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1997
c b.~97 Flse',ler Science I.td All rights rexer',ed
PriNted in Qircal Bril~lln
PII: S0009-2509(97)00247-9 ~ .~50~97sly ~ , t~t~)
Abstract The analysis of the hydrodynamics results of two-phase downflow and upflow
through fixed beds with porous particles shows that the flow regimes, two-phase pressure drop
and liquid holdups are strongly influenced by the presence of the non-Newtonian liquids. With
highly viscous non-Newtonian liquids the hydrodynamic characteristics (pressure drop, dy-
namic and total liquid holdups) of two-phase downflow are close to those of two-phase
upflow- the axial dispersion appears to be an important cause for the possible effects of the
hydrodynamics on the reactor performance. ,c 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd
draining the bed after the inflow was stopped, and the In the case of two-phase upflow of air-water and
residual liquid holdup (volume of the liquid retained air-CMC liquid systems, the transition between
on the packing after draining/volume of the bed) was bubble and pulse flow regimes is unclear. Instead, we
obtained from the difference between the theoretical noted a common zone of transition (0.092 < G <
external void volume of the bed and the volume of the 0.12 kg/m2 s) for air-water and air-CMC systems
drained liquid from the reactor previously completely (Fig. 2).
filled with liquid.
Residence-time distribution curves were obtained Liquid holdup
using the imperfect pulse method. According to this As in the case of two-phase flow through fixed beds
method, the electrical conductivity of the potassium with non-porous particles (Iliuta et al., 1996b), for
chloride traccr is simultaneously measured down- two-phase flow through porous particles total and
stream or upstream of the injection point at two dynamic liquid holdups increase with increasing
different locations at the bottom and the top of the CMC concentration due to the increase of the liquid-
bed. The signals of the sensors are amplified and side shear stress at the gas-liquid and liquid-solid
transmitted to a computer by a data acquisition sys- interface (Fig. 3). For two-phase upflow, the effect of
tem. CMC concentration is much less marked with porous
Assuming that tracer diffusion is considered to particles than with non-porous particles. This may be
create the long tails of the residence-time distribution due to the fact that the variation of two-phase pres-
curves, we used a transient diffusion model of the sure drop with CMC concentration is larger with
tracer in the porous particle coupled with the piston- non-porous particles (the effect of the liquid-solid
dispersion-exchange model (PDE) model to describe shear stress in the balance of the forces is more impor-
the liquid flow (lliuta et al., 1996a). tant in the case of non-porous particles).
The transition from the high to low interaction With two-phase downflow, the values of the dy-
regime (two-phase down flow) was determined by the namic and total liquid holdups for air-CMC systems
cessation of pressure fluctuations characteristic of the are much higher than the values for air-water systems.
pulse-flow regime or by visual observations of the bed The same phenomenon is observed in the case of
for dispersed bubble-flow regimes. With two-phase two-phase upflow, but the difference is much lower
upflow, the transition from bubble flow to pulse flow and is much less marked in fixed bed with porous
was determined or by visual observations. The pres- particles than with non-porous particles.
sure drop measurements were made with a pressure For air-0.5 and 1.0% CMC systems, the values of
transducer connected to two pressure taps located the total liquid holdup and dynamic liquid holdup for
near the bottom and the top of the packed bed. two-phase downflow are close to those for two-phase
In order to compare the values of the liquid hold- upflow (Table 2). This is due to the fact that the
ups and two-phase pressure drop with literature cor- liquid-side shear stress appears to be very important
relations, we considered the mean values, calculated in the balance between driving forces and the resist-
for each pair of gas and liquid flow rate. Under trickle- ance.
flow regime (two-phase downflow) and pulsing-flow The difference between total and dynamic liquid
conditions (two-phase downflow and upflow), since the holdups (static external liquid holdup) strongly de-
liquid holdup inside a pulse is much larger than outside pends on the type of packing, the dimension of the
a pulse, liquid holdups and two-phase pressure drop in particles, the nature of the liquid and is a result of
the column vary between an upper and lower limit. a balance between the gravity forces and the capillary
This effect was clearly visible in the standard deviation forces. In the present work, the static external liquid
of the repetitive measurements. holdup was found to be independent of the liquid and
gas flow rates for both two-phase downflow and up-
RESULTS A N D D I S C U S S I O N flow. In the case of two-phase downflow, this is due to
the fact that the external wetting efficiency (the static
Flow regimes external liquid holdup is dependent upon the wetted
In the case of air-water systems trickle, pulsing and surface) is close to 1 at liquid superficial velocities
dispersed bubble-flow regimes were observed. In the higher than 0.005 m/s due to increased radial liquid
case of two-phase flow of a i r - C M C liquid systems spreading.
