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.     

Identification of flow regime transitions in an annulus sparged internal loop airlift reactor based on higher order statistics and Winger trispectrum

Higher order statistics and Wigner higher order moment spectra were used to extract useful flow regime characteristics from wall pressure fluctuation signals in an annulus sparged internal loop airlift reactor. It is found that the pressure fluctuation in the airlift reactor is a typical nonlinear and non-stationary process, which exhibits different frequency characteristics depending on flow regimes. Analysis methods based on bispectrum and Wigner trispectrum are powerful tools to reveal frequency characteristics of pressure signals. To identify flow regime transitions in the reactor, two new characteristic quantities, namely average bispectrum and generalized average frequency, are defined from bispectrum and Wigner trispectrum of the pressure signal, respectively. Two flow regime transition points corresponding to three flow regimes in the reactor are successfully detected by using these two characteristic quantities.     

Effect of a gas–liquid separator on the hydrodynamics and circulation flow regimes in internal‐loop airlift reactors

The role of the gas–liquid separator on hydrodynamic characteristics in an internal‐loop airlift reactor (ALR) was investigated. Both gas holdup and liquid velocity were measured in a 30 dm³ airlift reactor with two different head configurations: with and without an enlarged separator. A magnetic tracer method using a neutrally buoyant magnetic particle as flowfollower was used to measure the liquid velocity in all sections of the internal‐loop airlift reactor. Average liquid circulation velocities in the main parts of the ALR were compared for both reactor configurations. At low air flow rates the separator had no influence on gas holdup, circulation velocity and intensity of turbulence in the downcomer and separator. At higher superficial air velocities, however, the separator design had a decisive effect on the hydrodynamic parameters in the downcomer and the separator. On the other hand, the gas holdup in the riser was only slightly influenced by the separator configuration in the whole range of air flow. Circulation flow regimes, characterising the behaviour of bubbles in the downcomer, were identified and the effect of the separator on these regimes was assessed. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Modeling of Mass Transfer in an Internal Loop Airlift Reactor

A complete mass transfer model was established for an internal loop airlift reactor. All sections of the reactor, including bottom, riser, top, and downcomer, were taken into account. A numerical method was developed to solve the mass transfer model. The effectiveness of the model was validated by experimental measurements. Based on numerical results of the model, the dynamical mass transfer process in the reactor was analyzed in detail. Some mass transfer characteristics of the airlift reactor were revealed. The results indicated that the proposed model well predicted the mass transfer in the internal loop airlift reactor.     

CFD simulation and experimental measurement of gas holdup and liquid interstitial velocity in internal loop airlift reactor

This paper documents experiments and CFD simulations of the hydrodynamics of our two-phase (water, air) laboratory internal loop airlift reactor (40 l). The experiments and simulations were aimed at obtaining global flow characteristics (gas holdup and liquid interstitial velocity in the riser and in the downcomer) in our particular airlift configurations. The experiments and simulations were done for three different riser tubes with variable length and diameter. Gas (air) superficial velocities in riser were in range from 1 to 7.5 cm/s. Up to three circulation regimes were experimentally observed (no bubbles in downcomer, bubbles in downcomer but not circulating, and finally the circulating regime). The primary goal was to test our CFD simulation setup using only standard closures for interphase forces and turbulence, and assuming constant bubble size is able to capture global characteristics of the flow for our experimental airlift configurations for the three circulation regimes, and if the simulation setup could be later used for obtaining the global characteristic for modified geometries of our original airlift design or for different fluids. The CFD simulations were done in commercial code Fluent 6.3 using algebraic slip mixture multiphase model. The secondary goal was to test the sensitivity of the simulation results to different closures for the drag coefficient and the resulting bubble slip velocity and also for the turbulence. In addition to the simulations done in Fluent, simulation results using different code (CFX 12.1) and different model (full Euler–Euler) are also presented in this paper. The experimental measurements of liquid interstitial velocity in the riser and in the downcomer were done by evaluating the response to the injection of a sulphuric acid solution measured with pH probes. The gas holdup in the riser and downcomer was measured with the U-tube manometer. The results showed that the simulation setup works quite well when there are no bubbles present in the downcomer, and that the sensitivity to the drag closure is rather low in this case. The agreement was getting worse with the increase of gas holdup in the downcomer. The use of different multiphase model in the different code (CFX) gave almost the same results as the Fluent simulations.     

