The most of past studies in foaming trickle bed reactors aimed at the
improvement of efficiency and operational parameters leads to high economic
advantages. Conventionally most of the industries rely on frequently used gas
continuous flow (GCF) where operational output is satisfactory but not yields
efficiently as in pulsing flow (PF) and foaming pulsing flow (FPF).
Hydrodynamic characteristics like regime transitions are significantly
influenced by foaming nature of liquid as well as gas and liquid flow rates.
This study?s aim was to demonstrate experimentally the effects of liquid flow
rate, gas flow rates and liquid surface tension on regime transition. These
parameters were analyzed for the air-aqueous Sodium Lauryl Sulphate and
air-water systems. More than 240 experiments were done to obtain the
transition boundary for trickle flow (GCF) to foaming pulsing flow (PF/FPF)
by use excessive foaming 15-60 ppm surfactant compositions. The trickle to
pulse flow transition appeared at lower gas and liquid flow rates with
decrease in liquid surface tension. All experimental data had been collected
and drawn in the form of four different transitional plots which are compared
and drawn by using flow coordinates proposed by different researchers. A
prominent decrease in dynamic liquid saturation was observed especially
during regime transitional change. The reactor two phase pressure evident a
sharp rise to verify the regime transition shift from GCF to PF/FPF. Present
study reveals, the regime transition boundary significantly influenced by any
change in hydrodynamic as well as physiochemical properties including surface
tension.
Trickle/pulse flow regime transition in downflow packed tower involving foaming liquids
