Predicting gas–liquid flow in a mechanically stirred tank

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) provides a method for investigating the highly complex fluid flow in mechanically stirred tanks. Although there are quite a number of papers in the literature describing CFD methods for modelling stirred tanks, most only consider single-phase flow. However, multiphase mixtures occur very frequently in the process industries, and these are more complex situations for which modelling is not as well developed. This paper reports on progress in developing CFD simulations of gas–liquid mixing in a baffled stirred tank. The model is three-dimensional and the impeller region is explicitly included using a Multiple Frames of Reference method to account for the relative movement between impeller and baffles. Fluid flow is calculated with a turbulent two-fluid model using a finite-volume method. Several alternative treatments of the multiphase equations are possible, including various expressions for drag and dispersion forces, and a number of these have been tested. Variation in bubble size due to coalescence and break-up is also modelled. The CFD simulation method has been used to model a gas-sparged tank equipped with a Rushton turbine, and simulation results are compared with experimental data. Results to date show the correct pattern of gas distribution and the correct trends in local bubble size in the tank. Further work is needed to improve the quantitative agreement with experimental data.     

CFD modeling of hydrodynamic characteristics of a gas–liquid two-phase stirred tank

A three-dimensional CFD model was developed in this work to simulate hydrodynamic characteristics of a gas–liquid two-phase stirred tank with two six-bladed turbines and four baffles, coupling of the Multiple Size Group model to determine bubble size distribution. Important hydrodynamic parameters of the multi-phase system such as volume-averaged overall and time-averaged local gas holdups and axial liquid velocities along time and transversal courses were simulated and analyzed in detail, under varied operating conditions (inlet air flow rate and impeller rotation speed). Model predictions of local transient gas holdup and liquid velocity distributions on vertical and horizontal sections of the tank were also carried out. The overall flow patterns were discussed in detail to assess the mixing. Bubble size distributions were further predicted to reveal the unique properties of gas phase. Experimental measurements of overall gas holdups and local axial liquid velocities were used to validate the developed model.     

Update to the MUSIG model in ANSYS CFX for reliable modelling of bubble coalescence and breakup

The MUSIG (Multiple Size Group) model in the commercial CFD code ANSYS CFX is a population balance approach for describing binary bubble coalescence and breakup events. It is widely used in the simulation of poly-dispersed bubbly flows. The purpose of this work is to identify the internal inconsistencies in the discrete method that is applied for the solution of the population balance equation in MUSIG, and to propose an internally consistent one for discretising the source and sink terms that result from bubble coalescence and breakup. The new formulation is superior to the existing ones in preserving both mass and number density of bubbles, allowing arbitrary discretisation schemes and is free of costly numerical integrations. The numerical results on the evolution of bubble size distributions in bubbly flows reveal that the inconsistency in the original MUSIG regarding bubble breakup is non-negligible for both academic and practical cases. The discussion on the effect of internal inconsistency as well as updates to the model presented in this work are necessary and important for calibration of bubble coalescence and breakup models using the MUSIG approach.     

Capturing coalescence and break-up processes in vertical gas–liquid flows: Assessment of population balance methods

Gas–liquid flows are commonly encountered in industrial flow systems. Numerical studies have been performed to assess the performances of different population balance approaches – direct quadrature method of moments (DQMOMs), average bubble number density (ABND) model and homogeneous MUlti-SIze-Group (MUSIG) model – in tracking the changes of gas void fraction and bubble size distribution under complex flow conditions and to validate the model predictions against experimental measurements from medium- and large-sized vertical pipes. Subject to different gas injection method and flow conditions, bubble size evolution exhibited a coalescence dominant trend in the medium-sized pipe; while bubble break-up was found to be dominant in large-sized pipe. The two experiments were therefore strategically selected for carrying out a thorough examination of existing population balance models in capturing the complicated behaviour of bubble coalescence and break-up. In general, predictions of all the different population balance approaches were in reasonable agreement with experimental data. More importantly, encouraging results have been obtained in adequately capturing the dynamical changes of bubbles size due to bubble interactions and transition from wall peak to core peak gas void fraction profiles. As a compromise between numerical accuracy and computational time, DQMOM has performed rather well in capturing the essential two-phase flow structures within the medium- and large-sized vertical pipes when compared to those of ABND and homogeneous MUSIG models. From a practical perspective, the ABND model may still be considered as a more viable approach for industrial applications of gas–liquid flow systems.     

