Teaching Laminar-flow reactors: From experimentation to CFD simulation

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2006

Authors

L. M. Madeira (Author) FEUP; A. Mendes (Author) FEUP; F. D. Magalhães (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: International Journal of Engineering Education

Vol. 22 No. 1

Pages: 188-196

ISSN: 0949-149X

Publisher: Dublin Institute of Technology Tempus Publications

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 3 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 6 Citations

INSPEC

Scientific classification

CORDIS: Technological sciences > Engineering > Chemical engineering

FOS: Engineering and technology > Other engineering and technologies

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-004-Q08

Abstract (EN): An integrated chemical engineering lab experiment is described in this paper. It makes use of a laminar-flow tubular reactor (LFTR) through consecutive lab sessions. In a first session (not described here), the pseudo first-order kinetic constant for the reaction between crystal violet and sodium hydroxide is determined at different temperatures in a batch reactor. Then a tracer experiment is used to characterize the flow, pattern in the LFTR, and finally the steady-state conversion of crystal violet in the reactor is measured. For computing the theoretical reactor conversion, students must use the previously collected kinetic and tracer data, in a concept-integration exercise. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code (Fluent) is also used to simulate both the tracer and the isothermal reaction experiments performed in the LFTR. A very good agreement is obtained between experimental and simulated results and both only differ slightly from the theoretical predictions. The use of the CFD program is particularly noteworthy. For instance, transient simulations allow a very nice visualization of the tracer concentration front evolution, while the steady-state profiles along the axial position provide a good perspective of how reactant concentration varies within the reactor.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 9