A one-dimensional plug-flow model of a counter-current spray drying tower

A one-dimensional numerical model for a detergent slurry drying process in a counter-current spray drying tower is developed for the prediction of the gas and droplet/particle temperature profiles within the tower. The model accommodates droplets/particles over a range of sizes. A semi-empirical slurry droplet drying model is integrated with a counter-current tower simulation based on mass, energy and particulate phase momentum balances in order to calculate the drying rate and the particle residence time within the tower. The coupled first order ordinary differential equations for the two phases are solved numerically using the iterative shooting method in an algorithm developed within MATLAB. The predictions of the numerical model are compared with industrial pilot plant data. The results are found to vary significantly with the specified size distribution of the droplets. Despite the simplicity of the model in ignoring the coalescence, agglomeration, wall deposition and re-entrainment, the model gives reasonable agreement with the experimental data.     

Mass transfer behaviour of a flow-by fixed bed electrochemical reactor composed of a vertical stack of screens under single and upward two phase flow

Rates of mass transfer were studied at a vertical array of closely packed screens under single and two phase (gas–liquid) flow by measuring the limiting current for the cathodic reduction of ferricyanide ions. Variables studied were screen characteristics (mesh number and wire diameter), physical properties of the solution, solution flow rate, gas flow rate and the effect of surface active agents. The single phase data were correlated by the equation:J = 0.52 Re_L^-0.55while the two phase data were correlated by the equations:Sh=0.87 Sc^0.33 Re_L^0.35 Re_g^0.12for the conditions 10 < Re < 125 and 1.4 < Re_g < 77; andSh=0.62 Sc^0.33Re_L^0.11Re_g^0.25for the conditions 1.1 < Re_L < 22 and 1.4 < Re_g < 77. The presence of surfactant was found to reduce the rate of mass transfer in both single phase and two phase flow, the percentage reduction being higher in the case of single phase flow.     

Enzymatically-mediated uranium accumulation and uranium recovery using a Citrobacter sp. Immobilised as a biofilm within a plug-flow reactor

Biofilm-immobilised Citrobacter sp. removed uranyl ion from flows supplemented with glycerol 2-phosphate. The metal uptake mechanism was mediated by the activity of a cell-surface bound phosphatase that precipitated liberated inorganic phosphate with uranyl ion as HUO₂PO₄·4H₂O at the bacterial surface. A modified integrated form of the Michaelis–Menten equation is proposed to describe the removal of metal ion by a columnar bioreactor, where the efficiency of metal removal is semi-quantitatively related to the input flow rate, the total enzyme loading (E₀) and the bioreactor activity. With biofilm-immobilised bacteria, E₀ was further divisible (split) into subparameters of phosphatase titre per bacterium and total biomass surface area. Varying the split E₀ and the reaction temperature modified the bioreactor performance. The immobilised bacteria retained high metal loads without loss in steady-state activity. Accumulated metal was recovered as a concentrated solution.     

Characterization of micro-mixing in a novel impinging streams reactor

This paper presents an experimental investigation of a novel impinging stream reactor (ISR) with the aim of high mixing intensity. The integral mixing quality in the reactor was measured with the iodide-iodate reaction and showed excellent mixing performance. The impact of the operating parameters, such as fluxes, circulation and internozzle distances, was investigated in terms of segregation index. The results showed that the increase of flux, the decrease of inter-nozzle distance and a suitable circulation can improve the micro-mixing efficiency. Based on turbulence theory, it was estimated that the characteristic micro-mixing time was 0.002–0.02 s, which was much shorter than that in the stirred tank reactor. The micro-mixing time was related to the segregation index, which was in good agreement with those in the literature.     

