Hydrodynamic causes and effects of air bubbles rising in very viscous media

Abstract

Detailed understanding of two-phase gas liquid flows is imperative for developing efficient multi-phase reactors through precise control of mixing and reaction kinetics. The bubble column is a good apparatus for elementary studies of such flows. In the current study experiments are conducted to assess the effect of liquid viscosity on flow dynamics inside a bubble column. Corn oil and water are used as the continuous media, and air was the dispersed media. The objective of this effort is to use the results for a qualitative validation of the numerical simulations.