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.     

气升式环流反应器的理论研究进展

概述了气升式环流反应器的流体力学模型,对工程实用性较强的气液两流体模型和气泡导致的湍动模型进行了分类,并对常见相间作用力模型和多相流求解技术进行了总结和评价. 指出将Favre平均的两流体模型和采用Sato模型考虑气泡导致湍动的k-e模型相结合是现阶段气升式环流反应器设计和放大的有力工具. 在分析了气液两相流理论现状的基础上,指出了其存在的问题和进一步的研究方向.     

气升式三相内环流反应器中相含率的研究

在一个6．36L的气升式内环流反应器中,以空气-NaCl水溶液-K树脂为实验体系,在导流筒内的表观气速为1．21～7．28cm·s^-1时,考察了平均气含率、平均固含率随表观气速的变化规律,研究了转向面积比、NaCl水溶液浓度与平均气含率之间的关系。在均匀鼓泡流区域用模型方程Eg=aUgb来关联平均气含率,其中模型参数6=0．766,a与转向面积比、NaCl水溶液浓度关系为a=3．45×10^-5＋0．0146（Sb／Sr）0．0185＋1．35W。     

Hydrodynamics of a Multi‐Stage Internal Loop Airlift Reactor

The local hydrodynamic properties in a multi‐stage internal loop airlift reactor were investigated in this study. The gas‐liquid two‐phase flow hydrodynamic properties, including gas holdup, bubble velocity, bubble diameter, and liquid circulation velocity at various stages were measured by dual electrical resistivity probes and conductivity cells. Detailed studies on the gas holdup, bubble velocity, bubble diameter, and liquid circulation velocity were conducted with respect to various values of superficial gas. The Zuber and Findlay drift flux model was used to represent the variation of slip velocity with total gas‐liquid velocity at various stages and the model fits the data well.     

气体分布器结构对气升式环流反应器内气液两相流动的影响

使用欧拉两流体模型研究气体分布器结构对气升式环流反应器内气液两相流动的影响,预测了环己烷氧化反应器内单环结构、三环结构、五环结构的气体分布器时反应器内液相速度分布、气含率分布、液相循环速度以及液相微观混合特性.模拟结果表明,在等量的进气流量下,气体分布器环数增加,液相速度分布和气含率分布更趋均匀;气体分布器环数增加,液相推动力增加,从而使得液相循环速度增加,液相的宏观混合效果增强;气体分布器环数增加,导流筒内外的平均气含率增加.随机游走模型模拟结果表明,气升式环流反应器与普通鼓泡床反应器对气体分布器结构要求不同.     

气升式环流反应器液相流场的研究

运用粒子图像测速仪(PIV)技术测量了一拟二维气升式环流反应器内液相流动状态。避开了气液两相成像带来的图像处理困难。成功测取了时均液相速度、瞬时雷诺应力、剪切应力等在反应器下降段内的分布;考察了反应器上升段进气量和反应器液位高度对液相循环速度的影响;同时,对反应器三个具有代表性的流动部分进行了观测,获得了该反应器内液相流场具有代表性意义的速度分布图。研究结果为认识该类反应器的性能及进行反应器设计、优化提供了有价值的参考信息。     

低高径比气升式环流反应器数值模拟分析

利用商用计算流体力学软件Fluent,利用Euler-Euler双流体模型,重点针对好氧反应的特点,对一种具有低高径比(H/D=1.67)的环流气升式反应器内的气液两相流动及混合性能进行研究,描述出反应器内气含率和环流液速等参数的详细分布,分析模拟结果,气液速度分布和气含率分布等与实际情况基本吻合,从而证实了计算结果的有效性,为工业实际应用提供一定参考。     

气升式内循环反应器的数值模拟和结构参数

采用Euler-Euler双流体模型对内循环反应器(高1240 mm,直径165 mm,导流筒高590 mm)进行数值模拟,考察了表观气速、导流筒结构(导流筒内径比Dt/D,底隙高度)对反应器内上升区、下降区流体力学参数(气含率、液体速度)的影响. 结果显示,表观气速、导流筒内径、底隙高度对反应器气含率、液体速度有很大影响,随表观气速增加,反应器上升区、下降区气含率都增加,导流筒内径比为0.58时更易实现气液循环,底隙高度为30 mm时反应器内下降区气含率、气液速度都最小;气液分离器角度越大,进入下降区的气体越多,当气液分离器角度为45o时,能更好地实现气液循环.     

