Solid effects on hydrodynamics and heat transfer in an external loop airlift reactor

The effect of a solid presence on global hydrodynamic parameters and heat transfer in an external loop airlift reactor has been experimentally investigated. Results obtained in both two- and three-phase flow are presented in this study. Two different external loop airlift reactor sizes have been used and local hydrodynamic characteristics including local gas hold-up and bubble velocity have been obtained in two-phase flow. Optical and ultrasound probes have been used to obtain this information, respectively. It was found that an increase of solid hold-up leads to a decrease of liquid velocity and heat transfer coefficient. Measured in a two- and three-phase reactor using a horizontal-heating probe, a correlation of the average gas hold-up and heat transfer coefficient is proposed. Correlation parameters are identified in homogeneous and heterogeneous flow regimes, which have been derived from the gas slip velocity concept. The experimental liquid velocity and gas hold-up in the riser have been represented in a satisfactory way by a hydrodynamic model, either in the absence or in the presence of solid particles.     

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.     

浆态床鼓泡反应器中气含率的分布

为了解浆态床鼓泡反应器中气含率的分布规律,在浆态床鼓泡反应器冷模试验装置中,以空气-液体石蜡-氧化铝微球为试验介质对装置内部的气含率进行研究。利用压差法研究了表观气速、浆液固含量等操作条件对反应器床层总体气含率的影响,利用光纤探针法研究了浆态床反应器不同操作条件对局部气含率的影响,总结了反应器内部气含率的分布规律,并由此对工业浆态床鼓泡反应器的设计进行了研究。结果表明:浆态床反应器的总体气含率随表观气速的增大而增大,固体细颗粒的加入能适当降低总体气含率;在反应器底部,分布器对气体的均布作用明显,但表观气速的增大能够弱化分布器的作用;在反应器的中上部气含率不受分布器的影响,沿反应器径向呈现"中间高,边缘低"的分布趋势;在工业费托浆态床中,表观气速不宜低于0.12 m/s,内过滤系统适宜设置于反应器中上部靠近器壁的位置。     

Hydrodynamic effect of oxygenated byproduct during Fischer–Tropsch synthesis in slurry bubble column

The Fischer–Tropsch reaction was performed using a pilot-scale slurry bubble column reactor (SBCR) and a lab-scale continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR). In contrast to the CSTR, a transitory induction period was observed in the SBCR. In this study, we investigated the catalyst performance during the induction period focusing on the hydrodynamic parameter changes inside the reactor. We measured the hydraulic pressure for the constant slurry thickness during FTS reaction. The FT wax product was regularly withdrawn using a metal filter and analyzed for density, oxygen concentration, and compositional analysis. The liquid density was affected by the dilution of the initial liquid media by fresh FT product for the whole reaction time of 180 h. On the other hand, the oxygen concentration increased sharply for the initial 85 h and then reached the steady state. Accordingly, the gas hold-up and CO conversion were enhanced for the same period. The increase in the gas hold-up could be explained by the coalescence inhibition effect of oxygenated compounds, which were the main byproducts when iron-based catalysts were used. The dynamic gas disengagement technique was employed to identify the coalescence inhibition effect of alcohol in the hydrocarbon system using a cylindrical acrylic bubble column.     

卧式矩形环流反应器中气含率和液相流动研究

针对矩形卧式多级串联环流反应器，在改变结构和气速的情况下，对全系统的气含率、上流区和下流区的气含率、液相循环速度、液相返混等进行了实验考察，并利用漂流模型，最小能耗原理等进行了模拟计算。     

On the development of flow pattern in a bubble column reactor: Experiments and CFD

A comprehensive analysis of the development of flow pattern in a bubble column reactor is presented here through extensive LDA measurements and CFD predictions. In the LDA measurements, the simultaneous measurements of 2D velocity-time data were carried out at several radial locations and many axial cross-sections of the column for two different spargers. The profiles of mean axial liquid velocity, fractional gas hold-up and bubble slip velocity showed excellent agreement between the predictions and the experimentally measured values. The experimental results showed that the mean tangential velocity varies systematically in the radial as well as along the axial co-ordinates. The turbulence parameters viz. turbulent kinetic energy, energy dissipation rate and eddy diffusivity were also analysed. The estimated values of local energy dissipation rate obtained using eddy isolation model were used for establishing the energy balance in the column. The experimental data were used for the estimation of normal and shear stress profiles. For the case of single point sparger, just above the sparger region, the bubble plume was seen to have a strong tangential component of motion thereby yielding higher gas hold-up slightly away from the centre. This visual observation was well captured in profiles of all the hydrodynamic parameters obtained from the experimental data. CFD simulations of the mean velocities, gas hold-up and turbulent kinetic energy compared well with the experimental results.     

