Eulerian Approach to CFD Analysis of a Bubble Column Reactor – A Review

Abstract

- Bubble Column Reactors (BCR) / Slurry Bubble Column Reactors (SBCR) have many advantageous characteristics as such they are used in numerous industrial applications. This work reviews the Eulerian Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) approach when analysing BCR/ SBCRs. Several studies have been reviewed which vary parameters such as the reactor design, superficial gas velocity, pressure, CFD models (drag, turbulence), particle concentration, and phase material to investigate their effects on the reactor’s performance in terms of hydrodynamics or heat transfer. This review indicates that using a Eulerian CFD model can accurately predict the BCR/SBCR’s performance. Key findings include that increasing the superficial gas velocity, column pressure, and gas phase density increases the gas holdup. Gas holdup is unevenly distributed in the BCR where most of the gas holdup is in the centre of the column. Increasing solid particles decreases the bubble breakup rate and gas holdup. Furthermore, it was concluded that increasing the superficial gas velocity increases the average slurry temperature and volumetric heat transfer. However, decreasing the column height increases the slurry temperature and volumetric heat transfer.