Chemical Engineering Communications · 1986 · 34 citations · 12 references
EngineeringChemical EngineeringPhysicsFluid DynamicsFluid MechanicsTransport PhenomenaBubble DynamicsBubbly FlowFluid PropertiesGas-liquid FlowGas-liquid ReactorsLiquid-liquid FlowBubble Column ReactorsBubble FlowColumnsGas Hold-upLiquid FlowPacked Bubble Column ReactorsTracer TestingVelocity Profile Analysis
Equations for the liquid velocity profile and the average gas hold-up in bubble columns including cocurrent flow are proposed. It is shown that the inversion point of liquid flow can be used as the characteristic parameter for calculating the liquid flow profiles and gas hold-up. A tracer method was developed to measure the inversion point of liquid flow in bubble column reactors. For water as the liquid phase this inversion point was found at a distance from the column axis of 0·70 0·73 times the column radius. Besides, bubble velocities and bubble diameters in water and methanol-water solutions were determined, using a 5-point conductivity microprobe. It was found that in dilute solutions of methanol the bubble velocity is lower than in pure water. With increasing superficial gas velocity, the bubble velocity steadily increases in pure water, whereas in methanol-water solution it first decreases and, after reaching a minimum, increases too.
12