Correlations for the Interphase Drag in the Two-Fluid Model of Gas-Liquid Flows through Packed-Bed Reactors

Experiments conducted by NASA measured the pressure drop due to gas-liquid flow through a packed-bed reactor under microgravity conditions. From these experiments, we develop correlations for the gas-liquid fgl interphase drag in a two-fluid model (TFM). We use an Ergun-type closure for liquid-solid drag. Then, under a one-dimensional (1D) flow assumption, fgl is the only unknown in the TFM. Using a data-driven approach, we determine fgl and correlate it (via composite fits) with the liquid and gas Reynolds numbers, Re l and Re g , respectively, and the Suratman number Su l . To validate the proposed fgl (Re l , Re g , Su l ) closure, we perform two-dimensional transient simulations at microgravity conditions using ANSYS Fluent and employing an Euler-Euler formulation. We find good agreement between the simulations based on the proposed fgl closure and the experimental data.