CFD simulation for comparative of hydrodynamic effects in biochemical reactors using population balance model with varied inlet gas distribution profiles
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Shenzhou Ni
Abstract
The operational efficiency of the airlift reactors relies significantly on the aeration and mixing provided by the inlet system. The diffused aeration system is the most energy-intensive component affecting the operation of the bioreactor, accounting for 45–75 % of the energy costs. This study presents a coupled CFD-PBM to investigate the collective impacts of multiple bubble diameters, variations in inlet gas distribution types, and flow rates on the hydrodynamic characteristics of bubble columns. The simulation results were validated through comprehensive comparisons with experimental data. The experimental data and simulations of the single bubble size model (SBSM) and multi-bubble size model (MBSM) were compared, proposing an enhanced inlet gas distribution type. The results indicate a close resemblance between the MBSM data and the experimental results, with an error margin not exceeding 5 %. Moreover, different flow rates were found to cause varying sensitivities in the bubble size distribution (BSD) within the column. Furthermore, the simulation results validate the similarity between lift coefficients and critical diameters to experiments and shed light on favorable conditions for reactor design. The key findings of this study encompass: (1) the use of MBSM can accurately predict the tower system characteristics; (2) the column circulation is intensified with small inlet bubble size and high gas velocity, which is favorable for chemical reactions and microbial aggregation to proceed; and (3) the BSD is not sensitive to the inlet gas distribution type at high flow rates.
Funding source: The Key Common Technology Research and Development Project of Hefei
Award Identifier / Grant number: GJ2022SH10
Funding source: The National Natural Science Foundation of China
Award Identifier / Grant number: U19A20108
Funding source: The National Key R&D Program of China
Award Identifier / Grant number: 2019YFC0408502
Funding source: Science and Technology Projects of Anhui Provincial Group Limited for Yangtze-To-Huaihe Water Diversion
Award Identifier / Grant number: YJJH-ZT-ZX-20230706545
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Research ethics: Not applicable.
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Author contributions: The authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
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Competing interests: The authors state no conflict of interest.
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Research funding: The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial supports by the Key Common Technology Research and Development Project of Hefei (GJ2022SH10), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U19A20108), the National Key R&D Program of China (2019YFC0408502), and the Science and Technology Projects of Anhui Provincial Group Limited for Yangtze-To-Huaihe Water Diversion (YJJH-ZT-ZX-20230706545).
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Data availability: The raw data can be obtained on request from the corresponding author.
Notations
- C D,dis
-
disperse phase drag coefficient, dimensionless
- C D,vis
-
viscous/cap drag coefficient
- C D,cap
-
dimensionless
- C L
-
lift coefficient, dimensionless
- C T
-
turbulent diffusion coefficient, dimensionless
- C VM
-
virtual mass force coefficient, dimensionless
- d b
-
bubble size, m
- F
-
inter-phase momentum exchange term, kg/m2 s2
- f bv
-
breakup frequency, dimensionless
- F D
-
drag force, kg/m2 s2
- F L
-
lift force, kg/m2 s2
- F VM
-
virtual mass force, kg/m2 s2
- F wl
-
wall lubrication force, kg/m2 s2
- g
-
gravitational force, m/s2
- g b(V′)
-
frequency of breakup, m3/s
- H D, H L
-
aeration/static liquid level height, m
- k
-
turbulent kinetic energy per unit mass, m2/s2
- n
-
number density of bubbles, 1/m3
- p
-
pressure, Pa
- p ij
-
aggregation probability of collisions
- Pr
-
Prandtl number, dimensionless
- Re
-
Reynolds number, dimensionless
- Sr
-
Strouhal number, dimensionless
- St
-
Stokes number, dimensionless
- u
-
phase velocity, m/s
- U g
-
superficial gas velocity, m/s
- We
-
Weber number, dimensionless
Greek letters
- α
-
phase holdup, dimensionless
- β b(V|V′)
-
probability density function of bubble breakup
- Γ(V,V′)
-
bubble coalescence rate, 1/s
- ε
-
turbulent energy dissipation rate, m2 s−3
- μ t
-
turbulent viscosity, kg/m s
- ξ
-
eddy size, ξ = λ/d, dimensionless
- π
-
pi, equals 3.14159
- ρ i
-
phase density, kg m−3
- σ
-
surface tension, N/m
- Ω B
-
breakup rate, 1/s
- Ω C
-
coalescence rate, m3/s
- ω(V i , V j )
-
frequency of collision, m3/s
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Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Review
- Research progress and perspectives of biogas production from municipal organic solid waste
- Articles
- Application of multigene genetic programming and water evaporation optimization technique for modeling and optimization of removal of heavy metals from ash pond water using cyanobacterial consortium
- Simulation study of reactive distillation process for synthesis of dimethyl maleate
- Analysis of flow field characteristics of the three-dimensional staggered rotor and its influence on structural parameters in the wiped film molecular distillation
- Porous biochar production from pyrolysis of corn straw in a microwave heated reactor
- CFD simulation for comparative of hydrodynamic effects in biochemical reactors using population balance model with varied inlet gas distribution profiles
- Hydrothermal precipitation of hematite from the model solution of zinc hydrometallurgical extraction
- Sorption-catalysis-enhanced effects of crab shell derived CaO-based biochar addition on the pyrolysis of waste cooking oil fried sludge
- Optimization and kinetics study for the conversion of furfuryl alcohol towards ethyl levulinate using sulfonic acid functionalized catalyst
- Short Communications
- Determination of steady states of tank and recycle tubular reactors using homotopy and parametric continuation methods
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Review
- Research progress and perspectives of biogas production from municipal organic solid waste
- Articles
- Application of multigene genetic programming and water evaporation optimization technique for modeling and optimization of removal of heavy metals from ash pond water using cyanobacterial consortium
- Simulation study of reactive distillation process for synthesis of dimethyl maleate
- Analysis of flow field characteristics of the three-dimensional staggered rotor and its influence on structural parameters in the wiped film molecular distillation
- Porous biochar production from pyrolysis of corn straw in a microwave heated reactor
- CFD simulation for comparative of hydrodynamic effects in biochemical reactors using population balance model with varied inlet gas distribution profiles
- Hydrothermal precipitation of hematite from the model solution of zinc hydrometallurgical extraction
- Sorption-catalysis-enhanced effects of crab shell derived CaO-based biochar addition on the pyrolysis of waste cooking oil fried sludge
- Optimization and kinetics study for the conversion of furfuryl alcohol towards ethyl levulinate using sulfonic acid functionalized catalyst
- Short Communications
- Determination of steady states of tank and recycle tubular reactors using homotopy and parametric continuation methods
