Mass and heat transfer in a batch bubble column operating with and without packing

Abstract

In this work, the transfer coefficients of mass and heat (by analogy) at a vertical cylinder centered in a bubble column were studied experimentally in two cases: (i) freely bubbling liquid-gas and (ii) packed bubble column with plastic packing around the cylinder. The parameters studied are solution physical properties, cylinder height, packing geometry, size of packing, and gas flow rate. The presence of inert packing at the cylinder surface increased transfer rates of mass and heat (by analogy). The factor of this increase ranged from 1.46 to 2.73 times, based on the gas superficial velocity and the packing geometry. All data were correlated by dimensional analysis using the equation j = a(Re × Fr)b. The constants a and b in the dimensionless equations were determined experimentally for the unpacked column and for the packed column with different types of packing. Potential applications of the results in reactor design were discussed. © 2014 American Chemical Society.