Dispersed multiphase flows approach

With a Eulerian-Lagrangian approach, processes occurring at the particle surface can be modeled when simulating particle trajectories (for example, the process of dissolution or evaporation can be simulated). However, as the volume fraction of dispersed phase increases, the Eulerian-Lagrangian approach becomes increasingly computation intensive. A Eulerian-Eulerian approach more efficiently simulate such dispersed multiphase flows. 

The fluid dynamics of bubble column reactors is very complex and several different CFD models may have to be used to address critical reactor engineering issues. The application of various approaches to modeling dispersed multiphase flows, namely, Eulerian-Eulerian, Eulerian-Lagrangian and VOF approaches to simulate flow in a loop reactor, is discussed in Chapter 9 (Section 9.4). In this chapter, some examples of the application of these three approaches to simulating gas-liquid flow bubble columns are discussed. Before that, basic equations and boundary conditions used to simulate flow in bubble columns are briefly discussed. 

The second great limitation of CFD is dispersed, multiphase flows. Multiphase flows are common in industry, and consequently their simulation is of great interest. Like turbulent flows, multiphase flows (which may also be turbulent in one or more phases) are solutions to the equations of motion, and direct numerical simulation has been applied to them (Miller and Bellan, 2000). However, practical multiphase flow problems require a modeling approach. The models, however, tend to ignore or at best simplify many of the important details of the flow, such as droplet or particle shape and their impact on interphase mass, energy, and momentum transport, the impact of deformation rate on droplet breakup and coalescence, and the formation of macroscopic structures within the dispersed phase (Sundaresan et al., 1998). 

These three approaches will now first be discussed in some detail this leads to an intermediate conclusion with respect to the dominating role of fluid-particle interaction in the development of mesoscale structures. On this basis of this conviction, the main body of this chapter will be devoted to fluid-particle interaction in dispersed multiphase flows and a proper description of the forces involved. 

In the complete Eulerian description of multiphase flows, the dispersed phase may well be conceived as a second continuous phase that interpenetrates the real continuous phase, the carrier phase this approach is often referred to as two-fluid formulation. The resulting simultaneous presence of two continua is taken into account by their respective volume fractions. All other variables such as velocities need to be averaged, in some way, in proportion to their presence various techniques have been proposed to that purpose leading, however, to different formulations of the continuum equations. The method of ensemble averaging (based on a statistical average of individual realizations) is now generally accepted as most appropriate. 

For multiphase systems a rough distinction can be made between systems with separated flows and those with dispersed flows. This classification is not only important from a physical point of view but also from a computational perspective since for each class different computational approaches are required. For multiphase systems involving multiphase flow both Eulerian, mixed Eulerian-Lagrangian, and two-material free surface methods can be used. An excellent review on models and numerical methods for multiphase flow has been presented by Stewart and Wendroff (1984). A similar review with emphasis on dilute gas-particle flows has been presented by Crowe (1982). 

Multiphase flows involving dispersed phases (particles, droplets or bubbles) using mixed Eulerian-Lagrangian approaches both with one-way and two-way coupling... 

The first approach, which considers a single phase, proposes conventional multiphase flow models, such as ideal flow, dispersion, and residence time distribution models. The second approach, which takes into account two phases as bubble and emulsion, suggests different governing equations for each phase and considers a term for describing mass interchange between the two phases. 

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