Chaotic Behavior in Slowly Varying Systems of Nonlinear Differential Equations

A technique is developed to find parameter regions of chaotic behavior in certain systems of nonlinear differential equations with slowly varying periodic coefficients. The technique combines previous results on how to find branches of periodic solutions which terminate with a homoclinic orbit and results on how to find chaotic trajectories in the neighborhood of homoclinic trajectories of the autonomous system. The technique is applied to the continuous stirred tank reaction A → B, for which it is shown that a slowly varying periodic flow rate can yield aperiodic temperature fluctuations.     

多釜串联模型停留时间分布方差的推导

简要分析了理想反应器的特点,并指出现实反应器与理想反应器的区别,介绍了多釜串联模型描述实际反应器的思想.针对多釜串联模型的停留时间分布的计算函数进行逐步的推导,以阶跃法对模型进行分析,采用数学归纳法和分部积分法等方法推导出了多釜串联模型无因次停留时间分布函数表达式;根据停留时间分布密度函数定义,推导出了无因次停留时间分布密度函数的表达式;根据概率中方差的定义,推导出了无因次方差的表达式.     

On Meeting Energy Balance Errors in Co-Simulations

The term co-simulation denotes the coupling of some simulation tools for dynamical systems into one big system by having them exchange data at points of a fixed time grid and extrapolating the received data into the interval, while none of the steps is repeated for iteration. From the global perspective, the simulation thus has a strong explicit component. Frequently, among the data passed across subsystem boundaries there are flows of conserved quantities, and as there is no iteration of steps, system-wide balances may not be fulfilled: the system is not solved as one monolithic equation system. If these balance errors accumulate, simulation results become inaccurate. Balance correction methods which compensate these errors by adding corrections for the balances to the signal in the next coupling time step have been considered in past research. But establishing the balance of one quantity a posteriori due to the time delay in general cannot establish the balances of quantities that depend on the exchanged quantities, usually energy. In most applications from physics, the balance of energy is equivalent to stability. In this paper, a method is presented which allows users to choose the quantity that should be balanced to be that energy, and to accurately balance it. This establishes also numerical stability for many classes of stable problems.     

Feedback flow control employing local dynamical modelling with wavelets

In this paper, we utilize wavelet transform to obtain dynamical models describing the behaviour of fluid flow in a local spatial region of interest. First, snapshots of the flow are obtained from experiments or from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of the governing equations. A wavelet family and decomposition level is selected by assessing the reconstruction success under the resulting inverse transform. The flow is then expanded onto a set of basis vectors that are constructed from the wavelet function. The wavelet coefficients associated with the basis vectors capture the time variation of the flow within the spatial region covered by the support of the basis vectors. A dynamical model is established for these coefficients by using subspace identification methods. The approach developed is applied to a sample flow configuration on a square domain where the input affects the system through the boundary conditions. It is observed that there is good agreement between CFD simulation results and the predictions of the dynamical model. A controller is designed based on the dynamical model and is seen to be successful in regulating the velocity of a given point within the region of interest.     

Computational fluid dynamics and experimental study of the hydrodynamics of a gas–solid tapered fluidized bed

In the present work, experimental and numerical studies for the hydrodynamics in a gas–solid tapered fluidized bed have been carried out. The experimental results obtained by carrying out experiments in a tapered fluidized bed for glass bead (spherical) of 2.0 mm and dolomite (non-spherical particles) of 2.215 mm in diameter, were compared with the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation results, using a commercial CFD software package, Fluent. The gas–solid flow was simulated using the Eulerian–Eulerian model and applying the kinetic theory of granular flow for solid particles. The Gidaspow drag model was used to calculate the gas–solid momentum exchange coefficients. Pressure drops predicted by the CFD simulations agreed reasonably well with experimental measurements for both types (spherical and non-spherical) of particles. Good agreement was also obtained between experimental and CFD predicted bed expansion ratios for both types of particles. Present study provides a useful basis for further works on the CFD of tapered fluidized bed.     

Codimension-two bifurcation analysis of the continuous stirred tank reactor model with delay

The aim of this paper is to research the dynamical behaviors of the continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) model with delay. Firstly, we discuss the situation that its related characteristic equation has a simple zero root and a pair of purely imaginary roots. Secondly, the center manifold method and the normal form method are used to reduce the equation of CSTR model. Finally, some characteristics about the CSTR model can be obtained. We analyze three different topological structure and give entire bifurcation diagrams and phase portraits, which are innovative phenomenon. At the end, we obtain the stable and unstable periodic solutions by numerical simulation.     

