Two phase Taylor-Vortex reactors have been receiving increased attention due to its capacity to generate emulsions within the system. This dissertation focuses on understanding a Taylor-Vortex (TV) system when operating in a semi-batch manner. Optical experiments were aimed at identifying patterns and distributions that would aid in system operation as well as to better understand the canonical Taylor-Couette flow when multiple phases are involved.

Using two immiscible liquids, hexane and water, in the semi-batch TV system, droplet patterns were identified in the system in order to create a flow regime map. The regime map identified four unique stages of banding and non-banding, indicating scenarios where Taylor vortices present in the system are either strong enough to trap droplets or ineffective in compensating for the force of rising buoyant droplets.

Further optical investigation of the system identified three unique droplet size distributions, a unimodal distribution, a bi-modal distribution, and a right-skewed distribution. Additionally, the droplet sizes were investigated in relation to the system operation parameters. It was concluded that the droplet sizes and distribution had a strong dependence on the entry conditions of the dispersed phase and did not correlate to the flow patterns identified in the primary investigation of the system. The investigation of the entry conditions shed further insight into the drop sizes and distributions through the identification of jet breakup modes consistent with classical immiscible liquid jet systems, albeit in a narrow channel and a rotating fluid.