Influence of Nozzle Parameters on Spray Pattern and Droplet Characteristics for a Two-Fluid Nozzle

In this study, a two-fluid nozzle, as, e.g., used in fluidized-bed or spray drying applications, is comprehensively characterized regarding the spray pattern and droplet size. To analyze the spray cone, the spray cone angle and the radial mass distribution of the nozzle were measured at varied liquid flow rate, spray air pressure, liquid insert bore diameter, and air cap position. Additionally, droplet size distributions were recorded at different spray settings. In general, the overall spray cone and single droplets are significantly influenced by the spray parameters, especially the spray air pressure, as well as the nozzle geometry.     

Numerical Simulation of the Two‐Phase Fluid Field in a Gas‐Around‐Liquid Spray Nozzle

A new gas‐around‐liquid spray nozzle (GLSN) was designed, and the two‐phase flow fluid field in this nozzle was simulated numerically. Flow characteristics under different structural parameters were obtained by changing the L/D ratio of the premixing chamber, incident angle, and inlet pressures. Increasing the L/D ratio and incident angle improved flow characteristics such as atomization flow, outlet velocity, and turbulence intensity. The nozzle performed optimally at an L/D ratio of 0.5 and incident angle of 60°. The atomization flow decreased with higher gas pressure and increased with higher liquid pressure. The outlet velocity mainly depended on the inlet gas pressure, not on the inlet liquid pressure. These results provide an indication for optimum structures and parameters of the GLSN.     

Effect of tube diameter on two‐phase flow patterns in mini tubes

The effect of tube diameter on two‐phase flow patterns was investigated in circular tubes with inner diameters of 0.6, 1.2, 1.7, 2.6, and 3.4 mm using air and water. The gas and liquid superficial velocity ranges were 0.01–50 and 0.01–3 m/s, respectively. The gas and liquid flow rates were measured and the two‐phase flow pattern images were recorded using high‐speed CMOS camera. The flow patterns observed were dispersed bubbly, bubbly, slug, slug‐annular, wavy‐annular, stratified, and annular flows. These flow patterns were not observed in all the test diameters, but were found to be unique to particular tube diameters, confirming the effect of tube diameter on the flow pattern. The data obtained were compared to existing experimental data and flow regime transition maps which show generally reasonable overall agreement at the larger diameters, but significant differences were observed with the smaller diameter tubes.     

Hydrodynamic Model for Horizontal Two‐phase Flow Through Porous Media

A unidirectional, two‐fluid model based on the volume‐average mass and momentum balance equations was developed for the prediction of two‐phase pressure drop and external liquid hold‐up in horizontally positioned packed beds experiencing stratified, annular and dispersed bubble flow regimes. The so‐called slit model drag force closures were used for the stratified and annular flow regimes. In the case of dispersed bubble flow regime, the liquid‐solid interaction force was formulated on the basis of the Kozeny‐Carman equation by taking into account the presence of bubbles in reducing the available volume for the flowing liquid. The gas‐liquid interaction force was evaluated by using the respective solutions of drag coefficient for an isolated bubble in viscous and turbulent flows. The proposed drag force expressions for the different flow patterns occurring in the bed associated with the two‐fluid model resulted in a predictive method requiring no adjustable parameter to describe the hydrodynamics for horizontal two‐phase flow in packed beds.     

An Electrospray Method Using a Multi‐Capillary Nozzle Emitter

A multi‐capillary nozzle emitter consisting of one metal plate with capillary nozzles and a ring type counter electrode was used as a multi‐electrospray atomizer. The number of capillary nozzles, flow rate of the liquid and the interval between the capillary nozzles were changed, and the droplet diameter and the voltage required for a steady cone‐jet mode were measured. For the multi‐capillary nozzle emitter, the interaction between the capillary nozzles is the important factor for obtaining fine droplets of uniform size. These fine droplets are obtained when there is only a small interaction between the capillary nozzles, and the equations obtained from the single capillary nozzle case are also applicable for the multi‐capillary nozzle emitter. When the number of capillary nozzles decreases (a situation which is not good for obtaining a large amount of droplets) or the interval between the capillary nozzles increases, the interaction between the capillary nozzles can be reduced. As the number of capillary nozzles increase, a higher voltage is required to obtain a fine droplet of uniform size.     

