Formation of fine magnetite particles by oxidation of aqueous suspensions of ferrous hydroxide

Fine magnetite particles were prepared by oxidation of aqueous ferrous hydroxide suspensions in a bubble column equipped with an internal concentric draft tube. The oxidation reaction rate could be expressed apparently as zero-order with respect to the concentration of total ferrous species and first-order with respect to the concentration of dissolved oxygen. The final particle size generally decreased with increasing reaction rate. The geometric Standard deviation of size-distribution ranged from 1.20 to 1.35 under the present experimental conditions, and increased with an increase in reaction rate.     

The Effect of Adding Phosphate on the Size of Extremely Fine Needle‐like Lepidocrocite Particles Prepared by Oxidizing an Aqueous Suspension of Ferrous Hydroxide

Extremely fine particles of needle‐like lepidocrocite (γ‐FeOOH) were synthesized by the oxidation of aqueous suspensions of ferrous hydroxide using a bubble column with draft tube at a constant temperature of 30°C, and the effects of the reaction conditions or the oxidation rate were investigated in order to determine the parameters that control the particle size. When the concentration of oxygen in the feed stream was varied under a constant gas velocity, the mean size based on the major axis of a needle‐like particle decreased from 0.7 µm to 0.4 µm with increasing oxidation rate. By adding of NaH₂PO₄ to an aqueous Fe(OH)₂ suspension, in concentrations up to 1.0 mol/m³ during the air oxidation, and up to 0.9 mol/m³ during the oxidation with 30% and 50% O₂, the major axis could be reduced to ca. 0.3 µm with the minor axis and the oxidation rate remained almost unchanged.     

二维鼓泡床内气泡尺寸分布的实验与CFD模拟

在有机玻璃制成的二维鼓泡床(0.20m×0.02m×2.00m)内,采用摄像法对空气－自来水的气液两相体系的气泡尺寸分布进行了考察。以商业计算流体力学软件ANSYS CFX 10.0为平台,在双流体模型的基础上,采用k-ε湍流模型和GRACE曳力模型对气液鼓泡床内流体动力学行为进行了多相流CFD数值模拟。结果表明 MUSIG(Multiple Size Group)模型实现了对多气泡体系内气泡尺寸分布特性的考察,气泡尺寸分布的模拟结果与实验结果吻合得较好,从而说明了考虑了气泡聚并破碎的MUSIG模型能很好地反映出鼓泡床内气泡尺寸分布特性。     

鼓泡塔中气泡尺寸分布和局部气含率研究

在内径为0.38 m的鼓泡塔中采用双电导探针法对不同通气速率下的气泡尺寸分布和局部气含率进行了实验研究,分析了气泡尺寸的概率密度分布。结果表明:气泡尺寸随轴向高度的增加而增大,随径向距离增加而减小;鼓泡塔中气液流动可分为过渡流域和充分发展流域,在过渡流域气含率随轴向高度增加而增大,在充分发展流域气含率趋于均值,径向局部气含率分布呈抛物线型下降。高气速下气泡尺寸概率密度分布比低气速下宽,且随轴向高度的增加分布变宽。     

PX氧化鼓泡塔反应器内的TA浓度分布

利用新建的D476鼓泡塔冷模实验装置和沉降—扩散模型对工业鼓泡塔PX氧化反应器内的TA浓度分布进行了实验和数学模拟研究。结果表明,由于PX氧化气速较大,塔内TA浓度接近均匀分布。     

Hydrodynamic behavior of single particles in a draft-tube bubble column

Velocities of single particles (magnetic tracer particles) were measured in the draft tube region and annular region of a draft-tube bubble columns by use of the magnet-detector coil technique. The relative particle to liquid velocity was also obtained. The observed distribution of particle velocity was broader than that of liquid velocity. The relative particle to liquid velocity depended significantly on superficial gas velocity. Those for the draft tube region had minimums with increasing gas velocity, while those for the annular region decreased monotonously. The effective drag coefficients for the particles were correlated with particle Reynolds number and gas holdup.     

