Mixing behavior and mass transfer of liquid—liquid two-phase flow in an annular microchannel with helical wires

doi:10.1016/j.cjche.2024.08.002

中国化学工程学报 ›› 2025, Vol. 77 ›› Issue (1): 42-56.DOI: 10.1016/j.cjche.2024.08.002

Mixing behavior and mass transfer of liquid—liquid two-phase flow in an annular microchannel with helical wires

Min An¹, Chengxiang Wang², Qing Liu², Mengya Wang², Zhirong Yang², Wenpeng Li², Guoli Zhou², Jingtao Wang², Jinli Zhang³

1. National Supercomputing Center in Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China;
2. School of Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China;
3. School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China

收稿日期:2024-07-04 修回日期:2024-08-26 接受日期:2024-08-27 出版日期:2025-01-28 发布日期:2024-08-28
通讯作者: Wenpeng Li,E-mail:liwenpeng@zzu.edu.cn
基金资助:
The authors sincerely appreciate the financial support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22208320), the Science and Technology Program of Henan Province (212102210044), and The Henan Association for Science and Technology Youth Talent Support Program (2022HYTP026).

Mixing behavior and mass transfer of liquid—liquid two-phase flow in an annular microchannel with helical wires

Min An¹, Chengxiang Wang², Qing Liu², Mengya Wang², Zhirong Yang², Wenpeng Li², Guoli Zhou², Jingtao Wang², Jinli Zhang³

1. National Supercomputing Center in Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China;
2. School of Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China;
3. School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China

Received:2024-07-04 Revised:2024-08-26 Accepted:2024-08-27 Online:2025-01-28 Published:2024-08-28
Contact: Wenpeng Li,E-mail:liwenpeng@zzu.edu.cn
Supported by:
The authors sincerely appreciate the financial support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22208320), the Science and Technology Program of Henan Province (212102210044), and The Henan Association for Science and Technology Youth Talent Support Program (2022HYTP026).

摘要/Abstract

摘要： Combining the advantages of high efficiency, low-pressure drop, and large throughput, the pore array-enhanced tube-in-tube microchannel (PA-TMC) is a promising microreactor for industrial applications. However, most of the mass transfer takes place in the upstream pore region, while the contribution of the downstream annulus is limited. In this work, helical wires were introduced into the annulus by adhering to the outer surface of the inner tube. Mixing behavior and mass transfer of liquid—liquid two-phase flow in PA-TMC with different helical wires have been systematically studied by a combination of experiments and volume of fluid (VOF) method. The introduction of helical wires improves the overall volumetric mass transfer coefficient K_La by up to 133% and the mass transfer efficiency E by up to 117%. The simulation results show that the helical wire brings extra phase mixing regions and increases the specific interface area, while accelerating the fluid flow and expanding the area of enhanced turbulent dissipation rate. Influences of helical wires in various configurations are compared by the comprehensive index I concerning the pressure drop and mass transfer performance simultaneously and a new correlation between K_La and specific energy consumption ϕ is proposed. This research deepens the understanding of the mixing behavior and mass transfer in the PA-TMCs and provides practical experience for the process intensification of microchannel reactors.

关键词: Microchannels, Helical wires, Volume of fluid (VOF), Mass transfer, Optimization

Abstract: Combining the advantages of high efficiency, low-pressure drop, and large throughput, the pore array-enhanced tube-in-tube microchannel (PA-TMC) is a promising microreactor for industrial applications. However, most of the mass transfer takes place in the upstream pore region, while the contribution of the downstream annulus is limited. In this work, helical wires were introduced into the annulus by adhering to the outer surface of the inner tube. Mixing behavior and mass transfer of liquid—liquid two-phase flow in PA-TMC with different helical wires have been systematically studied by a combination of experiments and volume of fluid (VOF) method. The introduction of helical wires improves the overall volumetric mass transfer coefficient K_La by up to 133% and the mass transfer efficiency E by up to 117%. The simulation results show that the helical wire brings extra phase mixing regions and increases the specific interface area, while accelerating the fluid flow and expanding the area of enhanced turbulent dissipation rate. Influences of helical wires in various configurations are compared by the comprehensive index I concerning the pressure drop and mass transfer performance simultaneously and a new correlation between K_La and specific energy consumption ϕ is proposed. This research deepens the understanding of the mixing behavior and mass transfer in the PA-TMCs and provides practical experience for the process intensification of microchannel reactors.

Key words: Microchannels, Helical wires, Volume of fluid (VOF), Mass transfer, Optimization

Min An, Chengxiang Wang, Qing Liu, Mengya Wang, Zhirong Yang, Wenpeng Li, Guoli Zhou, Jingtao Wang, Jinli Zhang. Mixing behavior and mass transfer of liquid—liquid two-phase flow in an annular microchannel with helical wires[J]. 中国化学工程学报, 2025, 77(1): 42-56.

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Mixing behavior and mass transfer of liquid—liquid two-phase flow in an annular microchannel with helical wires

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