Simulation and Experimental Validation of Two‐Phase Flow in an Aerosol Counter‐Flow Reactor using Computational Fluid Dynamics

A simulation of the hydrodynamic behavior of an aerosol‐counter flow reactor was conducted using an Euler‐Lagrange method. The simulation results were then verified with experiments. The process simulated was a separation process required during the production of biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester). In this process, the liquid ester/glycerol phases are continuously injected through a hollow cone nozzle with an overpressure of 10⁶ Pa into the reactor, operated at 15000 Pa. The liquid is atomized because of the pressure drop and a liquid particle spray is generated with an inlet velocity of 44.72 m/s. Water vapor of temperature 333 K is injected tangentially through two side, gas inlets with an inlet velocity of 1.2 m/s. Excess methanol is subjected to a mass transfer from the liquid phase into the gas phase, which is withdrawn through the head of the reactor and condensed in an external condenser unit. The stripping of the methanol off the liquid leads to a sharp interface between the glycerol and the ester phase, which can then be easily separated by gravity or pumping. The gas velocity field, pressure field and the liquid particle trajectories were calculated successfully. Simulated dwell time distribution curves were derived and analyzed with the open‐open vessel dispersion model. Experimental dwell time distribution curves were measured, analyzed with the open‐open vessel dispersion model, and compared with the simulated curves. A good consistency between simulated and measured Bodenstein numbers was achieved, but 25 % of the simulated particles exited at the reactor's head, contrary to experimental observations. The difference between simulated and measured dwell times was within one order of magnitude.     

转炉一次除尘新OG系统高效喷淋塔喷嘴雾化特性的模拟

利用离散相模型对转炉一次除尘新OG系统高效喷淋塔内喷嘴的雾化特性进行模拟,分析了喷射角度、喷射压力、喷射流量及喷嘴水平间距等因素对雾化场索太尔平均直径(SMD)和蒸发效率的影响. 结果表明,在一定范围内随喷射角度增加,液滴在雾化场中的覆盖面增大,液滴驻留时间变长,蒸发效率增加,雾化场SMD减小,喷射角度大于60o时,SMD值减小缓慢. 随喷射压力增大,液滴蒸发效率增加,雾化场SMD减小,压力大于1.0 MPa时对SMD的影响较小. 随喷射流量增加,液滴蒸发效率减小,雾化场SMD增加,流量小于0.15 kg/s时,SMD增加幅度偏小. 两喷嘴水平间距越大,液滴分布面积越大,但对雾化场SMD影响较小. 在一定条件下,喷嘴间距约为800 mm时,截面速度分布较均匀.     

Explicit Critical Pressure Ratio for Choked Two‐Phase Homogeneous Nozzle Flow

The throat‐to‐stagnation critical pressure ratio for a frictionless and adiabatic nozzle flow of a homogeneous, nonflashing two‐phase mixture can only be expressed as the numerical solution of a transcendental equation. A simple, physically plausible approximation is herein proposed, which fits well over the whole range of mass flow qualities.     

基于图像法的环雾状流液滴参数测量与分析

环雾状流广泛存在于石油化工领域,其内部流场测量具有重要意义。本文结合光学图像法和高速摄影技术对撞针式喷嘴的雾化特性进行了测量分析,以此为基础对基于雾化混合的环雾状流中夹带液滴特性开展了实验研究。利用高速摄影技术对喷雾进行可视化,采用单帧单曝光法对液滴尺寸和速度信息进行提取。研究发现,液滴速度随轴向距离增大呈衰减趋势,且相同轴向距离（约在径向位置10mm处）条件下,速度达到峰值;液滴索泰尔平均直径（SMD）随喷嘴孔径d₀的增大而增大,并与液相质量流量m_l和喷嘴上下游压差?p均呈负相关;另外,在环雾状流环境中,相同气压条件下液滴SMD随气相体积流量Q_g增大而减小,而相同气相体积流量条件下SMD随气压p_g增大而增大。基于实验测量结果,以气相韦伯数We_g和液相雷诺数Re_l为主影响参数,引入相间滑移和压力系数建立了基于量纲分析的环雾状流液滴SMD预测模型,平均绝对百分比误差MAPE为11.4672%。     