Air Newtonian anti non-Newtonian liquid ~stcmx 4047
0.8 , - - ~ r
0.7 ¸
0.6
05l I
% I
E
Q4-
Pulsing flow
d ~
0.3 i-
o2! X
0
0.1~ +
4-
Trickle flow
0 i t I I
4 6 8 10 12 14
L, kg.rn2s "~
Fig. I. Transition between trickling and pulsing llow regimes (two-phase downtlow): air water system (.~3)
noCMC, lx)0.1% CMCJ*)0.5% CMC.( - ) 1.0%,CMC.
Comparison with literature correlations for air-0.5% CMC and a poor estimate for air 0.1
At the outset, it is useful to explore the possibility of and 1.0'¼, CMC systems. Hopefully, the correlation of
correlating the present data obtained with air:non- karachi et al. (19911, developed for gas-Newtonian
Newtonian liquid systems with the empirical expres- liquid systems, seems to be satisfactory for the entire
sions available in the literature. Unfortunately, only in range of CMC concentration. For two-phase upflow,
the case of two-phase downflow, Sai and Varma unfortunately, no correlation for the total liquid hold-
(1988) have presented correlations for dynamic and up in the case of gas/non-Newtonian liquid systems
total liquid holdups. exists in the literature. The total liquid holdup data
Likewise. it is interesting to compare the experi- were correlated by using the expression of Larachi
mental data obtained in the case of two-phase flow of et ul. (1991), established for two-phase downflow and
air/non-Newtonian liquid systems with correlations gas Newtonian liquid systems.
available at this moment for two-phase flow with
gas'Newtonian liquid systems (Ellman et at., 1990: Dynamic liquid holdup. The predicted values of the
Larachi et al., 1991). dynamic liquid holdup for two-phase downflow
Thus, the present results are analysed in terms of through porous particles calculated from the expres-
the previously reported correlations established for sion of Ellman et al. (1990), which was established for
non-porous and porous packings and various gas- gas Newtonian liquid systems, agree well with
Newtonian liquid (Table 3), based on the use of the our data, as it can be seen in Table 4. The correla-
modified Reynolds number (lliuta et al., 1996b). Also, tion of Sai and Varma (1988) predicts lower dynamic
in the case of two-phase downflow the results are liquid holdups than our values, in the case
analysed using the correlations of Sai and Varma of air-CMC systems the high interaction regime
(1988). Table 3. correlation of Ellman et al. (1990) gives a fair esti-
mate of the dynamic liquid holdup for two-phase
Total liquid holdup. The comparisons between the upJtm~.
predictions of the two literature correlations and ex-
perimental data are summarized in Table 4. With Two-phase pressure drop
two-phase downflow, the correlation of Sai and Varma For both two-phase downflow and upilow through
(1988) gives a fair estimate of the total liquid holdup fixed beds with porous particles, two-phase pressure
4048 I. lliuta and F. C. Thyrion
lo2l
\
Pulse flow
Bubble flow
\
\
\
10~
!
I Spray flow
10°1 i , i i i i , iI , . . . . . . iI
10 -2 10 "1 10 0
G, kg.m2s 1
Fig. 2. Hydrodynamic regimes for two-phase upflow: (', "..',..)observed transition zone, (---) transition lines
from Turpin and Hutington (1967).
drop increases with increasing CMC concentration Thus, as in the case of the liquid holdups, in this
due to the increase of the liquid-side shear stress at the work two-phase pressure drop data for air/non-New-
gas-liquid and liquid-solid interface (Fig. 4). As ex- tonian liquid systems were correlated using expres-
pected, in the case of air-CMC systems two-phase sions established for gas-Newtonian liquid systems
pressure drop increases with increasing liquid flow (Ellman et al., 1988; Larachi et al., 1991), based on
rate and with increasing gas flow rate, such trends are the use of the modified Reynolds number (Table 5).
in agreement with the observations made in the case In these correlations, the gravitational effects are
of air/Newtonian liquid systems. negligible, the Weber number incorporates the inter-
facial forces between the liquid and gas phases, the
Comparison with literature correlations. Only Sai modified Lockhart-Martinelli parameter incorporates
and Varma (1987) and Srinivas and Chhabra (1994) the inertial forces of the gas and liquid while
presented correlations for two-phase pressure drop in the Reynolds number incorporates the viscous forces
the case of two-phase downflow and upflow of inside the liquid.
air/non-Newtonian liquid systems through fixed beds Concerning the gravitational effects on the two-
with non-porous particles. Unfortunately, these cor- phase pressure drop, one can note with air-0.5 and
relations are based on the Lockhart-Martinelli 1.0% CMC systems, two-phase pressure drop
parameter and require in situ measurements of the measurements for downflow (high interaction regime)
single-phase pressure drop. It is possible to use an and upflow operation give close results (Table 6), which
Ergun's-type equation for single-phase pressure drop, means that the gravity forces may be neglected com-
but the empirical coefficients of this correlation have pared to inertial forces and liquid-side shear stress.
to be determined experimentally; a priori calculations The scatters between predictions and experiments
can be very inaccurate. Moreover, in the case of two- are summarized in Table 7. The correlation of Ellman
phase downflow of air/non-Newtonian liquid systems, et al. (1988) gives better predictions for both two-
we cannot measure the liquid-phase pressure drop phase downflow and upflow (with highly viscous
due to the occurrence of flooding in the case of single non-Newtonian liquids) through fixed beds with por-
liquid flow. ous particles.
