https://doi.org/10.1140/epjs/s11734-025-01815-5
Regular Article
CFD simulation of two-phase flow by varying the sparger shape and orientation
1
Delhi Technological University, Delhi, India
2
Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India
Received:
22
May
2025
Accepted:
16
July
2025
Published online:
4
August
2025
In the current study, numerical simulation has been carried out to identify the hydrodynamics of flow with a dual Rushton impeller, which has rotation with 50, 100, 150, and 200 rpm at a constant flow rate of 0.3 vvm [volume of gas per volume of liquid per minute] to promote the algae cultivation in a lab-scale bioreactor. An Eulerian–Eulerian multiphase and turbulence k–
model with a dispersed phase has been applied in ANSYS Fluent 2020R1. The hydrodynamic parameter focused on the mass transfer coefficient, which predicts the oxygen diffusivity inside the bioreactor, which is suitable for algae cultivation for the sequestration of carbon dioxide and reducing global warming. This article uses a novel approach to investigate the impact of different sparger shapes and orientations, namely circular, hexagon, 15
hexagon, 30 hexagon, and 45 hexagon, on the volumetric mass transfer coefficient of the bioreactor. The gas holdup parameter has been validated with experimental data. The flow behaviour near the impeller and the gas hold-up fraction distribution are observed. The two-phase flow pattern has been observed with different sparger shapes and orientations in the bioreactor. The 30° Hexagon shape was found to have a maximum mass transfer (KL = 2.35 
m/s) with a maximum Sauter mean diameter (6.81 mm). This predicts a maximum air fraction (0.0251) inside the bioreactor at 150 rpm. The vorticity and helicity values are the same, 98.3 s−1, which is good for toroidal formation and its movement. This predicts maximum oxygen diffusivity at 30 hexagon shape at 150 rpm is better than that of another shape or orientation.
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Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
