Experimental Study of Turbulent Mixing and Selectivity of Competing Reactions
Abstract
Many industrial chemical reactors are inherently limited by imperfect mixing. The flow fields of such reactors are so complex that traditional turbulence models based on the Navier-Stokes and component continuity equations are impractical, particularly when complex reactions are involved. This work evaluates five mechanistic models of mixing and chemical reaction in terms of their ability to predict the selectivity of competing reactions. Experiments were conducted in a highly segregated but well characterized turbulent plug flow reactor to obtain data for competing reactions. The azo-coupling of 1-naphthol with diazotised sulfanilic acid (Bourne reactions) was used as the reaction system. Concentration of reaction products was measured by absorption spectrophotometry with a fiber-optic probe. Turbulence measurements in the reactor were obtained with a pulsed Doppler Ultrasound Velocimeter. These measurements indicated that the mean velocity profile was nearly flat and the turbulence nearly homogeneous. Mechanistic Models with a Turbulence Analogy; Coalescence-Redispersion Model; Slab Diffusion and Related Models; Interaction by Exchange with the Mean Model; The Three Environment Model; and The Four- Environment Model.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA197775
Entities
People
- Rajendrakumar V. Mehta
Organizations
- Pennsylvania State University