HYDRODYNAMICS AND LOCAL PARAMETERS IN 3-PHASE-FLOW IN AIRLIFT-LOOP REACTORS OF DIFFERENT SCALE

The reactor size and the solid phase have an important influence on the operation behaviour of airlift-loop reactors. Liquid velocity, dispersion, local gas holdup, and local solid holdup along the reactor axis have been measured in airlift-loop reactors with outer loop and a volume of 80L and 800L respectively. The measurements were done in two-phase-systems (air,water) and three-phase-systems (air,water,solid). To investigate the influence of the solid phase, different solid materials and different solid loadings were used. The liquid velocity and the dispersion were compared with results gained from a 2L outer loop reactor and a 70L inner loop reactor.