Numerical simulations of the spread of point‐source liquid spills in inclined and rolling rectangular packed beds

Abstract

Liquid spreading in thin rectangular vertical/inclined and oscillating porous media was simulated using a two-fluid dynamic model as a preliminary step in the design of fixed-bed reactors dedicated to marine applications. The model assessed the influence of capillary pressure and mechanical dispersion forces arising from the spatial inhomogeneity of point-source liquid injections in packed beds with different particle sizes, liquid and gas flow rates, liquid viscosity, static bed tilts, and rolling amplitudes and periods. In mildly static inclined beds, the lateral gravity force component and the capillary pressure force were the main factors affecting the liquid spreading. However, at considerable bed inclinations, the liquid phase accumulation in the lowermost regions of the packed bed tended to shrink the liquid spreading. Dynamic oscillatory evolutions of the liquid spills in the rolling bed enlarged the liquid spreading length as compared to the static vertical bed due to combined lateral liquid flow and increased liquid residence time.