THE EFFECT OF SOLUTES ON BUBBLE SIZE IN AIR-WATER DISPERSIONS

Bubble size distributions in a bubble column of 200 mm diameter were measured by means of a photoelectric probe. The gas-liquid dispersion was generated by distributing air with a porous plate into aqueous solutions of electrolytes and of organic compounds (alcohols, glycols, ketones, carboxylic acids, saccharose, carboxymethyl-cellulose, detergents). For all these solutes there exists a rather narrow concentration range in which the change from quick coalescence in pure water to coalescence suppression takes place. Though rough relationships between concentrations for coalescence suppression and molecular properties can be found (ionic strength for electrolytes, number of carbon atoms in a homologous series of organic compounds), exact equations based on a theory of coalescence cannot be given.

The bubble size distributions obtained in the experiments have also been used to show the impact of coalescence phenomena on gas-liquid mass transfer. For this purpose, surface areas were calculated from measured gas hold-up and mean bubble diameters (Sauter diameters). A comparison of these data with the trends for volumetric mass transfer coefficients reported in the literature for n-alcohols (C₁-C₂i) showed good agreement, despite the fact that the mass transfer data had been obtained in a quite different gas-liquid contacting device (stirred vessel).     

INFLUENCE OF LIQUID PROPERTIES ON THE DETERMINATION OF THE VOLUMETRIC MASS TRANSFER COEFFICIENT WITH THE HYDRAZINE METHOD

The oxidation of hydrazine in aqueous solution by atmospheric oxygen in presence of a homogeneous catalyst (copper tetrasulphophthalocyanine) is well suited for the determination of volumetric mass transfer coefficients. In contrast to other chemical methods the hydrazine oxidation permits to vary coalescence behaviour of the liquid phase by adding electrolytes or organic compounds, because without these solutes the reaction liquid does not inhibit bubble coalescence. With appropriate high molecular additives the hydrazine method can also be used for mass transfer measurements in liquids of high viscosity. Compared to the dynamic method the hydrazine method as a steady state method is far less influenced by systematic errors originating from the evaluation model. For this reason the application of the hydrazine method for testing semi-industrial and industrial gas-liquid contacting devices should be especially attractive.     

Numerical simulations of gas-liquid mass transfer in bubble columns with a CFD-PBM coupled model

Gas-liquid mass transfer in a bubble column in both the homogeneous and heterogeneous flow regimes was studied by numerical simulations with a CFD-PBM (computation fluid dynamics-population balance model) coupled model and a gas-liquid mass transfer model. In the CFD-PBM coupled model, the gas-liquid interfacial area a is calculated from the gas holdup and bubble size distribution. In this work, multiple mechanisms for bubble coalescence, including coalescence due to turbulent eddies, different bubble rise velocities and bubble wake entrainment, and for bubble breakup due to eddy collision and instability of large bubbles were considered. Previous studies show that these considerations are crucial for proper predictions of both the homogenous and the heterogeneous flow regimes. Many parameters may affect the mass transfer coefficient, including the bubble size distribution, bubble slip velocity, turbulent energy dissipation rate and bubble coalescence and breakup. These complex factors were quantitatively counted in the CFD-PBM coupled model. For the mass transfer coefficient k_l, two typical models were compared, namely the eddy cell model in which k_l depends on the turbulent energy dissipation rate, and the slip penetration model in which k_l depends on the bubble size and bubble slip velocity. Reasonable predictions of k_la were obtained with both models in a wide range of superficial gas velocity, with only a slight modification of the model constants. The simulation results show that CFD-PBM coupled model is an efficient method for predicting the hydrodynamics, bubble size distribution, interfacial area and gas-liquid mass transfer rate in a bubble column.     

