Experimental determination of gas holdup and volumetric mass transfer coefficient in a jet bubbling reactor

The hydrodynamics and mass transfer characteristics of a lab-scale jet bubbling reactor(JBR) including the gas holdup, volumetric mass transfer coefficient and specific interfacial area were assessed experimentally investigating the influence of temperature, p H and superficial gas velocity. The reactor diameter and height were 11 and 30 cm,respectively. It was equipped with a single sparger, operating at atmospheric pressure, 20 and 40℃, and two p H values of 3 and 6. The height of the liquid was 23 cm, while the superficial gas velocity changed within 0.010–0.040 m·s~(-1) range. Experiments were conducted with pure oxygen as the gas phase and saturated lime solution as the liquid phase. The liquid-side volumetric mass transfer coefficient was determined under unsteady-state oxygen absorption in a saturated lime solution. The gas holdup was calculated based on the liquid height change, while the specific interfacial area was obtained by a physical method based on the bubble size distribution(BSD) in different superficial gas velocities. The results indicated that at the same temperature but different p H, the gas holdup variation was negligible, while the liquid-side volumetric mass transfer coefficient at the p H value of 6 was higher than that at the p H = 3. At a constant p H but different temperatures, the gas holdup and the liquid-side volumetric mass transfer coefficients at 40℃ were higher than that of the same at 20℃. A reasonable and appropriate estimation of the liquid-side volumetric mass transfer coefficient(kla) in a pilot-scale JBR was provided which can be applied to the design and scale-up of JBRs.     

鼓泡床反应器内流动与传质行为的研究进展

总结了有关浆态鼓泡床反应器内流动、混合用气液传质特性的研究成果,详细地介绍了鼓泡床反应器内气含率、液速、液体轴向扩散系数、传质系数的测量方法,阐述了鼓泡床反应器性能的主要影响因素,如系统压力、温度、气体表观气速、液体性质及固含率等对流动、液相混合和传质特性的影响,并对鼓泡床反应器的应用前景进行了详述.     

Modeling the fischer-tropsch reactionin a slurry bubble column reactor

Reactant (CO and H 2 ) concentration and conversion profiles were determined as a function of axial distance for the Fischer-Tropsch reaction in a slurry bubble column reactor. Model equations were developed from the basic concepts, i.e., conservation of mass and momentum, and combined with iron catalyst reaction kinetics as well as mass transfer coefficients, gas, liquid, and solid phase holdup, Henry's Law constants, minimum fluidization velocity, and terminal velocity obtained from empirical correlations. Concentration profiles and conversion were determined for varying key process variables: liquid-phase velocity and rate constant. Results suggest that the reaction is kinetically limited and that conversion is proportional to liquid velocity. Thus, process improvements can be achieved by either maximizing liquid-phase velocity or increasing the rate constant by modifying the catalyst.     

Experimental and Numerical Study of Gas-Liquid Flow in a Sectionalized External-Loop Airlift Reactor

The external loop airlift reactor(EL-ALR) is widely used for gas-liquid reactions. It's advantage of good heat and mass transfer rates compared to conventional bubble column reactors. In the case of fermentation application where a medium is highly viscous and coalescing in nature, internal in riser helps in the improvement of the interfacial area as well as in the reduction of liquid-phase back mixing. The computational fluid dynamic(CFD) as a tool is used to design and scale-up of sectionalized external loop airlift reactor. The present work deals with computational fluid dynamics(CFD) techniques and experimental measurement of a gas hold-up, liquid circulation velocity, liquid axial velocity, Sauter mean bubble diameter over a broad range of superficial gas velocity 0.0024≤U_G≤0.0168 m·s~(-1). The correlation has been made for bubble size distribution with specific power consumption for different plate configurations. The effects of an internal on different mass transfer models have been completed to assess their suitability.The predicted local mass transfer coefficient has been found higher in the sectionalized external loop airlift reactor than the conventional EL-ALR.     

三相循环流化床中的气液相界面积和传质系数

采用溶氧法测量了三相循环流化床中液相溶氧浓度的轴向分布,并按轴向扩散模型处理实验数据,优化得到气液体积传质系数kLa,同时用光纤探头测量了体系中的气含率和气泡大小分布,计算得到了气液相界面积a和气液传质系数kL,并研究了主要操作条件(表观气速、表观液速和固含率)对气液传质系数的影响规律.     

