Micromixing Performance in a Taylor–Couette Reactor with Ribbed Rotors

Abstract

The Taylor–Couette reactor (TCR) is becoming an increasingly significant topic in chemical industry. This study investigates the micromixing performance of a ribbed TCR with axial flow in the Villermaux–Dushman reaction system. The local micromixing mechanism of the ribbed TCR was analyzed, and the volume-averaged energy dissipation rate was calculated using CFD. The effects of operating parameters and rib structural parameters on micromixing performance were investigated. The results show that the introduction of ribs eliminates the high shear region between the vortex pairs, resulting in the strong micromixing region being situated on the inner and outer cylinder wall surfaces and the ribbed surface region. Smaller rib spacing, larger rib width, and rib height can strengthen micromixing and result in a smaller segregation index. Micromixing times of ribbed TCRs were calculated using the incorporation model, tm, in the range of 2.0 × 10−5 to 8.0 × 10−3. The results show that ribbed TCRs require a lower energy consumption to achieve a lower tm than other rotating reactors. A correlation equation between tm and five parameters was developed, with a correlation coefficient of 0.951. The accuracy of the volume-averaged energy dissipation rate obtained via CFD was verified through experimental analysis. The correlation between the micromixing time and the volume-averaged energy dissipation rate was established in a form that satisfies Kolmogorov’s turbulence theory for tm. To convert the volume-averaged energy dissipation rate into a local energy dissipation rate, a factor ϕ was introduced and solved using the engulfing diffusion model. This study provides insights into the design and optimization of ribbed TCRs.