Journal of Chemical Engineering & Process Technology
Open Access

Abstract

Local Analysis of CO₂ Chemisorption in a Rectangular Bubble Column Using a Multiphase Euler-Euler CFD Code

Hlawitschka MW, Drefenstedt S and Bart HJ

Hydrodynamics and reaction process phenomena in bubble column reactors are complex and intrinsic interlinked and not fully understood. To obtain a better understanding, for the first time, a multiphase Euler-Euler solver is developed and validated to experimental data for the absorption of carbon dioxide in water offering the possibility of detailed temporal local and spatial analysis. The open source CFD tool OpenFOAM® with the multiphase solver multiphase Euler Foam is extended: (i) an absorption model was implemented, enabling absorption from different bubble size or phases to the liquid (ii) a chemical reaction model accounts for any number of reactions. The extensions were validated based on literature data and own experimental results at higher pH-value. The simulation results show a satisfactory agreement to experimental and simulative data from literature as well as to own experiments concerning bubble velocity, concentrations and pH profiles