VOF-DEM study of particle entrainment behaviors in the gas–solid-liquid system with multi-inlet configuration

[Display omitted] •Particle entrainment of muti-inlet gas–liquid-solid system obtained via VOF-DEM.•Increasing the channel number decreases bubble size and entrainment capacity.•Meandering bubble path promotes particle entrainment and elution efficiency.•Bubble size control is crucial to enhance particle entrainment in muti-inlet design. Enhancing the entrainment capability of particles by bubbles is pivotal for facilitating particle elutriation and augmenting reaction efficiency in gas–liquid-solid systems. The current work utilizes the volume of fluid method in conjunction with discrete element method (VOF-DEM) to study particle entrainment in gas–liquid-solid three-phase reactors featuring different gas inlet layouts. Following model validation, this study delves into the multiphase flow characteristics and particle behaviors in detail. The results reveal that the merging of adjacent channels leads to the formation of larger combined bubbles, thereby increasing particle force, velocity and entrainment height. The average entrainment height during the merging of adjacent bubble channels is 42% higher compared to the four-channel configuration. However, this amalgamation diminishes the channel count and particle entrainment count. Specifically, the highest particle entrainment occurs in the two-channel configuration, which is 26% greater than that in the adjacent-channel merging configuration. Conversely, increasing the channel number decreases bubble size and overall particle entrainment capacity. With consistent bubble sizes, an increase in particle entrainment is associated with reduced entrainment height, indicative of diminished momentum transfer from bubble wakes to individual particles. Additionally, maintaining an optimal number of channels ensures high gas inlet velocity and bubble size, thereby enhancing particle entrainment efficiency. Lastly, appropriately reducing channel distance fosters interaction between adjacent channels, resulting in a meandering bubble path that further promotes particle entrainment and elution efficiency. The results obtained from this study serve as a useful reference for the design and optimization of similar systems.