(422g) Validation of a Quadrature-Based Moment Method for the Simulation of Bubble Columns

A quadrature-based Euler-Euler method incorporating the evolution of bubble size due to coalescence and breakup, and the corresponding effects of polycelerity, is validated against experimental measurements of gas void fraction and bubble size distribution in a 32.1 cm diameter bubble column with an eight-arm spider sparger. The experimental measurements show the bubble column operates in the pure heterogeneous regime for a range of gas superficial velocities between 1 and 20 cm/s. Aspects of turbulence modeling in the bubble column using a large-eddy simulation approach will be discussed. Predictions of gas hold-up, void fraction and bubble size distributions will be presented and compared to experimental measurements.

Due to the significant interest for bubble columns not only in traditional Chemical Engineering applications, but also in biochemical and biotechnological industries, a set of recommendations to predict the flow behavior accurately and efficiently in bubble columns operating in the conditions under consideration is presented.