MASS TRANSFER AND HYDRODYNAMICS IN AN AIRLIFT REACTOR WITH VISCOUS NON-NEWTONIAN FLUID

In an internal loop airlift reactor of 55L working volume,the gas-liquid volumetric oxygenmass transfer coefficient k_Lα,gas holdup ε_G and liquid circulation time t_c were measured with the sol-ution of carboxymethyl cellulose(CMC)to simulate the performance of a reactor with highly viscousbroth.Electric conductivity and oxygen probes were used to measure the local gas holdup,liquidcirculation time and oxygen mass transfer coefficient in the individual sections of the reactor(riser,downcomer and the gas-liquid separating section at the top of the reactor)and the total reactor,respectively.The values of k_Lα for the riser,downcomer and separation sections of the reactor were alsoestimated and compared with that for the total reactor.The results show that,both k_Lα and ε_G in-crease but t_c decreases with increasing gas velocity.Correlations and comparisons with works reportedin the literature are also presented.Data show that the methods developed for k_Lα measurements inthe individual section and     

三相多室气升式环流反应器气含率的研究

在1个4流道的三相多室气升式环流反应器中,以空气-水-K树脂为体系,采用压差法测量气含率,考察了上升室气体表观速率、固体装载量对上升室与下降室气含率的影响.结果表明:上升室的气含率随着该室气体表观速率增加而增加,而随着另一上升室气体表观速率增加而略有降低;下降室的气含率随着该室气体表观速率增加呈现3种变化趋势,而随着另...     

Liquid velocity and dispersion coefficient in an airlift reactor with inverse internal loop

An airlift reactor with inverse internal loop (annulus sparged) is investigated with regard to liquid velocity and dispersion coefficient for the purpose of reactor design. To distinguish between the influence of the individual parts of the reactor (downcomer, riser, bottom) on the liquid velocity and mixing, several draft tubes with different geometries and draft tube bottom clearances are successively installed.     

Global modelling of a gas-liquid-solid airlift reactor

This paper presents a global model of three phase flow (gas-liquid-solid) in an internal airlift reactor. The airlift is composed of four zones: a riser (on the aerated side on the internal wall), a downcomer (on the opposite side) and two turning zones above and below the internal wall. Tap water is the liquid continuous phase and the dispersed phases are air bubbles and polyethylene particles. The global modelling of the airlift involves mass and momentum equations for the three phases. The model enables phase velocities and phase volume fractions to be estimated, which can be compared to experimental data. Closure relations for the gas and solid drift velocities are based on the model proposed by Zuber and Findlay. The drift flux coefficients are derived from CFD numerical simulations of the airlift. Gas bubble and solid particle averaged slip velocities are deduced from momentum balances, including drag coefficient correlations. The link between Zuber and Findlay model and the two-fluid model is established. In the experiment as well as in the model, the gas flow rate is fixed. However, the liquid and solid flow rates are unknown. Two closure relations are needed to predict these flow rates: the first closure relation expresses that the volume of solid injected into the airlift remains constant; the second closure relation expresses a global balance between the difference of column height in the riser and the downcomer and the total pressure drop in the airlift. The main parameters of a three phase airlift reactor, like gas and solid volume fractions, are well predicted by the global model. With increasing solid filling rate (40%), the model starts to depart from the experimental values as soon as coalescence of bubbles appears.     

