2025 AIChE Annual Meeting

(458e) Three-Dimensional Numerical Simulation of Bubble Motion with Mass Transfer and Rapid Flow Field Prediction

Authors

Kai Guo, Tianjin University
Liu Chun Jiang, Tianjin University
Bubble motion and mass transfer are critical factors influencing the efficiency of multiphase reactors. Understanding velocity-bubble mass transfer interactions is vital for enhancing multiphase reactor efficiency. In this study, we enhanced the interTransferFoam solver by integrating the isoAdvector algorithm. Validations showed the solver reduces numerical bubble volume loss and better captures mass transfer-induced volume changes. Using the improved solver, we simulated the free rising motion of bubbles in quiescent liquid under different Eötvös (Eo) and Morton (Mo) numbers. Based on high-precision simulation results, we analyzed the influence of Eo and Mo numbers on the real-time motion characteristics of bubbles, including terminal velocity, standard deviation of second-order velocity differences, terminal sphericity, standard deviation of second-order sphericity differences, and bubble rising path. Bubble shape oscillations arise from wake vortex formation and shedding. Wake vortex-shape interactions drive bubble path instability. Furthermore, we investigated the mass transfer accompanying bubble motion. The characteristics of the time-dependent bubble mass transfer rate were analyzed, and the relationship between bubble shape, bubble rising path, and mass transfer rate was explored. The results show that vortex structures surrounding the bubble play a crucial role in determining the distribution of mass transfer rates at the bubble surface. Finally, leveraging the time-series data of velocity and concentration fields obtained from numerical simulations, we employed a hybrid framework integrating a diffusion model with a transformer architecture, incorporating physical conservation laws, to rapidly predict the evolution of concentration and velocity fields. This approach enables rapid spatiotemporal predictions of velocity and concentration fields in multiphase reactors and provides a new perspective for improving reactor design efficiency. This study provides insights into the instability of bubble motion coupled with mass transfer and introduces a novel methodology for fast prediction of flow and concentration fields in multiphase systems.