Assessment of a new method for taylor flow characterization in a monolith using a multi-channel resistive sensor
Résumé
In the field of structured reactors applied to multiphase reactions, the apparatus performance is strongly related to the quality of the spatial distribution of fluids at reactor inlet, since no flow redistribution is possible downstream. In monolith reactors, up to 600 channels per square inch (millimeter-sized) need to be fed in similar flow rates with gas and liquid reactants. In order to characterize the flows in all channels simultaneously, a resistive sensor has been specifically developed on a printed circuit board. The measuring method is based on the conductivity difference between gas and liquid. In the studied reactor, each of the 84 channels is connected to 2 gold ring electrodes hold by the sensor, and the delivered signal is recorded at high frequency (up to 20 kHz). The 84 simultaneous recordings enable the identification of hydrodynamic characteristics: flow regime, bubble frequency, bubble velocity, phase retention. To assess the technique, measurements performed under different air and water flowrates are compared to the flow characteristics obtained from image processing of 12 transparent channels. Results issued from ombroscopy and resistive sensor show small deviations, while the latter method allows to distinguish flow regimes and to quantify two-phase fluid distribution in the whole monolith.
| Origine | Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s) |
|---|---|
| Licence |