Liquid circulation hydrodynamics in an external loop airlift reactor

The radial profiles of axial liquid velocity and gas hold‐ups are investigated in the riser of a pilot plant scale external loop airlift reactor (ELAR) using a modified Pavlov tube and differential pressure technique. The experimental investigation reveals that there exist two different kinds of liquid circulation structures in an ELAR, which has rarely been reported in the literature, namely internal liquid circulation, which exists only in the riser and external liquid circulation, which circulates through the downcomer. A power–law relationship is used to correlate the gas hold‐up and superficial gas velocity, which gives good agreement with experimental data. Experiments for axial liquid velocity profiles are analysed in analogy to a model described for a conventional bubble column. The results predicted by the model are in excellent agreement with the experimental data obtained under various operating conditions. © 2011 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering     

Effect of liquid volume in the gas‐separator on the hydrodynamics of airlift reactors

Gas hold‐up and liquid circulation velocity measurements were made using a 167 dm³ external loop airlift reactor. The gas‐separator was of the open channel configuration. The reactor height was 2.5 m with riser and downcomer diameters of 0.19 m and 0.14 m respectively. The systems investigated were Newtonian air–water and air–glycerol with the superficial air velocity varying between 0.02 and 0.12 m s⁻¹. The ratio of the liquid volume in the gas‐separator to the liquid volume in the reactor (volume‐ratio) was varied from 0.0% to 37%, to find its minimum critical value for optimum operation of the airlift reactor. For the air–water system, discernible effects of the volume‐ratio on riser and, downcomer gas hold‐ups and liquid circulation velocity were observed at volume ratios ≤7%. Beyond this value, the volume‐ratio had no effect. For a viscous and foaming air–glycerol system the critical volume‐ratio was increased to 19%. New and simple correlations for predicting gas hold‐up in the riser, gas hold‐up in the downcomer, and liquid circulation velocity were developed with reasonable accuracy. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

3‐D Simulations of an Internal Airlift Loop Reactor using a Steady Two‐Fluid Model

Three‐dimensional (3‐D) simulations of an internal airlift loop reactor in a cylindrical reference frame are presented, which are based on a two‐fluid model with a revised k‐? turbulence model for two‐phase bubbly flow. A steady state formulation is used with the purpose of time saving for cases with superficial gas velocity values as high as 0.12 m/s. Special 3‐D treatment of the boundary conditions at the axis is undertaken to allow asymmetric gas‐liquid flow. The simulation results are compared to the experimental data on average gas holdup, average liquid velocity in the riser and the downcomer, and good agreement is observed. The turbulent dispersion in the present two‐fluid model has a strong effect on the gas holdup distribution and wall‐peaking behavior is predicted. The CFD code developed has the potential to be applied as a tool for scaling up loop reactors.     

级间隙高度和表观气速对多级环流反应器混合和传质的影响

针对应用广泛的简单多级环流反应器,研究了级间隙高度和表观气速对其混合和传质的影响规律。发现简单多级环流反应器的各级存在着非正常流动、过渡及正常流动三个典型流动状态,且流动状态的转变存在着受级间隙高度影响的两个临界表观气速,并提出了相应的预测模型。研究结果表明：级间隙高度越大,多级环流反应器内形成正常流型所需的表观气速越大;各级上升管和降液管的气含率会增高,且相同条件下第三级气含率最大,第二级次之,第一级气含率最小;各级的循环液速会增大,且第一级循环液速最大,第二级次之,第三级最小;混合时间会缩短,而传质系数会增大。本研究可为工业多级环流反应器的科学设计、放大和操作提供重要指导。     

Digital Image Processing Technique to Investigate the Hydrodynamics of an Airlift Reactor with Double Downcomer

Digital image processing, an innovative cost‐effective technique, was employed to investigate the hydrodynamics of a rectangular internal loop airlift reactor with double downcomer. The whole reactor was divided into two downcomers and a riser by means of two vertical blades to achieve a new geometry. Air and water served as gas and liquid media. Experimental measurements were performed by visualizing the concentration of a colored tracer by a digital camera. The captured successive images at specified time intervals were analyzed by the ImageJ software to turn images into quantifiable data. For four reactor geometries, the residence time distribution curves in individual sections and the liquid mixing performance were determined by this noninvasive method. The speed of this technique to capture real‐time data of flow patterns may be one of the most important concerns for imaging multiphase flows in process industries.     