单孔及微孔曝气低气速鼓泡床内气泡行为比较

引言鼓泡床反应器被广泛应用于吸收、液相氧化、好氧生化等气液反应过程,气体在液相中的分散情况对鼓泡床的反应和传质特性都有很大影响.为了提高气液传质效率,增加生产强度,工业反应器很多都是在高气速下操作(Ug>0·05m·s-1),很多研究都集中在高气速湍动鼓泡区[1~3].但对有机     

Bubble coalescence at sieve plates: II. Effect of coalescence on mass transfer. Superficial area versus bubble oscillations

Bubble columns are among the most used equipments for gas-liquid mass transfer processes. This equipment's aim is to generate gas dispersions into a liquid phase in order to improve the contact between phases. Bubble coalescence has always been one of their greatest problems, since it reduces the superficial gas-liquid contact area. However, bigger bubbles can oscillate, and these oscillations increase the mass transfer rate by means of modifying the contact time as well as the concentration profiles surrounding the bubble. In the present work, the coupled effect has been studied by means of two-holed sieve plates with diameters of 1.5, 2 and 2.5 mm each, close enough to allow the coalescence and separated enough to avoid it. The results show that although coalescence decreases mass transfer rate from bubbles the deformable bubble generated can, in certain cases, balance the decrease in mass transfer rate due to the reduction in superficial area. This fact can then be used to avoid the harmful effect of coalescence on the mass transfer rate. Empirical and theoretical equations have also been used to explain the phenomena.     

ILAR中醇及电解质对非牛顿流体中气-液传质的影响

在-气升式内环流反应器中试验考察了非牛顿流体羧甲基纤维素钠(CMC)中的气泡聚并现象以及表面活性物质对液相体积传质系数的影响。结果表明,非牛顿流体中气-液传质效率随黏度的增加而降低,其原因是黏度增加使Taylor泡的尾流趋于稳定,降低了液相扰动,气泡间易聚并,从而气-液传质效率低。向非牛顿流体中添加醇类物质会影响气-液传质行为,对于聚合物含量低的流体,添加微量醇可以促进气-液传质,聚合物含量高的非牛顿流体,微量醇的加入反而不利于气-液间传质过程。非牛顿流体在ILAR上升管中的气含率随着黏度的增加变化不大,而下降管中的气含率有所提高。     

HYDRODYNAMICS AND MASS TRANSFER IN BUBBLE COLUMNS: EFFECT OF SOLIDS

The hydrodynamics and mass transfer in a large diameter bubble column (D_c 0.305 m), specifically, the effects of gas velocity and the presence of solids on the gas holdup structure, gas-liquid interfacial area, and volumetric mass transfer coefficients in viscous as well as low viscosity solutions are studied. The sulfite oxidation technique was employed to measure the gas-liquid interfacial area. Volumetric mass transfer coefficients were measured using a chemical method (sulfite oxidation) as well as physical absorption of oxygen from air, and the overall gas holdups were measured using the hydrostatic head technique. The effect of solids on the gas holdup structure was examined using the dynamic gas disengagement method. With the addition of polystyrene particles, the gas-liquid interfacial area decreased for low viscosity systems, whereas it increased for viscous systems. This was shown to be due to the effect of solids on bubble coalescence. The wettability characteristics of solid surfaces in the presence of different liquids have been suggested as the reason for the effect of solids on coalescence. Oil shale slurries presented a special case because of the mineral dissolution effect.     

Blasensäulen-Reaktoren mit suspendiertem Feststoff: Grundlagen — Auslegung — Anwendungen

Bubble column reactors with suspended solids – fundamentals, design, and uses. The article describes the determination of hydrodynamic functions such as bubble size frequency distributions, relative gas contents, Sauter diameters, and specific interfacial areas in various liquids and in binary and ternary mixtures of organic liquids. The article also covers the local variation of these quantities as a result of coalescence, and axial and radial mixing coefficients. Formal Reynolds' analogies could be set up for heat and mass transfer – both across the gas/liquid interface and at the solid wall/bubble column interface without or with suspended solids. A brief survey of industrial processes in three-phase reactors, especially in petrochemistry and biotechnology, closes with an indication of the expected growth in importance of such reactors as a consequence of the present trend towards heterogenization in homogeneous catalysis.     

