Mass transfer slug-dispersed flow

The mass transfer performance of a caterpillar micromixer under slug-dispersed flow regime is given in Table 7.10. The fine dispersion results in very high specific interfacial area leading to as high as 2.25 s. ... 

Hydraulic design aims at the realization of an intensive heat and mass transfer. For two-phase gas-liquid or gas-solid systems, the choice is between different regimes, such as dispersed bubbly flow, slug flow, churn-turbulent flow, dense-phase transport, dilute-phase transport, etc. 

The wide applications of Taylor flow for reactions and separations come from its stability and ability to provide well-defined high specific interfacial area. The recirculation within the liquid slugs improves heat and mass transfer from liquid to wall and interfacial mass transfer from gas to liquid [26]. It reduces axial dispersion and enhances radial mixing. The radial mixing can further be enhanced using meandering channels as shown in Figure 7.6c [27]. 

Table 7.10 Mass transfer literature on slug-dispersed and dispersed flow. ...

Important characteristics of Mode I of operation closely relate to the bubble flow patterns which are coalesced bubble flow, dispersed bubble flow, slug flow, and transitional flow. The exact definition of these regimes is rather subjective and is frequently the result of visual observations. These flow patterns determine many of the properties of cocurrent three phase fluidized beds such as porosity, bubble characteristics, mixing, heat and mass transfer. The specific values of these properties, their changes and their interdependence with respect to the flow patterns is covered in the following sections of this review. 

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