Mass and heat transfer enhancement at the wall of cylindrical agitated vessel by turbulence promoters

Abstract

Rates of liquid–solid mass transfer at a wall of stirred tank reactor lined with an array of vertical tubes turbulence promoter were studied using the dissolution of copper in acidified dichromate technique. Parameters studied are physical properties of the solution, impeller geometry, impeller rotation speed, cylinder diameter, circumferential distance between the vertical cylinders, and the effect of drag reducing polymers. The presence of vertical cylinders at the reactor wall increased the volumetric mass transfer coefficient compared to the presence of the wall without the cylinders by an amount ranging from 12.5% to 214.5%. The presence of Polyox WSR-301 drag reducing polymer decreased the rate of mass transfer by an amount ranging from 3.5% to 32.26% depending on polymer concentration and impeller rotation speed. All data were correlated by dimensionless mass transfer equations. The importance of the present results in building high space time yield catalytic reactors suitable for conducting diffusion controlled reactions was highlighted, also the possible role of the vertical tube array as a secondary built in heat transfer facility which assists external cooling jacket was noted.