An Optical Method for Determining Bubble Size Distributions—Part II: Application to Bubble Size Measurement in a Three-Phase Fluidized Bed

Abstract

The light beam technique, described in Part I of a paper with the same title, was applied to a three-phase system (nitrogen, organic solvents, and glass particles) to study the equilibrium bubble size distributions. A range of liquid and gas flow rates, with respective superficial velocities of 1–8 cm/sec and 0.1–1.1 cm/s; and various particles, 2 mm diameter by 5 mm long cylinders and 1 to 5 mm diameter spheres, were considered. Typical average bubble diameters were measured to be in the range of 1.2 to 2 mm. For the range of flow conditions considered, the Sauter mean diameters, normalized by particle size, were found to be proportional to the Eotvos number and essentially independent of the liquid and gas fluxes.