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Volume 112
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Development of the drag model for distillation columns under heterogeneous flow regime via direct numerical simulation
Zhendong Li a b, Xieyu He a b, Xiao Chen a b, Zheqing Huang a b *, Qiang Zhou a b *
a School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
b Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Energy Chemical Process Intensification, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
10.1016/j.partic.2026.02.027
Volume 112, May 2026, Pages 111-122
Received 27 December 2025, Revised 8 February 2026, Accepted 18 February 2026, Available online 11 March 2026, Version of Record 18 March 2026.
E-mail: huangzheqing@mail.xjtu.edu.cn; zhou.590@mail.xjtu.edu.cn
Highlights

• The drag models are developed based on DNS under different flow regimes.

• The consideration of heterogeneous flow regime extends the models' applicability.

• Bubble swarm correction factor is affected by Reynolds number and gas holdup.

• The simulations of distillation columns are performed for posterior tests.

• The proposed models give good predictions under heterogeneous flow regime.


Abstract

An accurate gas-liquid drag model is crucial for simulating bubble swarms in distillation columns. Under typical industrial operating conditions, distillation columns predominantly operate in the heterogeneous flow regime. To obtain reliable data under this regime, this study employs direct numerical simulation to conduct high-resolution simulations of bubble swarm dynamics at high superficial gas velocities. The drag force on the bubble swarm is calculated accurately based on the direct integration of stresses on bubble surfaces. Given the substantial differences in flow regimes—homogeneous, transition, and heterogeneous—under varying superficial gas velocities, this study develops not only an overall drag model spanning gas holdups from 0.1 to 0.6, but also a piecewise model based on flow regime characteristics. Both models describe the bubble swarm correction factor in terms of both gas holdup and Reynolds number, where the Reynolds number captures the evolution of the flow state. A posteriori validation using a two-fluid model demonstrates that, compared to other drag models, both proposed models significantly improve the prediction accuracy of the clear liquid height, particularly at the high superficial gas velocity. The piecewise model performs optimally, achieving a mean relative error of only 10.39% and 12.66% relative to experimental data.

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Distillation columns; Drag model; Direct numerical simulation; Heterogeneous; Computational fluid dynamics
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