Computational fluid dynamics - pbm modelling of gas-liquid two-phase flow in bubble column reactors with an improved breakup kernel accounting for bubble shape variations

Abstract

The breakup model developed by Luo and Svendsen (1993) implemented into CFD modelling of gas-liquid two-phase flows assumes that the bubble shapes are spherical. The simulation results usually yield an unreliable prediction of the break-up of very small bubbles. To the best knowledge of the authors, incorporation of the bubble shape variation into the break-up model has been rarely documented. The current study intends to propose and implement an improved bubble breakup model which accounts for variation of bubble shapes when solving the population balance equations for CFD simulation of gas-liquid two-phase flows in bubble columns.