Conservation of bubble size distribution during gas reactive absorption in bubble column reactors

Abstract

Conservation of the bubble size distribution function was applied to the reactive absorption of carbon dioxide in a bubble column reactor. The model developed was solved by the method of characteristics and by a Monte Carlo method. Simulations were carried out using simplified models for the liquid phase and for the gas-liquid mass transfer. Predictions of gas holdup and outlet gas composition showed that the concept of a mean bubble diameter is not applicable when the bubble size distribution is reasonably polydispersed. In these cases, the mass mean velocity and the numerical mean velocity of the bubbles are very different. Therefore, quantification of the polydispersion of bubbles was shown to be essential to gas-phase hydrodynamics modeling

Application and parameterization of a one‐dimensional multifluid population balance model to bubble columns

“…A well‐proven approach to consider the properties of disperse phases in multiphase flows are population balance models. Many reports can be found in the literature in which one‐dimensional (1D)—in space or time—population balance models are used to describe the size distribution of the dispersed phase in bubble columns, extraction columns, or crystallisers, see for example, References 11–21. Recently, we applied successfully an 1D multifluid population balance (MPB) approach to describe the axial profiles of gas volume fraction, the bubble size distribution (BSD) and gas phase velocity in a semi‐batch bubble column operated with water and air 22 .…”

Application and Parameterization of a 1D Multifluid Population Balance Model to Bubble Columns

“…Many reports can be found in the literature in which one-dimensional (1D) -in space or time -population balance models are used to describe the size distribution of the dispersed phase in bubble columns, extraction columns, or crystallisers, see e.g. [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]. Recently, we applied successfully an 1D multifluid population balance approach to describe the axial profiles of gas volume fraction, the bubble size distribution (BSD) and gas phase velocity in a semi-batch bubble column operated with water and air [23].…”

Hydrodynamic and absorption studies of carbon dioxide absorption in aqueous amide solutions using a bubble column contactor

“…This device generally has excellent heat and mass transfer characteristics, little maintenance and low operating costs (Kantarci et al, 2005). Important variables must be taken into account working with bubble columns: gas hold-up, bubble characteristics (size, shape, rise velocity, contamination) (Lage, 1999), flow regime, mass transfer, etc (Martínez and Casas, 2012). Different studies (Darmana et al, 2005;Cents et al, 2004) indicate that several phenomena influence these variables: chemical reaction, mass transfer and fluid flow.…”