Abstract:

The computational fluid dynamics-population balance model (CFD-PBM), which integrates the advantages of CFD in predicting flow field with PBM in calculating bubble size distributions, has been widely applied in numerical simulations of bubble column reactors. However, most existing studies focus on ambient pressure air-water systems, limiting the direct applicability of their findings to industrial slurry reactors operated under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions. This review summarizes recent advances in understanding the effects of pressure, viscosity, surface tension, and particles on hydrodynamic behaviors, with a focus on modeling bubble breakup and coalescence under various operating conditions. Simulation results show that the CFD-PBM coupled model can effectively characterize hydrodynamic behaviors in slurry reactors and has wider applicability than the traditional empirical correlations. While current simulations predominantly address cold-mode laboratory-scale reactors, future investigations should focus on resolving multi-scale coupling challenges in industrial-scale systems. Such advancements are crucial for enabling the translation of the CFD-PBM framework from fundamental research to practical industrial applications.

Key words: computational fluid dynamics-population balance model (CFD-PBM), slurry reactors, bubble breakup, bubble coalescence, multiphase flow, hydrodynamics

摘要：

计算流体力学-群体平衡模型（CFD-PBM）由于结合了CFD预测流场信息和PBM计算气泡尺寸分布两方面的优势，被广泛应用于鼓泡塔反应器的数值模拟。但目前大多数研究工作主要针对常压下空气-水体系，其结果无法直接应用到高温、高压下操作的真实工业浆态床反应器中。本文从不同操作环境下气泡破碎及聚并行为建模角度出发，阐述了压力、黏度、表面张力及颗粒对流体力学行为影响的最新进展。模拟结果表明，CFD-PBM耦合模型可以准确描述浆态床内流体力学行为，与传统的经验关联式相比模型适用性更广。目前的模拟工作大多集中在实验室规模浆态床反应器的冷模研究，未来需要克服工业规模反应器多尺度耦合的难题，从而推动CFD-PBM耦合模型从实验室规模模拟向工业应用跨越。

关键词: 计算流体力学-群体平衡模型, 浆态床反应器, 气泡破碎, 气泡聚并, 多相流, 流体动力学