Hydrotreated-LCO oxidation in a transport reactor-hydrocyclon system for a low-emission fuel oil production. II Catalyst deactivation and simulation model

The CuCr/IP (4-PVP) catalyst deactivation was studied using continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) laboratory equipment at different temperatures during the oxidation of a tetralin- and fluorene-doped diesel. The concentration of naphtho-aromatics molecules was followed as a function of time on stream, and the catalyst properties analyzed at the beginning and end of run. A computational program was developed to simulate the operation of a continuous recirculation slurry-hydrocyclon-type reactor. The program uses a Runge Kutta Felberg numerical method to solve the mass and energy balance equations for gas, liquid, and solid. For this calculation, it uses a plug flow recycle reactor model for the riser and a plug flow for the downcomer, in agreement with previous fluid dynamic study. The deactivation results indicate a low catalyst deactivation that can be modeled by using an exponential function of the time on stream. The simulation results show that the most important operating variables affecting activity and selectivity are the gas/liquid ratio, the solid hold-up, and the initial temperature. The study confirms the effect of both fluid dynamics and kinetics model parameters in the diesel quality improvement     

超声波气升式内循环反应器流体力学性能研究

研究了超声波对气升式内循环反应器流体力学性能的促进作用,重点考察比较了有无超声波时气升式反应器性能及超声功率对反应器气含率、液体循环速度、混合时间等的影响。实验证明,超声波的加入对气含率未见影响,有使液体循环速度逐渐减小的趋势,而对混合时间的影响较复杂。在小气速下,小功率超声波促进流体的径向混合,随着超声功率的增加,超声振动阻碍流体的径向混合,因而存在一个最佳的超声功率,并且超声波对混合时间的影响随着表观气速的增加而逐渐减小。提出了该反应器流体力学关联式。     

A comparative study of residence time distribution and selectivity in a monolith CDC reactor and a trickle bed reactor

A comparative study of the performance of a trickle bed reactor (TBR) and a monolith cocurrent downflow contactor (CDC) reactor in terms of selectivity and residence time distribution was conducted for the hydrogenation of 2-butyne-1,4-diol (B). Selectivity (S) towards 2-butene-1,4-diol was investigated with the solvent 2-propanol and a 30% (v/v) 2-propanol/water mixture (M) in batch recycle mode. Liquid residence time distribution (RTD) curves were obtained for both reactors. Although both reactors presented almost identical hydrodynamic behaviour, i.e. RTD, significant differences regarding selectivity towards the alkene were observed in both solvents. The use of 2-propanol gave lower selectivities in both reactors, but even then the monolith reactor was superior. In the monolith CDC, the liquid RTD curve was also obtained at different radial positions. RTD profiles across the monolith showed that from the centre to the column wall there is possibly an increased retention of material and despite this, overall selectivity does not appear to be considerably depressed by the backmixing that the above result implies in 2-propanol/water where the selectivity was found to be 100% towards the intermediate (C).

Modelling of the monolith CDC reactor was also conducted to predict RTD. The models tested were tanks-in-series, piston exchange and piston dispersion exchange; from which, piston exchange model was found to best predict and fit the experimental data.     

Hydrodynamic and mass transfer study in a rectangular three-phase air-lift loop reactor

This study concerns a three-phase rectangular air-lift reactor. The first part deals with the reactor’s gas–liquid two-phase flow hydrodynamics. Parameters, such as the gas hold-up, the liquid velocity, the mixing parameters, and the solid hold-up, were quantified in the presence of two different plastic solids—a regular shape solid called P1, and an heterogeneous shape solid, P4. No fundamental influence of the solids on the studied parameters was noticed, except for the gas hold-up. Indeed, a bubble coalescence phenomenon was highlighted for high solid concentrations (ε_s > 16%). Moreover, a comparison of these two materials led to the conclusion that P4 exhibited better hydrodynamic performances. In a second set of experiments, the oxygen mass transfer was characterised in three-phase flow, with both kinds of plastic materials. The k_La coefficient was deduced from a mass balance on the gas phase. It was found to be weakly influenced by the presence, the nature or the quantity of solid.     