PX氧化鼓泡塔反应器流动规律的研究

采用改进的Pavlov管测定鼓泡塔中的液相局部流速,采用电导探针方法测定气含率分布,测定了3种塔径（D200mm,D500mm,D800mm）、不同空塔气速下的流速三维分布和气含率分布。     

Separation of buoyant particles from an aqueous dispersion of corn germ particles using a bubble column

Experiments were conducted to study the use of a bubble column to separate oil from dispersions of corn germ particles in buffered aqueous solution. Particles and aggregates as large as 1 mm which contained oil droplets about in size were suspended in the dispersions. The dispersion was subsequently heated, dosed with enzyme and pumped into a bubble column. Buoyant fine particles and aggregates were lifted through the 2.9 L of the dispersion in a column by nitrogen bubbles and were incorporated into a foam layer at the top of the liquid. The foam drained from the column through a port a few cm above the top of the dispersion and was collected and subsequently centrifuged to separate a free oil layer. The oil yields were comparable to those obtained by centrifuging entire dispersions churned in an incubator/shaker without the bubbling and foaming. With only endogenous surfactant present in the dispersion, the collected foam comprised a quarter of the dispersion mass and about 3/4 of the dispersion's oil (half as a separate oil layer after centrifugation). The rate of free oil collection was the same whether or not the dispersion was bubbled for several hours prior to foam collection.     

Bubble size distribution in a bubble column with vertical tube internals: Experiments and CFD-PBM simulations

Knowledge of bubble size distribution (BSD) is critical for controlling mass transfer and reaction in bubble column reactors. Installation of internals further complicates this issue. The effects of internals on BSD were systematically investigated through experiments and computational fluid dynamics-population balance model simulations. The experiments show a bimodal distribution of the volume-based BSD except at low superficial gas velocity of 0.01 m/s. Addition of 20% internals increases the small-bubbles fraction, making the first BSD peak more evident. Correspondingly, the simulation reveals a prominent decrease of turbulent dissipation rate and turbulent kinetic energy. Moreover, while the unresolved turbulent kinetic energy dominates in the empty columns, the resolved portion becomes the major component in the presence of internals. This suggests that internals may redistribute turbulent kinetic energy in each scale, which provides more insights into the complex flow characteristics in the presence of internals and process intensification.     

Bubble size and radial gas hold‐up distributions in a slurry bubble column using ultrafast electron beam X‐ray tomography

Gas hold‐up and bubble size distribution in a slurry bubble column (SBC) were measured using the advanced noninvasive ultrafast electron beam X‐ray tomography technique. Experiments have been performed in a cylindrical column (D_T = 0.07 m) with air and water as the gas and liquid phase and spherical glass particles (d_P = 100 μm) as solids. The effects of solid concentration (0 ≤ C_s ≤ 0.36) and superficial gas velocity (0.02 ≤ U_G ≤ 0.05 m/s) on the flow structure, radial gas hold‐up profile and approximate bubble size distribution at different column heights in a SBC were studied. Bubble coalescence regime was observed with addition of solid particles; however, at higher solid concentrations, larger bubble slugs were found to break‐up. The approximate bubble size distribution and radial gas hold‐up was found to be dependent on U_G and C_s. The average bubble diameter calculated from the approximate bubble size distribution was increasing with increase of U_G. The average gas hold‐up was calculated as a function of U_G and agrees satisfactorily with previously published findings. The average gas hold‐up was also predicted as a function of C_s and agrees well for low C_s and disagrees for high C_s with findings of previous literature. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 1709–1722, 2013     

Liquid circulation and mixing in an inclined bubble column

Gas and liquid velocities were measured in an inclined rectangular column, at inclinations in the range 0?45° and superficial gas velocities of 0.002 to 0.12 cm/s. Liquid circulation was also characterized by measuring the time to mix a pulse of salt solution in the column. Inclining the column by up to 10° from the vertical induced a drastic change in behavior, from a bubble column with evenly distributed gas bubbles to a segregated system with rapid liquid circulation pumped by rising gas bubbles. The liquid velocities in the inclined column ranged from 10 to 50 times the superficial gas velocity. Further inclination of the column in the range of 10?45° had little effect on liquid velocity or mixing time. A compartmental model for the recirculating liquid flow matched the observed mixing times, but predicted oscillations in tracer concentration which were not detected in experiments.     

Prediction of dispersed phase holdup in a modified multi‐stage bubble column scrubber

This paper reports on the experimental investigation carried out to evaluate fractional dispersed phase holdup for a gas‐liquid mixture in a modified multi‐stage bubble column (with contraction and expansion disks), which has been conceived, designed and fabricated as a wet scrubber for control of air pollution; in addition it has versatile use as a gas‐liquid contactor in chemical process industries. A correlation developed for predicting fractional dispersed phase holdup has been found to be encouraging and highly significant from statistical analysis.     

