Abstract The novel design of a rectangular external loop airlift reactor is at present the most used large-scale reactor for microalgae culture. It has a unique future for a large surface to volume ratio for exposure of light radiation for photosynthesis reaction. The 3D simulations have been performed in rectangular EL-ALR. The Eulerian–Eulerian approach has been used with a dispersed gas phase for different turbulent models. The performance and applicability of different turbulent model’s i.e., K-epsilon standard, K-epsilon realizable, K-omega, and Reynolds stress model are used and compared with experimental results. All drag forces and non-drag forces (turbulent dispersion, virtual mass, and lift coefficient) are included in the model. The experimental values of overall gas hold-up and average liquid circulation velocity have been compared with simulation and literature results. It is seemed to give good agreements. For the different elevations in the downcomer section, liquid axial velocity, turbulent kinetic energy, and turbulent eddy dissipation experimental have been compared with different turbulent models. The K-epsilon Realizable model gives better prediction with experimental results.

中文翻译：

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矩形外环气升反应器的计算流体动力学

摘要 矩形外环气升式反应器的新颖设计是目前使用最多的大型微藻培养反应器。它具有用于光合作用反应的光辐射暴露的大表面积与体积比的独特未来。3D 模拟已在矩形 EL-ALR 中进行。欧拉-欧拉方法已用于不同湍流模型的分散气相。使用了不同湍流模型的性能和适用性，即K-epsilon 标准模型、K-epsilon 可实现模型、K-omega 和雷诺应力模型，并与实验结果进行了比较。所有阻力和非阻力（湍流分散、虚拟质量和升力系数）都包含在模型中。整体气体持率和平均液体循环速度的实验值已与模拟和文献结果进行了比较。它似乎给出了很好的协议。针对降液管段的不同高度，将液体轴向速度、湍流动能和湍流涡耗散实验与不同湍流模型进行了比较。K-epsilon Realizable 模型通过实验结果给出了更好的预测。