Entrance effect on mass transfer in a parallel plate electrochemical reactor

The influence of different fluid inlet types, slits or tubes, on mass transfer in a rectangular reactor was studied. Measurements of mass transfer coefficients were made using the limiting diffusion current technique based on ferricyanide ion reduction at a large nickel electrode located downstream of abrupt expansions. The overall mass transfer coefficients obtained were 3 to 13 times greater than those obtained in fully developed flows. Overall mass transfer coefficients were correlated for Reynolds numbers ranging from 400 to 3500 by a unique equation by introducing a nondimensional expansion factor defined by the ratio of the fluid inlet cross-section to that of the reactor. The correlation equation obtained was compared with literature data.     

Mass transfer behaviour of a fixed bed electrochemical reactor with a gas evolving upstream counter electrode

Mass transfer rates were determined at a horizontal screen cathode stirred by oxygen bubbles evolved at a horizontal anode placed below the screen by measuring the limiting current of the cathodic reduction of ferricyanide ion from alkaline solution. Variables studied were oxygen discharge rate, ferricyanide concentration and number of closely packed screens forming the cathode. For a single screen cathode the data were correlated by the equation: J = 0.249 (Re Fr)^-0.25 The mass transfer coefficient was found to decrease with increasing the number of screens forming the cathode. Implications of the present work for improving the performance of the flow-through packed bed electrochemical reactor were highlighted.     

Influences of heat transport on the determination of reaction rates using the temperature scanning plug flow reactor

The temperature scanning plug flow reactor enables the investigation of reactions over a wide temperature range with a small time exposure. The experimental data that are gained by carrying out a temperature scanning experiment can be used to calculate the reaction rate of each component of the reactant mixture. The temperature scanning experiment has to be carried out in a certain procedure that has to be fulfilled in order to be able to apply the underlying theory. The influence of the heat transfer coefficients on the determination of the reaction rates was investigated. The ammonia synthesis was taken as an example.     

气升式反应器研究进展

对近年来有关气升式反应器的研究成果进行了总结。介绍了其结构上的改进,包括基本结构、气体分布器和各种内部构件等方面。阐述了操作条件对气升式反应器的流体力学和传质性能的影响规律,包括表观气速、液相性质及液位高度、固相性质及固含率以及其他因素,如电解液和磁场等。     

Development and characterization of a wood adhesive using bagasse lignin

Bagasse is spent fiber left after extraction of sugar. It is mainly used as a fuel to concentrate sugarcane juice. In the present work, the possibility of preparing wood adhesives from bagasse has been explored. The parameters for the preparation of a lignin phenol formaldehyde (LPF) adhesive, (lignin concentration, formaldehyde to phenol molar ratio, catalyst concentration, reaction time and reaction temperature) have been optimized. It was found that up to 50% of phenol can be substituted by bagasse lignin to give LPF wood adhesive having better bonding strength in comparison to a control phenol formaldehyde (CPF) wood adhesive. Prepared resins were characterized using IR, DSC and TGA. IR spectra of LPF resin showed structural similarity with CPF resin. Thermal stability of LPF resin was found to be lower as compared to CPF resin. DSC studies reveal a lower curing temperature for LPF adhesive in comparison to CPF adhesive. A shelf-life study reveals that LPF exhibits consistent behavior as compared to CPF in respect to adhesive strength.     

Theoretical analysis of natural gas recovery from marginal wells with a deep well reactor

Current natural gas harvesting technologies are only economically viable at high gas flow rates. Subsequently, a significant quantity of gas remains unused in abandoned wells. Methanotrophic organisms are under development to capitalize on this resource given their preference for ambient conditions, however capital and methane mass transfer costs must be minimized. We propose using the well as the bioreactor negating capital costs, and leveraging the gas pressure for mass transfer. We evaluate the Deep Well Reactor's feasibility by developing mathematical models to simulate mass transfer and explore how operating parameters impact ethanol production. The results show sufficient mass transfer for 100% conversion, despite minimal complexity. Current aerobic methanotrophs and inorganic catalysts provide sufficient reaction rates. Conversely, anaerobic methanotrophs rates must be improved by a factor of 1200. With an appropriate catalyst, this technology allows the recovery of methane at flow rates an order of magnitude lower than current technologies. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 3642–3650, 2017     

