Simulation Study on Hydrodynamic Performance of Slurry Bubble Column with Vertical Tube Internals

Abstract The gas-liquid-solid mixing characteristics in slurry bubble column were studied using the CFD-PBM model under different cross section coverage ratios of tubes. The research shows that with the increase of the proportion of the cross section area of the vertical tube, the flow field in the slurry bubble column tends to be stable, the liquid phase flow rate in the column becomes faster, and the large-scale liquid circulation strengthens, resulting in the decrease of gas holdup. As the proportion of cross section area in the vertical column increases, the distribution of gas-solid holdup becomes more uneven in the radial direction. However, increasing the number of vertical tubes can improve the axial distribution of solid particles in the reactor while reducing the size of bubbles in the column. Therefore, it can be concluded that in order to achieve effective gas, liquid, and solid mixing in slurry bubble column, the ratio of cross section area of vertical internals is crucial under given conditions.