CFD SIMULATIONS IN AN INTERNAL CIRCULATION AIRLIFT OPERATING UNDER HOMOGENEOUS REGIME

CFD SIMULATIONS IN AN INTERNAL CIRCULATION AIRLIFT OPERATING UNDER HOMOGENEOUS REGIME

MONTEIRO, P. A. S.; SELEGHIM JR, P.

Artigo:

Abstract. Multiphase airlift reactors have been widely used for decades in chemical engineering, biochemical fermentation and wastewater treatment. The advantages of theses reactors include simple construction, an absence of moving parts, efficient mixing and mass transfer with low energy consumption per unit volume. The objective of the present work is to study, using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations, the hydrodynamics behaviors (liquid circulation velocity and gas holdup) in an internal circulation airlift reactor with air injection between the cylinders. In these simulations the conditions adopted were dispersed phase (gas) - air; continuous phase (liquid) – water; drag model – Grace; and different air superficial velocities (Ug). In the liquid phase, the turbulence can be described using the k-ε model. Through this study, it was possible to obtain useful and essential information about the design and operation of this equipment.

Abstract. Multiphase airlift reactors have been widely used for decades in chemical engineering, biochemical fermentation and wastewater treatment. The advantages of theses reactors include simple construction, an absence of moving parts, efficient mixing and mass transfer with low energy consumption per unit volume. The objective of the present work is to study, using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations, the hydrodynamics behaviors (liquid circulation velocity and gas holdup) in an internal circulation airlift reactor with air injection between the cylinders. In these simulations the conditions adopted were dispersed phase (gas) - air; continuous phase (liquid) – water; drag model – Grace; and different air superficial velocities (Ug). In the liquid phase, the turbulence can be described using the k-ε model. Through this study, it was possible to obtain useful and essential information about the design and operation of this equipment.

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DOI: 10.5151/chemeng-cobeq2014-0319-26024-174926

Referências bibliográficas

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Como citar:

MONTEIRO, P. A. S.; SELEGHIM JR, P.; "CFD SIMULATIONS IN AN INTERNAL CIRCULATION AIRLIFT OPERATING UNDER HOMOGENEOUS REGIME", p-11398-11405. In: Anais do XX Congresso Brasileiro de Engenharia Química - COBEQ 2014 [= Blucher Chemical Engineering Proceedings, v.1, n.2]. São Paulo: Blucher, 2015.
ISSN 23591757, DOI 10.5151/chemeng-cobeq2014-0319-26024-174926