Liquid Circulation in a Multi-tube Air-lift Loop Reactor

A multi-tube air-lift loop reactor (MT-ALR) is presented in this paper. Based on the energy conservation, a mathematical model describing the liquid circulation flow rate was developed, which was determined by gas velocity, the cross areas of riser and downcomer, gas hold-up and the local frictional loss coefficient. The experimental data indicate that either increase of gas flow rate or reduction of the downcomer diameter contributes to higher liquid circulation rate. The correlation between total and the local frictional loss coefficients was also established.Effects of gas flowrate in two risers and diameter of downcomer on the liquid circulation rate were examined. The value of total frictional loss coefficient was measured as a function of the cross area of downcomer and independent of the gas flow rate. The calculated results of liquid circulation rates agreed well with the experimental data with an average relative error of 9.6%.

LOCAL NONLINEAR CHARACTERISTICS OF GAS LIQUID SOLID THREE PHASE SELF ASPIRATED REVERSED FLOW JET LOOP REACTOR

Hursts rescaled range (R/S) analysis and Wolfs attractor reconstruction technique have been adopted to estimate the local fractal dimensions and the local largest Lyapunov exponents in terms of the time series pressure fluctuations obtained from a gas liquid solid three phase self aspirated reversed flow jet loop reactor,respectively.The results indicate that the local fractal dimensions and the local largest Lyapunov exponents in both the jet region and the tubular region inside the draft tube increase with the increase in the jet liquid flowrates and the solid loadings,the local fractal dimension profiles are similar to those of the largest Lyapunov exponent,the local largest lyapunov exponents are positive for all cases,and the flow behavior of such a reactor is chaotic.The local nonlinear characteristic parameters such as the local fractal dimension and the local largest Lyapunov exponent could be applied to further study the flow properties such as the flow regime transitions and flow structures of this three phase jet loop reactor.

LOCAL CHAOS CHARACTERISTICS IN A SELF ASPIRATED REVERSED FLOW JET LOOP REACTOR

The local chaos characteristics of the time series pressure fluctuations of gas liquid two phase flow in a self aspirated reversed flow jet loop reactor are studied by the deterministic chaos analysis technique. It is found that the estimated local largest Lyapunov exponent is positive in all cases and the profile is similar to that of the local fractal dimension in this reactor. The positive largest Lyapunov exponent shows that the reactor is a nonlinear chaotic system. The obvious distribution indicates that the local nonlinear characteristic parameters such as the Lyapunov exponent and the fractal dimension could be applied to further study the flow characteristics such as the flow regine transitions and flow structures of the multi phase reactors.

Hydrodynamics and Mass Transfer in a Modified Three-phase Airlift Loop Reactor

A modified internal-loop airlif reactor （MIALR） with a continuous slurry phase was studied to investigate the local hydrodynamic characteristics, including gas holdup, bubble size, bubble rise velocity and local mass transfer properties. Based on the analysis of geometrical construction and fluid properties of gas and slurry, MIALR was divided into six flow regions. In these flow regions, the local hydrodynamic characteristics were investigated over a wide range of operating variables. Furthermore, a new method was developed to measure the dissolved oxygen concentration. The volumetric mass-transfer coefficient in six flow regions was also calculated for comparison.

HYDRODYNAMIC STUDIES ON LOOP REACTORS (Ⅱ) AIRLIFT LOOP REACTORS

Hydrodynamics of airlift loop reactors was studied in detail experimentally andtheoretically.An internal airlift loop reactor was designed and set up for this study.An instru-mentation system based on the electrochemical method was adapted to measure local gas holdup andliquid velocity.A two-dimensional two-fluid model based on the first principles was established andimplemented to model the flow in airlift loop reactors.A corrected turbulent model was incorporatedin the simulation.The shear rate,shear stress and energy dissipation are evaluated from the flowfield.The numerically predicted results and experimental data obtained from this work as well as thesereported in literature are analyzed and compared.

