Abstract
• Intensification of liquid-liquid processes using a fractal injector is studied • Conformation effects on injector performance without changing fractal dimension • CFD simulations use 3D unsteady RANS with finite-rate/eddy dissipation (FR/EDM) • The FR/EDM is modified for fast liquid-liquid reactions with local micromixing • Local turbulence and micromixing are intensified using a staggered conformation Two self-similar, tree-like injectors of the same fractal dimension are compared, demonstrating that other geometric parameters besides dimension play a crucial role in determining mixing performance. In one injector, when viewed from the top, the conformation of branches is eclipsed; in the other one, it is staggered. The flow field and the fractal injector induced mixing performance are investigated through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The finite rate/eddy dissipation model (FR/EDM) is modified for fast liquid-phase reactions involving local micromixing. Under the same operating conditions, flow field uniformity and micromixing are improved when a staggered fractal injector is used. This is because of enhanced jet entrainment and local turbulence around the spatially distributed nozzles. Compared with a traditional double-ring sparger, a larger reaction region volume and lower micromixing time are obtained with fractal injectors. Local turbulence around the spatially distributed nozzles in fractal injectors improves reaction efficiency.
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call