Reactive Bubbly Flows

Welcome to the research group "Reactive Bubbly Flows" of the IMS, 

In chemical and bioprocess engineering, many important reactions require efficient mixing between a gaseous reactant and a continuous liquid phase. Well-mixed bubble flows, in which the gas is dispersed as bubbles in the liquid, are widely used to achieve high yields and selectivity. The performance of such systems is determined by transport processes in the thin boundary layers around each bubble, by bubble-swarm-induced turbulence, and by local effects at the gas–liquid interface, including interfacial deformation and variations in interfacial mobility. Aligning these transport timescales with the intrinsic reaction kinetics offers a strong potential for process optimization.

Our research focuses on experimentally resolving and modelling these mechanisms across micro- and macro-scales. Special attention is given to the influence of local concentration gradients at the interface, counter-diffusion phenomena, and the characteristic fluid dynamics, all of which markedly affect mass transfer and reaction rates. Using advanced measurement techniques with high spatial and temporal resolution, we capture three-dimensional flow and concentration fields near the interface, within bubble wakes, and throughout the reactor volume. These data support the development of predictive models for gas–liquid mass transfer, reactive flows in microchannels, fine and ultrafine bubble systems, and the design of high-performance multiphase reactors.