基于介尺度PBM模型的生物反应器放大模拟及实验研究

对于通气搅拌式工业生物反应器的放大设计而言,精确预测气泡尺寸和体积传质系数非常重要,因此需要建立合适的气泡聚并和破碎模型,以保证反应器的高效操作。以5 L通气搅拌式生物反应器为对象,以气泡尺寸和体积传质系数的实验数据为基准,模拟并考察了两种聚并模型和四种破碎模型对生物反应器内流体流动行为以及传质能力的影响。结果表明,基于介尺度理论的修正聚并模型与考虑黏流剪切的破碎模型组合,所得模拟结果与实验数据吻合最好,这为大型生物反应器的桨型优化提供了模型基础。因为工业化生物发酵通常是在大型生物反应器中进行,搅拌桨型对生物反应器效能至关重要,故本研究在选定最优气泡聚并破碎模型的基础上,通过叶轮末端剪切力相等的放大原则将5 L通气搅拌式工业生物反应器放大到400 m³,同时考察了六斜叶圆盘搅拌桨、非对称式抛物线搅拌桨、布鲁马金式搅拌桨以及六直叶圆盘搅拌桨等桨型组合对气泡破碎能力和气体分散效果的影响,并通过综合对比气含率、体积传质系数等参数,得到400 m³通气搅拌式生物反应器的最优桨型组合。     

A comprehensive study on co2-interphase mass transfer in vertical cocurrent and countercurrent gas-liquid flow

Cocurrent and countercurrent absorption and desorption of CO₂ in water was investigated in tall bubble columns (length 440 and 720 cm, diameter 15 and 20 cm, respectively). Operating conditions were applied which provided for high interphase mass transfer rates. Under these circumstances the relative gas holdup varies considerably with axial position whereas the mean bubble diameter measured at two points was found to be approximately constant. The measured data permit the calculation of local values of interfacial areas, superficial gas velocities, and frequency factors for bubble coalescence and break up. A dispersion model which takes into account the hydrostatic head and a variable gas velocity was applied to describe the measured concentration profiles in both phases. If increased mass transfer coefficients at the column bottom and measured local values of the hold up were used a striking agreement between experimental and predicted profiles could be obtained. The findings lead to a more sophisticated picture of the complex behaviour of gas-liquid dispersions at high interphase mass transfer rates.     

The measurement of bubble parameters in two-phase dispersions—II: The structure of sieve tray froths

An improved method of measuring bubble properties in swarms has been applied to an air-water froth on a sieve-tray. The distributions of bubble size and velocity have been measured and mean froth properties such as gas flow, gas-liquid interfacial area and local liquid content have been derived therefrom. The gas- and liquid-phase mass transfer efficiencies have been calculated directly from analytical forms of the distributions of size and velocity and well known theories of mass transfer. The derived values of these froth parameters have been found to be in excellent agreement with the present independently observed and previously published data.     

鼓泡反应器中幂律型流体流动与传质特性

很多废水处理装置涉及非牛顿型流体中的多相流动和传质问题,研究其中的气液传质过程有助于实现装置的优化设计和高效节能运行。以鼓泡反应器内清水和不同质量分数的羧甲基纤维素钠（CMC）水溶液为实验对象,分别研究气相表观气速和液相流变特性对气泡尺寸分布、全局气含率和体积氧传质系数的影响。实验结果表明,液相的流变特性对其传质特性参数均有较大影响。与清水相比,CMC水溶液中气泡平均直径和分布范围更大;清水和CMC水溶液的全局气含率均随表观气速的增加而增大;CMC水溶液的体积氧传质系数随CMC水溶液质量分数的增加而减小。基于实验研究,得出修正的体积氧传质系数公式和适用于幂律型非牛顿流体流动体系氧传递过程的无量纲关联式,可很好地实现非牛顿流体流动的废水处理装置中气液传质参数的计算。     

