Counter‐current gas‐liquid wavy film flow between the vertical plates analyzed using the Navier‐Stokes equations

The article is devoted to a theoretical analysis of counter‐current gas‐liquid wavy film flow between vertical plates. We consider two‐dimensional nonlinear waves on the interface over a wide variation of parameters. The main interest is to analyse the wave structure at the parameter values corresponding to the onset of flooding observed in experiments. We use the Navier‐Stokes equations in their full statement to describe the liquid phase hydrodynamics. For the gas phase equations, we use two models: (1) the Navier‐Stokes system and (2) the simplified Benjamin‐Miles approach where the liquid phase is a small disturbance for the laminar or turbulent gas flow. With the superficial gas velocity increasing and starting from some value of the velocity, the waves demonstrate a rapid decreasing of both the minimal film thickness and the phase wave velocity. We obtain a region of the gas velocity where we have two solutions at one set of the problem parameters and where the flooding takes place. Both the phase wave velocity and the minimal film thickness are positive numbers at such values of the velocity. We calculate the flooding point dependences on the liquid Reynolds number for two different liquids. The wave regime corresponding to the flooding point demonstrates negative u‐velocities in the neighbourhood of the interface near the film thickness maximum. At smaller values of the superficial gas velocity, the negative u‐velocities take place in the neighbourhood of the film thickness minimum. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2010     

Effects of Gas‐Agitation and Packing on Hydrodynamics and Mass Transfer of Extraction Column

The effects of gas‐agitation and packing on hydrodynamics and mass transfer were investigated through experiments with air‐kerosene (benzoic acid)‐water system and corrugated‐packing of calendering plate with hole. The holdup of gas, holdup of dispersed liquid phase and mass transfer coefficient increase and the flooding velocity decrease with the increase in superficial gas velocity. Over‐agitation of gas causes over‐dispersion and emulsification of dispersed liquid phase, reduction of mass transfer performance and even flooding. The mass transfer performance of a packed column is far better than that of an unpacked column.     

Computational fluid dynamic simulations on liquid film behaviors at flooding in an inclined pipe☆

The complex liquid film behaviors at flooding in an inclined pipe were investigated with computational fluid dynamic (CFD) approaches. The liquid film behaviors included the dynamic wave characteristics before flooding and the transition of flow pattern when flooding happened. The influences of the surface tension and liquid viscosity were specially analyzed. Comparisons of the calculated velocity at the onset of flooding with the available experimental results showed a good agreement. The calculations verify that the fluctuation frequency and the liquid film thickness are almost unaffected by the superficial gas velocity until the flooding is triggered due to the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability. When flooding triggered at the superficial liquid velocity larger than 0.15 m·s?1, the interfacial wave developed to slug flow, while it developed to entrainment flow when it was smaller than 0.08 m·s?1. The interfacial waves were more easily torn into tiny droplets with smaller surface tension, eventual y evolving into the mist flow. When the liquid viscosity increases, the liquid film has a thicker holdup with more intensive fluctuations, and more likely developed to the slug flow.     

规整填料波纹结构上的二维两相流模拟方法

规整填料是由规则排列的波纹板组成的。液相是沿着波纹板壁面往下流动,而气相则是在波纹板之间形成的通道内与液相呈并流或逆流的状态。因此,气液两相的水力学特性决定着填料塔的操作弹性和质量传递效率。波纹板上的液膜流动状态因在很多应用领域都发挥作用而备受关注。本文从物理建模、自由界面处理方法、表面张力模型以及湍流模型等方面对规整填料波纹板上的二维液膜数值模拟方法作了详细的陈述,并且对该领域的研究现状作了进一步分析和总结。     

同心圈式超重力旋转床液泛模型

同心圈式超重力旋转床是一种新型超重力旋转床。液泛是超重力旋转床流体力学的重要特征。同心圈式超重力旋转床液体分布器和转子内缘之间的环形空间内的液滴被气体夹带,液滴受到离心力和气体曳力的作用,通过建立微分方程可获得液滴径向速度为零时的液滴运动径向距离。当该径向距离小于环形空间的径向距离,此时产生雾沫夹带液泛。由此建立同心圈式超重力旋转床雾沫夹带液泛模型。实验以空气和水为物系,测定了转子直径为1000 mm、高度为100 mm的同心圈式超重力旋转床在不同转速和表观液速下气体进口和出口之间的气相压降随表观气速的变化。气相压降随表观气速的增大先缓慢增大后快速增大。用表观气速对气相压降求导和目测旋转床中心气体出口处出现大量液体被气体夹带来确定液泛点气速。通过液泛点气速求得雾沫夹带液泛模型的系数k,并对该系数k进行关联。该雾沫夹带液泛模型的计算值和实验值吻合很好,平均偏差为3.1%。该模型优于Sherwood液泛模型,对同心圈式超重力旋转床的工业应用提供了必要的设计依据。     

