High Energy Absorption Efficiency Research Articles

Rigorous modeling of UV absorption by TiO2 films in a photocatalytic reactor

AbstractThe radiation absorption profiles on the surfaces of TiO2 films in a corrugated‐plate photocatalytic reactor were modeled based on first principles. A new term, the local‐area‐specific rate of energy absorption (LASREA), was adopted to describe the catalyst surface radiation in heterogeneous photoreactors. The LASREA and the energy absorption efficiency were both quite sensitive to the dimensions of the corrugated plates. Due to the multiple photon reflections between the opposing surfaces, corrugated plates possess a superior capability for recapturing longer wavelength photons that would otherwise be reflected out of some reactor designs. This results in higher energy absorption efficiency and more uniform LASREA on the catalyst films. Compared to a flat plate, corrugations are predicted to enhance the energy absorption efficiency by up to 50% for UV‐A fluorescent‐lamp‐powered systems and more than 100% for solar‐powered systems.