Abstract Summary (Max 250 words)
The hydrodynamics of Gas-Liquid columns significantly influences both the intensity of mass transfer (kLa) and energy consumption, expressed by specific energy dissipation rate. The balance between these two factors defines the optimal geometry of inserts and optimal regimes. Hydrodynamics of the novel column equipped with swirlers working in parallel and generating unidirectional vortices was studied experimentally and theoretically. From one to four swirlers have been located in various positions of the supporting tray with variations of distance between them, and eight configurations of swirlers’ positions have been compared. The main idea of this work was to study a novel column equipped with swirlers working in parallel and generating unidirectional vortices, intensively interacting one with the other, thus leading to increased turbulent shear stresses and to further improved bubble disintegration and better mass transfer rate. A comparative analysis of a column with parallel swirlers and traditional gas-liquid equipment used in chemical, petrochemical, and biotechnology industries was performed. The maximum value of εav is approximately 70 times higher than that for stirred-tank reactors and up to 100 times higher than that in bubble columns. The obtained data allowed to predict increased gas disintegration efficiency and a higher mass transfer coefficient in Gas-Liquid systems. In our further experimental studies, the influence of liquid and gas flow rates on Gas-Liquid mass transfer characteristics and specific surface area will be performed.
