Flow patterns general dispersion

Many times solids are present in one or more phases of a solid-hquid system. They add a certain level of complexity in the process, especially if they tend to be a part of both phases, as they normally will do. Approximate methods need to be worked out to estimate the density of the emulsion and determine the overall velocity of the flow pattern so that proper evaluation of the suspension requirements can be made. In general, the solids will behave as though they were a fluid of a particular average density and viscosity and won t care much that there is a two-phase dispersion going on in the system. However, if solids are being dissolved or precipitated by participating in one phase and not the other, then they will be affected by which phase is dispersed or continuous, and the process will behave somewhat differently than if the solids migrate independently between the two phases within the process. 

Table 7-4 shows flow patterns and applications of some commercially available impellers. Generally, the axial flow pattern is most suitable for flow sensitive operation such as blending, heat transfer, and solids suspension, while the radial flow pattern is ideal for dispersion operations that require higher shear levels than are provided by axial flow impellers. Myers et al. [5] have described a selection of impellers with applications. Further details on selection are provided by Uhl and Gray [6], Gates et al. [7], Hicks et al. [8] and Dickey [9]. 

External jackets, 326-328 Helical coils, 312, 326, 327 Vertical coils, 326, 327 Mixing impellers, 290-297 Anchor, 290-329 Blending, 324, 326 Characteristic curves, 306 Chart to examine turbine applications, 296 Efficiency of propellers, 299 Flow of propellers. 298, 299 Flow patterns, 309-312 Gas-Liquid contacting, 324, 326 General list impellers, 291 Helical, 290, 329 Liquid-liquid dispersion, 326 Multiple, 297... 

As a further disadvantage, it is known concerning operation in many parallel micro channels that mixed flow patterns and even drying of the channels can occur [9, 10]. This comes from phase maldistribution to the channels. To overcome this problem, first solutions for phase equipartition have been proposed recently, but so far have not been applied for the mixers described here, but instead for mini-packed reactors, having feed sections similar to the mixers [11,12]. Nevertheless, numbering-up of dispersive-acting micro devices generally seems to be more complicated than for two-phase contactors (see Section 5.1.1). 

In most adsorption processes the adsorbent is contacted with fluid in a packed bed. An understanding of the dynamic behavior of such systems is therefore needed for rational process design and optimization. What is required is a mathematical model which allows the effluent concentration to be predicted for any defined change in the feed concentration or flow rate to the bed. The flow pattern can generally be represented adequately by the axial dispersed plug-flow model, according to which a mass balance for an element of the column yields, for the basic differential equation governing llie dynamic behavior,... 

In recent years a great deal of applied research has centered on the study of problems related to the environment and environmental processes. In some of these studies, radiotracers have been used as primary tools to measure the dynamics of many physical and biological processes. In the best studies, the use of radiotracers to measure flow patterns, dispersion, and similar features is closely coupled to tests of theoretical models of the processes involved. This modeling is important because in environmental studies the experimental conditions are difficult to control and, in general, only a few of the many possible conditions in a given experiment will be sampled. Therefore, it is important to have some way (i.e., a model) to correlate experimental results measured under special conditions to general statements regarding an environmental process. 

The importance of dispersion and its influence on flow pattern and conversion in homogeneous reactors has already been studied in Chapter 2. The role of dispersion, both axial and radial, in packed bed reactors will now be considered. A general account of the nature of dispersion in packed beds, together with details of experimental results and their correlation, has already been given in Volume 2, Chapter 4. Those features which have a significant effect on the behaviour of packed bed reactors will now be summarised. The equation for the material balance in a reactor will then be obtained for the case where plug flow conditions are modified by the effects of axial dispersion. Following this, the effect of simultaneous axial and radial dispersion on the non-isothermal operation of a packed bed reactor will be discussed. 

Taylor-Flow Microreactors Taylor-flow microreactors contain a dispersing mixing element for gas and liquid streams, typically of Tand Y shapes, followed by a reaction channel for the segmented gas-liquid flow, often of quite extended length, as the Taylor flow is dominant in typical flow-pattern maps [230,248-250]. In general, all Taylor-flow microreactors can induce other flow patterns as well as the ones mentioned above. 

Several sophisticated techniques and data analysis methodologies have been developed to measure the RTD of industrial reactors (see, for example, Shinnar, 1987). Various different types of models have been developed to interpret RTD data and to use it further to predict the influence of non-ideal behavior on reactor performance (Wen and Fan, 1975). Most of these models use ideal reactors as the building blocks (except the axial dispersion model). Combinations of these ideal reactors with or without by-pass and recycle are used to simulate observed RTD data. To select an appropriate model for a reactor, the actual flow pattern and its dependence on reactor hardware and operating protocol must be known. In the absence of detailed quantitative models to predict the flow patterns, selection of a model is often carried out based on a qualitative understanding of flow patterns and an analysis of observed RTD data. It must be remembered that more than one model may fit the observed RTD data. A general philosophy is to select the simplest model which adequately represents the physical phenomena occurring in the actual reactor. 

Irandoust and Andersson [134] described the modeling of three major flow patterns single-phase flow, cross flow, and two-phase flow. Work on monoliths has been performed with single-phase flow and the main issues for this type of flow are pressure drop, entrance effects, axial dispersion, and mass and heat transfer. The catalyst effectiveness is generally mass-transfer limited. 

An often used gas-liquid reactor is the bubble column. The gas is usually fed from the bottom through a sparger and the liquid flows either cocurrently or counter-currently. Counter-current operation is more efficient than co-current, but for certain types of parallel reactions, cocurrent operation can give better selectivity. Bubble columns are often operated in semi-batch mode the gas bubbles through the liquid. This mode of operation is attractive in the production of fine chemicals which are produced in small quantities - especially in the case of slow reactions. The flow patterns can vary a lot in a bubble column. Generally, as a rule of thumb, the liquid phase is more back-mixed than the gas phase. The plug flow model is suitable for the gas phase whereas the liquid phase can be modelled with the backmixed, dispersion, or plug flow model. 

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