Mass transfer in bubble columns: A comparison of correlations

Several correlations were evaluated for predicting the gas hold-up and oxygen mass transfer coefficient in bubble columns. A recent hold-up correlation was greatly superior to the others used in this study. Only one of the mass transfer coefficient correlations included the effect of the sparger area in relationship to the total surface area, yet it was found that this relationship did have a significant effect on the measured mass transfer coefficients. Most of the mass-transfer correlations therefore required a correction factor. As with gas hold-up it was a recent correlation, based in part on theoretical principles, that gave the best results. This study also developed a new correlation for the depression to be expected from detergents on the mass transfer coefficient.