Performance of a multi-slit packed bed microstructured reactor in the synthesis of methanol: Comparison with a laboratory fixed-bed reactor

The performance of a multi-slit Integrated Micro Packed Bed Reactor-Heat Exchanger (IMPBRHE) for methanol synthesis from synthesis gas over Cu/ZnO/support commercial catalyst was experimentally investigated from a reaction engineering perspective. Through establishment of a systematic comparison strategy, performance comparison with a laboratory scale tubular Fixed-Bed Reactor (FBR) with three different dilution ratios was made to evaluate the IMPBRHE. The productivity, thermal behavior, activity of body materials, pressure drop and residence time distribution (RTD) of the two reactor types were investigated. The IMPBRHE outperformed the undiluted FBR and gave CO conversions comparable to the diluted FBRs. The main difference is ascribed to superior heat exchange properties of the IMPBRHE, which can improve reactor performance for an exothermic reaction such as methanol synthesis. The results reveal advantages of the IMPBRHE for robust scale up.     

New method for the determination of precipitation kinetics using a laminar jet reactor

In this paper a new experimental method for determining the kinetics of fast precipitation reactions is introduced. Use is made of a laminar jet reactor, which is also frequently applied to determine the kinetics of homogeneous gas-liquid reactions. The liquid containing one or more of the precipitating reactants passes a gas-filled reactor as a stagnant jet in which no mixing occurs. The remaining reactant needed for precipitation is supplied in gaseous form and causes the precipitation reaction to occur while it is diffusing into the jet. Hydrodynamics as well as transport phenomena are precisely known for this system, whereas agglomeration can be minimized by adjustment of the concentration of the solute supplied by the gas. The kinetics of the different crystallization steps can be determined by analyzing the size distribution of the produced particles. This new method is experimentally demonstrated for the precipitation of CuS using H₂S gas. The obtained data were successfully used to simulate a packed bed absorber in which H₂S is absorbed by a CuSO₄ solution.     

Gas holdup and overall volumetric mass transfer coefficient in a modified reversed flow jet loop reactor

Experiments were conducted in a modified reversed flow jet loop reactor having the liquid outlet at the top of the reactor to determine the gas holdup and overall volumetric mass transfer coefficient in the air-water system. The influence of gas and liquid flow rates, and the draft tube to reactor diameter ratio were studied. It was observed that both gas holdup and volumetric mass transfer coefficient increased with increased gas and liquid flow rates and were found to be significantly higher in the modified reactor compared to the conventional one. The optimum draft tube to reactor diameter ratio was found to be in the range of 0.4 to 0.5. Empirical correlations are presented to predict gas holdup and overall volumetric mass transfer coefficient in terms of operational and geometrical variables.     

Development of a three-phase fluidized bed reactor with enhanced oxygen transfer

A three-phase fluidized bed reactor (TFBR) was developed in this study with the objective to achieve high rates of oxygen transfer from the gas to the liquid phase in the presence of fluidized solid particles. With 2.9 m height, 0.605 m diameter, and a short residence time of 8 h, the TFBR is particularly suitable for industrial applications such as aerobic biodegradation of high-strength wastewaters including refractory compounds. Experiments with tap water and air show that the TFBR enables complete fluidization. With the water and air superficial velocities in the respective ranges of 0.005–0.203 and 0.8–2.0 cm/s, the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient is 2.3 × 10⁻² s⁻¹, which is higher than that obtained in similar experimental studies on oxygen transfer carried out in the past. These results suggest that the developed TFBR could be very effective in industrial applications where short hydraulic time and high gas-to-liquid mass transfer rates are desirable.     

Optimization of gas-liquid reactor using computational fluid dynamics

The relationship between the geometry and the operating conditions, hydrodynamics and performance of an industrial gas-liquid stirred reactor has been studied with the help of CFD modeling and gamma ray tomography. It is seen that the interfacial area distribution is very wide. This in some areas leads to mass transfer limitations. Strategies for retrofitting the reactor were then developed (e.g. change in the operating speed, change of impeller type, change in the feed introduction, etc.) and tested by CFD for improving the reactor performance. The benefits of the implementation were in terms of the improvement in the product quality, reduction in the by-product formation, increase in the reactor throughput.     

