CFD analysis on hydrodynamics and residence time distribution in a gas-liquid vortex unit

A gas-liquid vortex unit (GLVU) operates in a centrifugal force field which significantly intensifies the gas-liquid mixing and interphase mass transfer. Experimentally obtaining detailed hydrodynamic information on the flow behavior and mixing process in a GLVU is difficult due to the presence of a highly turbulent liquid layer. In this study, a 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) Euler-Euler model is developed to study hydrodynamics and residence time distribution in a GLVU. The numerical results are validated using experimentally obtained pressure drop measurements and liquid velocity data. The liquid layer is found to rotate in the vortex chamber and suppress the gas phase vortex flow. Near the gas injection slots, the flow behavior is similar as in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR), improving mixing and mass transfer efficiency. Finally, our CFD results show that the use of multiple liquid inlets results in an even more uniform liquid velocity distribution in the vortex unit, which further improves the performance of the GLVU.

Publication year:2022

Accessibility:Open