Abstract: Corrugated reactors are known for their use in applications requiring UV-exposure, whereby media flowing within the corrugated channel react with a photo-active catalyst impregnated on the surface (i.e. TiO₂). The performance in these systems is dependent on catalyst properties and reactivity for a given light source, in conjunc-tion with the coupled transport of reactants within the media and photons falling incident to the catalyst surface. Experimental and computational analyses of local mass transfer and radiation patterns for a broad range of corruga-tion angles, depths, and non-idealities introduced during manufacture (i.e. fold curvature) are thus integrated to the design and optimization of these systems. This work explores techniques for determining incident energy distribu-tions on the surface of corrugated reactor geometries with non-ideal cross-sectional profiles, and the local and over-all mass transfer rates obtained using computational fluid dynamics and experimental analysis. By examining the reaction kinetics for the photo-degradation of 4-chlorophenol over a TiO₂ catalyst, the effects of surface area, en-ergy incidence with photon recapture, and local mass transfer on overall reactor performance are presented to high-light optimization concerns for these types of reactors.

Key words: photochemical reactions, reactor analysis, computational fluid dynamics, surface chemistry/physics, mass transfer

摘要： Corrugated reactors are known for their use in applications requiring UV-exposure, whereby media flowing within the corrugated channel react with a photo-active catalyst impregnated on the surface (i.e. TiO₂). The performance in these systems is dependent on catalyst properties and reactivity for a given light source, in conjunc-tion with the coupled transport of reactants within the media and photons falling incident to the catalyst surface. Experimental and computational analyses of local mass transfer and radiation patterns for a broad range of corruga-tion angles, depths, and non-idealities introduced during manufacture (i.e. fold curvature) are thus integrated to the design and optimization of these systems. This work explores techniques for determining incident energy distribu-tions on the surface of corrugated reactor geometries with non-ideal cross-sectional profiles, and the local and over-all mass transfer rates obtained using computational fluid dynamics and experimental analysis. By examining the reaction kinetics for the photo-degradation of 4-chlorophenol over a TiO₂ catalyst, the effects of surface area, en-ergy incidence with photon recapture, and local mass transfer on overall reactor performance are presented to high-light optimization concerns for these types of reactors.

关键词: photochemical reactions, reactor analysis, computational fluid dynamics, surface chemistry/physics, mass transfer