Hydrogenation of 2‐ethylanthraquinone under Taylor flow in single square channel monolith reactors

The hydrogenation of 2‐ethylanthraquinone (EAQ) to 2‐ethylanthrahydroquinone (EAHQ) was carried out under Taylor flow in single square channel monolith reactors. The two opening ends of opaque reaction channel were connected with two circular transparent quartz‐glass capillaries, where Taylor flow hydrodynamics parameters were measured and further used to obtain practical flow state of reactants in square reaction channels. A carefully designed gas‐liquid inlet mixer was used to supply steady gas bubbles and liquid slugs with desired length. The effects of various operating parameters, involving superficial gas velocity, superficial liquid velocity, gas bubble length, liquid slug length, two‐phase velocity and temperature, on EAQ conversion were systematically researched. Based on EAQ conversion, experimental overall volumetric mass transfer coefficients were calculated, and also studied as functions of various parameters as mentioned earlier. The film model, penetration model, and existing semi‐empirical formula were used to predict gas‐solid, gas‐liquid, and liquid‐solid volumetric mass transfer coefficients in Taylor flow, respectively. The predicted overall volumetric mass transfer coefficients agreed well with the experimental ones. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009     

Development of counter-current flow limitation model applicable to a sharp-edged liquid entrance

There are many industrial machines that function by operation of multi-phase fluids. Some of them take advantage of the characteristics of counter-current two-phase flow. The maximum flow rates of gas and liquid phases which flow in opposite-directions (counter-current flow) are limited by a phenomenon known as a Counter-Current Flow Limitation (CCFL or flooding). The mass and momentum conservation equations for two phases were established to build a system of first-order partial derivative equations (PDE). A new CCFL model was developed based on the characteristic equation of the first-order PDE system. The present model applies to the case in which a non-uniform flow is developed around a square or sharp-edged entrance of liquid phase. The model can be used to predict the operating-limit of components in which mass and heat transfer are taking place between liquid and gas phases.     

水平管环状流液膜厚度与波动参数分布

环状流是常见的一种气液两相流流型,基于双平行电导探针阵列传感器设计了环状流液膜动态测量系统,以水和空气为介质,进行了气相表观流速15~35 m/s、液相表观流速0.1~0.4 m/s范围内的水平管环状流周向液膜测量实验,分析了水平管环状流的液膜厚度、相界面波动参数的空间分布与发展变化规律。结果表明,水平管环状流底部液膜厚度随气相表观流速的增加而减小,随液相表观流速的增加而增大,但在高液相表观流速时有饱和趋势,对应条件下周向其他位置的液膜厚度持续增大,尤其在45°位置显著增大,下半周液膜分布趋于平缓;由底部到顶部,液膜波速和波频在周向上均呈逐渐减小趋势,与液膜厚度的分布规律一致,大幅度的扰动波主要分布在底部;底部液膜波速和波频随气相表观流速增加而增大,液相表观流速增加时,波速随之增大,但波频无明显变化,对应波长增大。     

气体搅动的筛板萃取塔性能实验研究

在筛板萃取塔中引入气体搅动,既能明显提高装置的传质效率,又能大幅提高装置处理能力。筛板塔的通量随气速的变化规律与填料塔有显著区别,其性能研究有重要意义。利用煤油(苯甲酸)-水-空气体系,考察了气体搅动和筛孔直径对萃取塔流体力学和传质性能的影响。结果表明,随着表观气速的增加,气含率、分散相含率、液泛速率和传质效率均明显增加。但过高的气速也会导致分散相的过于分散和乳化,传质性能下降,直至液泛。不同直径的筛孔相比,较小的筛孔使分散相停留时间延长,分散相含率和传质效率提高,但液泛速率和处理能力降低。     

