Application of a 3D two-phase CFD code to simulate an RDC column

Abstract Two-phase flow in an RDC colum is investigated with the methods of Computational Fluid Dynamics. An advanced model allows for the detailed description of the essentially multidimensional dispersed liquid-liquid flow in the extraction column. As the result of the hydrodynamics calculation velocity fields and the local distribution of volume fraction (holdup) for both phases are obtained. Deeper understanding of the extraction process can be gained from these informations. Fur-theron, the results of the multidimensional flow calculation my be used to comput global quantities like Sherwood numbers or dispersion coefficients. Thus the multidimensional approach can give both insight in the details of the flow and supply information required in the “classical” one-dimensional methods of column design.