Lattice Boltzmann simulation of convective heat transfer of non-Newtonian fluids in impeller stirred tank

Lattice Boltzmann simulation of convective heat transfer of non-Newtonian fluids in an impeller stirred tank is performed. The curved and moving boundary methods combined with the unknown-index algorithm are used to solve the flow and thermal fields induced in a cold tank by an oscillating hot impeller. For a given maximum radius of the blades, the simulation results show that a rectangular impeller of large aspect ratio induces stronger heat transfer effect on the tank walls than the small aspect ratio. This is because the latter would cause worse field synergy than the former, i.e. the induced local velocities of fluid are mostly perpendicular to the temperature gradients. The convection effects on the tank walls are also improved as the oscillation amplitude of impeller increases until the swept areas of impeller are close to whole azimuth of the tank, i.e., oscillation amplitude of 90°. The maximum Nusselt number on the tank walls for power-law fluid flows of n = 0.7, 1 and 1.5 occurs at oscillation amplitude of 75°. Finally, it is found that the heat transfer effect on the tank walls is reduced as the power-law index of fluid increases.     

Numerical modelling of bubbly flows with and without heat and mass transfer

In this paper, modelling gas–liquid bubbly flows is achieved by the introduction of a population balance equation combined with the three-dimensional two-fluid model. For gas–liquid bubbly flows without heat and mass transfer, an average bubble number density transport equation has been incorporated in the commercial code CFX5.7 to better describe the temporal and spatial evolution of the geometrical structure of the gas bubbles. The coalescence and breakage effects of the gas bubbles are modelled according to the coalescence by the random collisions driven by turbulence and wake entrainment while for bubble breakage by the impact of turbulent eddies. Local radial distributions of the void fraction, interfacial area concentration, bubble Sauter mean diameter, and gas and liquid velocities, are compared against experimental data in a vertical pipe flow. Satisfactory agreements for the local distributions are achieved between the predictions and measurements. For gas–liquid bubbly flows with heat and mass transfer, boiling flows at subcooled conditions are considered. Based on the formulation of the MUSIG (multiple-size-group) boiling model and a model considering the forces acting on departing bubbles at the heated surface implemented in the computer code CFX4.4, comparison of model predictions against local measurements is made for the void fraction, bubble Sauter mean diameter, interfacial area concentration, and gas and liquid velocities covering a range of different mass and heat fluxes and inlet subcooling temperatures. Good agreement is achieved with the local radial void fraction, bubble Sauter mean diameter, interfacial area concentration and liquid velocity profiles against measurements. However, significant weakness of the model is evidenced in the prediction of the vapour velocity. Work is in progress through the consideration of additional momentum equations or developing an algebraic slip model to account for the effects of bubble separation.     

Dynamics of droplets in an agitated dispersion with multiple breakage. Part I: formulation of the model and physical consistency

In (Proc. Symp. Lectures Appl. Math. 2000; 123–141) a new model for the evolution of a system of droplets dispersed in an agitated liquid was presented, with the inclusion of the so‐called volume scattering effect (a combination of coalescence and breakage). In that paper droplets breakage was considered to be binary, in order to simplify exposition. Here we remove that limitation, investigating the effect of each breakage mode and of scattering with multiple exits. We also allow the breakage kernel, at each mode, to become singular when droplets approach their finite maximum admissible size. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Computational modelling of bubbles,droplets and particles in metals reduction and refining

A multi-phase framework is typically required for the CFD modelling of metals reduction processes. Such processes typically involve the interaction of liquid metals, a gas (often air) top space, liquid droplets in the top space and injection of both solid particles and gaseous bubbles into the bath. The exchange of mass, momentum and energy between the phases is fundamental to these processes. Multi-phase algorithms are complex and can be unreliable in terms of either or both convergence behaviour or in the extent to which the physics is captured. In this contribution, we discuss these multi-phase flow issues and describe an example of each of the main “single phase” approaches to modelling this class of problems (i.e., Eulerian–Lagrangian and Eulerian–Eulerian). Their utility is illustrated in the context of two problems – one involving the injection of sparging gases into a steel continuous slab caster and the other based on the development of a novel process for aluminium electrolysis. In the steel caster, the coupling of the Lagrangian tracking of the gas phase with the continuum enables the simulation of the transient motion of the metal–flux interface. The model of the electrolysis process employs a novel method for the calculation of slip velocities of oxygen bubbles, resulting from the dissolution of alumina, which allows the efficiency of the process to be predicted.     

