in the developed region, to study the bubble size distributions in batch and in counter-current modes. The presence of NaCl—up to a critical concentration—stabilizes the homogeneous flow regime, increases the gas holdup and shifts the bubble size distribution toward lower bubble diameters. The counter-current mode destabilizes the homogeneous flow regime when using tap water and stabilizes the homogeneous flow regime when using aqueous solution of NaCl. The results suggest that the changes in the bubble size distributions stabilize/destabilize the homogeneous flow regime and, thus, increase/decrease the gas holdup. © 2016 Institution of Chemical Engineer

    The effect of liquid phase properties on bubble column fluid dynamics: Gas holdup, flow regime transition, bubble size distributions and shapes, interfacial areas and foaming phenomena

    No full text
    The correct design, operation and scale-up of bubble columns rely on the knowledge of the fluid dynamics at the “bubble-scale” and at the “reactor-scale”. This paper contributes to the existing discussion on the multi-scale fluid dynamics of bubble columns, and provides a complete dataset concerning the influence of the liquid phase properties on bubble column fluid dynamics at “bubble-scale” and at the “reactor-scale”. The bubble column is large-diameter and large-scale (5.3 m in height, inner diameter of 0.24 m), it was operated with superficial gas velocities in the range of 0.004–0.20 m/s, and it was tested for different aspect ratios (in the range 5–12.5). Air was used as the dispersed phase and various fluids (tap water, aqueous solutions of NaCl, a water-ethanol mixture and solutions of water-monoethylene glycol of different concentrations) were employed as liquid phases. The gas holdup measurements were used to investigate the global fluid dynamics, the flow regime transition and the foaming phenomena. Subsequently, the image analysis was used to characterize the bubble size distributions and shapes in the homogeneous flow regime. Finally, the gas holdup and image analysis data were used to estimate the interfacial areas. The experimental data were extensively compared with previous studies and correlations and were used to propose novel correlations to estimate the bubble shapes and the interfacial areas, for the different liquid phases tested. It was found that a change in the liquid phase properties affects the bubble interfacial properties at the “bubble-scale”, thus changing the prevailing bubble size distribution because of the reduced/promoted coalescence phenomena. The variation in the prevailing bubble size distribution affects the “reactor-scale” (gas holdup and flow regime transition) and a lift-force-based approach is used to analyze the relationship between the “bubble-scale” and the “reactor-scale”. When the prevailing bubble size distribution shifts towards larger bubbles, because of the promoted coalescence (i.e., high viscous liquid phases), the lift force pushes the larger bubbles towards the center of the bubble column, inducing “coalescence-induced bubbles” and, consequently, destabilizing the homogeneous flow regime and decreasing the gas holdup. Conversely, when the prevailing bubble size distribution shifts towards smaller bubbles, because of the reduced coalescence (i.e., organic and inorganic active compounds, and low viscous liquid phases), the lift force pushes the small bubbles towards the wall, inducing cluster of bubbles and, consequently, stabilizing the homogeneous flow regime and increasing the gas holdup. In addition, foaming phenomena were observed for organic active compounds, in the case of high aspect ratios only: this observation suggests that the validity of the scale-up criteria is not ensured for all binary systems and future studies will be devoted to provide insights in the scale-up criteria

    Influence of electrolyte concentration on holdup, flow regime transition and local flow properties in a large scale bubble column

    Full text link
    We experimentally investigate the influence of the electrolyte concentration on holdup, flow regime transition and local flow properties in a large scale bubble column, with air and water as working fluids. The column is 0.24 m inner diameter, 5.3 m height and the air is introduced by a spider sparger up to a superficial gas velocity of 0.2 m/s. The influence of five NaCl concentrations are investigated by using gas holdup and optical probe measurements. The gas holdup measurements are used for analysing the flow regime transition between the homogeneous and the transition regime and the optical probe is used for studying the local flow characteristics at different radial positions. The presence of NaCl - up to a critical concentration - increases the gas holdup. The increase in the gas holdup is due to the inhibition of the coalescence between the bubbles and, thus, the extension of the homogeneous regime. The results are in agreement with the previous literature on smaller bubble columns

    Holdup and local flow properties in a counter-current bubble column

    No full text
    Gas-liquid bubble column reactors are met in several industrial plants in the chemical and oil industry fields. The understanding of the global hydrodynamics, the local flow phenomena and the bubble properties are of fundamental importance in the comprehension of the flow dynamics as well as the mass transfer phenomena. This paper describes the experimental results obtained in a counter-current circular column of 240 mm in terms of the fluid dynamic behavior. The counter-current flow studied concerns an upward flow of air and a downward flow of liquid at ambient temperature and pressure. Air is introduced by means of a spider sparger distributor. Different liquids have been used as working fluids: water, water with NaCl (at different concentrations) and mixtures of water and ethanol. The following range of operating conditions was analyzed: superficial air velocities up to 20 cm/s and superficial liquid velocities up to - 11 cm/s, corresponding to a global air volume fraction (the holdup) up to 26%. The experimental investigations concerns (i) flow visualization, (ii) local data from a double fiber optical probe and (iii) holdup measurements. The images obtained from an optical camera were used to observe the general flow patterns and obtain information concerning the bubble shape. The data obtained from the double fibre optical probe were used to study the local flow characteristics at different radial position for different operating conditions. In particular, the local void fractions, the bubble velocities, the bubble mean diameters and the bubble diameter distributions and are presented and discussed. The bed expansion technique was used to obtain the gas holdup measurements for every operating condition. The gas holdup measurements are discussed, compared with existing correlations and used for investigating the flow regime transitions. Finally, the gas holdup and the local void fraction measurements data are compared and used for understanding the local hydrodynamics
    corecore