Richard L. Long, New Mexico State University, Chemical Engineering Department, P.O. Box 30001, MSC 3805, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001 and Asem Al Jarrah, Chemical Engineering Department, New Mexico State University, P.O. Box 30001, MSC 3805, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001.
In this work an interfacial energy balance is combined with a buoyancy approximation to compute the interfacial area concentration distribution in a bubble column. The approximations made leave no adjustable parameters to fit and the model is used to compute results and compare them to experimental reports. A very simple turbulence model for the continuous phase is employed. The calculations show that reults can fit within 15% of reported bubble column data for Sauter mean bubble size distribution across the column cross-section at steady state. This same approach may be suitable for stirred tanks, but results are not yet available.