MODELING THE FISCHER-TROPSCH REACTIONIN A SLURRY BUBBLE COLUMN REACTOR

Reactant (CO and H 2 ) concentration and conversion profiles were determined as a function of axial distance for the Fischer-Tropsch reaction in a slurry bubble column reactor. Model equations were developed from the basic concepts, i.e., conservation of mass and momentum, and combined with iron catalyst reaction kinetics as well as mass transfer coefficients, gas, liquid, and solid phase holdup, Henry's Law constants, minimum fluidization velocity, and terminal velocity obtained from empirical correlations. Concentration profiles and conversion were determined for varying key process variables: liquid-phase velocity and rate constant. Results suggest that the reaction is kinetically limited and that conversion is proportional to liquid velocity. Thus, process improvements can be achieved by either maximizing liquid-phase velocity or increasing the rate constant by modifying the catalyst.     

Carbon Dioxide Absorption in Triethanolamine Aqueous Solutions: Hydrodynamics and Mass Transfer

The carbon dioxide absorption process by triethanolamine aqueous solutions was analyzed in a bubble‐column reactor taking into account the chemical reaction mechanism, gas‐liquid interfacial area, and mass transfer rate. A speciation study of this gas‐liquid system was developed by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy in order to obtain the reaction mechanism and stoichiometry. The gas‐liquid interfacial area was evaluated considering the variations of bubble size distribution and gas holdup during the operation time. The liquid‐phase mass transfer coefficient was calculated from the carbon dioxide absorption rate data by interfacial area evolution and reaction stoichiometry.     

三重环流生物流化床的流体力学与传质特性

从气相含率,液体循环速度和体积氧传质系数方面研究自行设计新型结构的三重环流生物流化床的流体力学与传质特性。流化床反应器的有效体积２３Ｌ,实验条件是以空气为气相,水为液相,树脂为固相,固含率分别为０％,３％,６％和９％。实验结果表明,气相含率是影响反应器流体力学和传质特性的主要因素,气相含率增大可降低液体循环速度,增大体积氧传质系数。     

Flow regimes and mass transfer in counter-current bubble columns

Counter current bubble columns have the feature that specific gas-liquid interfacial area and gas holdup are larger than those for standard and cocurrent bubble columns. In this study, three different flow regimes, churn-turbulent flow, bubble flow and bubble down-flow, have been observed in a counter-current bubble column and correlations of gas holdup and volumetric liquid-phase mass transfer coefficient have been proposed as functions of operating variables such as the superficial velocities of gas and liquid, the gas-liquid slip velocity and the liquid properties.     

Study on the characteristics of micro-interface intensified oxidation of ammonium sulfite

The process intensification of interfacial area and reaction conditions in multi-phase systems are important issues in industrially scaled reactors. In order to investigate the intensifying effect of micro-interface system on gas-liquid mass transfer and reaction rate, the ammonium sulfite oxidation was selected as the research object. A systematic air forced oxidation experiment was carried out through the micro-interface intensification reactor (MIR) and the traditional bubble column reactor (BCR) under the same experiment platform and operating conditions. The bubble size distribution and overall gas holdup were measured by high-speed camera technology and differential pressure measurement, respectively. The experimental results showed that MIR obtained higher gas holdup because of the micro-interface structure, the interfacial area was increased by more than 10 times, the reaction rate increased by 56.8% averagely compared with BCR. The experimental conclusions provide certain data support for the industrial application of the multiphase reaction system of the micro-interface intensification reactor.     

Relation of mechanical power to gas holdup and mass transfer in an agitated vessel

Two devices were developed, mechanical and electrical, to measure the mechanical power relative to superficial gas velocity and stirring speed in a mechanically agitated reactor. Two bubble regimes were demonstrated. The study of gas holdup, obtained from the residence time distribution, and the bubble size, determined by interfacial area measurement, confirm these two regimes of flow. Our results show that the gas holdup, the interfacial area, and the liquid-side mass transfer coefficient are increasing functions of the energy dissipated in the solution.     

