Test System for the Investigation of Reactive Taylor Bubbles

Detailed analysis of reactive multiphase flows is still challenging due to the complex linked transport processes. Until now, there is no reliable and reproducible experimental method for gas-liquid flows, which enables the local measurement of dissolved species concentrations of educts, products, and side products at well-defined and reproducible hydrodynamic conditions. A vertically arranged glass channel is used to capture gas bubbles with well-defined wake structures. The hydrodynamic conditions in the wake can be predicted by dimensionless numbers and adapted for most industrially relevant systems. An experimental apparatus is presented for the investigation of the interdependency between hydrodynamics, mass transfer, and chemical reaction. The applicability of the setup is demonstrated with a chemical test system that shows a strong color shift from colorless to blue when the gas-liquid reaction takes place.