Treatment of Dimethoate Aqueous Solution by Using Ultrasonic Airlift Loop Reactor

Ultrasonic airlift loop reactor （UALR） shows potential and wide application for wastewater treatment. In this paper the performance and efficiency of UALR in dimethoate degradation were presented. The effects of O3 flow rate, ultrasonic intensity and initial concentration of dimethoate on degradation rate were investigated. UALR imposed a synergistic effect combining sonochemical merit with high O3 transfer rate. The results showed that UALR not only increased degradation rate, but also was better than the simole sum of degradation by O3 and ultrasound separately. Under the operation conditions of O3 flow of 0.34 m^3·h^-1, ultrasonic intensity 3.71 W.cm^-2, and initial concentration of dimethoate at 20 mg·L^- 1, the degradation rate of dimethoate increased to 80%. UALR seems an advisable choice for treating organic wastewater and this process may have wide application prospect in industry.

Regeneration of waste SCR catalyst by air lift loop reactor

A solution of 0.1 mol/L to 1.0 mol/L H2SO4 can dissolve alkali metals and alkaline earth metals which weaken an active site of SCR catalyst. The waste catalyst washed with 0.5 mol/L H2SO4 regained the best catalytic activity. When a concentration of the sulfuric acid is less than 0.5 mol/L, sufficient cleaning effects cannot be obtained. In contrast, when the concentration is greater than 1.0 tool/L, the active components, vanadium and tungsten are undesirably eluted. The total BET surface of the catalyst regenerated by air lift loop reactor showed almost the same as that of fresh catalyst due to the removal of insoluble compounds which may be penetrated into pores of catalyst. The addition of a solution of 0.075 mol/L ammonium vanadate （NHnVO3） and 0.075 mol/L ammonium paratungstate （5（NH4）20· 12WO3-5H20） to 0.1 mol/L H2SO4 significantly increases the activity of the waste catalyst.

Structure optimization of gas-liquid combined loop reactor using a CFD-PBE coupled model

Flow characteristics, such as flow pattern, gas holdup, and bubble size distribution, in an internal loop reactor with external liquid circulation, are simulated to investigate the influence of reactor internals by using the computational fluid dynamics （CFD）-population balance equations （PBE） coupled model. Numerical results reveal that introducing a downcomer tube and a draft tube can help to improve the mass and heat transfer of the reactor through enhanced liquid circulation, increased gas holdup and reduced bubble diameter. The hydrodynamic behavior in the internal loop reactor with external liquid circulation can be managed effectively by adjusting the diameter and axial position of the draft tube.

Transfer Characteristics in Mechanically Stirred Airlift Loop Reactors with or without Static Mixers

The mechanically stirred internal loop airlift reactors equipped with or without static mixers are devised for intensification of gas-liquid mass transfer rate. The influences of superficial gas velocity, agitation or static mixers on gas hold-up, mixing time, liquid circulating velocity and volumetric mass transfer coefficient have been investigated with tap water and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) aqueous solution. The experimental results indicate that mechanical agitation is more efficacious than static mixer in highly viscous media for improving mass transfer in airlift reactors. The empirical correlation of volumetric mass transfer coefficient with apparent viscosity, and energy consumption for mechanical agitation and aeration is developed.

Epoxidation of Cyclohexene with Oxygen in Ultrasound Airlift Loop Reactor

Epoxidation of cyclohexene to cyclohexene oxide was studied in a new type reactor—the ultrasound airlift loop reactor. The influences of ultrasound intensity, molar ratio of isobutyraldehyde to cyclohexene and oxy-gen gas flow rate on the conversion of cyclohexene and selectivity of cyclohexene oxide were investigated and dis-cussed, and the optimal operation condition was found, under which 95.2% conversion of cyclohexene and 90.7% selectivity of cyclohexene oxide were achieved. The ultrasonic airlift loop reactor utilizes the synergistic effect of sonochemsitry and higher oxygen transfer rate. Possible reaction mechanisms were outlined and the reason of ul-trasound promotion of epoxidation reactionwas analyzed.

HYDRODYNAMIC STUDIES ON LOOP REACTORS (Ⅰ) LIQUID JET LOOP REACTORS

Understanding of hydrodynamics in liquid jet loop reactors is a prerequisite step for the fur-ther study of multi-phase flow in loop reactors.A hydrodynamic simulation for liquid jet loop reac-tors is developed from the first principles of transport phenomena in this paper.The turbulence istaken into account by using the standard k-ε model.This approach is used to study the influence ofconfiguration and viscosity on the hydrodynamics.The results are in very reasonable coincidence to ex-perimental data in literature.

