Chapter Ten - Application of Computational Fluid Dynamics and Computational Fluid Mixing in Reactors

Abstract

This chapter reviews the theory of fluid flow in three dimensions, fluid mixing in stirred tank reactors employing the computational fluid mixing (CFM), and the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools. The combination of these tools and various experimental techniques provide accurate point values of time-averaged and fluctuating velocities, and the time-average and semi-instantaneous flow fields in stirred tanks. CFD is the analysis of systems involving fluid flow, energy transfer, and associated phenomena such as combustion and chemical reactions by means of computer-based simulation. The CFD codes numerically solve the mass-continuity equation over a specific domain set by the user. The usage of the reaction model helps in predicting the effects of scale, impeller speed, and feed location. Thus, such models provide valuable tools for designing the chemical reactors. The reaction model constants can be used to optimize the product conversion on the production scale varying agitator speed and feed position. The chapter concludes by reviewing the use of CFD in enhancing the performance of reactors.