Investigating the flow characteristics of air-lift pumps operating in gas-liquid two-phase flow

Experiments were conducted to investigate the flow characteristics in the riser pipe and the suction pipe of airlift pump at a series of air flow rates and submergence ratios by using a high speed camcorder and a Laser Doppler Velocimetry system(LDV). A modified model was developed to predict the performance of airlift pump operating in gas-liquid two-phase flow. The results show that an unstable flow structure composed by a water falling film,a bubbly mixture, a water ascending film appearing alternately in riser pipe dominates the performance of airlift pump at large air flow rates. The bubbly mixture with a strongest capacity for pumping water first increases to its maximum and then slightly decreases. In suction pipe, the average velocity shows a flat profile and increases with increasing submergence ratio. Moreover, the predicted results of modified model are in good agreement with the experimental data in a margin of ± 12%.     

The efficiency of short airlift pumps operating at low submergence ratios

An airlift pump operating at submergence ratios between 0.2 and 0.6 and using water as the pumping liquid, has been investigated. Circular pipes of constant short length of 1 m and inner diameters of 3 and 5 cm were used as riser tubes. The water flow rate measurements for various air flow rates allowed the study of the pumping efficiency as a function of the air flow rate, submergence ratio and certain geometrical parameters (riser tube diameter and injector design). The efficiency curves start from a zero efficiency at a minimum air flow rate, then increase rapidly with the air flow rate up to an efficiency maximum. For higher air flow rates, the efficiency decreases exponentially. Diagrams showing the influence of the riser tube diameter and injector design, are presented. Additionally, based on the experimental data, two equations are presented, which allow the prediction of the maximum efficiency and the corresponding water and air flow rates inside the experimental range.     

High liquid holdup airlift tower loop reactor: I. Riser hydrodynamic characteristics

The hydrodynamics of high liquid holdup airlift reactors have not been widely studied. In this work we study the riser of a reactor of this type, focussing on the influence of the gas flow rate and the submergence ratio on various hydrodynamic parameters: liquid circulation velocity, gas holdup, and gas residence time in the liquid. A notable difference in reactor behavior is observed with a submergence ratio equal to unity and with a ratio lower than unity. Correlations for the parameters studied in different conditions, as several submergence ratios, are proposed, these are extrapolations of other equations proposed in the literature for airlift reactors. The reactor studied in this work can be thought of as an element of a great pool formed by multiple elements of similar flux type. The studied parameters are shown to be very important for subsequent hydrodynamic and mass transfer modeling of the reactor. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Local measurements for the study of external loop airlift hydrodynamics

Hot-film anemometry and an optical biprobe are used to measure local flow characteristics in the riser of an external loop airlift reactor. Important flow asymmetries are observed above the sparger and developing flow persists through a large part of the riser. As gas flow rate increases, radial gas hold-up profiles change from relatively flat to parabolic while the shape of radial liquid velocity profiles remains constant and Sauter bubble diameter increases. At large gas superficial velocities, slip velocity is found to deviate considerably from the frequently used value of 0.25 m/s. Local measurements allow a better understanding of two-phase flow in airlift reactors and can be used for CFD-modeling development and validation.     

低高径比外循环气升式生物反应器带渣发酵生产有效霉素

Fermentation experiments to produce validamycins from crude substrates by Streptoniyces hygroscopi-cus were carried out in an external-loop airlift bioreactor (0.0115 m3 ) with a low ratio of height to diameter of the riser of 2.9 and a ratio of riser to downcomer diameter of 6.6. The influences of gas flow rate and liquid volume on fermentation of validamycins were investigated. Comparisons of validamycin fermentation were made among the external-loop airlift bioreactor, a mechanically stirred tank bioreactor (0.010m3 ) and shaking flasks. Under the same operation conditions including fermentation medium composition, inoculum ratio and culture temperature, the fermentation time in the external-loop airlift bioreactor (45 h) was shorter than that in the shaking flasks (100 h) and the same as that in the mechanically stirred tank bioreactor. After a total fermentation time of 45 h under optimized operation conditions, average validamycin concentration obtained in the external-loop airlift bioreactor was     

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.     

