Inter-Particle Aggregation and Breakage in Taylor-Reactor Using CFD

Abstract

Taylor reactor is composed of two co-axial cylinders where the outer one is stationary and the inner one is rotating. Recently, Taylor reactor is applied on the lithium ion battery to produce cathode material. In the reactor, complex chemical reactions and particle growth occur. The particle size and distribution have significant impact on the performance of cathode material. This study simulates inter-particle aggregation and breakage in Taylor reactor and predicts particle size and distribution. The simulated results are compared with experiment. The quadrature method of moments (QMOM) is implemented to solve a population balance equation (PBE). For the aggregation kernel, the sum of turbulence kernel and Brownian aggregation kernel is considered. The power-law kernel is taken as a breakage kernel. The mixture model is used to describe the interaction between continuous phase and dispersed phase. The effect of internal flow on the dispersed phase (i.e. particle) is investigated by changing rpm.