Hydrodynamics and mass transfer behavior in multiple draft tube airlift contactors

The draft tube configuration significantly affected the performance of an airlift contactor. The multiple draft tube configuration was demonstrated to give a better gas-liquid mass transfer when compared with a conventional one-draft-tube system. The airlift with a larger number of draft tubes allowed a higher level of bubble entrainment, which rendered a high downcomer gas holdup. This resulted in a higher overall gas holdup in the contactor. Liquid velocity was also enhanced by increasing the number of draft tubes. The ratio between downcomer and riser cross sectional areas, A _d /A _r , had a great effect on the system performance, where a larger A _d /A _r led to a lower downcomer liquid velocity and smaller quantity of gas bubbles being dragged into the downcomer. This resulted in low gas holdup, and consequently, low gas-liquid interfacial mass transfer area, which led to a reduction in the overall volumetric mass transfer coefficient. The presence of salinity in the system drastically reduced the bubble size and subsequently led to an enhancement of gas entrainment within the system. As a result, higher gas holdups and gas-liquid interfacial area were observed, and hence, a higher rate of gas-liquid mass transfer was obtained.     

HYDRODYNAMICS AND MASS TRANSFER IN DOWNFLOW BUBBLE COLUMN

Gas holdup, effective interfacial area and volumetric mass transfer coefficient were measured in two and three phase downflow bubble columns. The mass transfer data were obtained using the chemical method of sulfite oxidation, and the gas holdup was measured using the hydrostatic technique. Glass beads and Triton 114 were used to study the effects of solids and liquid surface tension on the gas holdup and the mass transfer parameters a and k_L a . The gas holdup in three phase systems was measured for non-wettable (glass bead) and wettable (coal and shale particles) solids.

The mass transfer data obtained in the downflow bubble column were compared with the values published for upflow bubble columns. The results indicate that in the range of superficial gas velocities (0.002-0.025) m/s investigated, the values of the mass transfer coefficient were of the same order of magnitude as those observed in upflow systems, but the values of interfacial area were at least two fold greater. Also, the results showed that the operating variables and the physical properties had different influences on a and k_L a in the downflow bubble column. Correlations for a and k_L a for the downflow bubble column are proposed which predict the data with adequate accuracy in the range of operating conditions investigated.     

Effects of mass transfer on the performance of slurry reactors used for fischer-tropsch synthesis

The influence of mass transfer on the H₂/CO ratio in the liquid phase of a slurry reactor used for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis has been analyzed theoretically. It is determined that even under circumstances where the gas-liquid mass-transfer resistance is a small fraction of the overall resistance, differences in the solubilities and diffusivities of H₂ and CO can give rise to liquid-phase H₂/CO ratios which differ substantially from that of the gas fed to the reactor. The direction and magnitude of the change in the liquid-phase H₂/CO ratio is dependent on the H₂-CO consumption ratio, the interfacial area for mass transfer from the bubble phase, the Damkohler number, and the space velocity of the feed gas.     

气液固三相浆态床反应器研究进展

由于在甲醇合成、费托合成等工艺中的成功应用,气液固三相浆态床反应器的研究引起了越来越多的重视.本文综述了有关浆态床反应器方面的研究,包括:流体力学性能、反应器设计、固液分离以及产业化进程.详细地介绍了影响浆态床反应器流体力学性能的主要因素:压力、温度、气体表观气速、液体性质及固含率等对流型、气含率、气泡停留时间分布和传质系数的影响.总结了近年来在浆态床反应器设计和固液分离方面的研究成果.     

A highly elevated mass transfer rate process for three-phase,liquid-continuous fluidized beds

Average gas holdup and gas-to-liquid mass transfer in three-phase fluidized beds with non-Newtonian fluids were studied. The effects of liquid property, gas distributor type and magnetic field intensity on mass transfer coefficient and overall gas holdup were examined. The volumetric gas-to-liquid mass transfer coefficient was determined by fitting the oxygen concentration profile data across the bed to the axial dispersion model. The average gas holdup and mass transfer coefficient were all correlated with operating parameters including gas velocity and effective viscosity.Experimental results showed that a three-fold increase in mass transfer coefficient and a two-fold increase in average gas holdup were observed with properly designed liquid property and gas distributor. A modified process was developed to highly elevate the volumetric gas-to-liquid mass transfer rate. The bubble coalescing property of three-phase fluidized beds with small particles is eliminated, and its application to biotechnology and enzyme-catalyzed processes with high gas-to-liquid mass transfer rate could be achieved.     

Hydrodynamics and mass transfer in a bubble column with an organic liquid

Hydrodynamic and mass transfer data in Soltrol-130 (a mixture of C₉+ iso-paraffins) were measured in a 0.305 m diameter bubble column. The gas holdup structure (i.e., the contributions to holdup from the small and large bubble fractions of the dispersion) for this hydrocarbon liquid in the churn turbulent flow regime was analyzed using the dynamic gas disengagement technique. The validity of the assumption of axially uniform gas holdup structure was checked. Literature correlations were found inadequate to explain the observed gas holdup and the volumetric mass transfer coefficients for Soltrol-130. The volumetric mass transfer coefficient per unit volume of large bubbles is shown to be independent of superficial gas velocity for the fully developed churn turbulent regime. The present hydrodynamic and mass transfer data in the churn turbulent regime should be useful in the design and scale-up of bubble columns used in organic process industries.     