上行气固两相流充分发展段的颗粒浓度

在Ф100mm× 16m循环床提升管实验装置上测试了134组操作条件下提升管 12个截面位置的平均颗粒浓度 ,其中 113组操作条件下提升管中的气固两相流展现出明确的充分发展段 .结果表明 ,充分发展段的颗粒浓度εs 随颗粒循环量G_s 的增加而增大且具有显著的线性关系 ,ε_s 随表观气速U_g 的增加以幂函数关系减小 .所提出的实验关联式不仅较好地拟合了本文所获得的充分发展段的平均颗粒浓度数据 ,而且诠释了以往有关提升管稀相段出口颗粒浓度预测结果之间的差异 ,更明确地反映了充分发展段颗粒浓度与操作参数之间的定量关系     

Numerical Simulation on Gas-Solid Two-Phase Turbulent Flow in FCC Riser Reactors(Ⅰ) Turbulent Gas-Solid Flow-Reaction Model

Gas-solid two-phase turbulent flows,mass transfer,heat transfer and catalytic cracking reactions areknown to exert interrelated influences in commercial fluid catalytic cracking(FCC)riser reactors.In the presentpaper,a three-dimensional turbulent gas-solid two-phase flow-reaction model for FCC riser reactors was devel-oped.The model took into account the gas-solid two-phase turbulent flows,inter-phase heat transfer,masstransfer,catalytic cracking reactions and their interrelated influence.The k-V-k_P two-phase turbulence modelwas employed and modified for the two-phase turbulent flow patterns with relatively high particle concentration.Boundary conditions for the flow-reaction model were given.Related numerical algorithm was formed and a nu-merical code was drawn up.Numerical modeling for commercial FCC riser reactors could be carried out with thepresented model.     

循环床提升管中粗重颗粒浓度的轴向分布

在10m高提升管中对空气-沙子体系的压力梯度进行系统测试,研究了粗重颗粒平均颗粒浓度云的轴向分布及操作条件对它的影响。结果表明,粗重颗粒的^εs在相同操作条件下显著低于FCC颗粒;随操作条件的不同,沙子颗粒表现出与FCC显著不同的轴向分布形态。高气速下粗重颗粒^εs的轴向分布与FCC相似表现为单调下降或直线形关系;但在表观气速Ug降低至某一临界值后,粗重颗粒^εs的轴向分布呈现出波动形式,表明沙子颗粒在提升管中的流动是一个加速-减速-再加速直至充分发展的过程。随Ug减小或Gs增大,提升管各截面上云升高;当^εs的轴向分布为波动形式时,提升管底部截面和中部颗粒聚集截面上^εs的变化较其它截面更为显著。     

Influence of geometry and solids concentration on the hydrodynamics and mass transfer of a rectangular airlift reactor for marine sediment and soil bioremediation

Hydrodynamics and mass transfer characteristics of a three-phase airlift reactor were studied in a rectangular split-vessel reactor and using an air-seawater-marine sediment system. Experiments were conducted over a range of downcomer to riser cross-sectional area ratios (A_D/A_R = 0.65 to 1.0) for two-phase systems and for five sediment concentrations (5 to 25% w/v) using marine sediments. The influence of higher sediment concentrations (30 to 50% w/v) was examined for A_D/A_R = 1. The presence of fine sediment particles in the system had little effect on hydrodynamic and mass transfer parameters compared to the two-phase systems up to 25% loading, decreasing at higher loadings. The airlift reactor was found to meet the dissolved oxygen demand needed for a contaminated sediment treatment process. Axial distribution of the particles was uniform along the riser and the downcomer. Correlations were developed that described the hydrodynamic and mass transfer behaviour for all experimental conditions examined.     