Validation of bubble breakage, coalescence and mass transfer models for gas-liquid dispersion in agitated vessel

Bubble breakage and coalescence phenomena and multicomponent gas-liquid mass transfer were studied in a Rushton turbine agitated vessel. Local bubble size distributions (BSD) were measured from air-tap water system at several agitation conditions with capillary suction probe (CSP) technique. The CSP was compared to the digital imaging (DI) and phase Doppler anemometry (PDA) techniques in a stirred vessel. The volumetric BSDs between the CSP and DI were in agreement, but number BSDs showed notable deviation. The limitations of measurement techniques seem to be the main reason.A multiblock stirred tank model with discretized population balances for bubbles and two-film Maxwell-Stefan multicomponent mass transfer between gas and liquid was created for the agitated vessel. The model considers local mass transfer conditions in the vessel and is simple enough for the mathematical optimization of unknown model parameters. Unknown parameters in the mechanistic bubble breakage and coalescence models were fitted against measured local BSDs. After this, a parameter in the liquid film mass transfer correlation was adjusted against absorption and desorption experiments of oxygen. Local gas-liquid mass transfer areas were calculated from the population balance model. The simulations with the validated models show good agreement against experiments. On the other hand, the fitted parameters deviate from the theoretical values, which emphasizes the need of model validation against accurate experiments. Due to their fundamental character and the validation process, the fitted models seem to be useful tools for the design and scale-up of agitated gas-liquid reactors.     

Experimental and modelling study of gas dispersion in a double turbine stirred tank

Gas dispersion in a double turbine stirred tank is experimentally characterised by measuring local gas holdups and local bubble size distributions throughout the tank, for three liquid media: tap water, aqueous sulphate solution and aqueous sulphate solution with PEG. For all these media, bubble coalescence generally prevails over breakage. Where average bubble size decreases, this can be attributed to the difference in slip velocity between different sized bubbles. Most of the coalescence takes place in the turbine discharge stream.A compartment model that takes into account the combined effect of bubble coalescence and breakage is used to simulate gas dispersion. The model predicts spatial distribution of gas holdup and of average bubble size, with average bubble size at the turbines as an input. Reasonable agreement between experiment and simulation is achieved with optimisation of two parameters, one affecting mainly the slip velocity, the other related mainly to the bubble coalescence/breakage balance. Different sets of parameters are required for each of the three liquid systems under study, but are independent of stirring/aeration conditions. The model only fails to simulate the smaller average bubble diameters at the bottom of the tank.     

HYDRODYNAMICS AND MASS TRANSFER IN BUBBLE COLUMNS: EFFECT OF SOLIDS

The hydrodynamics and mass transfer in a large diameter bubble column (D_c 0.305 m), specifically, the effects of gas velocity and the presence of solids on the gas holdup structure, gas-liquid interfacial area, and volumetric mass transfer coefficients in viscous as well as low viscosity solutions are studied. The sulfite oxidation technique was employed to measure the gas-liquid interfacial area. Volumetric mass transfer coefficients were measured using a chemical method (sulfite oxidation) as well as physical absorption of oxygen from air, and the overall gas holdups were measured using the hydrostatic head technique. The effect of solids on the gas holdup structure was examined using the dynamic gas disengagement method. With the addition of polystyrene particles, the gas-liquid interfacial area decreased for low viscosity systems, whereas it increased for viscous systems. This was shown to be due to the effect of solids on bubble coalescence. The wettability characteristics of solid surfaces in the presence of different liquids have been suggested as the reason for the effect of solids on coalescence. Oil shale slurries presented a special case because of the mineral dissolution effect.     