Experimental Study on the Hydrodynamics and Mass Transfer Characteristics of Ultrasonic Loop Airlift Reactor

The promoting effect of ultrasonic wave on the hydrodynamics and mass transfer characteristics of the loop airlift reactor was studied. The gas holdup, liquid circulation velocity, mixing time and overall volumetric mass transfer coefficient were examined and compared, with and without ultrasonic wave in the reactor. The experimental results show that ultrasound has almost no notable effect on the gas holdup, but has a tendency to decrease gradually the liquid circulation velocity and increase the overall volumetric mass transfer coefficient; and the effect on the mixing time is relatively complex. At low superficial gas velocity, the low powered ultrasound promotes the radial mixing of fluid; with the ultrasonic power increasing, ultrasonic vibration obstructs the axial mixing of fluid. Moreover, the effect of ultrasonic wave on the mixing time gradually decreases with the increase in the superficial gas velocity. Therefore there exists an optimal ultrasonic power for hydrodynamics and mass transfer. Correlations were also proposed for the hydrodynamics and mass transfer characteristics of the reactor.     

Influence of Pressure on the Hydrodynamics and Mass Transfer Parameters of an Agitated Bubble Reactor

The present study deals with the pressure effects on the hydrodynamic flow and mass transfer within an agitated bubble reactor operated at pressures between 10⁵ and 100 × 10⁵ Pa. In order to clarify the flow behavior within the reactor, liquid phase residence time distributions (RTD) for different operating pressures and gas velocities ranging between 0.005 m/s and 0.03 m/s are determined experimentally by the tracer method for which a KCl solution is used as a tracer. The result of the analysis of the liquid‐phase RTD curves justifies the tank‐in‐series model flow for the operating pressure range. Good agreement is obtained between theoretical and experimental results assuming the reactor is operating as perfectly mixed. Two parameters characterizing the mass transfer are identified and investigated in respect to pressure: the gas‐liquid interfacial area and volumetric liquid‐side mass transfer coefficient. The chemical absorption method is used. For a given gas mass flow rate, the interfacial area as well as the volumetric liquid mass transfer coefficient decrease with increasing operating pressure. However, for a given pressure, a and k_La increase with increasing gas mass flow rates. The mass transfer coefficient k_L is independent of pressure.     

Ozone Mass Transfer in the Mixing Zone of a Confined Plunging Liquid Jet Contactor

In a Confined Plunging Liquid Jet Contactor (CPLJC) a jet of liquid is introduced into an enclosed cylindrical column (downcomer) that generates fine gas bubbles that are contacted with the bulk liquid flow. The region where the liquid jet impinges the receiving liquid and expands to the wall of the downcomer is called the Mixing Zone (MZ). In the MZ, the energy of the liquid jet is dissipated by the breakup of the entrained gas into fine bubbles, and the intense recirculation of the two-phase mixture. The study presented here was undertaken to quantify the ozone-water mass transfer performance of the MZ through the determination of the volumetric mass transfer coefficient, k_La (s^?1), and to produce a model for predicting k_La based on the specific energy dissipation rate. It was found experimentally that k_La in the MZ increased with increasing superficial gas velocity. A maximum experimental k_La value of 0.84 s^?1 was achieved which compares well to other contactors used in water treatment. Such a large k_La value combined with the small volume of the reactor, favorable energy requirements and safety features of the system, suggests that the CPLJC provides an attractive alternative to conventional ozone contactors. The relatively large mass transfer rates were found to be a function of the high gas holdup and fine bubble size generated in the MZ, which results in an almost froth-like consistency. A model based on the specific energy dissipation rate of the water jet, E (kg · m^?1· s^?3), and MZ bubble size was used to predict k_La in the MZ. Using E, the number average bubble size was predicted which was then used to calculate the liquid phase mass transfer coefficient k_L. The bubble size was also used with the predicted mixing zone gas holdup to calculate the specific interfacial area, a (m^?1), which was then combined with k_L to determine a predicted value of k_La. The average deviation between experimental and predicted k_La was 6.2%.