The characteristics of liquid-gas-solid three phase airlift pump for particle diameter mesh 24-20 and 16-12.

In lifting fluid and sediment by using upward force injected by gas through upriser, airlift pump has certain flow characteristics. The Airlift pump flow characteristics had been explored in the previous studies, yet those studies only focused on two phase airlift pump. For this reason, the recent study aimed at revealing the flow characteristics of three phase airlift pump. These characteristics was observed experimentally for different particle diameter by using liquid and gas as working fluid. When the airlift pump was operated by using solid material, the flow occurring in the upriser pipe was three phases. The current airlift pump experiment used a compressor to inject gas on the injector. The internal diameter of the upriser pipe of 56 mm and the total height of 3400 mm. This experiment was conducted on variable particle diameter mesh 24-20 and 16-12. The variation of air discharge given were 60 l/min, 70 l/min, and 80 l/min with atmospheric conditions. The research matrix was obtained by combining two variables. The experimental results indicated that (1) the velocity of air discharge has significant effects in lifting the particles as gas hold up occurring was greater, (2) the greater the air discharge was given, the greater gas hold up occurring in the flow, (3) the higher the air discharge was given, the higher upriser gradient, so the lifting capability became greater since the great pressure opposed the gravity, (4) the small particle diameter was used in the air lift pump system, the greater the lifting particle due to greater friction between particles and water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]