Bubble Column Reactors
Quak Foo LeeDepartment of Chemical and Biological Engineering
The University of British Columbia
Topics Covered
Bubble column fundamentals Type of bubble columns Gas Spargers Bubble flow dynamics CFD Modeling Experiments vs. Simulations
Introduction
Bubble columns are devices in which gas, in the form of bubbles, comes in contact with liquid.
The purpose may be simply to mix the liquid phase.
Substances are transferred from one phase to the other
Bubble Columns
Gas is sparged at the bottom of the liquid pool contained by the column.
The net liquid flow may be co-current or counter-current to the gas flow direction or may be zero.
Spargers, like porous plates, generate uniform size bubbles and distribute the gas uniformly at the bottom of the liquid pool.
Bubble Column
Co-current
Counter-current
Type of Bubble Columns
A) Simple bubble column; B) Cascade bubble column with sieve trays; B) C) Packed bubble column; D) Multishaft bubble column; C) E) Bubble column with static mixers
Gas-Liquid Mixing
A) Bubble column; B) Downflow bubble column; C) Jet loop reactor
Pilot Scale bubble Column
Gas Distributions The gas is dispersed to create small bubbles and
distribute them uniformly over the cross section of the equipment to maximize the intensity of mass transfer.
The formation of fine bubbles is especially desirable in coalescence-hindered systems and in the homogeneous flow regime.
In principle, however, significant mass transfer can be obtained at the gas distributor through a high local energy-dissipation density.
Static Gas Spargers
Perforated ring
Dip tube Perforated plate
Porous plate
Dynamic Gas Spargers
Flow Regimes
Fluid Dynamics
Rising gas bubbles entrain liquid in their wakes.
As a rule, this upward flow of liquid is much greater than the net liquid flow rate.
Because of continuity, regions therefore exist in which the liquid is predominantly moving downward.
Fluid Dynamics
Radial distribution of liquid velocity in a bubble column
Cell Structure in BCs
Bubble Size
Sauter diameter dbS
(mean bubble diameter, calculated from the volume to surface ratio)
This formula is based on Kolmogorov's theory of isotropic turbulence.
25.0
5.0
6.0
4.0
2
L
GG
LMbs ed
Bubble Size Distribution (BSD)
Narrow BSD For bubble columns with relatively low gas
volume fraction. In homogeneous regime.
Wide BSD As gas velocity and therefore, gas volume fraction
increases, a heterogeneous or churn-turbulent regime sets in.
Gas Holdup
Gas holdup is one of the most important operating parameters because it not only governs phase fraction and gas-phase residence time but is also crucial for mass transfer between liquid and gas.
Gas holdup depends chiefly on gas flow rate, but also to a great extent on the gas – liquid system involved.
Gas Holdup
Gas holdup is defined as the volume of the gas phase divided by the total volume of the dispersion:
The relationship between gas holdup and gas velocity is generally described by the proportionality:
In the homogeneous flow regime, n is close to unity. When large bubbles are present, the exponent decreases, i.e., the gas holdup increases less than proportionally to the gas flow rate.
nGG
LG
GG
U
VV
V
~
Interphase Forces Drag force
Resultant slip velocity between two phases.
Virtual mass force Arising from the inertia effect.
Basset force Due to the development of a boundary layer around a
bubble.
Transversal lift force Created by gradients in relative velocity across the bubble
diameter, may also act on the bubble.
Bubble Column Modeling
Fluid Dynamics Reaction
Mass transferHeat transfer
Bubble breakageAnd coalescence
Mass transport mixing
Fluid properties
Phase distribution transfer resistance
Gas hold-up
Bubble recirculation
Turbulence shear stress terminal velocity residence time
Fluid properties
Interfacial area driving force mixing
Limitation
Enhancement
CFD Modeling of Bubble Columns
Eulerian-Lagrangian approach To simulate trajectories of individual bubbles
(bubble-scale phenomena)
Eulerian-Eulerian approach To simulate the behavior of gas-liquid dispersions
with high gas volume fractions (e.g. to simulate millions of bubbles over a long period of time)
Simulation Objective
Unsteady, asymmetric To avoid imposing symmetry boundary conditions
Two-dimensional Consider the whole domain
Three-dimensional Use a body-fitted grid, or Use modified conventional axis boundary
conditions to allow flow through the axis
When to use 2D Simulation?
Estimate liquid phase mixing and heat transfer coefficient.
Predict time-averaged liquid velocity profiles and corresponding time-averaged gas volume fraction profiles.
Evaluate, qualitatively, the influence of different reactor internals, such as drat tubes and radial baffles, on liquid phase mixing in the reactor.
When to use 3D Simulation?
Capture details of flow structures.
Examine the role of unsteady structure on mixing.
Evaluate the size and location of draft tube on the fluid dynamics of bubble column reactors.
Simulation Consideration For column walls, which are impermeable to fluids,
standard wall boundary conditions may be specified.
Use symmetry when long-time-averaged flow characteristics is interested.
When the interest is in capturing inherently unsteady flow characteristics, which are not symmetrical, it is essential to consider the whole column as the solution domain.
Overall flow can be modeled using an axis-symmetric assumption.
2D Bubble Column
Plenum
Gas
Sparger
Only gas phase
Gas-liquid Dispersion(gas as dispersed phase)
Gas-liquidInterface(may not be flat)
Liquid drops mayGet entrained in overhead space
Open to surroundings
Ptop
Ps
gdzpH
GGLLh 0
P0 = Ptop + Ph
P0
Hydrostatic head above the sparger
Overhead pressure
2D and 3D ‘Instantaneous' Flow Field
Descendingflow region
First bubbleflow region
Vortical structures
Descendingflow region
2D 3D
Source: http://kramerslab.tn.tudelft.nl/research/topics/multiphaseflow.htm
Dispersion of Tracer in a Liquid
Verification and Validation Scale-down for experimental program.
Experiments are carried out in simple geometries and different conditions than actual operating conditions.
Available information on the influence of pressure and temperature should be used to select right model fluids for these experiments.
Detailed CFD models should be developed to simulate the fluid dynamics of a small-scale experimental set-up under representative conditions.
The computational model is then enhanced further until it leads to adequately accurate simulations of the observed fluid dynamics.
The validated CFD model can then be used to extrapolate the experimental data and to simulate fluid dynamics under actual operating conditions.
2-D CFD Simulation
Experiments
Lateral movement of the bubble hose in the flat bubble column (gas flow rate 0.8 l/min)Becker, et al., Chem. Eng. Sci. 54(12):4929-4935 (1999)
Meandering motions
Simulation and Experiment
t = 0.06s t = 0.16s t = 0.26 s t = 0.36 s
Simulation and experimental results of a bubble rising in liquid-solid fluidized bed. Fan et al. (1999)
References: Becker, S., De Bie, H. and Sweeney, J., Dynamics flow behavior in bubble
columns, Chem. Eng. Sci., 54(12):4929-4935 (1999) Fan, L.S., Yang, G.Q., Lee, D.J., Tsuchiya, K., and Lou, X., Some aspects
of high-pressure phenomena of bubbles in liquids and liquid-solid suspensions, Chem. Eng. Sci., 54(12):4681-4709 (1999)