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CFD Simulation of Hydrodynamic of a Bubble Column Reactor Operating in Churn-Turbulent Regime and Effect of Gas Inlet Distribution on System Characteristics

  • Amir Azimi Yancheshme , Jamshid Zarkesh EMAIL logo , Davod Rashtchian and Arezou Anvari
Published/Copyright: December 1, 2015

Abstract

CFD simulation of cylindrical bubble column including air as dispersed phase and water as continuous phase operating in churn-turbulent flow regime with diameter of 0.49 m, height of 3.6 m and gas superficial velocity of 0.14 m/s have been conducted. All simulations have been carried out in a 2D axisymmetric, unsteady and Euler/Euler framework with the aid of commercial software FLUENT v. 14.5. Simulations were validated by our experimental results through residence time distribution (RTD) data. Effect of bubble size distribution at inlet on column hydrodynamic was investigated and results clearly showed that equilibrium bubble size distribution in most parts of column is independent of bubble size distribution at inlet. In addition, liquid axial velocity and gas hold-up profiles results in column center were approximately the same for cases with different inlet distribution and confirmed similarity of their hydrodynamic.

Notation

Cμ

constant of equation (4)

C1, C2

constant of equations (5, 6)

cp

constant of equation (24)

D

column diameter

db

sauter mean bubble diameter

d

bubble diameter

do

sparger hole diameter

fi

volume fraction of ith particle size

G

turbulent production rate

I

Turbulence intensity

k

turbulent kinetic energy

Mi

sum of all interphase forces

Pjk

collision efficiency

pi

pressure field of phase i

Qj,k

coalescence frequency

Reb

bubble Reynolds number

Si

source term for bubble breakage and coalescence

t

time

ui

velocity of phase i

uo

velocity of fluid at sparger hole

We

Weber number

Greek letters
αi

volume fraction of,phase i

β

constant of equation (27)

βv,xk

number of produced bubble by breakage

ε

turbulent dissipation rate

Γi

net mass transfer rate between phases

Γkvj,vi

breakage frequency

υg

gas superficial velocity

μeff

effective viscosity

μTUR

turbulent viscosity

λ

eddy size

ξ

dimensionless eddy size

ρi

density of phase i

σk, σε

constant of equations (5, 6)

τi

stress-strain tensor of phase i

ωj,k

collision frequency

Subscripts
b

bubble

g

gas

i,j,k

indicators if mixture phase and group sizes

l

liquid

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Published Online: 2015-12-1
Published in Print: 2016-2-1

©2016 by De Gruyter

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