Flow characteristics, such as flow pattern, gas holdup, and bubble size distribution, in an internal loop reactor with external liquid circulation, are simulated to investigate the influence of reactor internals by using the computational fluid dynamics （CFD）-population balance equations （PBE） coupled model. Numerical results reveal that introducing a downcomer tube and a draft tube can help to improve the mass and heat transfer of the reactor through enhanced liquid circulation, increased gas holdup and reduced bubble diameter. The hydrodynamic behavior in the internal loop reactor with external liquid circulation can be managed effectively by adjusting the diameter and axial position of the draft tube.
The computational fluid dynamics （CFD）-population balance equations （PBE） coupled model is employed to investigate the hydrodynamics in a gas-slurry internal loop reactor with external slurry circulation. The predicted radial profiles of local gas holdup and bubble diameter are in good agreement with the corresponding experimental data. The spatio-temporal velocity profile of the gas phase reveals that the upward movement of gas is slowed down and the residence time of gas is prolonged by the downward momentum of the slurry, introduction of the external slurry can greatly improve the uniformity of gas holdup distribution in the reactor, especially in the downcomer-tube action region. Moreover, the interaction between the downward slurry and upward gas can lead to small bubble size and high interfacial area as well as good mass and heat transfer. The above results suggest the function of external slurry circulation for the internal loop reactor and would be helpful for optimizing the design and scale up of reactors.
A computational fluid dynamics （CFD） model is used to investigate the hydrodynamics of a gas-solid fluidized bed with two vertical jets. Sand particles with a density of 2660 kg/m3 and a diameter of 5.0 × 10^-4 m are employed as the solid phase. Numerical computation is carried out in a 0.57 m ×1.00 m two-dimensional bed using a commercial CFD code, CFX 4.4, together with user-defined Fortran subroutines. The applicability of the CFD model is validated by predicting the bed pressure drop in a bubbling fluidized bed, and the jet detachment time and equivalent bubble diameter in a fluidized bed with a single jet. Subsequently, the model is used to explore the hydrodynamics of two vertical jets in a fluidized bed. The computational results reveal three flow patterns, isolated, merged and transitional jets, depending on the nozzle separation distance and jet gas velocity and influencing significantly the solid circulation pattern. The jet penetration depth is found to increase with increasing jet gas velocity, and can be predicted reasonably well by the correlations of Hong et al. （2003） for isolated jets and of Yang and Keairns （1979） for interacting jets.