Flow Regime Transitions in an Internal‐Loop Airlift Reactor

The flow regime transitions of the riser and downcomer in an internal‐loop airlift reactor are investigated. Analysis of the effects of mean value, standard deviation and chaotic time series on pressure fluctuation signals is recorded to determine the transition of the hydrodynamics in the riser and downcomer of the internal‐loop airlift reactor. Two major chaotic invariants, the correlation dimension and the largest Lyapunov exponent, are employed to indicate the regime transitions. The regime transitions are determined by the sudden increase and decrease of the chaotic invariants, which are computed by the pressure fluctuation signals obtained by varying the gas flow velocity. The determination of chaotic invariants predicts that there is no heterogeneous phase existing in the downcomer of the internal‐loop airlift reactor. The experimental observations agree well with the predicted results.     

16m高气固提升管中的压力梯度与流动行为研究

在较宽操作条件范围对16m高提升管中气－固两相流（空气－FCC颗粒）的压力梯度进行了实验测试,进一步揭示了快速流态化和密相气力输送这两种流动形态的动力学特征及其与操作参数的关系。结果表明,在表观气速增大的过程中气固提升管中的轴向压力梯度并非总是不断趋于均匀分布;提升管高度对快速流态化到密相气力输送状态的过渡有重要影响,对于给定的表观气速,提升管高度增加将使过渡点所应的颗粒循环量和床层颗粒浓度都减小。本实验条件下所有过滤点对应的床层颗粒浓度较为一致,平均为0．0104,并由此得到过渡点操作参数Ug与Gs的关联式。本文研究表明,在以往工作基础上进一步研究提升管高度对流动行为的影响极有必要。     

Experimental and theoretical analysis of axial dispersion in the liquid phase in external-loop airlift reactors

A model has been developed for the prediction of the axial dispersion coefficient in the riser of an external-loop airlift reactor. It takes into account both radial velocity and gas hold-up profiles as a function of flow regime, but also the two-phase turbulence. It is based on the mixing length model developed by [Vial et al., 2002. Chem. Eng. Sci. 57, 4745-4762] for the flow field prediction and uses a turbulent diffusion coefficient to estimate the influence of two-phase turbulence on mixing. The relations established using experimental data from an airlift reactor have been validated experimentally using a second reactor. A comparison with theoretical dispersion coefficients deduced from CFD calculations and correlations from the literature is also provided. The results show that in all the hydrodynamic regimes, dispersion stems from bubble-induced turbulence, despite the presence of a nearly parabolic liquid velocity profile in the homogeneous regime and marked liquid hold-up profiles in churn-turbulent flow.     

Numerical Simulation on Gas-Solid Two-Phase Turbulent Flow in FCC Riser Reactors(Ⅱ) Numerical Simulation on the Gas-Solid Two-Phase Turbulent Flow

Numerical simulation on the flow,heat transfer and cracking reactions in commercial fluid catalyticcracking(FCC)riser reactors were carried out employing the developed turbulent gas-solid two-phase flow-reac-tion model for FCC riser reactors given in Part Ⅰ of the present paper.Detailed information about the turbulentflow fields in the riser reactor obtained revealed the basic characteristics of the gas-solid two-phase turbulentflows when heat transfer and catalytic cracking reactions were co-existing in the riser.Results showed that thedistributions of the flow,the turbulence kinetic energy and the catalyst particle concentration are not uniform inthe axial,radial and tangential directions.The most complicated part of the riser reactor is the feed injectingzone.The complicated configuration of the turbulent gas-solid two-phase flows would exert a great influence onthe results of interphase heat transfer and cracking reactions.     

