Investigation of interfacial area and void fraction in upward, cocurrent gas‐liquid flow

Interfacial area was measured in cocurrent, gas-liquid upward flow through a vertical, 2.54 cm I.D. and 2.67 m long tube by absorption of CO2 diluted in air into aqueous sodium hydroxide solution. Void fraction and pressure drop were also measured for superficial liquid velocities up to 1.3 m/s. Although the interfacial area exhibited a maximum and minimum with increasing superficial gas velocities at relatively high liquid flow rates as in previous experiments, several significant differences were found. Since the dissipation parameters proposed in the past to correlate interfacial area were found to be less than satisfactory, a new empirical relation is proposed, which can correlate most of the present data within ± 20%. On a mcsure la surface intcrfaciale en ecoulement ascendant gaz-liquide a cocourant dans un tube de 234 cm de diametre interieur et de 2,67 m de long, par absorption de CO2 dilue dans l'air dans une solution d'hydroxyde de sodium aqueux. On a egalement mesure la fraction de vide et la perte de charge pour des vitesses liquides superficielles allant jusqu'a 1.3 m/s. Bien que la surface interfaciale montre un maximum et un minimum avec l'accroissement des vitesses de gaz superficielles a des debits liquides relativement eleves, plusieurs differences importantes ont ete remarquees. Ixs parametres de dissipation proposes dans le passe pour la correation de la surface interfaciale s'etant averes insatisfaisants, on propose une nouvelle relation enipirique, capable de correler la plupart des donnCes actuelles avec une erreur inferieure a 20%.

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