ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces some fundamental bubble dynamics in liquid media. Understanding bubble dynamics is critical for bubble column design since the hydrodynamic behaviors are induced and dictated by the gas phase in the form of bubbles. Complex hydrodynamic behavior in bubble columns is closely related to the characteristics of rising bubbles and bubble wake structures. The interaction between a rising bubble and the surrounding liquid medium produces the bubble shape and determines the extent of the disturbance in the surrounding flow field. In gas-liquid contacting systems, the velocity distribution in the wake region controls the diffusion/dispersion of gas from bubbles into liquid media. For gas-liquid systems, the experimental results available in the literature indicate that an increase of pressure retards the bubble coalescence. In bubble column reactors, the hydrodynamics, transport, and mixing properties, such as pressure drop, holdup of various phases, gas-liquid interfacial areas, and mass and heat transfers, depend strongly on the prevailing flow regime.