Hydrodynamik in Blasensäulen – Messung von relativem Gasgehalt und Blasengröße

In bubble column reactors mass transfer kinetics are determined by local hydrodynamic processes (bubble formation, velocity, coalescence, break‐up, etc.). For a better understanding of the influence of pressure and particle load on these processes, a measurement system for detection of local bubble size distributions in opaque bubbly flows is needed. Therefore, in this work an optical needle probe was applied in a bubbly flow. In a first step, the needle probe was validated by means of single‐bubble measurements. The measurement technique shows high potential for application in more complex and opaque systems.     

搅拌槽内的气泡尺寸分布

在槽径分别为Φ０．２８７ｍ、Φ０．４９５ｍ、Φ１．１００ｍ三个几何相似的搅拌槽内，采用双电导探针法测定了搅拌槽内上、下循环区及叶轮区的气泡尺寸分布，研究了单位液体体积搅拌功率、表现气速及搅拌槽放大过程对气泡尺寸的影响规律以及气泡尺寸的空间分布规律，并得到了相应的经验关联式，为气－液搅拌槽的设计放大提供参考。     

A generalized approach to model oxygen transfer in bioreactors using population balances and computational fluid dynamics

In many biological processes, increasing the rate of transport of a limiting nutrient can enhance the rate of product formation. In aerobic fermentation systems, the rate of oxygen transfer to the cells is usually the limiting factor. A key factor that influences oxygen transfer is bubble size distribution. The bubble sizes dictate the available interfacial area for gas-liquid mass transfer. Scale-up and design of bioreactors must meet oxygen transfer requirements while maintaining low shear rates and a controlled flow pattern. This is the motivation for the current work that captures multiphase hydrodynamics and simultaneously predicts the bubble size distribution.Bubbles break up and coalesce due to interactions with turbulent eddies, giving rise to a distribution of bubble sizes. These effects are included in the modeling approach by solving a population balance model with bubble breakage and coalescence. The population balance model was coupled to multiphase flow equations and solved using a commercial computational fluid mechanics code FLUENT 6. Gas holdup and volumetric mass transfer coefficients were predicted for different superficial velocities and compared to the experimental results of Kawase and Hashimoto (1996). The modeling results showed good agreement with experiment.     

气泡大小对反应器内氧传递系数的影响

在气液反应过程中,气泡的大小对结果往往起了决定性的作用。通过减小气泡的尺寸,可以促进气液传递,加快反应的进程。在气液搅拌式反应器上安装了一种特殊的气体分布器,通过搅拌产生离心场,从而诱导生成泰勒涡柱,使大量进入反应器的空气气泡保持在泰勒涡柱的内部。由于减少了气泡间的凝并作用,气泡尺寸减小,与对照组相比,反应器中最小的气泡尺寸减小了近50%,气泡的比表面积增加近80%。通过对不同通气流量和搅拌速度下气液反应器内氧传递系数的测量,与对照实验比较,使用特殊气体分布器的反应器中,氧的传递系数增加了10%~40%,证明这种气体分布器确实可以增加气液间氧的传递。     

计及气泡诱导与剪切湍流的气泡破碎、湍流相间扩散及传质模型

在以鼓泡塔为代表的气液鼓泡流动中,存在着气泡诱导湍流（BIT）和剪切湍流两种湍流机制,并且二者在不同的时间、空间范围内既相互竞争又共同作用。受制于BIT动能能谱的形式和特性不够完整清晰,过去的研究中关于BIT如何对气泡破碎聚并、相间作用力、相间传热传质等相间相互作用过程产生影响的结论比较模糊。因此,本文在具有波数κ^-3特性的BIT能谱的基础上,提出了在不同工况下考虑BIT与剪切湍流共同作用的研究思路。研究结果表明,考虑两种湍流机制的气泡破碎模型和湍流相间扩散模型对BIT在整体或局部占据不同程度主导地位的情况,都能很好地捕捉气液鼓泡流动的动力学特性,为进一步准确揭示气液相间传质过程的内在机理提供了基础。