Hydrodynamics and bubble behaviour in a three-phase two-stage internal loop airlift reactor

Local hydrodynamics of a gas–liquid–solid system,such as bubble circulation regime,gas holdup,liquid velocity and axial profile of solid concentration,are studied in a two-stage internal loop airlift reactor.Empirical correlations for gas holdup and liquid velocity are proposed to ease the reactor design and scale-up.Different bubble circulation regimes were displayed in the first(lower) and second(upper) stages.Increasing superficial gas velocity and solid loading can promote regime transition of the second stage,and the gas holdup of the second stage is higher than that of the lower stage.In addition,the effects of solid loading on bubble behaviour are experimentally investigated for each stage.It is found that bubble size in the downcomer decreases with the presence of solid particles,and bubble size distribution widens under higher superficial gas velocity and lower solid loading.

Analysis and Measurement of Mass Transfer in Airlift Loop Reactors

Inter-phase mass transfer is important to the design and performance of airlift loop reactors for either chemical or biochemical applications, and a good measurement technique is crucial for studying mass transfer in multiphase systems. According to the model of macro-scale mass transfer in airlift loop reactors, it was proved that the airlift loop reactor can be regarded as a continuous stirred tank reactor for measuring mass transfer coefficient. The calculated mass transfer coefficient on such a basis is different from the volumetric mass transfer coefficient in the macro-scale model and the difference is discussed. To describe the time delay of the probe response to the change of oxygen concentration in the liquid phase, a model taking into account the time constant of response is es-tablished. Sensitivity analysis shows that this model can be used to measure the volumetric mass transfer coefficient. Applying this model to the measurement of volumetric mass transfer coefficient in the loop reactor, results that co-incide with the turbulence theory in the literate were obtained.

Experimental and Numerical Study of Gas-Liquid Flow in a Sectionalized External-Loop Airlift Reactor

The external loop airlift reactor(ELALR)is widely used for gasliquid reactions.It’s advantage of good heat and mass transfer rates compared to conventional bubble column reactors.In the case of fermentation application where a medium is highly viscous and coalescing in nature,internal in riser helps in the improvement of the interfacial area as well as in the reduction of liquidphase back mixing.The computational fluid dynamic(CFD)as a tool is used to design and scaleup of sectionalized external loop airlift reactor.The present work deals with computational fluid dynamics(CFD)techniques and experimental measurement of a gas holdup,liquid circulation velocity,liquid axial velocity,Sauter mean bubble diameter over a broad range of superficial gas velocity 0.0024≤UG≤0.0168 m s 1.The correlation has been made for bubble size distribution with specific power consumption for different plate configurations.The effects of an internal on different mass transfer models have been completed to assess their suitability.The predicted local mass transfer coefficient has been found higher in the sectionalized external loop airlift reactor than the conventional ELALR.

SIMULATION OF EFFECTS OF REACTIVE IMPURITIES ON PROPYLENE POLYMERIZATION IN LOOP REACTORS THROUGH GENERATION FUNCTION TECHNIQUE

The estimation of the amount of reactive impurities in a loop reactor is of strategic importance to the propylene polymerization industry. It is essential to investigate the level of impurities in order to develop reliable monitoring and control strategies. This paper described one approach based on generation function technique with the following two steps. First, a new mechanism for propylene polymerization was proposed by considering the effects of the reactive impurities in the material on the propylene polymerization. Second, a series of equations of population balance for the propylene polymerization in loop reactors were established based on the proposed mechanism. Accordingly, the equations were transformed into the mathematic matrix through the generation function technique to investigate the effects of the reactive impurities on the propylene polymerization. Significant effects of the reactive impurities were analyzed through computational simulation. The results show that the concentration of active centre on catalysts and the polymerization conversion both decrease with the increase of the initial concentration of any reactive impurity; hydrogen concentration decreases with the increase of the initial concentration of ethylene or butylenes, whereas, it increases with the increase of the initial concentration of propadiene; the simulated weight average molecular weight and the molecular weight distribution index of polymer resins both increase with the increase of the initial concentration of ethylene or butylenes. They decrease with the increase of the initial concentration of propadiene.