湍动浆态床流体力学研究（Ⅲ）垂直列管内构件的影响

浆态床反应器内部往往安装有密集的竖直列管换热内构件,有关列管束对流场分布的影响还少有研究。本文在Φ500 mm×5000 mm的大型冷模实验装置中测定了安装不同密度列管束时的速度分布和气含率分布。实验表明,列管的存在一方面会显著提高浆料轴向速度,促进大尺度流体循环,另一方面也抑制了液体与气泡的径向湍动,使速度和气含率的径向分布更不均匀,造成液体与气体轴向返混加剧,增大了有列管束的浆态床反应器的放大风险。在低气速湍动鼓泡条件下,列管加入造成的“烟囱效应”将更为显著。     

Studies on hydrodynamics of turbulent slurry bubble column（Ⅲ）Effect of vertical pipe bundles

浆态床反应器内部往往安装有密集的竖直列管换热内构件,有关列管束对流场分布的影响还少有研究。本文在Φ500 mm×5000 mm的大型冷模实验装置中测定了安装不同密度列管束时的速度分布和气含率分布。实验表明,列管的存在一方面会显著提高浆料轴向速度,促进大尺度流体循环,另一方面也抑制了液体与气泡的径向湍动,使速度和气含率的径向分布更不均匀,造成液体与气体轴向返混加剧,增大了有列管束的浆态床反应器的放大风险。在低气速湍动鼓泡条件下,列管加入造成的“烟囱效应”将更为显著。     

Gas hold-up in highly viscous pseudoplastic non-newtonian solutions in three phase sparged reactors

Gas hold-up structure was studied in a three phase sparged reactor of 200 mm diameter. Air and aqueous solutions of carboxymethyl cellulose were used as gas and liquid phases. Spherical glass beads formed the solid phase. The superficial gas velocity, rheological properties, particle size and solid loading were varied over a wide range and their effects on gas hold-up structure were studied. A correlation for the estimation of the gas hold-up as a function of superficial gas velocity, apparent liquid viscosity, particle settling velocity and solid loading was established.     

反应器类型对流动影响的数值模拟

在油-氢气体系中使用欧拉-欧拉双流体模型考察了温度703.15 K和压力11 MPa下气升式环流反应器和鼓泡床反应器对气液两相流动的影响. 结果表明,环流反应器中气含率和轴向液速沿导流筒径向存在突增现象,环流反应器中气含率在径向0~0.5和0.75~1时明显大于鼓泡床反应器,在径向0.5~0.75处前者的平均气含率比后者高约6%;环流反应器中上升管内环流液速明显大于鼓泡床反应器,且在下降区有所增强,环流反应器平均轴向液速比鼓泡床反应器高约21%;反应器尺寸较小时环流反应器和鼓泡床反应器的流动特性相差不大,反应器体积放大过程中前者的流动特性优于后者的趋势逐渐明显.     

三相淤浆床甲醇含成反应器大型冷模研究

以空气-水-催化剂和空气-液体石蜡油-催化剂两种系统为对象,研究了内置垂直管束式换热器三相淤浆床甲醇合成反应器的流体力学性质──平均气含率、床层压降、固体完全悬浮的临界表观气速。考察了各种因素对流体力学性质的影响,并得到关于气含率的经验关联式：     

Influences of top clearance and liquid throughput on the performances of an external loop airlift slurry reactor integrated mixing and separation

A new developed external loop airlift slurry reactor, which was integrated with gas–liquid–solid three-phase mixing, mass transfer, and liquid–solid separation simultaneously, was deemed to be a promising slurry reactor due to its prominent advantages such as achieving continuous separation of clear liquid from slurry and cyclic utilization of solid particles without any extra energy, energy-saving, and intrinsic safety design. The principal operating parameters, including gas separator volume, handling capacity, and superficial gas velocity, are systematically investigated here to promote the capabilities of mixing, mass transfer, and yield in the pilot external loop airlift slurry reactor. The influences of top clearance and throughput of the clear liquid on flow regime and gas holdup in the riser, liquid circulating velocity, and volumetric mass transfer coefficient with a typical high solid holdup and free of particles are examined experimentally. It was found that increasing the gas separator volume could promote the liquid circulating velocity by about 14.0% at most. Increasing the handling capacity of the clear liquid from 0.9 m~3·h~(-1) to 3.0 m~3·h~(-1) not only could increase the output without any adverse consequences, but also could enhance the liquid circulating velocity as much as 97.3%. Typical operating conditions investigated here can provide some necessary data and guidelines for this new external loop airlift slurry reactor to upgrade its performances.     

