Hydrodynamic characteristics of a two-phase gas-liquid flow upward through a fixed bed of spherical particles

Abstract

The influence of an electrochemically generated gas phase on the hydrodynamic characteristics of a three-phase system has been examined. The two-phase fluid, (gas-liquid), in which the liquid phase is the continuous one, flows through a packed bed with glass spheres. The influence of the liquid velocity was examined, as well as the gas velocity and particle diameter on the pressure drop through the fixed bed. It was found that with increasing liquid velocity (wl = 0.0162-0.03 m/s), the relative pressure drop decreases through the fixed bed. With increasing current density, the pressure drop increases, since greater gas quantities stay behind in the fixed bed. Besides, it was found that with decreasing diameter of the glass particles, the relative pressure drop also decreases. The relationship betweeen the experimentally obtained friction factor and the Reynolds number was established.

Keywords

• two-phase flow
• fixed bed
• water electrolysis
• pressure drop
• fluidization