Chemical Engineering & Technology, Vol.32, No.1, 80-85, 2009
Hydrodynamics of a Multi-Stage Internal Loop Airlift Reactor
The local hydrodynamic properties in a multi-stage internal loop airlift reactor were investigated in this study. The gas-liquid two-phase flow hydrodynamic properties, including gas holdup, bubble velocity, bubble diameter, and liquid circulation velocity at various stages were measured by dual electrical resistivity probes and conductivity cells. Detailed studies on the gas holdup, bubble velocity, bubble diameter, and liquid circulation velocity were conducted with respect to various values of superficial gas. The Zuber and Findlay drift flux model was used to represent the variation of slip velocity with total gas-liquid velocity at various stages and the model fits the data well.