Evaluation of Breakage and Coalescence Kernels for Vertical Bubbly Flows Using a Combined Multifluid-population Balance Model Solved by Least Squares Method

Abstract In two-phase gas-liquid flows, the properties of the interface between the phases are of particular interest. Unfortunately the complexity of the interface dynamics due to breakage and coalescence represents a considerable difficulty in the study of bubbly flows. In recent years population balance modeling has been used increasingly to account for size distribution of bubbles in the dispersed phase. In this work we attempt to evaluate various breakage and coalescence kernels developed in literature. The implementation uses a multifluid-population balance model of a cylindrical bubble column. The simulated results for breakage frequency and breakage daughter size distribution closures are verified by evaluating their bubble number and mass conservative properties.