用CFD研究气升式内环流生物反应器下降管中的流体力学性质

在对气升式内环流生物反应器内部流动分析基础上,全面考虑反应器下降管中气泡的并聚破碎、气液两相间相互作用和滑移等, 建立了能描述反应器下降管中复杂流动的CFD数学模型. 运用CFX-4.4对模型方程进行求解, 通过求解得到了包括气液两相速度场、局部气含率分布等详尽信息,并就液相流动速度与相应条件下的PIV测试结果进行了比较,主体流动速度的偏差在20%以下,且两者总的变化趋势一致.该模型能较好地预测反应器下降管内的复杂流场.     

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.     

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.     

三相多室气升式环流反应器中上升室气含率研究

在一个4流道的多室气升式环流反应器中,以空气-水-K树脂为体系,考察了上升室气体表观速率和固体装载量对上升室气含率的影响。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;上升室的气含率均随固体装载量增加而降低。在鼓泡流下,根据漂流通量模型,建立了上升室的气含率模型;上升室气含率的模型计算值和试验值的平均相对误差为6.429%。     

Gas‐Solid Flow in an Airlift Loop Reactor: A Cluster Structure‐Dependent Drag Model

The hydrodynamic characteristics and heterogeneous structures in an airlift loop reactor (ALR) are analyzed by a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach. Based on the two‐fluid model, a modified cluster structure‐dependent (CSD) drag model under consideration of the cluster effects is applied to the prediction of the non‐uniform flow structure in the ALR. In comparison with experimental data and the traditional drag model, the present model enables a better prediction. The distributions of the local granular temperature in different regions of the ALR are indicated. The granular temperature in the particle diffluence region was found to be higher than that in the draft tube and annular zones.     

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.     

2-氯-5-氯甲基吡啶在气升环流反应器中的合成研究

A new process for the direct chlorination of 2-chloro-5-methylpyridine to yield 2-chloro-5-chloro-methylpyridine in an airlift loop reactor (ALR) has been studied.Five main reaction conditions including TR,na/ns,cp,Qg and dD/dR were optimized.The average molar yield and purity of 2-chloro-5-chloromethylpyridine obtained were 79% and 98.5% respectively under the optimum operating conditions.Finally,the efficiency for the preparation of 2-chloro-50chloromethylpyridine with ALR and stirred tank reactor(STR) respectively was compared.     

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.     

气升式环流反应器强制振荡周期对传质影响的研究

在同一反应器中比较了不同振荡周期下的气液传质特性,为最优强制振荡周期的确定提供了实验依据和分析基础。选择体积传质系数及气含率作为传质研究的主要评价指标,实验结果表明,动态操作下的传质效果明显优于稳态,而不同振荡周期传质效果也大不一样。在0.8~2.4m3h-1的气速范围内,由静压力、导流管顶部截面流体速度、全床气含率(及传质系数)周期性变化所确定的振荡周期TP、TV、TK比稳态操作下的全床平均传质系数分别提高了3.92%~27.3%,2.35%~24.5%,28.2%~43.3%。由反应器内全床平均气含率或传质系数确定的振荡周期TK是最佳振荡周期。     

三相强制浆料环流反应器的局部传质行为

提出了一种新型的强制外循环三相环流反应器结构,根据结构特点及流动状态的不同,将反应器分为6个不同的流动区域. 在f300 mm′1700 mm的实验装置内,采用氧气气提-空气解吸法,详细考察了内环表观气速0.006~0.19 m/s、外循环液速0.03, 0.05 m/s、固含率5%, 10%, 15%时不同流动区域的体积传质系数. 发现外循环液流影响区体积传质系数最大,最高可达0.754 s-1,外环环隙区最小,不超过0.043 s-1,环流反应器整体体积传质系数与气液分离区体积传质系数接近. 适当扩大内、外环截面积比有利于提高环流反应器的传质性能. 环流反应器整体体积传质系数随内环表观气速和外循环液速的增加而增加,随颗粒浓度的增加略有降低.     

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Gas‐Liquid Two‐Phase Flow around a Spherical Particle

Microscale studies, which can provide basic information for meso‐ and macroscale studies, are essential for the realization of flow characteristics of a packed bed. In the present study, the effects of gas velocity, liquid velocity, liquid‐solid contact angle, and liquid viscosity on the flow behavior were parametrically investigated for gas‐liquid two‐phase flow around a spherical particle, using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methodology in combination with the volume‐of‐fluid (VOF) model. The VOF model was first validated and proved to be in good agreement with the experimental data. The simulation results show that the film thickness decreases with increasing gas velocity. This trend is more obvious with increasing operating pressure. With increasing liquid velocity, the film thickness tends to be uniform on the particle surface. The flow regime can change from film flow to transition flow to bubble flow with increasing contact angle. In addition, only at relatively high values does the liquid viscosity affect the residence time of the liquid on the particle surface.