气固环流燃烧器内颗粒流动行为

针对石油焦及气化余焦的燃烧特点和流态化特性,提出了一种采用气固密相环流烧焦与快速床管式烧焦技术相组合的新型燃烧器结构。在不同操作条件(导流筒区表观气速0.772～1.674m.s-1,环隙区表观气速0.223～0.519m.s-1,装置系统的颗粒外循环强度40.8～229.4kg.m-2.s-1)及两类颗粒体系下,采用光纤测量仪对组合燃烧器环流段内颗粒流动特性进行了系统的实验研究。结果表明,两类颗粒体系的固含率和颗粒轴向速度在导流筒区、底部区和颗粒分流区床层内沿径向的分布规律为中心区小、边壁区大的环-核型分布,体现了气固流化床典型聚式流态化的非均一性特征;在环隙区,受环流段结构的影响,两类颗粒体系的固含率和颗粒轴向速度参数沿床层径向的分布相对较均匀;混合颗粒体系的固含率、颗粒轴向速度较单一石英砂颗粒体系的要小,细颗粒的加入在一定程度上能改善气固混合的均匀程度;两类颗粒体系在底部区和颗粒分流区的径向流动具有剪切破碎气泡的作用,有利于环流段内气固的充分混合接触。     

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 simulation of the hydrodynamics in an internal air-lift reactor with two different configurations

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to investigate the hydrodynamic parameters of two internal airlift bioreactors with different configurations. Both had a riser diameter of 0.1 m. The model was used to predict the effect of the reactor geometry on the reactor hydrodynamics. Water was utilized as the continuous phase and air in the form of bubbles was applied as the dispersed phase. A two-phase flow model provided by the bubbly flow application mode was employed in this project. In the liquid phase, the turbulence can be described using the k-? model. Simulated gas holdup and liquid circulation velocity results were compared with experimental data. The predictions of the simulation are in good agreement with the experimental data.     

Characterization of the surface area of overflow droplets generated by a gas-lift pump under reduced pressure

Water-modelling experiments were carried out to characterize the surface area of overflow droplets generated by a gas-lift pump under reduced pressure as a function of various operating parameters, namely, top pressure, gas flow rate, nozzle submergence, lift ratio and riser diameter. The liquid phase mass transfer coefficient was obtained by applying the penetration theory (Treybal, 1980; Bird et al., 1960) to the overflow generated from the riser. Under reduced pressure, churn-turbulent flow, consisting of distorted bullet-shaped bubbles, was predominant in the flow regime. The increase of liquid circulation rate and flight time and the decrease of droplet size increased the refining rate. Because of the large droplet size, the refining rate of molten metals was smaller than that of water.     

2D and 3D simulations of an internal airlift loop reactor on the basis of a two-fluid model

Two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) simulations of an airlift reactor under steady state conditions at low gas flow rates are presented. The simulations are based on a two-fluid model with a k–ε model for the turbulence and as little as possible ad hoc closure terms. The results are compared with an one-dimensional mechanical energy balance and are found to be in good agreement. The 2D results show sensitivity to the gas inlet geometry: whether or not the gas is partially sparged into the liquid directly next to a wall affects the liquid velocity distribution and thereby the gas disengagement at the top of the airlift. The three-dimensional calculations make a more realistic geometry possible. The friction in the system is found to be about a factor of two larger in the 3D case at the same gas inlet conditions. For a given gas flow rate, the mean gas fraction in the riser is the same for the 2D and 3D simulations, the liquid circulation rate is about 30% higher in the 2D case than in the 3D one. A comparison is made with experimental data obtained in an airlift of the same dimensions. The simulated overall gas fraction is in agreement with the experimental findings. The simulated superficial velocity in the riser is compared to LDA data. For the lowest superficial velocities the LDA data coincide with the results from the 2D simulations, for higher gas flow rates the LDA results switch over towards the 3D results.     

多室气升式环流反应器流动特性的数值模拟

在空气-水两相多室气升式环流反应器（MALR）中,采用欧拉欧拉两相流模型对扇形反应室内气液两相流动过程进行了数值模拟研究,考察了上升室的气含率、液体速度随表观气速的变化,最后用实验数据对模拟结果进行了验证.结果表明,某一上升室气含率受该室表观气速的影响较大,与另一上升室表观气速的影响较小;循环液体与上升室流体流动型式有关;气含率和循环液速的模拟值与实验值的平均相对误差分别为5.36％和8.28％;说明了应用数值模拟方法研究MALR流动特性的可行性.