Hydrodynamic and Mass Transfer Properties in a Three Phase External Loop Airlift Compared with a Three Phase Internal Loop Airlift and a Slurry Bubble Column

The effects of suspended solid particles on the hydrodynamic and mass transfer properties were experimentally studied in a wide range of the superficial gas velocity, solid particle property and liquid viscosity in an external loop airlift bubble column in comparison with those in an internal loop airlift bubble column as well as a normal bubble column. The circulating liquid velocities UL, gas holdups G and volumetric gas liquid oxygen transfer coefficients kLa in the riser of the external loop airlift were found to be almost unaffected by the completely suspended solid particles. The above three properties obtained could be represented by our previous correlations for the gas-liquid two phase flow within an accuracy of ± 30% for a practical reactor design and operation. The analogous results were obtained on the G and kLa data in the three phase normal and internal loop airlift bubble columns, although a small amount of suspended solid particles was observed to cause a slight decrease in these values in contrast to a lower or negligible decrease in those of the three phase external loop airlift