A SIMPLE EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUE TO MEASURE GAS PHASE DISPERSION IN BUBBLE COLUMNS

A new technique to measure gas phase dispersion in bubble columns is presented. This technique is fairly simple to implement accurate and inexpensive as compared to conventional methods used in the literature. Nitrogen is used as a tracer and a step change is effected by switching from air to the tracer, nitrogen. The gas phase concentration of oxygen is monitored by means of a polarographic oxygen sensor. The system studied is air-water and the experimental results compare well with the literature data. The technique presents a simple way to measure gas phase axial dispersion in bubble columns and can also be applied to other types of reactors.