Distribution of Two‐Phase Flow across 2.7‐mm Vertically Split U‐Type Junctions

A visual observation of the two‐phase flow across vertically split U‐type junctions and its flow redistribution inside two 2.7‐mm diameter smooth tubes with curvature ratios (2R/D) of 3 and 7, respectively, are reported. The range of mass flux is between 100 and 700 kg/m²s and quality (x) ranges from 0.001 to 0.5. The ratio of liquid distribution between the upper and lower outlet legs is related to the inlet flow pattern, but its influence is reduced at higher mass flux. The difference in liquid flow rates in the lower and upper legs is significantly affected by gravity at a small inlet mass flux, but this difference becomes less profound when the inlet mass flux is increased. The difference between the liquid flux in the upper and lower leg is reduced for the smaller curvature radius due to the reduced effect of gravity between the upper and lower legs. However, there is no consistent trend of gas flow distribution across the U‐type junction as compared to liquid flow distribution. The air mass flux in the upper and lower legs always increase with an increase in both gas quality and the total mass flux.     

Experimentally‐based constitutive relations for co‐current gas‐liquid flow in randomly packed beds

Experimental Observations on average pulse velocity and frequency in concurrent gas‐liquid (down) flow through randomly packed beds are used to extract constitutive relations for the gas‐liquid interaction and mean curvature terms that appear in a recently proposed volume‐averaged two‐fluid model for bubbly flow. The proposed closures lead to a reasonably quantitative prediction of the average pressure drop and liquid saturation under bubbly flow conditions and in the near pulse regime. In addition, the proposed closures provide realistic estimates for the location of the bubble‐to‐pulse transition in microgravity and in 1g down‐flow and predict the disappearance of the bubbly flow pattern at low liquid fluxes in 1g down‐flow. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 812–822, 2017     

Flow pattern transition in gas‐liquid downflow through narrow vertical tubes

The present report studies on the flow pattern transitions during vertical air water downflow through millichannels (0.83 ≤ Eötvös no. ≤ 20.63). Four basic flow patterns namely falling film flow, slug flow, bubbly flow, and annular flow are observed in the range of experimental conditions studied and their range of existence has been noted to vary with tube diameter and phase velocities. Based on experimental observations, phenomenological models are proposed to predict the transition boundaries between adjacent patterns. These have been validated with experimental flow pattern maps from the present experiments. Thus the study formalizes procedure for developing a generalized flow pattern map for gas‐liquid downflow in narrow tubes. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 792–800, 2017     

Hydrodynamic Modelling of Internal Loop Airlift Reactor Applying Drift‐Flux Model in Bubbly Flow Regime

A new model for the liquid circulation rates in airlift reactor (ALR) is presented. The model is based on the energy balance for the flow loop (riser, turn riser‐downcomer, downcomer, and turn downcomer‐riser) coupled with a drift flux theory of two‐phase flow gas‐liquid system, considering a bubbly flow regime. The predicted values of the liquid circulation rates by the developed model are compared with experimental results performed in a 22 dm³ internal loop airlift reactor and with the results obtained in the literatures. The proposed model predicted the experimental results very well. Slip velocity relationship based on the drift flux model was proposed; including the gas holdup, bubble size and the liquid physical properties. The predicted slip velocity was similar to that obtained from the literature. The study revealed that appropriate arrangements of internal bioreactor parts can positively influence the liquid circulation velocity at the same energy consumption. The proposed models are useful in the design; scale up and characterization of the internal loop airlift reactors, and provides a direct method of predicting hydrodynamic behaviour in gas‐liquid airlift reactors.     

Mass transfer and hydrodynamic characteristics in a co‐current downflow contacting column

Hydrodynamic and mass transfer characteristics of water–air system in a co‐current downflow contacting column (CDCC) were studied for various nozzle diameters at different superficial gas velocities and liquid re‐circulation rates. Gas hold‐up and liquid‐side mass transfer coefficient increased with increasing superficial gas velocity and liquid flow rate but decreased with increasing nozzle diameter. It is shown that correlations developed, which are based on liquid kinetic power per liquid volume present in the column, and superficial gas velocity explains gas hold‐up and the mass transfer coefficient within an error 20% for all gas and liquid flow rates and nozzle diameters used. The constants of correlations for gas hold‐up and mass transfer coefficient were found to be considerably different from other gas–liquid contacting systems. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Liquid degassing using mono‐dispersed and poly‐dispersed micron droplets