Air.,Newtonian and non-Ncwtonian liquid systems 4049
Q.
"0
0
t-
.0
E
C
E3
r~
10
0
t--
.O"
.0
E
r~
Fig. 3. Effects of gas and liquid velocities (vs~; and VSLJon the dynamic liquid holdup for various gas-liquid
systems, (a) two-phase downflow, (b) two-phase upflow, and for air-water system (1) no CMC. (2) 0.1%
CMC. (3) 0.5% CMC. (4) 1.0% CMC.
4050 I. lliuta and F. C. Thyrion
Table 2. Values of the dynamic liquid holdup for fixed bed with porous particles [VsL = 0.005 m/s)
Table 4. Scatter between experimental and predicted total and dynamic liquid holdups
Gas --liquid Larachi Sai and Varma EIIman Sai and Varma Ellman
system correlation correlation correlation correlation correlation
x 104
0~
0.005% ~ ~ ~ 0 3 02 01
04
(a) VSL, m/s 0 0.5 VSG, m/s
4
xl0
7~
6~
5\
<3
1,
0.015
\
0 01
Re~
Ellman et al. (1988) .l;-c;~;= 200 ( X . ~ ) - , . 2 + 85 (Xc;:)- o .~. where
(0.001 + ReL1,5 )
I/s6 Air CMC Air-CMC Air CMC Air CMC Air-CMC Air-CMC
(re:s) Air water 0.1% 0.5% 1.0% Air-water 0.1% 0.5% 1.0%
* Pulsing-flow regime.
to those of two-phase downflow (high interaction L liquid superficial mass flow rate, kg/m2 s
regimej--the axial dispersion appears to be an impor- m number of experimental points
tant cause for the possible effects of liquid and gas n flow behaviour index
flow rate on the reactor performance. AP pressure drop, Pa
Good agreement between the predicted (given by Re• gas Reynolds number, ( = dpG."It6)
the correlations obtained for gas-Newtonian liquid Re£ liquid Reynolds number ( = dpL/l~Lj for
systems) and the measured values of the two-phase Newtonian liquids and Re£l = p£t.SL 2-, dp,
, ; k)
pressure drop, total and dynamic liquid holdup for for non-Newtonian liquids
the gas/non-Newtonian liquid systems was demon- vs6 superficial velocity of the gas, m/s
strated in this study. vsL superficial velocity of the liquid, m s
X,; modified Lockhart--Martinelli parameter,
NO'IATION =z 2j
ap specific area of particle {surface of the par- y hydrodynamic parameter ( = eL,,, CL.a,./L(m)
ticle/volume of particlel, m2/m 3 We£ liquid Weber number, ( = L 2 dp/p£,aL)
a:, specific area of the packing (surface of the
particles/volume of the bed), m2/m 3 Greek letters
dh hydraulic diameter of the packed bed. ¢ effective shear rate, 1.,'s
[=( 16r,3 \°'33 7 F shear stress, Pa
\9n(l __ c)2) dpJ 6 mean absolute relative error
m , /
dp diameter of a sphere having the same ex- [ = 1.,m]Li. , I(.v=~., - 3,,=.;),'~.ox~.~l]
ternal surface area as the particle, m E bed porosity
fec, c~ two-phase friction factor, EL liquid holdup
[ = (AP/tt)Lc, d~,pc,/2G2] viscosity, kg/m s
G gas superficial mass flow rate, kg/m2s ,Heft effective viscosity of non-Newtonian liquids,
k flow consistency index, kg/m s 2 " kg/m s
Air/Newtonian and non-Newtonian liquid systems 4053
density, kg/m 3 lliuta, I., Thyrion, F. C. and Muntean, O. (1996b)
interfacial tension, kg/s 2 Hydrodynamic characteristics of two-phase flow
through fixed beds: air/Newtonian and non-New-
Subscripts tonian liquids. Chem. Enftn9 Sci. 51, 4987~,995.
calc calculated Larachi, F., Laurent, A., Midoux, N. and Wild, G.
d dynamic {1991) Experimental study of a trickle-bed reactors
operating at high pressure: two-phase pressurc
exp experimental
drop and liquid saturation. Chem. En~lmt Sci. 46.
G gas 1233-1246.
L liquid Larkins, R. P. White, P. R. and Jeffrey, D. W. 11961)
LGG gas liquid/gas Two-phase concurrent flow in packed beds.
t total A.I.Ch.E.J. 7, 231 239.
Sai. P. S. T. and Varma, Y. B. G., (1987) Pressure drop
in gas-liquid downflow through packed beds.
A.I.Ch.E.J. 33. 2027 2035.
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