CFD Simulation of Liquid Film Flow on Inclined Plates

A two‐phase flow CFD model using the volume of fluid (VOF) method is presented for predicting the hydrodynamics of falling film flow on inclined plates, corresponding to the surface texture of structured packing. Using the proposed CFD model the influence of the solid surface microstructure, liquid properties and gas flow rate on the flow behavior was investigated. From the simulated results it was shown that under the condition of no gas flow the liquid flow patterns are dependent on the microstructure of the plates, and proper microstructuring of the solid surface will improve the formation of a continuous liquid film. It was also found that liquid properties, especially surface tension, play an important role in determining the thin‐film pattern. However, there are very different liquid film patterns under the action of gas flow. Thinner liquid films break easily, but thicker liquid films can remain continuous even at higher gas flow rates, which demonstrates that all factors affecting the liquid film thickness will affect the liquid film patterns under conditions of counter‐current two‐phase flow.     

Gas holdup above the bed surface and grid gas jet hydrodynamics for three phase fluidized beds

A three dimensional column was used to study the hydrodynamics of a three phase system: air, water and 3 mm glass beads. Various effects of the grid jets on bed hydrodynamics were investigated for both increasing and decreasing liquid superficial velocities. Three regimes were observed: spouted bed, spouted fluidized bed and three phase fluidized bed. The hydrodynamics of the two phase region above the bed was also studied. The gas holdup increased when the gas superficial velocity was increased but decreased when the liquid superficial velocity was increased. A correlation for the estimation of the gas holdup as a function of gas and liquid superficial velocities was established.     

QH-1型扁环填料用于高液气比操作时的性能研究

在内径186mm有机玻璃塔中 ,对16和2 5QH 1型扁环填料的流体力学和传质性能进行了研究 ,得出了计算其压降、液泛气速、泛点填料因子、湿填料因子和液相总传质单元高度的关联式。并与16鲍尔环填料进行比较 ,结果表明 ,QH 1具有优良的流体力学和传质特性。     

倾斜波纹板上液膜流动的CFD研究

利用VOF法建立了液膜在倾斜波纹板上的气-液两相流CFD模型,并根据液膜流动特点提出了表面张力动量源项和气液界面作用力动量源项.模拟结果与文献实验值吻合较好,表明本文提出的CFD液膜流动模型具有一定的可靠性.通过模拟不同性质的液体在不同表面结构波纹板上的流动过程发现,波纹板表面微观结构以及液体性质尤其是液体的表面张力对连续液膜的形成有重要作用,表明通过改变波纹板面微观结构以及降低液体的表面张力可以促进连续液膜的形成,对提高气液之间的传质效率有重要意义.     

多级鼓泡塔内液体速度分布的实验研究

液体循环流动是多级鼓泡塔重要流体力学特征之一,文中在内径为282 mm,高2000 mm的鼓泡塔内,采用不同类型的筛板将普通鼓泡塔分割成双级气液鼓泡塔.采用Pavlov管测液速的方法考察了不同筛板、不同表观气速下该鼓泡塔中上下二侧的液体速度分布.根据实验结果得出了液体速度在塔中心处最大,且与表观气速有关,随着表观气速的...     

The Effect of Superficial Gas Velocity on Wavy Films and its Use in Enhancing the Performance of Falling Film Reactors

Mass transfer in co‐current downward annular flow depends on the amount of liquid carried by the waves. The thickness of this portion of the liquid film increases with the superficial gas velocity up to about 20–25 m s^–1 for two‐phase air/water flow. The maximum apparent friction factors observed in air‐water annular flow also appear at superficial air velocities about 20–25 m s^–1. Organic compounds, like fatty alcohols and alkylbenzenes, show a maximum apparent friction factor at lower superficial gas velocities. The gas velocity at which a maximum friction factor occurs is dependent on the surface tension, appearing at lower gas velocities for liquids with lower surface tensions. Progressive increases of the superficial gas velocity can be used to graduate the mass transfer along a falling film device.     

