The gas holdup in a multiphase reciprocating plate column filled with carboxymethylcellulose solutions

Gas holdup was investigated in a gas-liquid and gas-liquid-solid recipro- cating plate column (RPC) under various operation conditions. Aqueous carboxy- methylcellulose (sodium salt, CMC) solutions were used as the liquid phase, the solid phase was spheres placed into interplate spaces, and the gas plase was air. The gas holdup in the RPC was influenced by: the vibration intensity, i.e., the power con- sumption, the superficial gas velocity, the solids content and the rheological proper- ties of the liquid phase. The gas holdup increased with increasing vibration intensity and superficial gas velocity in both the two- and three-phase system. With increas- ing concentration of the CMC PP 50 solution (Newtonian fluid), the gas holdup de- creased, because the coalescence of the bubbles was favored by the higher liquid vis- cosity. In the case of the CMC PP 200 solutions (non-Newtonian liquids), the gas holdup depends on the combined influence of the rheological properties of the liquid phase, the vibration intensity and the superficial gas velocity. The gas holdup in the three-phase systems was greater than that in the two-phase ones under the same op- erating conditions. Increasing the solids content has little influence on the gas holdup. The gas holdup was correlated with the power consumption (either the time-averaged or total power consuption) and the superficial gas velocity.