Modeling bubble column reactor with the volume of fluid approach: Comparison of surface tension models

• Published in: Chinese journal of chemical engineering Vol. 27; no. 11; pp. 2659 - 2665
• Main Authors: Liu, Qi, Luo, Zhenghong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.11.2019; Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
• Subjects: Bubble column reactor; Computational fluid dynamics; Gas distributor; Surface tension models; Volume of fluid method; Surface tension models; Bubble column reactor; Computational fluid dynamics; Volume of fluid method; Gas distributor
• ISSN: 1004-9541; 2210-321X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cjche.2019.02.033

This work aims at comparing surface tension models in VOF (Volume of Fluid) modeling and investigating the effects of gas distributor and gas velocity. Hydrodynamics of a continuous chain of bubbles inside a bubble column reactor was simulated. The grid independence study was first conducted and a grid size of 1.0 mm was adopted in order to minimize the computing time without compromising the accuracy of the results. The predictions were validated by comparing the experimental studies reported in the literature. It was found that all surface tension models can describe the bubble rise and bubble plume in a column with slight deviations. [Display omitted]