缩放型导流筒气升内环流反应器液体循环速度的研究

研究气升式内环流生物反应器液体循环速度,分别采用一种传统圆柱型导流筒和三种不同结构参数缩放型导流筒,试验条件分别为空气－水和空气－ＣＭＣ两相系统以及空气－水－树脂三相系统,试验结果表明,对于空气－水和空气－ＣＭＣ溶液两相系统以及空气－水－树脂三相系统,液体循环速度随能气速度提高而增大;     

Scale influence on the hydrodynamics of an internal loop airlift reactor

The overall circulation velocity, the overall riser and downcomer gas hold-ups and the effect of reactor scale on a two-phase circulation regimes were studied in this work in three airlift reactors of different scale. The measurements were carried out in airlift reactor with internal loops (IALRs) with a working volume of 10.5, 32 and 200 l at the range of temperatures 18–21 °C, under atmospheric pressure. Air and water were used as gas and liquid media. The three reactors were of similar geometry, the ratio between riser and downcomer cross-sectional areas, the aspect ratio of the column and the shape of the column bottom were taken as similarity criteria. In order to determine the linear circulation velocities, the magnetic tracer method was used. The riser and the downcomer were studied separately. Based on gas hold-up in both the riser and the downcomer, two regimes (homogeneous bubble (HMG) and heterogeneous churn-turbulent (HTG)) of the two-phase flow were observed. These were defined by Daniels [Chem. Eng. 70 (1995)] and described using the correlation proposed by Chisti [Airlift Bioreactors, Elsevier, London, 1989]. The average of the liquid circulation velocities increased with increasing reactor scale for the same superficial gas velocity. The overall circulation velocity was modelled on the basis of the momentum balance proposed in paper [Chem. Eng. Sci. 52 (1997) 25]. The parameters of both the correlation and the model tend to be constant for larger reactor scales. The value of the driving force (_R−_D) was found to be important only for lower values of gas flow rate, because at higher values, the circulation velocity seemed to be governed only by friction in the reactor vessel.     

CFD analysis of two‐phase turbulent flow in internal airlift reactors

The hydrodynamic performance of three internal airlift reactor configurations was studied by the Eulerian–Eulerian k–ε model for a two‐phase turbulent flow. Comparative evaluation of different drag and lift force coefficient models in terms of liquid velocity in the riser and downcomer and gas holdup in the riser was highlighted. Drag correlations as a function of Eötvös number performed better results in comparison to the drag expressions related to Reynolds number. However, the drag correlation as a function of both Reynolds and Eötvös numbers fitted well with experimental results for the riser gas holdup and downcomer liquid velocity in configurations I and II. Positive lift coefficients increase the liquid velocity and decrease the riser gas holdup, while opposite results were obtained for negative values. By studying the effects of bubble size and their shape, the smaller bubbles provide a lower liquid velocity and a gas holdup. The effects of bubble‐induced turbulence and other non‐drag closure models such as turbulent dispersion and added mass forces were analysed. The gas velocity and gas holdup distributions, liquid velocity in the riser and downcomer, vectors of velocity magnitude and streamlines for liquid phase, the dynamics of gas holdup distribution and turbulent viscosity at different superficial gas velocities for different reactor configurations were computed. The effects of various geometrical parameters such as the draft tube clearance and the ratio of the riser to the downcomer cross‐sectional area on liquid velocities in the riser and the downcomer, the gas velocity and the gas holdup were explored. © 2011 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering     

LIQUID PHASE AXIAL BACKMIXING IN AN AIRLIFT LOOP BIOREACTOR WITH NON-NEWTONIAN FLUIDS

Liquid phase axial backmixing in the riser and downcomer sections of an airlift loop reactor with non-Newtonian fluids was investigated and determined by dynamic response technique with pulsed tracer input, dual probe detection and computer on-line analysis system under different superficial gas velocity conditions. This method was used to obtain the dispersion coefficient D_z for the individual sections of the reactor.

Kolmogoroff's theory of isotropic turbulence was applied to analyse the results of dispersion coefficient. The results show that the axial dispersion coefficient in the riser or downcomer section increases with increasing of superficial gas velocity and apparent viscosity of the fluid. The degree of mixing in the downcomer is higher than that in the riser under the experimental conditions.