Oilfield produced water treatment in internal-loop airlift reactor using electrocoagulation/flotation technique

Oilfield produced water is large quantities of salty water trapped in underground formations and subsisted under high temperatures and pressures that are brought to the surface along with oil during production. Produced water(PW) contains a lot of pollutants such as hydrocarbons and metals, this water must be treated before disposal. Therefore, different techniques are being used to treat produced water. Electrocoagulation is an efficient treatment technique involving the dissolution of anodes and formation of electro-coagulants, while the simultaneous generation of H_2 bubbles at the cathode leads to the pollutant removal by flotation. Electrocoagulation(EC)method is one of the most promising and widely used processes to treat oilfield produced water. In the present work, a conventional internal-loop(draught tube) airlift reactor was utilized as electrocoagulation/flotation cell for PW treatment by inserting two aluminum electrodes in the riser section of the airlift reactor. The EC airlift reactor was operated in a batch mode for the liquid phase. Different experimental parameters were studied on the oil and turbidity removal efficiencies such as current density, initial pH, electrocoagulation time, and air injection.The experimental results showed that mixing of the oil droplets in the PW was accomplished using only the liquid recirculation resulted by H_2 microbubbles generated by EC process which enhanced the oil removal. The experimental results further showed that the EC time required achieving ≥ 90% oil removal efficiency decreases from 46 to 15 min when operating current density increases from 6.8 to 45.5 mA·cm^(-2). This reactor type was found to be highly efficient and less energy consuming compared to conventional existing electrochemical cells which used mechanical agitation.

Influences of top clearance and liquid throughput on the performances of an external loop airlift slurry reactor integrated mixing and separation

A new developed external loop airlift slurry reactor, which was integrated with gas–liquid–solid three-phase mixing, mass transfer, and liquid–solid separation simultaneously, was deemed to be a promising slurry reactor due to its prominent advantages such as achieving continuous separation of clear liquid from slurry and cyclic utilization of solid particles without any extra energy, energy-saving, and intrinsic safety design. The principal operating parameters, including gas separator volume, handling capacity, and superficial gas velocity, are systematically investigated here to promote the capabilities of mixing, mass transfer, and yield in the pilot external loop airlift slurry reactor. The influences of top clearance and throughput of the clear liquid on flow regime and gas holdup in the riser, liquid circulating velocity, and volumetric mass transfer coefficient with a typical high solid holdup and free of particles are examined experimentally. It was found that increasing the gas separator volume could promote the liquid circulating velocity by about 14.0% at most. Increasing the handling capacity of the clear liquid from 0.9 m3·h-1 to 3.0 m3·h-1 not only could increase the output without any adverse consequences, but also could enhance the liquid circulating velocity as much as 97.3%. Typical operating conditions investigated here can provide some necessary data and guidelines for this new external loop airlift slurry reactor to upgrade its performances.

CFD Simulation of Scale Influence on the Hydrodynamics of an Internal Loop Airlift Reactor

In this work, the overall gas hold-up in the riser and down-comer of three internal airlift reactors with a working volume of 10.5, 32 and 200 l at the range of temperatures 18℃ - 21℃, under atmospheric pressure was simulated using Com-putational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The range of superficial gas velocity was 0.5 - 3 cm/s. The three reactors geometrically were similar to each other. CFD simulation and experimental data showed that the gas hold-up in the riser and down-comer increased by increasing the reactor scale. It was concluded that the simulated data were in good agreement with the experimental ones obtained from the literature.

The Preparation of 2-Chloro-5-chloromethylpyridine in an Airlift Loop Reactor

A new process for the direct chlorination of 2-chloro-5-methylpyridine to yield 2-chloro-5-chloro-methylpyridine in an airlift loop reactor (ALR) has been studied. Five main reaction conditions including TR, na/ns, cp, Qg and dD/dR were optimized. The average molar yield and purity of 2-chloro-5-chloromethylpyridine obtained were 79% and 98.5% respectively under the optimum operating conditions. Finally, the efficiency for the preparation of 2-chloro-5-chloromethylpyridine with ALR and stirred tank reactor (STR) respectively was compared.

Modeling of Continuous Cross-flow Microfiltration Process in an Airlift External-loop Slurry Reactor

New modified combination mathematical models including the pores blocking models and the cake layer models were developed to describe the continuous cross-flow microfiltration in an airlift external loop slurry reactor. The pores blocking models were created based on the standard blocking law and the intermediate blocking law, and then the cake layer models were developed based on the hydrodynamic theory in which the calculation method of porosity of cake layer was newly corrected. The Air-Water-FCC equilibrium catalysts cold model experiment was used to verify the relevant models.Results showed that the calculated values fitted well with experimental data with a relative error of less than 10%.