Experimental study and numerical simulation with a coupled CFD–PBM model of the effect of liquid viscosity in a bubble column

Abstract The effect of liquid viscosity on the hydrodynamic behavior in a bubble column was investigated by experimental study and numerical simulation with a coupled CFD–PBM (population balance model) model. The total gas holdup and volume fractions of small and large bubbles were determined by the dynamic gas disengagement method. In the low viscosity range, the total gas holdup and the volume fractions of small and large bubbles were almost independent of the liquid viscosity. In the high viscosity range, an increased viscosity gave a decrease in the total gas holdup and volume fraction of small bubbles and an increase in the volume fraction of large bubbles. The simulation captured these features and showed that when the liquid viscosity was

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