Gas-liquid countercurrent flows through packed towers

The volume-averaged governing equations for multiphase flows in porous media proposed by Liu (1999a) are applied to the study of gas-liquid countercurrent flows in packed towers. Model parameters are proposed for two-phase flows by extending the model of saturated single-phase flows in porous media. Numerical solutions are obtained for developed axisymmetrical flows in packed columns. Flow velocity profiles of both phases, pressure drops, and liquid holdup distributions are obtained. All of the predictions agree well with published experimental results. It is thus demonstrated that the volume-averaged governing equations are satisfactory for describing two-phase flows in packed columns.