Liquid degassing using mono‐dispersed and poly‐dispersed micron droplets (148.6 and 264.8 µm) falling in an inert gas was studied experimentally and analytically in a laboratory setting. The system using poly‐dispersed droplets revealed an upper degassing limit of 93% when the inert gas to liquid flow ratio was above 15 and a fog‐type nozzle was used. Linear correlations of the Sherwood number to the Peclet number were derived for both systems of medium Reynolds numbers (10–100). The correlation for the mono‐dispersed droplets agreed well with the steady state mass transfer correlations that are available in literature, especially at small Peclet number situations. © 2012 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering     

An Analysis of Pressure Drop and Holdup for Liquid‐Liquid Upflow through Vertical Pipes

The present study has attempted to investigate pressure drop and holdup during simultaneous flow of two liquids through a vertical pipe. The liquids selected were kerosene and water. The measurements were made for phase velocities varying from 0.05–1.2 m/s for both liquids. The pressure drop was measured with a differential pressure transducer while the quick closing valve (QCV) technique was adopted for the measurement of liquid holdup. The measured holdup and pressure drop were analyzed with suitable theoretical models according to the existing flow patterns. The analysis reveals that the homogeneous model is suitable for dispersed bubbly flow whereas bubbly and churn‐turbulent flow pattern is better predicted by the drift flux model. On the other hand, the two fluid flow model accurately predicts the pressure drop in core annular flow.     

Hydrodynamic Characteristics in the Counter‐Flow Total Spray Tray

The capacity of a column is limited by the distribution of gas and liquid, especially in case of large‐diameter cross‐flow trays. In order to solve the bottleneck, a new counter‐flow tray named total spray tray (TST) was put forward. Taking air/water as medium, the hydrodynamic behavior, including the pressure drop, weeping, entrainment, and clear liquid height, was investigated, in comparison with the CTST, which had a higher capacity. Based on experimental data, the correlations of the TST pressure drop were established by regression analysis method. The experimental results show that the TST has a lower wet pressure drop and less weeping. More interestingly, its clear liquid height can be self‐adjusting with the variation of the gas kinetic energy factor, which is beneficial to improving the capacity.     

Y形气-液顶吹喷枪流型及两相流混合特性实验

贫化电炉气液顶吹喷枪是一种独特的垂直下降管,其一端Y形通入气液两相,一端直接通入熔池中进行喷吹作业。本文采用多相流水模型模拟仿真的实验手段进行了定量分析,结果表明：不同于传统的垂直下降管,这种顶吹喷枪的管内流型受气液相间压差的影响,产生了一种由环状流过渡为泡状流的流型,不同流型的分布区域与压差的大小有关并且稳定存在;在支管与主管的交叉区域,对于不同的气液比存在3种气液混合相分界面,并各自产生不同的流型;浸没式顶吹气泡群形态在不同的管内流型驱动下有较大差异,表现在深度及宽度两个方面,并证明了气液比为2～5间的生产效果是最佳的。     

Redispersion Microreactor System for Phase Transfer‐Catalyzed Esterification

An interdigital mixer‐redispersion capillary assembly was applied to prevent the liquid‐liquid bubbly flow coalescence in microreactors. The redispersion capillary consisted of 1‐mm‐long 0.25 mm inner‐diameter constrictions, placed every 0.50 m along the channel length. The system was tested on the phase transfer‐catalyzed esterification to produce benzyl benzoate. The application of constrictions to prevent coalescence resulted in a better reproducibility and higher conversion compared to a capillary without constrictions. The bubbly flow generated by the interdigital mixer‐redispersion capillary assembly was found to be independent of the redispersion capillary inner diameters (0.50 and 0.75 mm) while being highly dependent on the flow rates. By controlling the total flow rate and the aqueous‐to‐organic ratio, the bubbly flow surface‐to‐volume ratio could be increased up to 230 700 m²m^–3. Compared to the conventional phase transfer‐catalyzed esterification, the continuous operation in the interdigital mixer‐redispersion capillary assembly eliminated the use of solvents and bases, removing an energy‐intensive step of distillation while increasing process safety.     

环形狭缝通道内气液两相环状流流动特性

建立了环形狭缝通道内气液两相环状流的理论模型 ,该模型计及环状流气芯流动的可压缩性、气液两相间的相滑移、气相对液滴的夹带作用等因素 .考察了两相流质量流量和干度对压降、液滴速度相对变化和狭缝喉部气芯通流面积的影响 .用建立的理论模型对空气 -水两相环状流通过环形狭缝的两相压降进行预测 ,预测值和试验值吻合良好