Formation of interfacial area at submerged multiple orifices

Abstract

Interfacial area was formed by passing air at flow rates in the jetting range through multiple orifices that were submerged horizontally beneath 4.5 feet of each of four different liquids. The air flow rates varied from 0.095 to 1.34 cubic feet per minute (at 70°F and 1 atmosphere pressure) and the diameter of the orifices ranged from 0.03125 to 0.1250 inches. The number of orifices varied from two to four orifices per plate and a total of fifteen plates were used. Water and three other aqueous solutions were investigated. These were: 39 per cent (by weight) Glycerine, 13 per cent Isopropanol and 3 per cent Isopropanol. In a selected series of experiments, the diameter of the orifice holder was varied from 1 to 2.5 inches (nominal pipe size). The interfacial area was found to be independent of the diameter of the orifice holder. The interfacial area was measured by use of a light transmittance technique which consisted of a photocell, a recorder, and an integrator. This combination gave the time average of the interfacial area that passed a selected plane of the column. The interfacial area produced was correlated as a function of the physical properties of the fluids, the kinetic energy of the gas at the outlet of the orifice, the diameter and the number of orifices per plate, and the gas flow rate.