Numerical simulation of gas-liquid dynamics in cylindrical bubble column reactors

In this paper, we have attempted to validate a transient, two-dimensional a xisymmetric simulation of a laboratory-scale cylindrical bubble column, run under bubbly flow and churn turbulent conditions. The experimental data wa s obtained via gamma-radiation based non-invasive flow monitoring methods, viz., computer automated radioactive particle tracking (CARPT) provided the data on liquid velocity and turbulence, and computed tomography (CT) deter mined the gas holdup profiles. The numerical simulation was done using the FLUENT software and compares the results from the algebraic slip mixture mo del, and the two-fluid Euler-Euler model. Reasonably, good quantitative agr eement was obtained between the experimental data and simulations for the t ime-averaged gas holdup and axial liquid velocity profiles, as well as for the kinetic energy profiles. The favorable results suggest that the simple two-dimensional axisymmetric simulation can be used for reasonable engineer ing calculations of the overall flow pattern and gas holdup distributions. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.