二维鼓泡床内气液流动特性实验与数值模拟

采用高速摄像法测量了0.20 m×0.02 m×2.00 m拟二维床内气泡尺寸分布和流型等变化规律,结果表明,随着表观气速的增大,鼓泡床内依次呈现均匀鼓泡区、过渡区和湍动区3种形式,以气泡个数概率表示的气泡尺寸分布呈对数正态分布。以计算流体力学软件ANSYS CFX 10.0为平台,采用k-ε湍流模型和GRACE曳力模型对气液鼓泡床内流体动力学行为展开了数值模拟,其结果与实验值比较吻合。研究表明,从多相流理论出发的计算流体力学模拟方法可以用来预报鼓泡床内流型过渡等流体动力学特性。     

分散颗粒和超声场对鼓泡塔内传质性能的影响

用双电导探针气泡特征参数测量系统实时测定超声场与分散颗粒(活性炭)对鼓泡塔水+CO₂体系气泡Sauter直径和体积传质系数影响的变化规律。实验结果表明:无活性炭颗粒添加时,多频超声场比单频超声场更有利于提高体积传质系数,输入功率为100 W、组合超声频率为20-50-100 kHz时,体积传质系数增幅达40%~64%;加入活性炭颗粒后,体积传质系数随加入活性炭固含量的增大呈现先增大后逐渐减少的趋势,气泡Sauter直径变化规律相反,当体系中活性炭固含量为1.0 kg·m^-3时,传质增强最明显。体积传质系数随加入活性炭粒径的减小呈现增大的趋势。与无活性炭颗粒(d_s=0)比较,活性炭(固含率1.0 kg·m^-3)粒径d_s=38 μm时,液相体积传质系数在扣除吸附传质效果后仍增大1.58倍,同时引入超声场后,当组合超声频率为20-50-100 kHz,超声功率100 W时,液相体积传质系数增大2.02倍,可见超声场和分散颗粒对气液传质有显著的协同强化作用。     

Gas hold-up and mass transfer in a bubble column with viscoelastic fluids

The influence of viscoelasticity on gas hold-up and the volumetric mass transfer coefficient in a bubble column is discussed and examined experimentally. It was found that the gas hold-up increased due to an increase in the number of entrapped very small bubbles formed because of the elasticity of the liquid. On the other hand, a decrease in volumetric mass transfer coefficient due to the fluid elasticity was observed. Qualitative effects of an antifoam agent and a draft tube on the performance of the bubble column with viscoelastic fluids were also examined.     

Enhanced production of lovastatin in a bubble column by Aspergillus terreus using a two‐stage feeding strategy

A two‐stage feeding strategy is shown to improve the rate of production of lovastatin by Aspergillus terreus when compared with conventional batch fermentation. The feeding strategy consisted of an initial batch/fed‐batch phase and a semi‐continuous culture dilution phase with retention of pelleted biomass in a slurry bubble column reactor. The batch phase served only to build up the biomass for producing lovastatin, a secondary metabolite that inhibits its own synthesis in the producing microfungus. The semi‐continuous dilution phase provided nutrients to sustain the fungus, but prevented biomass growth by limiting the supply of essential nitrogen. (Synthesis of lovastatin does not require nitrogen.) The preferred pelleted growth morphology that favors lovastatin synthesis was readily obtained and maintained in the 20 L bubble column used. In contrast, a stirred tank fermentation had a substantially lower production of lovastatin because mechanical agitation damaged the fungal pellets. The two‐stage feeding method increased lovastatin production rate by more than 50% in comparison with the conventional batch operation. Rheological data for the fungal broth are presented. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Gas hold-up in non-newtonian solutions in a bubble column with internals

Bubble characteristics and gas hold-up were studied in a two phase (air-aqueous CMC solution) bubble column provided with helical coils and straight tubes as internals. The effects of superficial gas velocity, rheological properties, and volume fraction covered by the internals, on gas hold-up were studied. Hold-up values determined directly and by simultaneous pressure drop measurements matched well. Enhancement of gas hold-up values up to 55 per cent was achieved in systems using internals. The gas hold-up results were also compared with the values obtained from correlations reported in the literature.     

Performance of a bubble column reactor for oxidation of ethylene (wacker process)

An experimental investigation of the performance of a bubble column reactor for the liquid-phase catalytic oxidation of ethylene to acetaldehyde (Wacker Process) has been carried out by varying the different operating parameters, such as the inlet gas velocity and catalyst concentration. It has also been shown that, for a given set of conditions, a certain critical ratio of partial pressure of O₂ to that of ethylene in the reactor inlet is required for the overall catalytic cycle to work with maximum efficiency under steady state. The agreement between the experimental results and the predictions of a theoretical reactor model developed herein was found to be excellent.