A Parametric Study of Breaking and Coalescence Mechanisms: Qualita- tive Analysis of Surface Tension Influence via Computational Simulation of Two-Phase Flow in an Upward Bubble Column.
Palavras-chave:
Bubble Columns, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Breaking and Coalescence Mechanisms, Surface TensionResumo
The vast applicability of the gas-liquid multiphase flow in bubble columns within the engineering fields
related to the biochemical, oil and gas, as well as the steel industry, it makes for a compelling research subject. This
paper focuses on analyzing the quantitative influence of the surface tension over bubble breaking and coalescence
mechanisms using VOF multiphase flow and RANS SST κ − ω to treat the turbulence related features. The
simulations were performed by ANSYS Fluent fluid dynamics tool and they exhibit good agreement when properly
validated using the axial velocity profile in comparison to other numerical simulations and experimental data
available in the literature. Moreover, the results reveal an interesting behavior of the diperse phase as the surface
tension was gradually descreased: the disperse phase’s inertia is reduced while the bubble breaking mechanism
gets more intense. In view of the results regarding the topology, it allows for a broader investigation of the impact
of different parameters on the interaction of the phase dynamics, in particular breaking and coalescence processes.
