CIRCULATION MODEL FOR ABSORPTION AND DISPERSION IN COCURRENT BUBBLE-COLUMNS

Liquid circulation and a finite entrance zone are accounted for in modeling gas absorption into cocurrent flows of pure oxygen and CMC solutions. The new models lead to a Taylor-like correction factor to account for circulation in both absorption and transient dispersion experiments. Steady-state experiments for viscosities of 1, 12, 25 and 50 mPa.s were conducted by measuring dissolved gas concentration profiles along the column axis. Liquid mixing experiments were performed using the transient acid-base neutralization method, leading to measured values of axial dispersion coefficients which depended on viscosity to the power 0. 75. Measurements suggest that circulation was minuscule owing to uniform gas injection by Flexisparger in the present column.