Hydrodynamics and mass transfer of gas-liquid flow in micropacked bed reactors with metal foam packing

摘要

Hydrodynamics and mass transfer of gas-liquid flow such as pressure drop, liquid holdup, and gas-liquid mass-transfer coefficient in micropacked bed reactors (mu PBRs) with metal foam packing are investigated with an automated platform. Parametric studies are conducted varying gas and liquid superficial velocities, pore diameters of foam packing, and liquid physical properties. Experimental results show that mu PBRs with foam packing have comparative mass transfer rate and 10 times lower pressure drop compared to the microparticles. The values of mass-transfer coefficient for three types of foam packing in mu PBRs are 1-2 orders of magnitude larger than those in large-scale trickle bed reactors with foam packing. Furthermore, empirical correlations of pressure drop, liquid holdup, and gas-liquid mass-transfer coefficient in mu PBRs with foam packing are proposed and the predicted values are found to be in good agreement with the experimental values.