电化学反应器流动和传质特性的仿真研究

提出了一种基于双面BDD电极的平行板结构的电化学反应器,它通过阳极和阴极交替排列引导污水多通道蜿蜒流动,实现了三维传质的增强。利用OpenFOAM分析了四阳极结构反应器的流动特性和传质特性,结果表明该结构的反应器在低入口流体雷诺数下传质系数低,分布不均,当入口雷诺数大于500时流体出现不稳定,传质增强。     

煤液化催化剂多级逆流浆态反应器流体分布与传质研究

以煤为载体的煤直接液化高效催化剂的制备需要在湍动剧烈的环境中分散和合成,气液固三相反应器的设计是其核心技术。主要从反应器的设计要求、气相含率及体系氧传质系数来研究此反应器的流体力学与传质特性。此反应器能满足催化剂制备时的要求,而且可以大幅度的减少气液相的传质阻力的影响。     

Studies on the hydrodynamic behavior and mass transfer in a down‐flow jet loop reactor with a coaxial draft tube

The effects of certain pertinent parameters such as gas and liquid flow rates and nozzle position on the behavior of a down‐flow jet loop reactor (DJR) have been studied. The mean residence times of gas and liquid phases and the gas holdup within the reactor have been measured. In addition, the overall volumetric mass transfer coefficient, and the influence of the gas flow rate and the position of the nozzle inside the draft tube on the latter has been determined. Correlations have been presented for the gas holdup and k_La which take into account the length of the draft tube and the nozzle immersion height. The k_La values obtained at different power per unit volume (P/V) values in the DJR used in the present study compare favorably with data presented for stirred tanks and bubble columns in the literature. The liquid residence time distribution (RTD) within the reactor has been studied by tracer analysis for various operating conditions and nozzle immersion height and the results are indicative of the high mixing intensities that can be obtained in such reactions. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Mathematical modeling of the partial hydrogenation of vegetable oil in a monolithic stirrer reactor

Experimental and theoretical studies on the partial hydrogenation of vegetable oil in a monolithic stirrer reactor are reported. A complete mathematical model of the reactor was developed, including hydrogenation and isomerization kinetics, catalyst deactivation, external gas–liquid and liquid–solid as well as internal mass transfer. The experimental studies were carried out in a Pd/Al₂O₃/Al monolithic stirrer reactor, at a wide range of temperatures (353–373 K), pressures (414–552 kPa), and catalyst loadings (0.00084–0.00527 kg_Pd,exp m^?3). Based on this model, simulated data can be used to evaluate the catalyst (Pd/Al₂O₃/Al) and the hydrogenation process in consecutive catalytic tests under different operating conditions. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 60: 3524–3533, 2014     

Electrochemical pretreatment of heavy oil refinery wastewater using a three-dimensional electrode reactor

The pretreatment of heavy oil refinery wastewater (HORW) was experimentally investigated using a three-dimensional electrode reactor (TDER) with granular activated carbon (GAC) and porous ceramsite particle (PCP) as the combination particle electrode and DSA^® type anodes as the anode. The results showed that higher chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was obtained in TDER comparing with the two-dimensional electrode reactor (without particle electrodes packed), and combination particle electrode was favorable to improve the COD removal efficiency and reduce the energy consumption. The treated HORW under the optimal experimental condition (GAC percentage = 75%, current density = 30 mA/cm², pH not adjusted and treatment time = 100 min) presented that the removal efficiencies of COD, total organic carbon and toxicity units were 45.5%, 43.3% and 67.2%, respectively, and the ratio of 5-day biochemical oxygen demand to COD was increased from 0.10 to 0.29, which is beneficial for further biological treatment. Furthermore, the application of electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry to characterize polar compounds in HORW and their oxidation products was well demonstrated to reveal the composition variation.