Carbon dioxide absorption by monoethanolamine in hollow fiber membrane contactors: A parametric investigation

A mathematical and numerical investigations on the gas–liquid absorption of carbon dioxide in monoethanolamine solutions in a hollow fiber membrane contactor device is described. The reactive absorption mechanism was built based on momentum and mass transport conservation laws in all three compartments involved in the process, i.e., the gas phase, the membrane barrier, and the liquid phase. The liquid absorbing solution flows in the fiber bore in which the velocity is assumed to obey a fully developed laminar flow, and the gas mixture circulates counter‐currently to the liquid flow in the shell side where the velocity is characterized by the Navier‐Stokes momentum balance equations. The average outlet gas and liquid concentrations, the reactive absorption flux, and the gas removal efficiencies are parametrically simulated with operational parameters such as gas flow rate, fresh inlet amine concentrations, and fiber geometrical characteristics. The shell velocity was described by other flow hydrodynamics models besides Navier‐Stokes and their simulated results were favorably compared to experimental data. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012     

Experimental study of liquid distribution in a column with a structured packing

Reflective fiber optic sensors are used to measure the thickness of a liquid film on geometrically complex surfaces inside a distillation column with a structured packing and countercurrent flow of gas and liquid. Distributions of the liquid-film thickness as a function of flow-rate parameters for an elementary region (cell) of a geometrically repeated pattern in a structured packing consisted of Koch 1Y corrugated plates and for the column cross section are presented. It is shown that the flow conditions characterized by the detachment of liquid films from the plate by air flow (until the complete column “flooding”) is accompanied by a sharp increase in the pressure drop in the column. Inside the cell, the liquid forms menisci in the zone of plate contact points. The countercurrent air flow reduces the fluctuations of the film thickness by 1.5 to 2 times on the edge and side downslopes of the corrugation.     

Experimental investigation on multiscale hydrodynamics in a novel gas–Liquid–Solid three phase jet-Loop reactor

Multiphase flow hydrodynamics in a novel gas–liquid–solid jet-loop reactor (JLR) were experimentally investigated at the macroscales and mesoscales. The chord length distribution was measured by an optical fiber probe and transformed for bubble size distribution through the maximum entropy method. The impacts of key operating conditions (superficial gas and liquid velocity, solid loading) on hydrodynamics at different axial and radial locations were comprehensively investigated. JLR was found to have good solid suspension ability owing to the internal circulation of bubbles and liquid flow. The gas holdup, axial liquid velocity, and bubble velocity increase with gas velocity, while liquid velocity has little influence on them. Compared with the gas–liquid JLRs, solids decrease the gas holdup and liquid circulation, reduces the bubble velocity and delays the flow development due to the enhanced interaction between bubbles and particles (Stokes number >1). This work also provides a benchmark data for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model validation. © 2019 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 65: e16537, 2019     

Influence of channel geometry on hydrodynamics and mass transfer in the monolith film flow reactor

The hydrodynamics and the gas–liquid mass transfer as a function of the channel geometry have been investigated for the monolith film flow reactor. For the hydrodynamic studies, the liquid distribution and the flooding boundaries have been experimentally determined. The liquid distribution improved with increasing liquid flow rate. The flooding limits are in the range of other commercial structured packings and allow operation under industrially relevant conditions. Larger channel sizes and lower surface tension expand the operating window, while viscosity seems to have a minor impact. The gas–liquid mass transfer is a strong function of the surface to volume ratio defined by the channel dimensions. Co- and counter-current flow operation result in similar performance. Furthermore, shorter monoliths, with larger contribution of the inlet section have significant higher mass transfer due to the development of the concentration profile. The obtained k_GLa_V values of around 0.01 s⁻¹ are in the range of other commercial packings in counter-current flow operation. A three-dimensional single channel model describing the hydrodynamic and diffusion phenomena in the monolith is in good agreement with the experimental results. The flexibility in channel size and dimension allows tailoring the monolith reactor to the specific needs of the individual application.     

Interstage backmixing of an aerated multistage,mechanically-agitated,compartmented column

The interstage backmixing in a multistage, mechanically-agitated, compartmented (MSAC) column was determined experimentally, using air-water. The effects of impeller speed, impeller diameter and both superficial liquid velocity and superficial gas velocity through the interstage opening were investigated. Both the counter-current and co-current flow of air and water in the column were investigated. As air superficial velocity through the opening increased from zero, the interstage backmixing significantly decreased initially, reached a minimum, then increased slowly to a maximum after which it decreased continually with further increase in superficial gas velocity. The effect of the gas flow on interstage backmixing was correlated in dimensionless form.