GAS HOLDUP IN UNIFORMLY AERATED BUBBLE COLUMN REACTORS

Abstract
Conditions of the stable performance of gas distributing plates were studied and the effect of plate geometry on gas holdup of uniformly aerated gas-liquid beds was investigated. The ratio of plate holes opened for gas passage was determined as a function of gas hole velocity and critical values of gas hole velocity corresponding to the onset of stable performance of distributing plates were obtained. Two regimes of bubbling were observed under conditions of stable uniform gas distribution; the regions of their existence being determined by the values of gas flow velocity and distributing plate parameters. Considerable increase of gas holdup was observed in the region of “foam” bubbling compared to the “turbulent” bubbling regime commonly encountered in bubble column reactors. The character of the bed and hence its gas holdup value were affected by the geometry of distributing plates in the “foam” bubbling region while no such effect was observed under “turbulent” bubbling conditions.

This publication has 5 references indexed in Scilit: