Improvement of techniques for the fluid dynamic characterization of bubble columns at macro and meso scales

• Grant number: 25/00445-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Industrial Operations and Equipment for Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Gabriela Cantarelli Lopes
• Grantee: Matheus Molina Rodrigues
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Bubble columns are devices in which a gas is continuously injected by a distributor and permeates a liquid or slurry, which may be static or in motion. This gas is dispersed in the liquid in the form of bubbles, promoting intimate contact between the gaseous and liquid phases. Because of their good selectivity and conversion, low cost and easy construction, bubble column reactors are used in several industrial processes, such as Fischer Tropsch synthesis, methanol and dimethyl ether production, biological waste treatment, production of aliphatic and aromatic chlorinated compounds, among others. However, they have complex fluid dynamics and the geometric and operational characteristics of these reactors can influence the shape and distribution of the bubbles, directly affecting the process. Since the design and operation of these reactors depend on knowledge of the interaction between phases at different scales, this project proposes the study and improvement of measurement techniques at macro and meso scales, seeking to propose and implement low-cost procedures that allow the study of the influence of geometric parameters and operational conditions on flow patterns. At the macro scale, techniques for measuring global holdup will be evaluated. At the meso scale, procedures for evaluating the diameter, shape, velocity and dispersion of bubbles will be planned. The aim is to implement accessible techniques and tools for studying flow in bubble columns, but which allow an evaluation of the flow at different scales.