Quasi-dynamic modeling of dispersion-free extraction of aroma compounds using hollow fiber membrane contactor

Abstract

The current work focuses on the membrane-based solvent extraction of aroma solutes through computational modeling and simulation. A 2D mathematical model was presented to study the extraction of four selected aroma compounds namely, dimethyltrisulfide (DMTS), ethyl butyrate (EB), benzaldehyde (BA) and 2-phenyl ethanol (PE). These compounds were recovered from aqueous solutions with hexane as an organic solvent in hollow fiber membrane contactor (HFMC). Model equations were developed by applying mass and momentum balances across HFMC. Momentum balance equations were coupled with continuity equations using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique for the investigation of solutes’ concentration in three sections of the membrane module. Simulation results were validated using experimental data for the extraction of all four selected aroma compounds and a good agreement was found. The simulation was then run to study the effects of hydrodynamics on extraction. It was found that extraction efficiency for DMTS, EB, and BA almost doubled when the flow rate was decreased to one-fourth. Furthermore, the study revealed that CFD can be effectively applied for the optimum design of membrane-based extraction processes.