Bubble flow mechanisms in trickle beds—an experimental study using image processing

The mechanisms of bubble motion in concurrent gas–liquid down flow through trickle beds are investigated. The laboratory reactor is a structured quasi-two-dimensional porous medium with an average pore diameter close to the values encountered in trickle beds. The accuracy of the reactor design is demonstrated by hydrodynamic investigations on the reactor scale where it is shown that the flow regimes encountered and the experimental pressure drop are comparable to those observed in trickle beds. The investigations on the pore scale are focused on the dispersed bubble flow regime where the liquid flow is continuous and the gas is divided into elongated bubbles. The bubble motion is recorded with the aid of a high-speed video camera and the images are processed and analysed in a quantitative manner. The investigations clearly show that in dispersed bubble flow, the bubbles are frequently pulsing on the pore scale. The mechanism of this flow pattern is discussed.