Heat and Mass Transfer at the Wall of a Square Mechanically Stirred Gas-Liquid-Solid Catalytic Reactor

Wall mass and heat transfer rates in a square gas-sparged, mechanically stirred reactor were measured by the electrochemical technique under the effect of various geometrical and hydrodynamic variables. For the 45 degrees impeller, the mass transfer data fit the equation Sh = 0.7Sc(0.33)Re(0.2)Re(g)(0.5) with an average deviation of +/- 6.9 %. For the 90 degrees impeller, the data fit the equation Sh = 0.95Sc(0.33)Re(0.14)Re(g)(0.53) with an average deviation of +/- 7.5 %. Gas sparging enhanced the wall mass transfer rates by factors of up to 2.61 and 3 for the 90 degrees and 45 degrees impellers, respectively, with a significant decrease in the total power consumption. The contribution of the present results to the operation of multiphase mechanically agitated vessels in different aspects is outlined.