MULTIPLE HYDRODYNAMIC STATES IN GAS-LIQUID UPFLOW AND DOWNFLOW THROUGH BEDS OF SMALL PACKINGS

Small packings of diameters less than 3 mm may have some advantages in a gas-liquid cocurrent packed-bed reactor performance, such as small intraparticle diffusion resistances. Pressure drops and liquid holdups were measured for gas (air)-liquid (aqueous solution) upflow and downflow modes by changing gas flow rates at the constant liquid flow rate. The viscosities of liquid were varied by adding propylene glycol in water. Multiple hydrodynamic states were found for the upflow as well as the downflow. Some correlations were derived from experimental results.