Computational fluid dynamic modelling of flow patterns in an oscillatory baffled column

Numerical simulations to date within the context of oscillatory flow in a baffled column have been limited to flows in a symmetrical regime, i.e. eddies are generated symmetrical to the central line of the column where the oscillatory Reynolds numbers are below 400. In this paper, 3-D computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation of flow patterns of oscillatory flow in a baffled column has, for the first time, been carried out and the results extended to all regimes of oscillatory Reynolds numbers covering from symmetric to asymmetric flows. The flow patterns simulated have also been validated by both direct flow visualisation and by digital particle image velocimetry measurements. The success of such CFD simulations opens doors for many potential studies, from optimisation of geometry for plug flow to suspension of particles, and from droplet breakage and coalescence to mass/heat transfer of particles.     

Flow patterns and oil—water dispersion in a 0.38 m diameter oscillatory baffled column

We report our experimental flow visualization observations of flow patterns and experimental oil‐water dispersion measurements in an oscillatory baffled column (OBC) of an internal diameter 380 mm. Both types of experiments were carried out covering an identical range of oscillation frequencies, amplitudes, orifice diameters and baffle spacings. The flow visualization observations show that eddy mixing has been achieved in the pilot OBC and the intensity of which is largely dependent on the operational and geometrical parameters tested, which is similar to that in a smaller scale OBC. The scale‐up correlation was found to be linear. The oil‐water dispersion measurements show that the degree of the dispersion depends significantly on the oscillation frequency and amplitude with an increase in either leading to an increase in dispersion. The effect of the orifice diameter on the oil—water dispersion is also evident, but the effect of the baffle spacing is much weaker. Based on the experimental data we have established a correlation relating the degree of oil—water dispersion to the power input to the system. We have also compared the power requirement to achieve a complete dispersion in the pilot OBC with that in a bench scale OBC of 50 mm diameter and found that the energy dissipation is more economical in the large scale application.     

On the effect of gap size between baffle outer diameter and tube inner diameter on the mixing characteristics in an oscillatory‐baffled column

We report our experimental investigation on the effect of gaps between baffle outer diameter and inner tube diameter on the mixing characteristics, in terms of mixing time and axial dispersion coefficient, in a batch oscillatory‐baffled column. Local concentration profiles are measured using conductivity probes at two locations along the height of the column. The mixing time was determined based on the equilibrium concentration concept, and the axial dispersion coefficient was obtained by solving the axial dispersion governing equation. Comparison of mixing time between the ‘push‐fit’ and ‘loose‐fit’ baffle arrangements was carried out and the results showed that the existence of a gap of various sizes between the baffle outer and the tube diameters lengthened the time at which the state of uniform mixing is achieved in such a device. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

Inverse phase suspension polymerization of acrylamide in a batch oscillatory baffled reactor

We report, for the first time, our experimental investigation of inverse phase suspension polymerization of acrylamide in a batch oscillatory baffled reactor. In such a reactor, the oscillatory motion is achieved by moving a set of orifice baffles up and down the column at the top of the reactor. The effects of both operational and design parameters on the mean particle size and size distribution of polymer beads were investigated, including oscillation amplitude, oscillation frequency, baffle spacing, baffle free area, and monomer addition time. The experimental results indicated that the mean particle size and size distribution of the polymer beads depended predominantly on the product of oscillation frequency and amplitude, i.e., the oscillation velocity. The size distributions are narrow and of essentially a Gaussian distribution. The level of fines produced is consistently less than 1% for all 100 experiments performed. We demonstrated that the mean particle size and size distribution in an oscillatory baffled reactor can be controlled precisely by simply selecting the appropriate oscillation velocity. The effect of the baffle spacing on the mean particle size is much less compared with that of the baffle free area. The monomer injection time has a noticeable influence on the mean particle size, but the rate of change is relatively small. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 76: 1669–1676, 2000     

Effect of oscillation amplitude on velocity distributions in an oscillatory baffled column (OBC)

This paper presents a numerical study of the effect of oscillation amplitude in oscillatory baffled column (OBC) using computational fluid dynamics. The numerical work was carried out for single phase liquid flow for an unsteady 3-D model using commercial software, Fluent (2006). This work was concentrated on the effect of oscillation amplitude. Three amplitudes of 5, 10 and 15 mm with constant frequency of 1 Hz are applied. Vortex and cycle average velocities at different points are analyzed. The studies show the maximum velocity for 5 mm, 10 mm and 15 mm in an OBC are 0.11 m/s, 0.25 m/s and 0.40 m/s respectively in the first cycle of oscillation. At a constant frequency, greater oscillation amplitude displaces the liquid to a further distance and builds a larger vortex. Vortex length was 1.5 times bigger when oscillation amplitude changes from 5 mm to 10 mm and 2 times when the amplitude is triple from 5 mm. The detailed validation is presented somewhere else; this research is focused on the effect of oscillation.     

On the evaluation of droplet breakage and coalescence rates in an oscillatory baffled reactor

A numerical model is developed to evaluate droplet breakage and coalescence rates in a continuous oscillatory baffled reactor (OBR). The structure of the model is similar to that of the population balance approach, but concentrates on droplet interactions with simpler assumptions of a functional form for breakage and coalescence rate constants. The OBR is a relatively new reactor technology and offers enhanced and more uniform mixing than traditional reactors, making some model assumptions more closer to the reality. In this paper, we present the development, robustness and validation of the modelling process together with the predicted results for the OBR system.     

Hydrodynamic analysis of an axial impeller in a non-Newtonian fluid through particle image velocimetry

The rheology of non-Newtonian fluids in agitated vessels is complex making equipment sizing more an art than a science. To increase our understanding and to resolve the data gap for computational fluid dynamics validation, we present a detailed particle image velocimetry study of the hydrodynamics of Carbopol encountered in a 70 L mechanically mixed (A310) tank at three different rotational speeds (100, 250, 500 rpm). Bulk flow visualizations show that the flow field below the impeller is highly influenced by the rheological behavior of the fluid. Moreover, an analysis of the shear rate and viscosity revealed important spatial heterogeneities. An estimation of the Reynolds number classified the rotational speeds as the onset of the transitional regime (100), in the transitional regime (250) and turbulent conditions (500 rpm). This data set consists of local mean and fluctuating velocities at different locations below the impeller, which are available for validation and further study.     

Experimental determination of the shear rate in a stirred tank with a non‐newtonian fluid: Carbopol

The local shear rate generated in a cylindrical tank equipped with a Rushton turbine was investigated using particle image velocimetry in a shear‐thinning fluid (Carbopol). This non‐Newtonian fluid was used in an attempt to mimic fermentation broths. Three Reynolds numbers corresponding to the transition regime were investigated. The hydrodynamics is analyzed, and the velocity field is decomposed by proper orthogonal decomposition into mean flow, organized motion, and turbulence. Then, the contributions of each flow structure to the total dissipation of kinetic energy are presented. The spatial heterogeneity of shear rate is discussed and a new expression is proposed for shear rate. This work shows that the local shear rate is highly heterogeneous in a tank. Future works will need to focus on other types of stirrer and investigate the effect of scaling up reactors on the shear rate heterogeneity. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 2251–2266, 2013