喷嘴进料对提升管进料段内颗粒浓度分布的影响

在提升管冷模实验装置上考察了喷嘴进料对颗粒浓度径向分布的影响规律. 结果表明,提升管进料段内存在3种形式的颗粒浓度径向分布,在距喷嘴较近的轴向区域,颗粒浓度沿径向呈明显的W形分布,喷嘴进料对颗粒流动的影响很强;在距喷嘴较远的轴向位置,颗粒浓度沿径向呈环-核分布,喷嘴进料对颗粒流动的影响很弱;在二者之间,颗粒浓度沿径向呈弱W分布,喷嘴进料对颗粒流动具有一定影响. 随着喷嘴气速的增加或预提升气速的减小,颗粒浓度逐渐由W形分布转变为环-核分布,喷嘴进料对颗粒流动的影响逐渐减弱. 采用喷嘴射流动量与预提升来流动量比Mj/Mr考察了操作参数及装置结构尺寸对提升管进料段内颗粒浓度径向分布的综合影响. 在实验范围内,动量比对进料段内颗粒浓度径向分布及颗粒流动行为具有明显的影响规律,随着动量比的增加,颗粒浓度逐渐由W形分布转变为环－核分布,操作参数及装置结构尺寸对颗粒流动的影响逐渐减小. 在动量比小于4.21时,操作参数及装置结构尺寸对颗粒流动的影响在H=0.675~1.075 m间的轴向位置基本结束;在动量比增大为4.21时,操作参数及装置结构尺寸对颗粒流动的影响在H=0.375~0.675 m间的轴向位置便已基本结束.     

隔壁塔内半圆填料层中壁流与返混特性研究

在填料塔三参数壁流模型的基础上，提出了应用于隔壁塔半圆型填料层的壁流模型。通过实验对模型参数进行了估计。模型计算值与实验值吻合较好。在内径为580 mm、高2800 mm的半圆冷模塔内，常温常压下以空气-水为介质，测取了散堆填料的壁流曲线，分析了气液速率变化对壁流的影响。以氯化钠溶液为示踪剂，通过脉冲注入扰动响应技术获得停留时间分布曲线。发现气液速率变化均对停留时间分布产生不同程度影响。同时比较了同一填料层高度塔壁区和整体区的平均停留时间，在壁流充分发展阶段，塔壁区的平均停留时间明显小于整体区。从另一方面量化了壁流效应的影响。应用线性回归得到单相流和气液逆流时计算Pe_d的关联式。对于新型填料及塔内件的开发、改进隔壁塔的设计方法，从而实现安全有效放大具有参考意义。     

Hydrodynamics and liquid phase residence time distribution in mesh microreactor

This paper is focused on the experimental analysis of residence time distribution and phase hold-up in a mesh microreactor. A microreactor, where a finely weaved mesh is sandwiched between two flat plates with specific inlets for gas and liquid, is proposed. The microvolumes formed upon sandwiching the mesh are totally connected and thus it yields a view of several interconnected microvolumes. This system is easy to build and does not need precision micromachining. A high-speed photographic analysis yielded the phase distribution for different mesh types over a wide range of operating gas and liquid flow rates. The RTD was studied by measuring the liquid phase conductivity at the outlet of the reactor. Channeling prevailed for mesh with smaller open area. The ADEM was used for fitting the tracer curves with tailing ends. The RTD and the image analysis for all the mesh types showed hysteresis when the gas flow rate was maintained constant and the liquid flow rate was gradually increased and then decreased.     

鼓泡塔内气液两相湍流实验研究

介绍了研究鼓泡塔气液两相流的实验装置、实验方法。液相用激光多普勒测速技术(LDV)测量,气相用粒子示踪测速技术(PIV)测量。实验表明,轴向液相速度的径向分布呈塔中心峰值、壁面附近倒流形式,且与气相表观速度大小有关,当液相表观速度一定时,随气相表观速度增大而愈加陡峭,返混也剧烈。当表观液速与表观气速之比小于19．6时,返混区总是存在,且返混区大小与高度有关：当表观液遣与表观气速之比大于19．6时,返混消失,含气率分布由塔中心峰值转向壁面峰值。径向液相速度既与气相表现速度有关又与位置高度有关,在塔底部呈现负值,这意味着向塔轴心方向流动。随着塔高增加。流动方向逐渐转变为向塔壁方向,且又有明显的峰值。