Effects of Gas and Liquid Properties on the Behavior of Bubbles in a Bubble Column Under High Pressure

Abstract

The gas holdup and bubble size in a bubble column of 5 cm diameter equipped with a perforated plate as gas distributor were measured by the electric resistivity probe method under pressures up to 5 MPa. The gas phase was H2, He or air, and the liquid phase was H2O, CH3OH, C2H5OH, CH3COCH3 or aqueous solutions of alcohols. Gas holdup and bubble frequency increased with increasing gas density and gas velocity. Bubble size decreased with increasing pressure and was not much affected by gas velocity in the range of 0.5-5 cm·s-1. Liquid viscosity had no effect on the bubble characteristics in the viscosity range of 0.353 mPa·s. Surface tension of liquid had little effect on them as the pressure reached 5 MPa. Empirical correlations for gas holdup and bubble size were obtained as a function of physical properties of gas and liquid and operational conditions. © 1985, The Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan. All rights reserved.