Development of POD reduced-order model and its closure scheme for 2D Rayleigh–Bénard convection

Reduced-order model (ROM) based on proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is a fast computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method and has been widely applied to pure flow or heat conduction problems in the past. In this paper, the typical 2D Rayleigh–Bénard convection (RBC) in a square cavity was set as a research target. Firstly, the POD-ROM of 2D RBC problem was constructed at Ra = 10⁷, Pr = 0.71. Combining with direct numerical simulation (DNS) databases, a closure model (CM) was then proposed to correct the evolution process of POD-ROM. Based on the proposed CM, we realized the prediction of flow evolution for a new flow case under the parameters different from that used to get its POD eigenmodes. It showed that the proposed POD-ROM with CM could be able to predict the dynamics of new flow cases. Moreover, the corresponding method proposed in the present study can be also easily extended to other types of flow-heat coupling problems, such as natural heat convection, etc.     

风速影响回风换热器换热性能数值仿真及实验研究

针对回风速度对矿井回风换热器换热性能的影响,建立了回风与液滴气液两相流之间热质交换的数学模型,利用CFD仿真软件FLUENT模拟回风速度分别为5 m/s,8 m/s,10 m/s,12 m/s和15 m/s时制热和制冷两种工况下液滴温度的变化,得出了回风速度对回风换热器换热性能的影响规律,最后利用实验测试了制热工况下风速对液滴温度变化的影响,得出的实验结果与仿真结果比较吻合.     

Mathematical modeling of the argon oxygen decarburization converter exhaust gas system at the reduction stage

For metallurgical processes, many problems relate to the combination of very large computing domain, chemical reaction, and radiation, high turbulent and multiphase flow, which causes difficulties in the implementation of mathematical modeling. This paper describes the CFD simulation of the complex turbulent exhaust gas flow in an argon oxygen decarburization (AOD) converter in the metallurgical industry combining with species transfer, combustion, and radiation. Some details are explained in order to obtain a fast and good convergence to solve this sort of high non-linear problem. The influence on the simulation result of selecting different species as the last species in the species transfer model is discussed in this paper. The influence of argon blowing rate from bottom tuyeres on the gas flow pattern in the system is also investigated. Although it is very difficult to fully verify the simulated results in the industry at this moment, some of measured data in the factory agree well with the calculation.     

Fluid-structure interaction in porous media for loaded filter pleats

Currently, the known simulation efforts with respect to fluid-structure interaction (FSI) are mainly restricted to the study of flow interacting with deformable solid bodies. On the other hand, there is extensive literature on simulation of flow through porous media. In particular, algorithms and software for CFD simulations of filtration processes in the case of rigid filtration medium were presented earlier by Fraunhofer ITWM, see, e.g., [1, 2]. In these papers the deformation of the solid skeleton is neglected. In many cases of water filtration, filtration for hydraulic applications, and even in certain air filtration regimes, the fluid pressure can be quite high, and the deformation of the pleats can be an issue. The deflection of pleats and its effect on the filtration process merits examination because under operating conditions (and especially after a partial loading of the media) the pleats often cannot be anymore considered as rigid porous media. Therefore, in this paper, the deflection is considered for clean media, as well as for partially loaded media. A new model describing the coupled flow and deformation, and corresponding numerical results are presented. (© 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Hydrodynamic assist and the dynamic contact angle in the coalescence of liquid drops

^** Email: decentsp{at}for.mat.bham.ac.uk The coalescence of two viscous liquid drops in an inviscid gasor in a vacuum is studied using the interface formation model.In the very early stages of coalescence during the formationof the ‘liquid-bridge’ connecting the two drops,this model predicts a moving contact line and a dynamic contactangle. This paper examines the dynamic evolution of this contactangle, and for small Reynolds number and small Capillary number,relevant particularly in micro-fluidics, a non-linear differentialequation is derived for the contact angle and solved computationally.It is found that the contact angle evolution can only be evaluatedby determining information about the flow away from the contactline. This is a manifestation of so-called hydrodynamic assist,studied experimentally in the context of curtain coating byBlake et al. (1999 Experimental evidence of non-local hydrodynamicinfluence on the dynamic contact angle. Phys. Fluids, 11, 1995–2007).For small Capillary number and small Reynolds number, the free-surfaceevolution is determined for the coalescence of two cylindersof equal radius. Finally, some comments are made on experimentsin coalescence, as well as on issues arising in a computationalsolution of the full model described here.