Possibilities and Limits of Application of Electrical Resistance Tomography in Hydrodynamics of Bubble Columns

Abstract

Knowing the hydrodynamic regime in which is working a bubble column is of great importance because the regime affects strongly the mass transfer between the phases. To this end, we examine the potentialities of an Electrical Resistance Tomography (ERT) device. We analyse cross correlation of electrode pair measurements, of neighbouring pixels and power spectra of averaged pixels within a single plane as well as cross correlations of averaged pixels between two planes, without finding a clear signature of the churn turbulent flow. Variable gas flow rate inputs are used to determine the time resolution of the ERT.

Analysis of bubble behaviors in bubble columns using electrical resistance tomography

“…Wang et al [13] developed a new method for identification of flow in a bubble column using electrical resistance tomography. Toye et al [14] examined the potentialities of an electrical resistance tomography device, and found that variable gas flow rate determined the time resolution of the ERT in a bubble column. bubble rise velocity (cm s −1 ) u b mean bubble rise velocity (cm s −1 ) u g gas superficial velocity (cm s −1 ) u L liquid phase velocity (cm s −1 )…”

Applications of tomography in bubble column and trickle bed reactors

“…A variety of techniques have been used to characterize the hold-up including electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) (Bennett, West, Luke, Jia, & Williams, 1999;Cai, Shen, Shen, & Dai, 2010;Warsito & Fan, 2001Warsito, Ohkawa, Kawata, & Uchida, 1999), electrical resistance tomography Ishkintana & Bennington, 2010;Toye et al, 2005;Vijayan, Schlaberg, & Wang, 2007), ultrasonic tomography (Supardan, Masuda, Maezawa, & Uchida, 2007;Utomo, Warsito, Sakai, & Uchida, 2001;Warsito et al, 1999), X-ray or g-ray computed tomography (CT) (Chen et al, 1998;Fischer & Hampel, 2010;Gulati, Behling, Munshi, Luke, & Mewes, 2010;Hubers, Striegel, Heindel, Gray, & Jensen, 2005;Nedeltchev, Shaikh, & Al-Dahhan, Figure 18.1 Schematic diagram illustrating a bubble column reactor. Gas enters the column through a gas distributor or sparger in the base of the column.…”

Bioreactors: Airlift Reactors

“…Thus, the dynamic gas holdup during gas disengagement can be used to provide new insights into the fundamentals of BC behavior. In this way, it becomes possible in principle to interrelate macroscopic properties such surface area, gas-phase residence tune distribution, and intensity of mixing in the liquid phase, even in opaque industrial reactor systems (190,191). Toye et al (191) used this method coupling pressure probes to electric resistance tomography (ERT), producing images that show the difference between Newtonian and non-Newtonian liquids.…”