Heat transfer in three-phase fluidization and bubble-columns with high gas holdups

Journal Article · Sun Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · AIChE Journal (American Institute of Chemical Engineers); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/aic.690390817· OSTI ID:5782021

Kumar, S; Kusakabe, K; Fan, L S ^[1]

---

1. Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

Bubble column and three-phase fluidized bed reactors have wide applications in biotechnological and petroleum processes (Deckwer, 1985; Fan, 1989). In such biotechnological processes as fermentation and waste water treatment, small bubbles of oxygen and/or nitrogen are introduced in the column to enhance oxygen transfer and to ensure the stability of immobilized cell particles. In addition, tiny bubbles are produced during the biological process due to the production of surface active compounds. The presence of these small bubbles causes an increase in the gas holdup of the system. High gas holdups are also characteristics of industrial processes such as coal liquefaction and hydrotreating of residual oils. Good understanding of the transport properties of three-phase fluidized beds with high gas holdups is essential to the design, control and optimum operations of the commercial reactors employed in the above-mentioned processes. Heat-transfer studies in three-phase fluidized beds have been reviewed recently by Kim and Laurent (1991). Past studies focused primarily on the measurements of time-averaged heat transfer from the column wall to bed (Chiu and Ziegler 1983; Muroyama et al., 1986) or on immersed heating objects to bed (Baker et al., 1978; Kato et al., 1984) in aqueous systems. Recently, Kumar et al. (1992) provided a mechanistic understanding of the heat transfer in bubbly-liquid and liquid-solid systems. The purpose of this work is to investigate the heat transfer in a three-phase fluidized bed under high gas holdup conditions. The associated hydrodynamic behavior of the system is also studied.

• OSTI ID: 5782021
• Journal Information: AIChE Journal (American Institute of Chemical Engineers); (United States), Journal Name: AIChE Journal (American Institute of Chemical Engineers); (United States) Vol. 39:8; ISSN 0001-1541; ISSN AICEAC
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420400* -- Engineering-- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow
ALKANES
BIOTECHNOLOGY
BUBBLES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COAL LIQUEFACTION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY TRANSFER
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDIZATION
FLUIDIZED BEDS
HEAT TRANSFER
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
KINETICS
LIQUEFACTION
METHANE
MULTIPHASE FLOW
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM REFINERIES
SURFACTANTS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WATER TREATMENT