SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CENTRAL PLUME VELOCITY FOR THE CORRELATION OF LIQUID PHASE MIXING IN BUBBLE COLUMNS

The knowledge of the flow patterns of each phase of bubble column reactors is of considerable importance for the rational design and scale-up. The hydrodynamic models for the liquid phase have been reviewed. The models have been based on some form of pressure balance or energy balance. These two approaches have been compared and recommendations have been made regarding the range of applicability of the individual models. A comparison between the predicted and the experimental liquid velocities has been presented whenever possible. The range of variables has been pointed out for which further investigations are needed. The empirical and theoretical models for the mixing behavior of the different phases of bubble column reactors have also been reviewed.     

SEDIMENTATION OF PARTICLES IN NON-NEWTONIAN FLUIDS

The influence of non-Newtonian flow behavior on sedimentation velocity of particles is investigated using an approximate solution for the motion of an assemblage of solid spheres presented previously by the authors. It is theoretically predicted that the pseudoplaslicity decreases the sedimentation velocity and its reduction is pronounced at large voidage. The present theory is discussed using the available empirical correlations.     

MOTION OF AND MASS TRANSFER FROM AN ASSEMBLAGE OF SOLID SPHERES MOVING IN A NON-NEWTONIAN FLUID AT HIGH REYNOLDS NUMBERS

An approximate solution for the motion of an assemblage of solid spheres moving in a power-law fluid in the high Reynolds number region is obtained using a combination of Happel's free-surface cell model and the boundary layer theory. It is theoretically predicted that the drag coefficient will decrease with the increase of the shear-thinning anomaly. The results of the present analysis are in reasonably good agreement with the available experimental data for fixed and fluidized beds. The influence of the non-Newtonian behavior on the mass transfer rate from an assemblage of solid spheres is also discussed.     

NEWTONIAN FLUID SPHERE WITH RIGID OR MOBILE INTERFACE IN A SHEAR-THINNING LIQUID: DRAG AND MASS TRANSFER

The drag force and the mass transfer rate of a Newtonian fluid sphere, having mobile or rigid interface, moving in a power law fluid, are obtained by an approximate solution of equations of motion in the creeping flow regime. It is shown that both the drag and mass transfer increase as the flow index of the external fluid decreases.

The increase of drag due to the pseudoplastic anomaly is more significant at large viscosity ratio parameter. The results obtained are in good agreement with available experimental data and with those analyses based on variational principle when the non-Newtonian flow behavior is not very pronounced.

Also, the predicted mass transfer rates are in good agreement with the trends presented in the literature. Unlike in the case of drag force, the effect of the pseudoplastic anomaly on mass transfer rate is more pronounced for low values of the viscosity ratio parameter. The analysis was extended to include the case when the surface of the sphere was immobilized by surface-active contaminants.